Whispers, Winks, and Nudges Point to Permanent Move for Ottawa Charge
The only certainty about Wednesday’s PWHL championship series showdown at Canadian Tire Centre (CTC) is that it will be the last hockey game people pay to watch in Ottawa this season. However, the unspoken answer across the board suggests we’ve already seen the last Ottawa Charge game at TD Place.
No one is willing to confirm a deal yet, but there are plenty of whispers, winks, and nudges indicating that the Charge and the PWHL expect to make CTC a full-time home. Even PWHL senior VP of business operations Amy Scheer is not about to upstage the Walter Cup battle between the Charge and Montreal Victoire with more talk of a permanent move. But the signs are there.
Potential Ownership Shift
When PWHL founder Mark Walter decides to sell off franchises to individual ownership groups, the Ottawa Senators would likely be first in line. Sens owner Michael Andlauer could add a tenant and offer a package deal that boosts his NHL team’s attendance numbers. The relationship between the PWHL and Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), owner of TD Place, is strained. The league is upset that OSEG is building a new rink with just over 6,000 seats, even though the PWHL knew about these plans before its first game.
Attendance Records
A move to Kanata is a gamble, but attendance numbers are promising. In its last report on April 28, the PWHL announced that attendance had grown by 35% in all primary venues season by season, with an average of 9,304 per game through 120 games in 2025-26. That exceeds the approximately 8,300 seats at TD Place. The Charge is shattering records at CTC during the playoffs, with a new post-season standard of 16,894 for Game 3 of the final, eclipsing the 13,112 set for Game 3 of the semifinal against the Boston Fleet on May 8. Attendance was 11,297 for the series-clincher against Boston.
Player Reactions
Players are in awe of the support. “It’s definitely surreal,” said Charge rookie Peyton Hemp. “I remember when the game was first starting, just seeing all the flashlights and the arena completely filled … it really is a dream come true and so special.” Kanata-born star Rebecca Leslie, who scored the last-minute game-winner, was left “speechless.” “It’s such an honour to play for my hometown, to see a record-breaking crowd,” she said. “Growing up in Ottawa, I’ve always known that it’s a hockey community, but to see the crowd come out every game, whether it was at TD Place or at CTC, it’s just so special, and nothing compares to how I felt in that moment.”
While no official announcement has been made, the evidence points to a permanent move to CTC, which would mark a new chapter for the Ottawa Charge and the PWHL.
