The news broke early today when the PWHL decided to announce the dates and locations of their 2025-26 Takeover Tour stops. I received an email in my inbox that arrived about 30 minutes before the official social media blitz began, but the announcement that the PWHL would be coming to Winnipeg to play at the Canada Life Center felt like a big “finally” had been lifted from this city. Until this year’s tournament in April 2025 in the Czech Republic, the IIHF Women’s World Championship attendance record was held by Winnipeg and Selkirk, when 119,231 fans filled the stands at that 2007 event. For some reason, Winnipeg has never been on the radar since.Well, that claim is no more now that the PWHL has announced that the Montreal Victoire, led by Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey, will play the Ottawa Charge, led by Brianne Jenner and Manitoban Jocelyne Larocque, on March 22, 2026 at the Canada Life Center at 6pm CT. For a city that has been largely overlooked by both Hockey Canada and the PWHL when it comes to any game played here, Winnipeg now has a great opportunity to prove that this city is filled with women’s hockey fans. You know what to do, Winnipeg.
We’ve been lucky enough to talk to a lot of women The hockey show who have said they would like to see a match here. True North Sports and Entertainment is not unaware of the fact that there are many women’s and girls’ hockey games at all levels played in this city every night, and I suspect they are trying to gauge the level of interest should an expansion or relocation opportunity arise. The latter is perhaps the most convincing.
As you know, the Manitoba elk were once the Minnesota elk in the IHL. They then joined the AHL, becoming the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks until 2011, when a new tenant moved into the MTS Center – now Canada Life Center – after relocating from Atlanta. The Moose moved east to St. John’s, Newfoundland, where they became the IceCaps until the Jets decided to move their franchise closer to Winnipeg in 2015. After an arena deal in Thunder Bay fell through, the Moose moved back to the MTS Center. Note the number of moves for the same franchise.
Of course, there was also a move that allowed the Winnipeg Jets to return to the NHL. The Atlanta Thrashers franchise was officially sold to True North Sports and Entertainment on May 31, 2011, and the Thrashers’ move was completed that summer when the Winnipeg Jets made their second flight in Winnipeg against the Montreal Canadiens on October 9, 2011. Once again, another relocated franchise lands in Winnipeg under True North’s watch.
Why am I talking about moving? Well, it looks like the future of the Ottawa Charge in the nation’s capital is bleak based on recent developments there. That’s not to say the PWHL is listening to offers, nor is there a “For Sale” sign on the front lawn, but the changes to the arena situation in Ottawa could force the PWHL to find a suitable arena for the Charge to play. Ottawa doesn’t have one.
You see where I’m going with this, right?
True North Sports and Entertainment already has experience when it comes to relocating teams to Winnipeg. Additionally, a team from Winnipeg would give Minnesota a natural geographic rival; Winnipeg is relatively the same distance from Vancouver as Seattle is from Minneapolis/St. Paul, and there are arena owners who would like to block more nights on the calendar where people are in their arena. The PWHL is likely looking for an arena with at least 10,000 seats, they need a market that has a lot of potential sponsors, and they need a market where the fans love women’s hockey.
I fully admit that the previous paragraph is all speculation. There are other cities like Edmonton, Calgary and Quebec City that have shown they are also willing to support professional women’s hockey, but I truly believe Winnipeg has a chance to be among the shortlisted cities if the Charge is forced to relocate. What would help this cause significantly is the sale of the Canada Life Center when the Victoire and the Charge meet here on March 22.
Winnipeg, we’ve done it before, in 2007, when the best women’s players in the world came to our city and put on a show. We responded by setting an attendance record that stood for 18 years before the Czech Republic broke it this season, and we had only nine teams playing, as opposed to the ten that skated in České Budějovice. If Winnipeggers are serious about having a professional women’s franchise in this city, let’s do our part as fans and buy tickets to sell out the arena when tickets go on sale on Thursday and Friday.
You can cheer on Manitobans Jocelyne Larocque and Logan Angers on the Charge and Kati Tabin on the Victoire if you want to cheer on local heroes. We can’t forget Montreal’s Kaitlin Willoughby and Ottawa’s Emma Bergesen, who skated for the Saskatchewan Huskies and Mount Royal Cougars, respectively. And you can’t overlook names like Marie-Philip Poulin, Erin Ambrose, Brianne Jenner, Hayley Scamurra, Shiann Darkangelo and Ann-Renée Desbiens when it comes to what they’ve done on the international stage. The stars will be in Winnipeg, so let’s give them a Winnipeg playoff crowd!
Of course, the holidays are coming, and tickets to the first-ever professional women’s hockey game played in Winnipeg would make a wonderful gift no matter what holiday or celebration you celebrate. Imagine your little hockey fan’s excitement when receiving that gift, knowing he or she will get to see the best women’s players in the world! That’s some core memory unlocked for many!
Honestly, it’s pretty cool to finally get the PWHL to come to town. If we want this to happen again (and perhaps more regularly), we need to fill the arena on March 22nd! Let’s get it done, Winnipeg!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
#Finally