Clinching the fourth playoff spot, the Ottawa Charge are gearing up to face the Boston Fleet at a different arena.
The Canadian Tire Centre is hosting the Charge for all their home games during the playoffs.
The Montreal Victoire didn’t waste any time in selecting a first-round playoff opponent after finishing first overall in the Professional Women’s Hockey League with a 2-1 shootout victory on Saturday over the host Seattle Torrent.
Given the choice between the fourth-place Ottawa Charge and the two-time Walter Cup defending champion Minnesota Frost, the Victoire selected the third-place Frost for the best-of-five semifinal.
Last year, Montreal chose to face Ottawa before being defeated by the Charge in the best-of-five series.
This is the second playoff appearance for both teams after each advanced to the finals in their playoff debuts (Boston in 2024, Ottawa in 2025). All four games of this season’s head-to-head series required extra time, including three shootouts, with the Charge winning three of the four matchups against the Fleet.
Montreal (16-6-2-6) will begin its series against Minnesota (13-3-5-9), on Saturday, May 2 (2 p.m. ET) at Place Bell.
This season, the Victoire won all four games of their head-to-head season series against the Frost, including two overtime victories. This is the third straight season the Victoire have qualified for the playoffs and second straight season they finished in first and selected the third-place team as their opponent.
Boston (16-5-4-5) earned home ice advantage by finishing second and will take on Ottawa (9-8-1-12) beginning Thursday, April 30 (7 p.m. ET) at the Tsongas Center.
Ottawa Charge players ecstatic to return to the playoffs. (Ottawa Charge via X)