The National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission have called a joint press conference on the deadline date to finalize a deal to build a downtown arena. Ottawa Senators player Parker Kelly skates as projections of the team's logo spin on the ice before an NHL game against the Boston Bruins in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – The National Hockey League’s Senators and the National Capital Commission have reached an agreement in principle to build a new arena in downtown Ottawa.
The NCC and the Senators announced at a joint press conference Friday that the arena will be part of a development of the LeBreton Flats site.
The team had entered a memorandum of understanding with the NCC to develop the downtown LeBreton Flats area, with a deadline of Friday to reach a deal.
The Senators will be purchasing a 10-acre site from the NCC, which team president and chief executive officer Cyril Leeder called a significant step forward. He said next steps will include working on the design of a new facility.
The Senators have played at the Canadian Tire Centre in the western suburb of Kanata since 1996.
The 25-kilometre drive from Ottawa’s downtown to the Kanata facility, often made longer due to traffic, has been cited as an obstacle for attracting walk-up crowds – an issue teams with downtown arenas don’t face.
A previous deal to redevelop LeBreton Flats and build an arena under former owner Eugene Melnyk collapsed in 2019 following a fallout between Melnyk and business partner John Ruddy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024
