The owner of the Ottawa Senators says progress on the team’s new downtown arena at LeBreton Flats is moving along, but at a slow pace. Speaking with CTV News Ottawa ahead of the Sens’ home opener on Thursday, Michael Andlauer expressed enthusiasm for the project but said it will take some time to come together. “With respect to LeBreton, I’m really excited,” Andlauer said. “Talk about being super excited on the ice, off the ice as well. We’ve made some great progress. It’s taken a lot longer than I had anticipated, but we’re really excited about where we’re going.” “It’s going to take some time, but we’re way further ahead than anybody’s ever been to this development of LeBreton,” he added. In the summer of 2025, the Ottawa Senators announced they had signed an agreement with the National Capital Commission to purchase 11 acres of land at LeBreton Flats to build a new arena. This past August, the franchise said they were coordinating regularly with the City of Ottawa, the National Capital Commission, developers and Indigenous groups. “It’s been a lot of collaboration, and it’s going to be incredible for the city of Ottawa,” Andlauer said on Thursday. A new arena may be on the horizon, but the franchise is still making additions to the Canadian Tire Centre, including new seats in the 200-level and a new restaurant. The Canadian Tire Centre will also feature a new fan zone in the 300-level, which Andlauer anticipates will open shortly. “We were hoping to be open for opening night, but I think it’s in a couple of games. That’s going to be a great social gathering for our fans,” he said. Season outlook While the team experienced a turbulent summer marked by the trade of former captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, Andlauer says he feels this is the best lineup the team has fielded since he became owner three years ago. “I feel really good. The players are the ones that are really magnifying that,” he said. “They got here September 1. They didn’t have to be here until training camp started, which was the middle September. They’re excited to get going.” The team lost Tkachuk this offseason but added several new players in William Eklund, Andre Burakovsky and Samuel Ersson. They also named long-time Senator Thomas Chabot as the new team captain. The Ottawa Senators won their first two games of the season, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs and then the Boston Bruins, but fell to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. The Senators are playing the Philadelphia Flyers in their Thursday night home opener.
