Senators and NCC Reach Agreement on New Arena at LeBreton Flats...

Plus thoughts on Scanlan's announcement, Norris and other news

On Thursday, the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC) formally announced that they had “reached an agreement in principle regarding the sale of land to bring a major events center and arena district to LeBreton Flats.”

In a decade-long process that has experienced more setbacks than Dominik Hasek’s return from an adductor injury, the press conference represented a marked change from its predecessors. There was a general feeling that a positive and productive collaboration between new Senators ownership, the NCC and the City of Ottawa could actually get this project done.

The agreement states that Senators will take ownership of more than 10 acres of land at LeBreton Flats in 2025 — an increase from the 7.5-acre parcel that was earmarked for the arena in the memorandum of understanding the Senators signed with the NCC in 2022. As part of the project, 6,000 new homes will be constructed around the site, which has a mandate necessitating that 25 percent of those homes be affordable. The site will be highlighted by two aqueducts and waterfront spaces and will work in concert with LeBreton’s other phases of development. The groups have also been engaged with the Algonquin nation and are working towards a partnership agreement with them.

As an anchor tenant of the site, this new arena is meant to serve as a “catalyst” to help LeBreton move forward. Thanks to its proximity to Gatineau and its being a fixture near the city’s core, its location should better serve this fan base and new prospective customers.

Make no mistake, there are significant obstacles that need to be overcome.

Senators president and CEO Cyril Leeder acknowledged that this process would need “years, not months,” before a shovel would touch the ground - citing the need for a variety of studies (geological, geotechnical, tech and transit, financing, and zoning) to be completed first.

Many of the finer details of the agreement had yet to be defined.

There is no finalized design or estimated cost. The soil on the site is contaminated and who should bear the responsibility costs for its remediation need to be determined. The NCC also acknowledged that a price on the land had not been set. Tobi Nussbaum, the NCC’s CEO, stated that the price of the property had not been established yet but would be sold at fair market value through a transparent process. Senators owner Michael Andlauer has acknowledged that he cannot finance the construction of a new rink alone, but it is encouraging to hear that there is no expectation for the construction of the rink to be subsidized by Ottawa taxpayers. It is easy to be cynical about that statement as lip service when costs have yet to be established, especially when taxpayers will likely be on the hook to cover the cost of Lansdowne 2.0’s development project.

The announcement must have been a full-circle moment for Cyril Leeder. Leeder was involved in the process of finding the Senators a new, permanent home in the early 1990s during the organization’s formative years.

When the NCC announced on September 30, 2014, that they were opening up a request for proposals on the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats, Leeder led the Senators’ RendezVous LeBreton bid, which was eventually selected as the preferred bid in January 2016. The following year, Leeder was fired and replaced by former MLSE executive Tom Anselmi. He would eventually be rehired as the Senators’ president and CEO in 2023 by new owner Michael Andlauer.

Leeder spoke on how important securing a future arena downtown was for him. He cited it as being one of the principal reasons he returned to the organization and understandably so.

This project has the potential to be the driving force that positively changes transit in this city. Sitting at the nexus of two major transit lines on just 10 acres of land, parking should be limited at the arena - which puts a ton of pressure on the LRT system to move event traffic in and out of the area. For a struggling LRT system that desperately needs to restore community confidence, having these project collaborators be invested in making improvements to the system is important.

This project also has the opportunity to influence the social and entertainment makeup of this city for the next several generations. Having a blank slate to work with and recognizing what this site can be, just adds a layer of excitement to the process.

As Nussbaum stated, there is a “long road” ahead, but Thursday’s announcement is a significant first step in a process that has the potential to reshape this city. Thursday’s press conference may have been a performative announcement, but it should be celebrated nonetheless.

Wayne Scanlan Decides to Take a Step Back…

The legendary scribe announced on social media earlier this week that he was taking a step back to write less this season.

It was bittersweet news.

Obviously, it is great that such a well-respected and affable journalist is preparing to transition to the next stage of his career and life. On the other hand, for me, Scanlan’s coverage is synonymous with the Ottawa Senators. He has been covering this organization since its inception, so I’ve been reading his words since I was a child. For more than 30 years, Scanner has been my go-to for unbiased, fair and informed commentary, and to realize that it is drawing to a close, it is pretty shitty.

In a way, it’s not much different from Ian Mendes vacating his role at The Athletic earlier this offseason to take on a vice-president of communications role with the Senators. I am happy for them on personal and professional levels, but selfishly, I’ll miss their work and coverage because of the sizable holes their respective absences create. They are incredibly big shoes to fill.

Sitting behind Roy McGregor and Scanlan at the recent Senators and NCC announcement, it was cool to listen to the two swap hockey stories and tales while we waited for the press conference to begin. It was a really cool (but brief) moment, and I could have sat there for hours just listening to them talk.

Ottawa is pretty fortunate in the sense that many of the journalists from the organization’s formative years are still covering the team in some capacity. Bruce Garrioch obviously still writes for Postmedia, and Chris Stevenson still participates in the pre-and post-game shows on TSN 1200. Marc Brassard announced his retirement in 2023, but he is still engaged online. Lisa Wallace continues to write for the Associated Press.

Extensive knowledge of this franchise and its rich history from inception to the present is a unique skill set, so when this generation of writers moves on, the potential for some of this organization’s rich history to be lost is possible.

Retirement is inevitable, but Scanlan’s decision to take a step back to create an opportunity for a young and aspiring journalist, Alex Adams, is such a selfless act. It is just an incredible gesture from a great writer and an even better person.

Even for a hobbyist blogger who had no idea what he was doing, Scanlan was always generous with his time — making time to appear on podcasts, bounce ideas off or get opinions or input on a subject.

Not sure if Wayne will read this or not, but thanks for your storytelling, reporting and time.

Josh Norris’ Absences…

Although he has fully participated in practices and drills, Josh Norris was conspicuously absent from both of the Senators’ scrimmages this week.

Inevitably, these absences will fuel concerns about his recovery from his third corrective surgery on his left shoulder. This anxiety is understandable given his role and the investment the organization has made in him. From what I’ve seen in practice, however, I feel like it's unwarranted, at least in the interim. In my live viewings, Norris is firing the puck and participating in battle drills without issue. If you didn’t know the medical history of his shoulder, you would have a hard time noticing it from his play on the ice. The only tip-off that he was hurt is the visible kinesiology tape on his upper arm when he conducts post-practice media availabilities.

Due to his history, it makes sense to hold Norris out of meaningless scrimmages. The last thing the organization needs is another Patrick Sieloff/Clarke MacArthur incident where a tweener is trying to impress and line himself up to be the first call-up.

Assuming Norris is healthy, holding him out to the preseason or even the first regular season game is just preemptive caution to reduce the risk of injury. I’ll share concerns if he misses the entire preseason or a regular season game.

Other news and notes:

• Here are the lines for tonight’s exhibition opener in Toronto:

  • Crookshank-Pinto-Batherson

  • Gregor-Halliday-Amadio

  • Kulemin-Gaudette-MacEwen

  • Reinhardt-Jenik-Bourgault

  • Pettersson

  • Chabot-Yakemchuk

  • Kleven-Addison

  • Sebrango-Guenette Mantinpalo

• It is pretty cool that 2024 first-round pick Carter Yakemchuk will make his professional debut playing on the first pairing alongside Thomas Chabot.