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Ottawa Senators Still Working on Securing Outdoor Game

By Ian Smith

Dec 4, 2014; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk shakes hands with Daniel Alfredsson before Alfredsson announces that he will retiring from hockey during a press conference at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2014; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk shakes hands with Daniel Alfredsson before Alfredsson announces that he will retiring from hockey during a press conference at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /
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In all the speculation that was preceding the announcement the Ottawa Senators made yesterday, the idea of the outdoor game was reignited.

The declaration that Daniel Alfredsson’s jersey is being retired was both welcome and exciting, but what about that outdoor game? How’s that coming along?

I didn’t originally think that the announcement was going to be about that, but it certainly crossed my mind as I sorted through all the big events the Senators are involved with.

Eugene Melnyk indicated that the team and the league are still working on finalizing something, but that a conclusion hasn’t been arrived upon yet.

“It’s being worked on at all levels,” said Melnyk, presumably highlighting the NHL, Senators, and federal government’s role in the negotiations. “We’re still having discussions.”

The Senators are treating Parliament Hill as their preferred locale to host the game, but it brings logistical challenges that the backup option TD Place Stadium doesn’t possess.

The government originally wanted the game hosted in a small venue of less than 10,000 seats, but there wasn’t much financial viability in that idea.

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It’s believed that at least 30,000 tickets need to be sold for the event in order to justify the cost of holding it.

While Parliament Hill is certainly the more scenic option, setting up temporary seating can be costly.

There’s also security problems that needs to be addressed by hosting an event of that magnitude at Parliament Hill.

However, in a perfect world, there’s no scenario that could compare with hosting this game at Parliament Hill.

Canada is celebrating it’s 150th birthday and the NHL is celebrating it’s 100th birthday. The Senators taking on the Canadiens in a matchup mirroring the participants of the first NHL game in front of the home of the Parliament of Canada sounds too perfect.

TD Place Stadium would certainly be a satisfactory alternative option, but it would be tremendously great if Parliament Hill got the Heritage Classic.

If the Senators want to put on the most extravagant show possible for this occasion, this is the best way to do so.

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Yes it brings challenges, but hopefully there’s enough time to plan accordingly to address any issues presented.

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