NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed confidence that the Ottawa Senators are making progress on their new arena project at LeBreton Flats in downtown Ottawa, though he emphasized that patience will be required.
Bettman's Remarks on Senators' Future
Speaking before the Senators' 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series at Canadian Tire Centre, Bettman praised the franchise's direction under owner Michael Andlauer. 'This franchise is great,' Bettman said. 'Ottawa has been extremely supportive, both the business community and the fans. They have a great fan base here.'
Bettman noted Andlauer's commitment to the team, both emotionally and financially. 'I know Michael Andlauer has been committed to this franchise, investing in it emotionally,' he added.
Arena Project Details
Andlauer agreed to purchase 11 acres of land from the National Capital Commission (NCC) last August to build a new rink and surrounding Ice District, located about 10 minutes west of Parliament Hill. The Senators have reportedly agreed to pay $37 million for the land, with the sale expected to close later this year.
Since then, both sides have been working to finalize the purchase. 'I know that he and the organization are working on the new building,' Bettman said. 'At the end of the day, I think the future here is bright and I'm excited about the prospects, which I think is important for this community and this franchise.'
Patience Required
Bettman cautioned that the project will take time, drawing a comparison to the Calgary Flames' arena, which took a decade from planning to groundbreaking. 'It can take a long time. The building in Calgary is coming out of the ground now, but I think it took 10 years to get to the point where they could break ground. So everybody needs to be patient, but sooner would be better,' he said.
Senators president Cyril Leeder predicted in January that it would take a calendar year to resolve issues such as site decontamination, working with Indigenous groups, designing the site, and financing.
Bettman, who arrived about 15 minutes late to the arena, joked that if the rink had been closer to downtown, 'that I might have been on time, but that was more of a flying problem.'
