The NHL has "planted a huge seed of doubt" for an outdoor game in Ottawa in '17, according to Bruce Garrioch of the OTTAWA CITIZEN. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman indicated that because officials on Parliament Hill "recently turned down the idea of hosting a game there" between the Senators and Canadiens, the NHL has "started to look at other options outside of Ottawa." Bettman: "We’re going to see if we want to play a game on Founders Day somewhere else, and by that I mean in a different city. We haven’t made any decisions.” Garrioch notes Montreal "is a possibility." The Senators "aren’t commenting, but they’re exploring the possibility of playing the game at TD Place after owner Eugene Melnyk held a positive meeting with Ottawa mayor Jim Watson last Thursday." When the discussions ended, the "indications are the Senators told Watson they had interest in TD Place, but would get back to him this week to let him know what steps they wanted to take." It would be "surprising if that message wasn’t conveyed to the people at the league’s headquarters after those talks took place." The "reality is it would be hard to believe an outdoor game in Ottawa won’t happen, but it’s hardly a done deal." If the Senators "decide they’d like to have the game at TD Place a few weeks after the 2017 Grey Cup with the temporary seating still in place, then there is a negotiation that has to take place" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 11/15). An OTTAWA CITIZEN editorial states the "smart play is to move the game to TD Place" in Ottawa. An outdoor game there is a "chance for the Senators to build some goodwill as they negotiate for a new rink downtown, a project that will inevitably require public support." A "smart businessman says yes to a good deal." The editorial: "This is a good deal" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 11/15).
