The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has announced that the Ottawa Charge will not be playing at the downsized TD Place arena as part of the approved Lansdowne Park redevelopment. Amy Scheer, the league’s executive director of business operations, explained on Tuesday that the decision was primarily due to the reduced seating capacity of the new arena, which has been a significant concern. The recently approved $419-million redevelopment plan by Ottawa city council includes a reduction of approximately 3,000 seats at the arena.
Scheer emphasized that for the Charge, playing in a 5,500-seat arena would be a step backward and not a viable option. She expressed that a smaller arena would not be financially beneficial for the team, given their strong fan base. Last season, the Charge averaged 5,775 fans for weekday games and 8,348 for weekend games.
Despite the challenges, Scheer mentioned that the team is committed to staying in Ottawa, as the city and its fans have been very supportive. However, she voiced disappointment in the lack of a suitable solution being presented by the city.
The city estimated that adding 2,000 or more seats to the arena would require an investment of $80 million to $100 million. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe previously suggested that the league is exerting pressure during lease negotiations to secure the best possible deal with OSEG.
In response to the situation, Sutcliffe stated in an email that the city manager is actively engaged in discussions with the league and OSEG to explore potential solutions. He highlighted that while negotiations are ongoing, public comments on the process would not be appropriate at this time.