From Ottawa to Boston
Ottawa Charge fans who cheered Zoe Boyd from the blue line at Canadian Tire Centre will want to carve out a few minutes to catch her recent sit-down with CBC Ottawa's Emma Weller — because Boyd has plenty to say about her time in the nation's capital and the tough call to move on.
Boyd, a defender who became a fan favourite during her tenure with the Charge in the Professional Women's Hockey League, has since signed with the Boston Fleet. But her connection to Ottawa clearly hasn't faded. In the interview, she speaks warmly about the city, the fanbase, and what playing in a market as passionate as Ottawa meant for her development as a professional.
Why She Left
Leaving Ottawa was never going to be simple. The Charge, one of the PWHL's flagship franchises, built something real in its first seasons — a devoted local following, a competitive roster, and a home-ice atmosphere that players repeatedly called out as a highlight of the league. Boyd was part of that foundation.
Still, professional hockey is a business, and opportunities shift. Boyd's decision to head to Boston reflects the kind of calculated career move elite athletes have to make, even when it means leaving a city that had embraced them. She hasn't been shy about crediting Ottawa for helping shape the player she is today.
A Season to Remember in Boston
With the Fleet, Boyd has continued to put her defensive instincts to work in a league that has grown in profile and competition with every passing month. In her CBC interview, she walked Weller through some of the season's standout moments — the games that tested her, the teammates who pushed her, and the ways her game has evolved since her Charge days.
For Ottawa hockey fans, there's an undeniable bittersweet quality to watching a former Charge player thrive elsewhere. But there's also pride — Boyd came through Ottawa, and her success in Boston is partly a reflection of what she built here.
PWHL Ottawa's Growing Legacy
Boyd's story is also a reminder of how quickly the PWHL has grown into a legitimate professional league worth following coast to coast. Ottawa was among the cities that took to women's hockey with real enthusiasm in the league's early seasons, and the Charge has benefited from that grassroots support.
As rosters evolve and players move between clubs — as they always do in pro sports — the Ottawa fanbase gets to watch former Charge players carry a little piece of the capital's hockey culture into every arena they step into.
If you haven't watched the full interview yet, it's a genuinely good one. Boyd is thoughtful, candid, and clearly grateful for her time in Ottawa — even as she's building something new in Boston.
Source: CBC Ottawa via The National/CBC Player. Interview conducted by Emma Weller.
