Fans of the PWHL rejoice! The league has officially announced their regular season schedule, which will include the addition of six more games, bringing the total to 30 games, perfect for women’s hockey fans who couldn’t get enough of the inaugural season.

From Ottawa’s perspective, the team kicks off their season on November 30th against the Montreal Victoire at Place Bell, while their home opener will take place, at TD Place, on December 3 at 7:00pm. That Tuesday can’t come soon enough for the passionate fans in the Nation’s Capital. Naming the team the “Charge” couldn’t be more “on the nose,” as fans have been clambering for women’s hockey to return to TD Place. The arena truly is electric, and facing off against rival Montreal, again, on home ice for the home opener will be intriguing to watch. Can Montreal go 2-0 in this or will Ottawa hold onto the lead and score a different outcome?

Related: PWHL Releases Full 2024-2025 Schedule

Ottawa will also face off against their provincial rivals on New Year’s Eve, as they take on the Toronto Sceptres at Coca-Cola Coliseum. What will be fascinating to watch is whether Ottawa can maintain their strong play against Toronto, especially now that Watts is with her hometown team. On a similar vein, what will be the impact of having a player like Leslie, who played with Toronto last season and has now returned home to play with Ottawa, have on the outcome of the game. Keep an eye on Alexa Vasko, who also played with Toronto last season and will bring a solid veteran presence to an inevitably exciting matchup.

It will also be interesting to watch the likes of Serdachny, Savolainen, Philips and Meixner begin their PWHL careers. All of whom will make an impact on this team and each are players to watch on every shift or start.

In reviewing the schedule, one might be curious to see that there are two “TBD” home games for the Charge. Could this mean fans will finally be able to pack the Canadian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators? This would be huge for the organization, and with how committed new Senators owner Michael Andlauer is in connecting with the community and supporting the growth of the game in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, don’t be surprised to see this come to fruition.

Ottawa also has to take into consideration the international break, along with the city playing host to the World Juniors. Last season, they were on a roll heading into these breaks, but couldn’t find their footing afterwards and struggled down the stretch. They were virtually a lock to make the playoffs and played their way to the outside, being unable to close out games and played their way strong defence.

This is a big season for Ottawa with equally big expectations. They drafted really well this year, added very complimentary veterans in free agency, and have the opportunity to take a huge step forward this season. The fans are ready, the city is ready. The big question is: can the Ottawa Charge finish this season strong and bring playoff hockey back to the Nation’s Capital?

View the original article to see embedded media.