Ottawa Charge fans are about to find out who will be fighting for a roster spot this fall, as the PWHL announces its training camp invitations this week ahead of the 2026-27 season.
When camp opens
PWHL training camps open on Wednesday, Nov. 18. According to the league, camp rosters are to be announced the week of Oct. 5, and each team will invite between 28 and 32 players. That means the Charge will bring a sizeable group into camp, well above the 21 players who dress for a scrimmage, so some tough decisions are built into the process.
The camps come after the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship, which takes place in Denmark from Nov. 6 to 16. Camp opens two days after the tournament wraps up.
Where the Charge play first
All 12 PWHL teams will play two preseason scrimmages between Nov. 22 and 30. The Charge's schedule looks like this:
- Nov. 23: Detroit vs. Ottawa at 1:30 p.m. ET, at Morgan Firestone Arena in Hamilton
- Nov. 24: Ottawa vs. Toronto at 7 p.m. ET, at Mattamy Athletic Centre
Both games are away from Ottawa, so local fans who want an early look at the team will need to travel or follow along from home. The league has not said, in the information available to ottown, whether either scrimmage will be broadcast or open to the public.
What the scrimmages look like
These are not casual practice games. Each scrimmage is 60 minutes of full stoppage play with 21-player lineups, followed by a 3-on-3 overtime and a shootout, regardless of the score. That format gives coaches a real look at players in game situations, including special situations like overtime and shootouts, before the regular season begins.
What we know about the new faces
The league's announcement confirms the dates, the number of invitees and the scrimmage format, but the details released so far do not name the players invited to Ottawa's camp. Who is a first-time invitee, who is returning and who might push for a spot has not been confirmed in the information we have. We will update this story with names once the Charge's camp roster details are available.
What led here
Ottawa's season build-up has been moving along over the past week. CBC/Radio-Canada released its 2026-27 PWHL broadcast schedule, which told fans when to find the Charge on television this winter, and the league confirmed a major playoff expansion as it grows to 12 teams. Read more in ottown's earlier report.
What it means for Ottawa fans
Once the camp roster is out, the picture becomes clearer: which players the team believes can contribute right away, and how many spots are really up for grabs among the 28 to 32 invitees.
Sources: PWHL (official)
