The Senators on Friday announced that a potential outdoor game on Parliament Hill is a "no-go," an "unfortunate conclusion" to months-long speculation, according to Jared Clinton of THE HOCKEY NEWS. For more than a year, the NHL, Senators and Canadian government "have reportedly been engaged in talks to bring an outdoor game to Parliament Hill as part of the league's centennial celebrations and a tie-in to Canada's 150th anniversary." However, logistics of the game have made putting it on "near impossible." The news is "not altogether surprising given just how difficult it would have been for the game to take place." With the Parliament Hill locale "nixed, the Senators will now be tasked with finding another site for the game." One possibility is TD Place, home of the CFL's Ottawa RedBlacks, but the "intention has never been to play the game at the stadium, despite the stadium being arguably the most sensible host" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 11/4). Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson on Friday said that he "still hopes there will be an outdoor NHL game in Ottawa next year." Watson said that TD Place is a "viable alternative to stage an outdoor Heritage Classic." Pierre-Olivier Herbert, press secretary for Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly, said that the cost of the event "wasn't a top-of-mind factor in the decision." Herbert: "I don't think we even got into the cost analysis because we wanted to see if it was feasible from a logistical standpoint first." Watson said that he spoke to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman last week and the league "still appears to be interested in an outdoor game in Ottawa" in '17 (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 11/5).
SWING & A MISS: In Ottawa, Bruce Garrioch wrote, "Talk about a missed opportunity." City officials "opted to keep it classy and released a statement that left you with the impression that deep down, they're really upset." It is "believed NHL officials, so tired of waiting for the government to give them an answer, slapped a deadline on officials to make up their mind one way or another." The government would have been "forced to pony up some major coin to make this dream come true, but think of the exposure this could have created." Garrioch: "It could have been a three-hour tourism ad being played out on live television" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 11/5). Also in Ottawa, Don Brennan noted Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk can either "work out a deal with Ottawa Sports Entertainment Group for use of TD Place or he can pass on the opportunity" altogether. Melnyk still has a "chance to spread some goodwill to a fan base that has shown signs of deserting him with subpar attendance numbers" (OTTAWA SUN, 11/6).
