The Canadian Tire Centre ice is sporting a fresh paint job as the Ottawa Charge moves into the building for Games 3 and 4 of its Professional Women’s Hockey League semifinal.
The Ottawa Charge logo is officially at centre ice as the women’s hockey team prepares to take on the Boston Fleet in the best-of-five series this weekend.
A fresh ice design, which also features PWHL playoff logos inside both blue lines, will surely go a long way to make the team feel at home in its new playoff barn, which is traditionally home to the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
“The logo at centre ice, it makes you smile, gets you excited and feels very professional,” Charge head coach Carla MacLeod told reporters Tuesday.
“It’s just those little things that add up, and we know the environment is going to be a lot of fun.”
So, what can fans expect ahead of PWHL playoff hockey in Ottawa? Here’s everything you need to know about ticket sales, what’s at stake and more.
Where and when is Charge playoff hockey happening?
Game 3 will take place on Friday, May 8, at the Canadian Tire Centre. Then, Game 4 will also take place at the same venue on Sunday, May 10, at 3 p.m.
Game 5, if necessary, will take place on Tuesday, May 12, back at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass.
While the Ottawa Charge has called TD Place Arena at Lansdowne home since the league formed in 2024, the team announced just minutes after clinching a postseason berth that all home playoff games would take place at the 17,153-seat Canadian Tire Centre.
While it feels imminent, the league has not yet announced if it has negotiated a lease deal for the team to play at the west-end venue full-time next season.
How are tickets selling?
More Charge fans are getting in on playoff action than ever before.
If Friday’s game at the CTC hasn’t already reached an attendance level that’s larger than the roughly 8,200 seats the team would have been able to sell at TD Place, then it’s getting pretty close.
Tickets appeared to have almost sold out entirely in the lower bowls of the CTC in the 100 and 200 levels on Ticketmaster, as of Tuesday afternoon.
There are still some tickets left in the upper 300 level, but selection is becoming sparser as Friday approaches.
An Ottawa Charge player takes a shot during warmups as fans wave their signs behind the glass at the Canadian Tire Centre on April 3, 2026.
Tickets for Game 4 on Sunday also appear to be selling fast on Ticketmaster, with seats in the 300 level remaining.
More than 17,000 fans were in attendance the only other time the Charge played at the CTC this season on April 3, as Ottawa fell 3-0 to the Montreal Victoire.
If that was the attendance draw for regular-season hockey, then playoff hockey is bound to bring something even more special.
“This venue offers more and more opportunity for our fans to be part of the playoff series and push, and that’s exciting for us,” MacLeod said. “So, certainly, it’s a thrill to be playing here, but it’s a privilege to play in Ottawa every single opportunity we’ve had.”
What’s at stake?
The PWHL semifinal series is a best-of-five matchup, meaning the first team to win three games will take the series.
Currently, Ottawa and Boston have each won one game, and whichever team wins Game 3 will take a 2-1 series lead and will suddenly find itself just one win away from a Walter Cup final berth.
It’s been a tight matchup between these two teams: Boston won Game 1 by a score of 2-1, but Ottawa earned its redemption with a 3-1 win in Game 2.
Ottawa Charge defender Ronja Savolainen celebrates a first-period goal to open the scoring in Game 2 of the PWHL semifinal against the Boston Fleet on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Who are the Charge players to look out for?
It’s hard to talk about this series without mentioning Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips. Quite simply, she’s kept the Charge in this series with one highlight-reel save after another.
The 25-year-old goaltender was last season’s playoff MVP, and she’s making a case for herself again this season after making a combined 56 saves in the first two games of the series.
Also, look out for Ottawa’s Jocelyne Larocque. The veteran defender is usually best-known for her shut-down abilities in the defensive zone, but she turns it up a notch in the playoffs.
She currently leads the team in scoring with three points and is spending the most time on the ice out of any Charge player, averaging 24 minutes a game. It’s been fun to watch her offensive mind at work in this series as she steps in on scoring chances and makes things happen from the blue line.
Ottawa Charge Jocelyne Larocque during practice at the Bell Sensplex in Ottawa Tuesday.
And finally, keep your eye on Charge defender Rory Guilday. This series has been fast, and it’s been intensely physical: Two aspects of the game in which this 5-foot-11 rookie shines.
Guilday also has a cannon of a shot from the blue line, which could continue to work wonders if the Charge can continue to put traffic in front of the net. It’s a thing of beauty as you watch her walk the blue line and fire off a wicked shot.
What’s happening pre-game?
Be sure to arrive with plenty of time before puck drop, because the Ottawa Charge fan zone will be open starting at 4 p.m. in front of the CTC.
The fan zone will include a chance to greet the team on its way into the rink during the “Electric Avenue” player arrivals, discounted food and beer, a live DJ, face painting and mullet haircuts.
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