© Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
The Ottawa Charge have announced their full 30-game schedule for the PWHL’s sophomore season, but there are still a few surprises in store.
Each team has 15 home games and 15 away games, but Ottawa is slated to play just 13 of its 30 games at TD Place. Mysteriously, five games in their schedule are without an assigned venue, including two “home” games. That means there are as many as five unnamed venues that will be announced in the coming weeks.
Here’s five dream venues we could see Ottawa play this season:
Canadian Tire Centre
It feels like everyone is screaming for this to happen. Games have already been played at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena and Montreal’s Bell Centre, so Canadian Tire Centre is not a long shot by any means. In fact, it’s almost a lock.
Ottawa was the best-attended team in the PWHL last season, averaging nearly 7,500 fans per game, so a sellout seems all but assured.
Ottawa is listed as the home team for Dec. 6, 2023, and Feb. 16, 2025, so put your money on those two dates for this game.
Probability: 10/10
TD Garden
This original ‘Original Six’ barn also feels likely to host one of these games, as Ottawa is slated to face off in a to-be-determined venue with the Boston Fleet on March 29, 2025.
However, there’s a chance a game at TD Garden wouldn’t be against Ottawa, as Boston has six games with yet-to-be-announced venues, including a Jan. 6, 2025 date with the Montreal Victoire. That has all the makings of a classic Boston-Montreal rivalry game.
Probability: 8.5/10
PPG Paints Arena
Pittsburgh already hosted PWHL hockey between Toronto and Montreal in March, making this a decent bet for this season.
Especially so if you consider Pittsburgh Penguins president of business operations Kevin Acklin said last season that Pittsburgh is “ripe and ready” for professional women’s hockey.
In terms of scheduling, there are openings at PPG Paints Arena when the Penguins aren’t in town that align with Ottawa’s undetermined venue dates.
Probability: 6/10
Climate Pledge Arena
I’m sure hockey fans in Western Canada and United States have noticed this, but the PWHL’s geographical footprint doesn’t stretch farther west than St. Paul, Minn.
As one of the most diverse and progressive hockey communities in North America, Seattle would be the perfect destination for a PWHL game and maybe even to plant the seeds for an expansion team.
Since the PWHL has yet to stray very far from their ‘Original Six’ cities, this is perhaps less likely to happen this season, but long term, it seems like a win for everyone involved.
Probability: 4/10
O2 Arena Prague
This is by far the most ambitious venue, financially speaking, but how incredible would it be to see Kateřina Mrázová, Aneta Tejralová and Tereza Vanišová return home to the Czech Republic in something akin to the NHL Global Series?
Not only that, but it would be a reunion for head coach Carla MacLeod, who coached the Czech national team in 2022 and led them to their first bronze medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship.
Czechia has the third-largest women’s hockey registration in Europe, so the interest is certainly there to fill the more than 17,000 seats at O2 Arena.
Unfortunately, an overseas game doesn’t feel like it’s in the cards given how young this league is and where its budget lies.
Probability: 1/10
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