The City of Ottawa has raised the flag on another hockey playoff series, with the Ottawa Charge taking another run at winning the Walter Cup. Thursday marks the start of the Professional Women’s Hockey League postseason, with the Charge in Lowell, Mass. for Game 1 of their best-of-five series against the Boston Fleet. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and several other city councillors gathered at Ottawa City Hall Thursday morning to raise the Ottawa Charge flag. “This is great, to have the charge in the playoffs again. They’ve had such a great record of success over the last couple of years,” Sutcliffe said. “I think Ottawa is going to go far, and we’re very excited to support them.” The Charge made it to the finals last season but lost to the Minnesota Frost in four games. Sutcliffe also noted the decision by head coach Carla MacLeod to step back from coaching to focus on breast cancer treatment. “To see that journey playing out and to see Carla with the team and supporting the team and leading the team, and after having been through what she’s gone through, is really inspiring. And I hope that fuels their success throughout the playoffs,” he said. A section of Bank Street will also be dubbed “Charge Avenue” while the team is in the playoffs. The Charge normally play at TD Place Arena at Lansdowne Park on Bank Street, but this year, their playoff games will be held at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata. The first home game of the Charge-Fleet series will take place on May 8. Game 4, if necessary, will be held on Sunday, May 10. Ottawa and Boston played each other four times in the regular season, with each game going into overtime. Ottawa won once in overtime and twice in shootouts. Boston’s only regular season win against Ottawa was also the result of a shootout.
