The PWHL's Ottawa Charge are wrestling with an uncertain future after the city opted to approve plans Friday for a new Lansdowne Park arena with a smaller capacity.
Ottawa council voted 15-10 to green-light a plan that includes a 5,850-seat arena to replace the aging 8,500-seat facility at TD Place. The rink is currently home to the OHL's Ottawa 67's — owned by the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), which also owns the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks and has spearheaded the Lansdowne 2.0 project — along with the Charge. PWHL teams all are owned by the league.
The PWHL has raised concerns throughout the debate on whether to approve the new facility, saying the planned building is too small to meet the Charge's needs. PWHL executives Jayna Hefford and Amy Scheer wrote an op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen earlier this week to voice their disapproval of the project.
After the vote Friday, the PWHL released a statement.
“The PWHL has been clear with the Mayor, the City, and OSEG that a significantly reduced capacity arena has always been the primary obstacle to a long-term agreement," the statement provided to Sportsnet said. "These concerns were raised as early as April 2024 with OSEG and June 2024 with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. Despite repeated commitments to revisit the issue, no meaningful discussion on capacity ever took place and OSEG chose to move forward with its current plans.
"While today’s outcome is disappointing, our focus remains on delivering an exceptional experience for fans this season and continuing to grow the game. The PWHL will always advocate for what’s best for our players, our teams, and our fans. Women’s hockey is only beginning to flourish, and we remain committed to building a sustainable future for the sport."
The original Lansdowne renovation, completed in 2014, made major changes to the outdoor stadium as the CFL returned to Ottawa. Meanwhile, little was done to the arena.
OSEG is eyeing a Memorial Cup, last in Ottawa in 1999, for the new arena.
The Lansdowne 2.0 project also includes a major renovation for the outdoor stadium used by the Redblacks, along with the CPL's Atletico Ottawa and NSL's Ottawa Rapid FC. The latter two teams are not owned by OSEG.
The Charge were one of six inagural teams in the PWHL, which starts its third season with two additional teams later this month.
The other three Canadian teams all play in bigger arenas.
The Toronto Sceptres' Coca-Cola Coliseum seats 8,140, Place Bell in Laval, Que. (home of the Montreal Victoire) holds 10,000, while the expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes will play in the Pacific Coliseum, which has a capacity of around 16,000.