Ottawa Charge Overview
The Ottawa Charge (French: Charge d’Ottawa) are a professional women’s ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The franchise is one of six charter members of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), the league that launched in 2023 to establish a single, unified home for elite women’s hockey in North America. Owned by the Mark Walter Group and managed by general manager Michael Hirshfeld, the Charge play under head coach Carla MacLeod and feature team colors of red, storm grey, white, and gold. In only their second season, Ottawa reached the Walter Cup Final, signaling the franchise’s quick rise within the league.
The Charge play their home games at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, a major multi-purpose arena within the Ottawa metropolitan area. The team is part of a new generation of professional women’s hockey franchises backed by significant ownership investment and a national broadcast footprint. With a defensively disciplined identity, a strong goaltending tradition, and one of the league’s most committed fanbases, the Ottawa Charge have quickly become a prominent presence in Canadian sport.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The Ottawa Charge were announced on August 29, 2023, as one of the PWHL’s first six charter franchises, part of a league-wide effort to consolidate top women’s hockey talent under a single professional banner. The franchise was backed financially by the Mark Walter Group, a Los Angeles-based ownership entity that also controls interests across North American professional sports, bringing long-term financial stability to the Ottawa operation. The team’s original home venue was announced as TD Place Arena, located in central Ottawa, with the goal of placing the team in the heart of the city.
Michael Hirshfeld, the former executive director of the National Hockey League Coaches’ Association, was named the team’s first general manager and tasked with building the franchise’s hockey operations. Shortly afterward, on September 15, 2023, Carla MacLeod, a former Canadian national team defender and head coach of the Czech women’s national team, was named Ottawa’s first head coach. Together, Hirshfeld and MacLeod constructed the team’s initial staff and roster foundation, with the league’s draft and free-agency framework providing the structure for early personnel decisions.
Growth Into PWHL Competition
During the 2023 free-agency window, the Charge were permitted to sign three players ahead of the league’s inaugural draft. On September 5, 2023, Ottawa signed Canadian national team members Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner, and Emerance Maschmeyer, each to three-year contracts running through the 2025–26 season. The trio formed the experienced core of the expansion roster, with Jenner eventually named the team’s first captain and Clark and Jincy Roese serving as alternate captains.
In the September 18, 2023 PWHL Draft, Ottawa selected 15 players, beginning with American national team defender Savannah Harmon. On October 17, 2023, the team completed its coaching staff, naming Haley Irwin and Cassea Schols as assistant coaches and Pierre Groulx as goaltending coach. The team’s colors and jerseys were officially revealed on November 14, 2023, as red, storm grey, and white, giving the franchise a distinct visual identity heading into its first competitive season.
Ottawa Charge Competitive Journey
In just two seasons, the Ottawa Charge have progressed from a brand-new expansion club to a Walter Cup finalist. After a learning-curve inaugural campaign, the team surged in its second year, captured a top-three regular-season finish, and pushed its way into the league championship round.
Early Seasons and Development (2023–24)
The Charge’s inaugural season began on January 2, 2024, when Ottawa hosted PWHL Montreal at TD Place Arena in the first game in franchise history. The contest set a new attendance record for a professional women’s hockey game, drawing 8,318 spectators. Hayley Scamurra scored the first goal in franchise history, giving Ottawa a 1–0 lead, although Montreal ultimately won 3–2 in overtime.
Ottawa earned its first win on January 13, 2024, defeating PWHL Toronto 5–1, and recorded its first home victory on January 23, also against Toronto. Despite flashes of competitiveness, the Charge were eliminated from playoff contention with a 5–2 loss to Toronto in the regular-season finale. Even while missing the postseason, Ottawa led the entire PWHL in attendance, signaling a strong market for women’s hockey in the national capital. The finish also earned the team the second overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft.
Breakthrough in PWHL (2024–25)
The 2024–25 season marked a transformative step forward for the Ottawa Charge. Ottawa finished third in the regular season with a record of 12 wins, 2 overtime wins, 4 overtime losses, and 12 regulation losses, securing a playoff berth and home-ice advantage. In the semifinals, the Charge upset the top-seeded Montréal Victoire in a dramatic series that featured a four-overtime thriller, a defining moment of the early PWHL playoff era.
Goaltender Gwyneth Philips emerged as one of the league’s breakout stars, posting a stellar .952 save percentage in the postseason and earning the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award. Powered by Philips and a disciplined defensive structure, Ottawa advanced to its first Walter Cup Final. The Charge took Game 1 of the final against the Minnesota Frost, but ultimately fell in four games, with every contest of the series extending to overtime. Despite the loss, the run established the Charge as a legitimate contender and one of the league’s most resilient teams.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2025–Present)
Following the Walter Cup Final run, the Ottawa Charge continue to operate under the Mark Walter Group’s ownership, with Michael Hirshfeld overseeing hockey operations and Carla MacLeod leading the coaching staff. The team’s growing fan engagement and competitive results have positioned Ottawa as a flagship market for the Professional Women’s Hockey League as it expands its footprint and broadcast presence across North America.
A significant development in the team’s infrastructure is the planned move to the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, a major multi-purpose venue that significantly increases the team’s seating capacity. On November 7, 2025, Ottawa City Council approved a proposal to demolish TD Place Arena and build a new facility as part of the Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment project. The plan drew criticism from the Charge and the PWHL because it would reduce seating capacity from approximately 8,500 to 5,850 seats, well below the team’s average attendance of 6,768 and weekend average of 8,348 during the 2024–25 season. PWHL executives Jayna Hefford and Amy Scheer addressed city council on October 29, voicing their opposition to the proposal.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
The Ottawa Charge have built their early identity around defensive structure, goaltending excellence, and a resilient, team-first approach. Head coach Carla MacLeod’s background as a defender and national team coach is reflected in the team’s commitment to limiting high-danger chances and leaning on goaltending. The emergence of Gwyneth Philips as a top-tier playoff performer underscored the franchise’s patient, defense-driven philosophy and its ability to compete with the league’s best through disciplined team play.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Among the franchise’s most significant milestones are the August 29, 2023, announcement as a PWHL charter team, the January 2, 2024, home opener that set a professional women’s hockey attendance record of 8,318, the first franchise win on January 13, 2024, against Toronto, and the run to the 2024–25 Walter Cup Final. The 2025 playoff upset of Montréal, capped by a four-overtime victory, and rookie goaltender Gwyneth Philips’ Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award stand as defining early moments for the young franchise.
Ottawa Charge Achievements and Results
Although the Ottawa Charge have not yet captured a Walter Cup or a regular-season title, the franchise’s brief competitive record already includes a Walter Cup Final appearance, an Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP, and one of the strongest attendance marks in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
PWHL Achievements
Ottawa has yet to win a regular-season title or a Walter Cup championship, but the team’s second-place finish at the 2024–25 Walter Cup Final marked the deepest playoff run in franchise history. The playoff surge, highlighted by the upset of top-seeded Montréal and Philips’ dominant postseason goaltending, established the Charge as a serious contender heading into subsequent seasons.
Conference Achievements
The Charge do not compete within a formal divisional or conference alignment in the PWHL, as the league’s structure has been organized around its six franchises and a regular-season points table. As a result, traditional conference titles are not a tracked metric for the Ottawa franchise at this stage of the league’s development.
Divisional Achievements
Because the PWHL does not currently operate with formal divisions, the Charge have not accumulated any divisional championships. The franchise’s competitive benchmarks are measured through overall regular-season standings, playoff qualification, and progression through the Walter Cup Playoffs.
Series Achievements
Through two PWHL seasons, the Ottawa Charge have built a notable résumé of competitive results, including a third-place regular-season finish in 2024–25, a postseason upset of the top-seeded Montréal Victoire, and a berth in the Walter Cup Final against the Minnesota Frost. The franchise has also led the league in attendance during its inaugural season, underscoring the team’s off-ice impact and growing stature within the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
