Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators celebrates his overtime goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 26, 2025 — Ottawa’s first playoff win since 2017. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
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Less than two years after Michael Andlauer officially took over as the new owner of the Ottawa Senators, his team has made major strides both on and off the ice.
On Monday, the team’s real estate arm, Capital Sports Development Inc. jointly announced with the region’s National Capital Commission that the two sides had officially signed off on the land-sale agreement at LeBreton Flats which would pave the way for a long-desired new arena complex closer to Ottawa’s downtown core.
“We are pleased to reach an agreement of purchase and sale with the NCC to take the next step in this process,” said Senators president and CEO Cyril Leeder in a statement on Monday, while acknowledging that much more work needs to be done before actual construction begins. Decontamination of the land parcels must take place while the zoning and design are completed and approved.
“This agreement builds on the two previous real estate transactions completed by the NCC since 2022 on the Building LeBreton project that will see over 2000 new housing units along with new retail and commercial spaces built on the site,” said Tobi Nussbaum, the CEO of the NCC.
The Senators’ previous owner, the late Eugene Melnyk, put the wheels in motion for a potential project at LeBreton Flats back in 2016, but was never able to get the project off the ground. Since taking the reins, Andlauer has transformed the vision of a new arena from a dream into reality in just two years.
The Senators are also making strides on the ice. In 2024-25, the team’s 97 points marked its best showing since 98 points in the 2016-17 season, when Ottawa reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Senators also reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017, delivering a thrilling six-game first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs as the team’s talented young core got a first-hand taste of what it takes to succeed in the post-season.
Brady Tkachuk celebrates a playoff goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 29, 2025. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
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“It was definitely a long time coming,” said team captain Brady Tkachuk, who has now completed seven seasons with the Senators since being drafted fourth overall in 2018. “I know it wasn’t the results that we wanted, but I think all those experiences are just going to help myself and my teammates moving forward. Getting to the playoffs is great but once you get in, then anything can happen.”
Along with his brother Matthew and father Keith, Tkachuk was named one of the cover athletes for EA Sports’ NHL 26 game last week, making him arguably the Senators’ most visible star since Erik Karlsson was traded in 2018.
Last season, with new coach Travis Green at the helm and Linus Ullmark providing a reliable presence in net, the Senators dropped their goals against by 0.60 goals per game from one year earlier. Even more impressive — they were able to move into the top half of the league defensively without sacrificing offense. An improved power play was a key weapon.
The 2024-25 campaign was also a coming-out party for 22-year-old defenseman Jake Sanderson, a tireless skater with strong defensive chops. Sanderson chipped in 57 points during the regular season and scored the overtime goal on Apr. 26 that extended the Senators’ playoff run thanks to the team’s first post-season win since 2017.
Along with Tkachuk, Sanderson also turned heads with his play for Team USA at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, announcing himself as a key talent among the NHL’s next wave of elite defensemen.
After Ottawa GM Steve Staios re-signed veteran leader Claude Giroux to a new one-year contract with a $2 million base salary and $2.75 million in potential performance bonuses, the team’s biggest off-season subtraction was 19-goal scorer Adam Gaudette, who signed a two-year free-agent deal with the San Jose Sharks. The Senators also augmented their roster by picking up 24-year-old right-shot defenseman Jordan Spence in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings during draft weekend.
Not counting the new Utah Mammoth franchise, whose home at the Delta Center is undergoing ongoing renovations, the New York Islanders were the NHL’s most recent team to complete a long-awaited arena move when they settled into UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. That project was approved in 2019 and the arena opened its doors in November of 2021.
The Calgary Flames had the development permit approved for their new arena, Scotiabank Place, in December of 2024. They’re hoping to move into their new digs in the fall of 2027.
While the LeBreton Flats project moves ahead, the Ottawa Senators are about to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their current home, the Canadian Tire Centre, when the Montreal Canadiens come to town for a Saturday-night showdown on Jan. 17, 2026. The arena in Kanata, Ont., 13 miles southwest of downtown Ottawa, first opened on Jan. 15, 1996, midway through the Senators’ fourth season.