Ottawa Senators Tickets

The quick Sens seat pick

For an Ottawa Senators game at Canadian Tire Centre, buy a lower-bowl seat in sections 105 to 107 or 115 to 117, at least 10 rows up. Seating guides identify those as the center-ice sections, and the extra height shows passing lanes and spacing that the glass hides from the front rows.

• Watch Ottawa attack twice: the end in front of sections 110 and 111.
• Value with a view: the center of the 200 level.
• Lowest cost: the 300 level, with the full rink in sight.
• Plan ahead: the arena is in Kanata, roughly 22 kilometers (about 14 miles) west-southwest of downtown, so your ride matters as much as your row.

Benches at 105 and 107, penalty box at 116

Canadian Tire Centre has three fixed seating levels, the 100s closest to the ice, the 200s in the middle and the 300s on top, plus a mezzanine ring of suites reached by elevator. TickPick's seating guide maps the key landmarks along the sideline:

• Senators bench: in front of section 105.
• Visitors' bench: in front of section 107.
• Penalty box: in front of section 116, on the opposite side.

That matters for two reasons. Sit behind 105 and you watch Ottawa's line changes and coaching up close, though the first rows see more players' backs than play. Sit across in 115 to 117 and you face both benches, which many fans prefer for following the game.

Inside a section

The same guide notes that seat 1 is on the right side of a section as you face the ice, and that accessible rows sit at the top of most sections. If you want an aisle, ask for the lowest or highest seat number in the row, depending on which side of the section the stairs run.

Club Bell, the Fan Deck and the 300s

The attack-twice end

Home teams shoot at the far net in the first and third periods. Guides put Ottawa's two-period net in front of sections 110 and 111, and that end is also where one guide places the Club Bell, a premium area with its own entrance and all-inclusive food and nonalcoholic drinks. If you would rather see Sens goals scored toward you than watch from the side, this is the end to pick.

The glass

Row 1 puts you inches from collisions along the boards. Plays at the opposite net are hard to judge from there, which makes it a novelty purchase.

200 level

Many regulars favor the middle 200s: the angle shows formations, yet players' faces stay readable. One guide places the Molson Canadian Fan Deck in sections 214 to 216, with in-seat service and a private bar.

300 level

The least expensive tier, and nothing on the ice is hidden from it. The top rows are a long way from the ice; take a lower 300-level row near center over a top-row corner.

Capacity is in flux. Wikipedia lists 18,655 for hockey from 2018 through 2025 and about 17,010 from 2026 after seats were removed, so check the team for the current figure.

Leafs and Habs nights versus a Tuesday in Kanata

From 2026–27, the NHL schedule runs 84 games per team, 42 at home, after a four-game preseason in September. The 2026–27 regular season runs from September 29, 2026, to April 10, 2027, and the playoffs follow into June.

Ottawa's demand moves with the opponent more than in many markets:

• Toronto Maple Leafs: the Battle of Ontario. Toronto won the playoff series in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and again in six games in 2025, and Leafs fans drive in for these.
• Montreal Canadiens: a city rivalry that predates the NHL, now a division matchup.
• Other Canadian clubs and Original Six visitors: national followings fill seats.
• Saturday nights: the strongest local demand, since a weeknight trip west is long for fans from Gatineau or the east end.

Playoff dates cost the most. Ottawa returned to the postseason in 2024–25 after eight years away and qualified again in 2025–26. For the easiest entry, look at midweek games against U.S.-based Western Conference teams.

Kanata is a trip: buses, parking and timing

Most downtown hotels are far from the arena; a Boston Globe report in March 2026 put the drive at about 40 minutes. Build that into your evening.

• Bus: OC Transpo runs game-day service branded Connexion 400, scaled to the size and timing of each event. Look for stops with the Connexion 400 logo, and check the arena's transit page for the current routes.
• Parking: passes are sold online ahead of time.
• Accessible parking: Lot A, first come, first served.

The arena's address is 1000 Palladium Drive. A center-ice seat is a worse night if you spend the third period worrying about the last bus, so confirm the return service before you buy a late weeknight game.

The 4-by-6 clutch rule and other door policies

As of fall 2026, Canadian Tire Centre posts these rules:

• Bags: only clutch- or wallet-style bags smaller than 4 by 6 by 1.5 inches. Backpacks and camera bags are refused. Medical and diaper bags are allowed after screening.
• Tickets: digital, scanned from your phone.
• Re-entry: not permitted.
• Payment: cash-free, debit and credit only.

This is stricter than many NHL buildings, so leave larger bags at the hotel. Check the arena's current policy before you go. Every Reserved Seat order comes with guaranteed entry. On the 200/300 concourse, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame exhibit is worth a look during an intermission.

Eleven old Cups, a 2007 Final and LeBreton Flats

The Senators name belonged first to a club that played from 1917 to 1934, won 11 Stanley Cups and then moved to St. Louis. The NHL awarded Ottawa a new franchise in 1990, and it opened on October 8, 1992, beating Montreal 5–3 at the Ottawa Civic Centre. The team wears black, red, white and gold, and Spartacat has been the mascot since that first season. Michael Andlauer became majority owner in September 2023. The fan base stretches across the river to Gatineau, Quebec, in a bilingual market.

The arena opened in Kanata on January 15, 1996, as the Palladium, then became the Corel Centre (1996–2006) and Scotiabank Place (2006–2013). Highlights from the building's history:

• 2002–03: the Presidents' Trophy for the league's best regular season.
• 2007: a Stanley Cup Final against Anaheim, lost in five games, with Final games played in Kanata.
• 2008 and 2012: the NHL Draft and then the All-Star Game.
• 2017: a conference-final loss to Pittsburgh in double overtime of Game 7.

A move may come eventually. In August 2025 the club signed a land sale agreement with the National Capital Commission for LeBreton Flats, near downtown, as the site of a future arena. Construction is years off. Rosters and coaches change too, so check the team site for the current lineup.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Ottawa Senators
• Wikipedia – Canadian Tire Centre
• Wikipedia – Battle of Ontario
• Canadian Tire Centre – Know Before You Go and A-Z Guide
• Canadian Tire Centre – Public Transportation
• TickPick – Ottawa Senators seating chart
• Boston Globe – PWHL Ottawa Charge and the Senators (March 2026)
• Wikipedia – 2026–27 NHL season