Senators Move to LeBreton Flats a Losing Proposition – The Hockey Writers –

Ottawa Senators president Cyril Leeder told an Ottawa Board of Trade conference at the end of April that the National Capital Commission’s (NCC) LeBreton Flats in downtown Ottawa is “the only site we’ve really had any discussions on – serious discussions (about building a new arena)”. Leeder may be serious about LeBreton Flats, but it doesn’t mean there’s a solid business case to move the team there.

Now, before any of you living in Orleans or Gatineau light your hair on fire, I am not denying that you must drive halfway to Peterborough to see your team play at Canadian Tire Centre (CTC) in Kanata. Nor am I disputing that the team’s high-born fans from the Glebe must suffer the indignity of mixing with Kanata’s great unwashed if they want to see the Senators play in person. And, perish the thought, I am not in any way suggesting that the good Burghers of Ottawa don’t deserve to have their NHL entry located in the city’s downtown core – just like any other “world-class” city does. (As an aside, if you must point out that you’re world-class, you’re probably not. But that’s for another article)

All I am saying is that if you own the Senators, it’s hard to make a business case for relocating to LeBreton Flats, or anywhere else in downtown Ottawa. That is unless somebody donates a cool billion dollars or so to the cause. Because if you own the Senators, that’s what you’ll need to build a new arena where so many in Ottawa say you should.

So, my advice to hockey fans in the nation’s capital is not to hold your breath waiting for an announcement anytime soon that the Senators are moving out of Kanata. Here’s why.

Time Is Running Out for a LeBreton Flats Deal

The NCC extended until Aug. 31 its June 2022 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Senators to try to negotiate a deal to develop a new major event centre at LeBreton Flats. That’s just over three months away and by the sounds of it, there are still major issues to address. 

According to Leeder, “there are shortcomings in the agreement. Whatever we do with the NCC has to lead to a viable project. Something we can finance, something we can build that will work with us in the long term. It’s got to work for us and our fans.” Translated, that probably means there are major money issues that the Senators have with the proposed rink at LeBreton Flats. Yet, that doesn’t seem to be registering with the bureaucrats at…