NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks with reporters before NHL action, in Ottawa, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was optimistic about the vision of a centrally located arena becoming reality for the Ottawa Senators following a day packed with meetings, tours and discussions.

Bettman said progress was made with the Senators’ recent letter of intent with the National Capital Commission regarding the LeBreton Flats site, a prime location near Ottawa’s downtown core.

However, he did caution about looking too far ahead.

"There are a lot more steps that have to be taken, and nobody should get too far ahead of themselves,” said Bettman. "But there are a lot of things that have to come together to make this work and nobody, again, should jump ahead and presume that it requires any one additional thing.”

The commissioner spoke of the importance of public/private partnerships and “making sure that people are comfortable at all levels and all constituent groups that this is going to work.”

Bettman noted the potential economic benefits of having a downtown arena, emphasizing that a central location would likely attract more events, which in turn breeds a whole economy that includes restaurants, shopping and tourism.

He says people need to understand that a project of this magnitude has numerous layers involved. There will be provincial and municipal government involvement, the need for the business community’s support, as well as the overall vision by the Senators ownership group.

In addition to meeting with the Board of Trade and taking a tour of the proposed site at LeBreton Flats, Bettman met with Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe and was encouraged by his support for the project.

“It's not simply taking one building and putting it somewhere else,” said Bettman. “That isn't what this is about. It's about having a building and a place that can make a real difference in a positive way.”

This isn’t the first time Bettman has discussed the potential of a downtown arena for the Senators but credited the new ownership of Michael Andlauer as a key factor in things moving forward this time around.

“I know Michael Andlauer is committed to doing the right things,” said Bettman. “And doing this in a way that people will feel good about.”

Bettman also credited the late Eugene Melnyk for his efforts to keep the team in Ottawa, noting that this new phase represents an evolution for the organization.

“Michael Andlauer is going to take what was started and take it to the next level.”

Bettman said that with the right partnerships and community support, Ottawa can look forward to a brighter future for both the Senators and the city itself.

Bettman was also asked if he would consider revisiting the Senators forfeiture of their first round pick.

Last November, the NHL announced that Ottawa would forfeit a first-round pick as a result of punishment stemming from their 2021 trade that sent Evgenii Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights and the subsequent invalidated trade that would have sent the forward from Vegas to the Anaheim Ducks in March 2022.

“The penalty that was imposed on the franchise was not something I took lightly, not something I was happy to do, but I felt I had to do it,” he said. “I haven’t had that discussion in a way that I think would be appropriate for me to comment on publicly, but my inclination would be no.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 19, 2024.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2024