Senators Nearing 'Next Step' Toward Downtown Arena

This week is a crucial one for the Ottawa Senators, who are in the middle of negotiations with the National Capital Commission (NCC) for a downtown NHL arena. The two sides have been going back and forth for weeks now as the deadline for the deal looms on September 20.

With how painful it can be to commute to the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Senators fans have been anxiously awaiting some good news. Fortunately, for them, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun shared an encouraging update to begin the week.

According to sources close to Garrioch, the Senators " are very likely to go to the next step with the NCC " and that the two sides "can agree to extend the deadline" as long as they remain on the same page.

Garrioch's source added that "there are still many steps" toward finalizing a deal, though, so the process is still developing. Nevertheless, it's still a positive update given that it was reported that the NCC initially played "hardball" with the hockey club.

"We're working hard and the NCC has no problem getting together after hours," Senators owner Michael Andlauer told the Ottawa Citizen on September 11 . "It hasn't been as easy as I thought, but (LeBreton Flats is) the nicest piece of land out there."

The Senators' current home rink is the Canadian Tire Centre, where they've been playing since 1996. The arena is located in Kanata, though, which is an approximate 20-minute drive from downtown Ottawa and that journey only becomes longer once game day traffic is factored in.

Furthermore, the Canadian Tire Centre is one of the NHL's oldest arenas , meaning the Senators are due for an upgrade.

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If all goes to plan, the Senators' next arena will be located in LeBreton Flats, which is much closer to the downtown core. The new location would also be surrounded by plenty of public transportation, including the city's Light Rail Transit program, making it easier for fans to attend games.

At the end of the day, Andlauer and the Senators claim that they want to do right by the fans and that he's "fully going to do my part" to reach a new arena deal. His passion for the fanbase and club has already earned him a lot of respect across Ottawa and that trend will continue as long as he keeps saying the right things.

More info regarding a potential downtown Ottawa arena should be released as the week progresses. In the meantime, the Senators appear to be heading in the right direction for the first time in a long time.