The Ottawa Senators have made it happen at the last minute. On Friday, which was the deadline to reach an agreement, the Senators have a deal in place with the National Capital Commission (NCC) to build a new NHL arena – technically an events centre – at LeBreton Flats. LeBreton Flats is located just two kilometres (or 1.24 miles) southwest of Parliament Hill and three kilometres southwest of the ByWard Market.
The price tag for the agreement has not been revealed.
“It’s a great first step, but we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us here,” Senators president and chief executive officer Cyril Leeder said in today’s press conference for the announcement.
“It allows the heavy lifting to go forward now,” he added.
On several previous attempts, the Canadian franchise has sought an arena near the downtown core under the previous ownership of Eugene Melnyk. A deal was once in place but collapsed in 2019 following a fallout between Melnyk and business partner John Ruddy.
Since 1996, the Senators have played its home games at the Canadian Tire Centre in rural Kanata - about 27 kilometres west of downtown Ottawa.
“When you think about major facilities and the trends now and where they are, most arenas and stadiums are going downtown,” Leeder said. “When we came out here 30 years ago that wasn’t the case.”
With the project of heading downtown, closer to the action and walk-up crowds, this is a step in the right direction for the team’s future.
