The Ottawa Charge are a professional women's ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded on August 29, 2023, they are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). [1] Ottawa plays its home games at TD Place Arena, located in the city's Landsdowne Park district. As of the conclusion of the 2024–25 PWHL season, a total of 41 different players have played at least one game for the franchise; of them, 3 are goaltenders, while 38 are skaters.
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The first goal in franchise history was scored by Hayley Scamurra in Ottawa's inaugural game against PWHL Montreal on January 2, 2024. [2] The franchise's first win came eleven days later, as goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer backstopped the team to a 5-1 victory over PWHL Toronto on January 13, 2024. [3] Maschmeyer posted the franchise's first shutout on March 21, 2024, a 26-save performance to propel the team to a 3-0 win over PWHL New York. [4]
Gwyneth Philips and Rebecca Leslie are the only players in franchise history to receive major individual honours in the PWHL. Philips was awarded the Ilana Kloss Playoff Most Valuable Player in 2025 following a stellar postseason performance, during which she posted a 1.23 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage over eight starts in Ottawa's run to the PWHL Final. Despite her efforts, the team fell in four games in the championship series. Leslie earned the Intact Impact Award the same year—an honour given annually to one player from each team who exemplifies outstanding leadership, integrity, and commitment, consistently going above and beyond to support their teammates on and off the ice.
The Charge's growing fanbase and competitive on-ice identity have quickly made them a key part of Ottawa’s professional sports landscape, alongside established franchises like the Ottawa Senators and Ottawa Redblacks. Rivalries with fellow Canadian PWHL teams, particularly Toronto and Montreal, have further energized the team’s early seasons.
