Ottawa Charge relocates to Canadian Tire Centre for 2026-27 season
The PWHL team will leave TD Place Arena and move west to Kanata, seeking larger capacity and stronger corporate partnerships.
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The Ottawa Charge will play at the Canadian Tire Centre starting the 2026-27 season, departing TD Place Arena in downtown Ottawa where they've played since launching.
The move comes after months of debate over the city's Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment plan, which includes a 6,700-seat event centre — smaller than Charge leadership said they needed. The team had been vocal since last fall that a venue of that size wouldn't work for their operations or growth ambitions.
Charge general manager Mike Hirshfield confirmed the multi-year deal with the Ottawa Senators during a news conference at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, July 9. The Senators own the arena through Capital Sports Properties Inc., which is part of their larger sports and entertainment group.
"We're really excited about this opportunity," Hirshfield said, citing the arena's capacity and the chance to align more closely with the Senators organization to attract corporate sponsors and expand the team's reach.
The move signals confidence in the franchise's growth — last season, the Charge drew between 11,000 and 17,000 fans when they played playoff games at the Canadian Tire Centre in April and spring. However, some of the team's local fanbase have expressed concern about relocating to the west end of the city, away from downtown.
Hirshfield acknowledged the challenge but said the team will work to maintain its base and grow crowds. "We have more capacity here and can bring more fans into this building to see our sport and see our athletes," he said.
