The Ottawa Charge will begin the 2026-27 PWHL season in familiar territory and unfamiliar circumstances all at once: a home opener at Canadian Tire Centre against the Toronto Sceptres, followed by a schedule that leans heavily on the road right out of the gate.
That first game also marks the Charge’s debut as full-time tenants in the arena they’ll share with the Ottawa Senators. From there, the league’s new structure takes over. With the PWHL expanding from eight teams to 12, the schedule and playoff picture have both been reshaped.
Ottawa lands in the Eastern Conference alongside Toronto, defending champion Montreal Victoire, Boston Fleet, New York Sirens and the new PWHL Hamilton squad. In the West, the Minnesota Frost will have company from three expansion clubs - PWHL Detroit, PWHL Las Vegas and PWHL San Jose - plus the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent, both in just their second season.
The regular season remains a 30-game grind, but the mix changes: 18 games within the conference and 12 against teams from the other side. The Walter Cup playoffs will also grow, expanding to eight teams and three rounds from the league’s four-team, two-round format used in its first three post-seasons.
The top four teams in each conference will qualify. The first round will be played as four best-of-three series, followed by best-of-five conference finals and a best-of-five championship final.
One of the league’s signature playoff wrinkles is getting bigger, too. The first-place team in each conference will now choose its first-round opponent, picking between the third- and fourth-place finishers in its own conference.
For Ottawa, the early calendar is a test. After opening against Toronto, the Charge will play eight of their next 10 games away from home. The finish line looks much friendlier, though, with five of the team’s final six games set for Canadian Tire Centre.
“There’s a lot to be excited about with this schedule,” Charge coach Carla MacLeod said. “We’ll be tested early with so much time on the road, but that’s an opportunity for us to come together, establish who we are, and earn our position.
“What’s especially exciting is the opportunity to finish the season with six of our final eight games at Canadian Tire Centre. We want to make CTC a place our players love playing, and our opponents hate coming into.
“After back-to-back trips to the Walter Cup Finals, we understand how hard it is to get there - and there’s absolutely some unfinished business for our group.
“We can’t wait to get started.”
The Charge will also play four regular-season Takeaway Tour games at venues that have not yet been announced. Their two-game preseason slate opens Monday, Nov. 23, at Morgan Firestone Arena in Ancaster, Ont., against Detroit’s expansion team, before a meeting with the Sceptres the next night at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
Ottawa opens training camp at Canadian Tire Centre on Nov. 18.
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