Professional Women’s Hockey League explores partnership with Ottawa Senators to secure arena future for Charge

The Professional Women's Hockey League is working on a plan that could help keep the Ottawa Charge in the city for the long term. League officials are in talks with the Ottawa Senators about the possibility of the women’s team playing games at the Canadian Tire Centre.

The discussions come as the Charge face uncertainty about their current arena. The team has been playing at TD Place, but upcoming renovations will reduce the seating capacity by about 2,000 seats. League officials believe the smaller venue could make it difficult for the team to continue there in the future.

Amy Scheer, the league’s senior vice president of business operations, said talks with the Senators have been positive so far.

“We’ve got a long ways to go to figure out where we are for the future of Ottawa, but the relationship with the Senators has blossomed,” Scheer said.

The two organizations have already worked together this season. The Charge are scheduled to host the Montreal Victoire at the Canadian Tire Centre on April 3, a game the league hopes will draw strong support.

“The game is selling really well, so hopefully that’s the first of a really positive road for us to skate down,” Scheer said.

The Charge were one of the league’s first six teams and have built a solid fan base in Ottawa. The team averaged around 7,000 fans per game in its first two seasons, and attendance has slightly increased this year.

Still, the future location of the franchise is not fully decided. League officials have previously said they were considering every option, including relocation, if a suitable arena cannot be secured.

The Senators’ arena is located about 40 minutes outside downtown Ottawa. The team is also exploring plans to build a new arena closer to the city center in the coming years, which could eventually provide another home for the Charge.