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TD Place was blanketed in a sea of red when the puck dropped for the Ottawa Charge home opener Saturday evening.
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Fans donned jerseys, toques, scarves and other merchandise to the game, where they blew kazoos, waved towels and held up signs to cheer on their favourite players on the ice.
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The cheers were deafening when Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Phillips successfully defended the net from the New York Sirens, and when Charge players attempted to score a goal.
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Throughout the game, girls wearing jerseys of their favourite players chanted “Go Charge Go.”
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Charge fans remained hopeful until the end, even though the New York Sirens ended up besting the hometown team 4-0.
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“It’s been great. The vibes are electric. Would have loved to see that first goal count, but it is what it is, you know,” said Sheldon Goodridge, a season ticketholder since the team arrived.
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“We haven’t gotten the numbers from the crowd, but it looks pretty close to a sellout, and that’s kind of what you’re looking for. It’s wonderful to see people showing up: a lot of families, a lot of kids.
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“It’s wonderful to see so many young girls get excited about the future of competitive and professional sports.”
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Lorraine Byerley, a hockey player and a season ticket holder, said the Ottawa Charge is a big inspiration for many girls and women who love the sport.
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“The energy is high. It’s great. I’m loving it here,” she said.
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Concerns about Lansdowne 2.0 were also flying around TD Place on Saturday evening.
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Ottawa city council voted to approve the project by a 15-10 vote earlier this month, which would reduce TD Place to 5,850 seats, with standing room bringing total capacity to 6,600 fans.
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The PWHL previously stated that the Charge would not play at the new Lansdowne 2.0 arena, citing that the reduced capacity would be “well below what (they) average” in Ottawa.
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“Every option is on the table at this point, but we’ve certainly been clear with (the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) and the city that we will not go backwards,” Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s senior vice-president of business operations, said in a media availability Tuesday.
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Byerley said she isn’t happy that council approved a smaller rink, especially since season ticket prices were raised this year. She said she had to switch seats this year because the section she usually bought tickets for was too expensive.
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