In front of a record 17,114, the Ottawa Charge dropped a 3-0 decision to the playoff-bound Montreal Victoire, setting up a very nerve-wracking final stretch of games for fans.
In what very well could be a preview of seasons to come for the Ottawa Charge, women's hockey fans packed into the Canadian Tire Centre and welcomed the home team back to the city after a month-long road trip for a matchup against the second-place Montreal Victoire.
The game marked only the second time the Charge have played at the Canadian Tire Centre following their matchup against the same Victoire on December 6, 2025, which also resulted in a Montreal victory.
Before this game, the largest-ever crowd for a women's hockey game in the nation's capital was set at the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship, when 18,013 attended a preliminary-round matchup between Canada and Finland on April 5, 2013. While that record still stands, it left the previous Charge record of 11,065 in the rearview mirror. It also becomes the third-largest Canadian crowd in the league this season, and the fifth-largest overall.
"For me, obviously being from Ottawa, it was really special to see the community come out to support us," Rebecca Leslie said. "Growing up here, I knew how special the women's hockey community was, and then to see it tonight is really special. We have the best fans in the league."
The game felt like every Charge game: passionate fans, thoughtfully pun-filled signs, chants, and those trademark kazoos. The only difference on this night was that all of it was dialled up to eleven and amplified by more than double the usual home crowd. And that's something that is reassuring about a potential move to the city's west end: nothing changes, but the games sure do get louder.
In terms of the game itself, this one is going to sting for Charge fans. It wasn't just that Montreal shut them out, but how it happened. Ottawa had their chances, outshooting the Victoire in all three periods, finishing 39-26. They led in the faceoff circle, starting with a massive advantage before coming back down to earth, finishing 58.7% to 41.3%. Ottawa also had the edge in hits, 12-9. Tonight, in a game of inches, it just came down to puck luck, and the Charge had none of it. The team missed the net by the smallest of margins all game long or were a step behind on a loose puck. Sarah Wozniewicz also had a goal reviewed, as it didn't completely cross the line.
And credit where credit is due, and that sits squarely in the blue paint with starting goaltender Sandra Abstreiter, who made those 39 saves against her former team, and added an assist, to secure her first career PWHL shutout.
"It definitely was special. I used to be on this team in the first year," Abstreiter said. "The crowd was incredible. Every game with this sort of crowd is great for the league. Sometimes it's also fun to quiet them a little, too."
The final score in this game will undoubtedly leave a sour taste in the mouths of Ottawa Charge fans. But sometimes in sport, the final score is only one small piece of the full story. Tonight, fans in the nation's capital were a part of something bigger than the final results on the scoresheet. And in the process, it helped to prove two things. First, a potential move to the Canadian Tire Centre can work. And secondly, the intense appetite and enthusiasm for the women's game is undeniable in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.