Ottawa Charge Land a Big-League Home
Ottawa's PWHL team, the Charge, has secured a deal to play out of Canadian Tire Centre — the same barn that houses the Ottawa Senators — according to sources cited by Sportsnet and The Associated Press. It's a significant step for a franchise still finding its footing in the capital, and one that signals serious intent from ownership and the league alike.
Canadian Tire Centre seats over 18,000 for hockey, putting the Charge in one of the largest arenas in the PWHL. That's a leap from the smaller venues many women's hockey teams have called home, and it opens the door for the kind of atmosphere that turns casual fans into diehards.
What This Means for Ottawa Fans
For Ottawa hockey fans, this deal is about more than square footage. It means the Charge will be playing on the same ice as the Senators, under the same roof in Kanata, with access to the full suite of NHL-grade amenities — better sightlines, bigger scoreboards, and the kind of game-night production that makes a trip to the rink feel like an event.
The Senators organization has been increasingly vocal about supporting women's hockey in the region, and this partnership — if finalized — cements that relationship in a concrete way. Shared facilities, shared staff, shared community roots.
The PWHL's Growing Momentum
The PWHL wrapped up its second season in 2025 to record attendance numbers and growing national interest. Ottawa joined the league as an expansion franchise, and landing a marquee arena this early in their existence puts them ahead of where many expected them to be.
Other PWHL cities — Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Toronto — have been jockeying for premium ice time at NHL-affiliated venues. Ottawa landing Canadian Tire Centre keeps the Charge competitive off the ice, not just on it.
Early Buzz in the Capital
Reaction from local hockey fans on social media has been enthusiastic. Ottawa has a deep hockey culture, and there's genuine excitement about seeing a women's team bring that culture into a first-class building. Season ticket interest for the Charge has been building since the franchise was announced, and a high-profile arena deal should accelerate that momentum heading into the 2025–26 season.
Details on game scheduling, ticket packages, and exact terms of the arena agreement haven't been officially confirmed yet, but sources indicate both sides are close to finalizing the arrangement.
For a city that bleeds hockey, having two teams — one NHL, one PWHL — calling the same arena home is the kind of news that makes Ottawa feel like a proper hockey town in every sense of the word.
Source: Sportsnet / AP, via Google News Ottawa
