- Location: Ottawa, Ontario
- Address: 1000 Palladium Drive Ottawa, Ontario K2V 1A5
- Capacity: 19,153 (hockey)
- Parking: Parking is available for purchase
- Year Opened: 1992
- Occupants: Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators were one of the 10 teams in the NHL during the 1920s when the league expanded from the original six, but the team soon folded as financial concerns from the Great Depression began to arise. Decades later in 1992, the Ottawa Senators were resurrected, and after a few years in the Ottawa Civic Center, they moved into the Scotiabank Place in 1996 which has since been renamed to the Canadian Tire Centre. The building features a number of fabulous restaurants such as the Hard Rock Cafe and a variety of sports bars, and all are easily accessible from the structure's spacious concourses. Perhaps the building's most impressive feature is the lower seating bowl - it is laid out in three levels and is remarkably intimate to give fans a clear view of the action on the ice.
The Ottawa Senators have been in the thick of the postseason race since they returned to the league. The Senators have made the playoffs 12 times in their short history and have given fans plenty to be excited about. In 2003, the Senators roared into the Eastern Conference Finals, knocking off the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers with the clutch scoring and precision passing of Daniel Alfredsson, Martin Havlat, Marian Hossa, and Radek Bonk. Unfortunately, during the Finals, the Senators lost to the New Jersey Devils, who would go on to win the Stanley Cup.
Senators fans got their first taste of the big time in 2007 when the team broke through to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Senators won a series of close contests during the playoffs, but the break between the Eastern Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals left them unprepared for the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks would win the series in five games, but the Senators laid the groundwork for a competitive squad for years to come.
Along with a world-class sports arena, Ottawa residents have enjoyed live events and thrilling concerts since the Canadian Tire Centre opened its doors.
The Canadian Tire Centre is one of the most impressive hockey venues in the NHL, and any traveler who finds himself in Ottawa probably has a competitive hockey game or enthralling live event in store.