The Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) will not be utilizing the smaller TD Place arena in the Lansdowne Park redevelopment plan. Amy Scheer, the league’s executive director of business operations, explained that the decision was based on the reduced seat capacity of the new arena, which has been a point of concern previously.
The recently approved $419-million redevelopment plan by the Ottawa city council includes a reduction of approximately 3,000 seats in the arena. Scheer emphasized that this reduction would be a step backward for the Charge, stating, “We will not play in a 5,500-seat building.” She further expressed that playing at Lansdowne 2.0 was not an option for the team.
Scheer highlighted the financial implications for the team, noting that the Charge had a strong fan base, with an average attendance of 5,775 on weekdays and 8,348 on weekends during the last regular season. Despite the challenges, she emphasized the team’s desire to remain in Ottawa, acknowledging the supportive fan base in the city.
The possibility of increasing the arena’s capacity by 2,000 seats or more was estimated to cost between $80 million and $100 million. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe previously suggested that the league was exerting pressure during lease negotiations with OSEG to secure the best possible deal. In response, the city manager is actively engaged in discussions with the league and OSEG to explore potential solutions, with ongoing meetings scheduled.
As negotiations progress, Sutcliffe refrained from public comments on the process, emphasizing the need for continued dialogue to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.