The Charge are staying in Ottawa, with the PWHL reaching an agreement to play in the NHL Senators’ home next season, two people with knowledge of discussions told The Associated Press.
The people spoke to the AP this week on the condition of anonymity because the agreement is expected to be finalized in the next few weeks.
The deal was anticipated after PWHL and Senators officials in March said the two sides were having productive talks. And it comes after the Charge played each of their four postseason games at the Senators’ facility, the Canadian Tire Centre. The team averaged 13,416 fans per playoff outing, and also drew a crowd of 17,114 for a regular-season game at the 18,655-capacity arena.
The move to Ottawa’s suburbs was prompted by the city going ahead with renovations that will reduce the seating capacity by about 2,000 seats at the Charge’s former home, TD Place.
Without the agreement, the team was in jeopardy of leaving Canada’s capital altogether.
Ottawa is one of the PWHL’s original six franchises, and spent its first three seasons at the more centrally located TD Place — also home to the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67s.
The aging facility had an original capacity of about 8,500 for hockey, with the renovations leaving about 5,700 seats, with an additional 900 standing-only spots.
The PWHL said the cuts did not meet fan demand, and made it financially unfeasible to stay at the arena.
Last season, the Charge’s average turnout at TD Place was 7,382 in 12 outings, with 10 games surpassing 6,600. Overall, the team average jumped to 8,131 when including its game at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Charge have reached the best-of-five Walter Cup Finals and lost in each of the past two seasons — including a series-clinching Game 4 loss to Montreal last month.
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