Why is there a six-day break between Ottawa Charge-Boston Fleet PWHL playoff games?

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. Photo by PWHL /Handout

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Broadcasters of Professional Women’s Hockey League games, in general, like (or are asked) to rave about how much “fun” the fans in attendance are having, how “excited” and “enthusiastic” they are in support of the product before them.

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TSN’s Kenzie Lalonde and Cheryl Pounder continued carrying that ball while describing the action during Games 1 and 2 of the Ottawa Charge-Boston Fleet semifinal series last Thursday and Saturday at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass., where crowds of 4,285 and 6,017 showed up, respectively, at the 6,496-seat facility.

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Imagine how giddy they’ll be when they call Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday, when the live audience could almost triple in size at the Canadian Tire Centre.

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The Charge has played two games in the Ottawa Senators’ home barn, both against Montreal.

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On Dec. 6, 2024, they drew only 11,065 to the CTC for a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Victoire, but the scheduling date was less than ideal as the game was played in the midst of a Senators homestand and right before the world junior championships.

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Last month, a Charge record of 17,114 witnessed a 2-1 loss to Montreal.

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While ticket sales were going well for that game and with the league upset that plans for Lansdowne 2.0 called for a new TD Place arena to have more than 2,000 seats fewer than the current Charge home, PWHL senior VP of business operations Amy Scheer reportedly told the Associated Press that there had been constructive conversations with the Senators about securing the team’s long-term presence in the capital.

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“We’ve got a long way to go to figure out where we are for the future of Ottawa, but the relationship with the Senators has blossomed,” Scheer said during a video conference call.

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On Monday, Postmedia requested an update from the PWHL on any potential plan to move the Charge full-time to the CTC as soon as the 2026-27 campaign.

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The response, from a league spokesperson:

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“We continue to evaluate all venue options for next season and will share an update once a decision has been finalized.”

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Of more immediate concern is the six-day delay between Games 2 and 3 of the Charge-Fleet series.

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A friend joked that the players might be biking from Boston to Ottawa.

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“The breaks between Games 2 and 3 reflect a combination of factors, including venue availability, broadcast considerations, travel and our goal of putting games in the best possible position for strong fan turnout and viewership,” the league spokesperson said.

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Both replies, while appreciated, are vague.

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Forget that tickets were put on sale for Game 3 before the day of the game was announced, which is like asking someone to go on a date without mentioning when.

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With the Senators done for the season, the events calendar at the CTC shows the building is empty until a May 23 “Monster (trucks, we assume) Spectacular”.