Charge's New Arena Home
Ottawa Charge Secures Multi-Year Deal, Moves to Canadian Tire Centre by 2026-27
Key Points
The agreement includes a full facility package at the Canadian Tire Centre, such as a dedicated player locker room, a lounge, medical and equipment space, and coaches' offices.
Parking will be aligned with Senators game operations, and the organization will work with the city to improve public transit access and explore third-party parking options.
Lansdowne Park redevelopment plans approved in November will reduce the capacity of the Lansdowne site to roughly 5,850 seats (with total event capacity under 6,600), prompting the Charge to relocate; TD Place currently seats about 8,500.
Canadian Tire Centre hosted record attendance for the Charge, including 16,894 for a Walter Cup playoff game and 17,114 for a regular-season game—the highest-attended women’s hockey game in Ottawa.
There is ongoing work to create a permanent home for the PWHL club at the Canadian Tire Centre as part of broader alignment with the Senators and the city.
The Ottawa Charge are leaving TD Place for good. Starting in the 2026-27 season, the PWHL club will play all home games and hold practices at the Canadian Tire Centre under a new multi-year deal with the Ottawa Senators, Ottawa Business Journal reported. It marks the biggest step yet in the team's short history.
General manager Mike Hirshfeld called the move "a key next chapter" for the club. The Charge will get a full suite of top-tier facilities at the west-end arena, including a dedicated locker room, a players' lounge, medical space, equipment rooms, and coaches' offices, according to Sports Business Journal.
Lansdowne Redevelopment Made TD Place Too Small
The move was driven by shrinking capacity at TD Place. Lansdowne Park redevelopment plans, approved in November, will cut the arena's seating to roughly 5,850 — with total event capacity under 6,600. That number was simply too low for a growing league, CTV News reported.
TD Place currently seats about 8,500. Even that has felt tight. The Charge had already explored building a smaller new arena at the Lansdowne site, but ultimately scrapped that plan. The Canadian Tire Centre, by contrast, holds well over 18,000 fans — giving the team room to grow.
Record Crowds at CTC Already Proved the Demand
The Charge are no strangers to the Canadian Tire Centre. They have hosted big games there before — and the numbers were stunning. A Walter Cup playoff game drew 16,894 fans. A regular-season game pulled in 17,114, the highest attendance ever for a women's hockey game in Ottawa, according to Calgary Herald.
Those figures made the case for a permanent move. Forward Rebecca Leslie said the arena feels like the right home for where the team is headed. The Charge are betting that making CTC their full-time base will turn those record nights into the new normal.
Senators Partnership Strengthens Ottawa's Hockey Ecosystem
The deal is more than a venue change. Senators executive Cyril Leeder said the partnership "strengthens Ottawa's hockey ecosystem." The Charge will now sit side by side with the NHL club, sharing a building and, eventually, a broader vision centered around the planned Lebreton Flats arena development.
Sports Business Journal noted that the Charge will have their own "self-contained" space within the CTC. That means players get a true home base — not just borrowed ice time. The goal is for the Charge to feel like a permanent fixture at the arena, not a visitor.
Parking and Transit Still Need to Be Worked Out
Not every detail is settled. The Canadian Tire Centre sits in Ottawa's west end, away from the downtown core. Getting fans there is a real concern. Officials said parking will be aligned with how the Senators handle their own game-day operations, according to CTV News.
The team is also working with the city to improve public transit access and explore third-party parking options. Those logistics matter — a bigger building only helps if fans can get there easily. The Charge say that work is ongoing ahead of the 2026-27 season tip-off.
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