Ottawa Senators
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
- Capacity
- 18,652
- Roof
- Indoor
- Surface
- Ice
- Opened
- 1996
- Tickets
- C$25+
- Parking
- C$21+
- Beer
- C$13+
- Food
- C$7+
- Est. total
- C$66+
Against the other 31 NHL arenas, Canadian Tire Centre is the 1st cheapest game day: 1st for tickets, joint 17th for parking and joint 2nd for food and drink, compared on market ticket medians and published lot and menu prices in US dollars. See the full ranking.
Prices are estimates. See our methodology.
What to Expect
Canadian Tire Centre sits in Kanata, a suburb 20 km west of downtown Ottawa. The arena is surrounded by parking lots and commercial development. It's a drive-to venue. Ottawa fans are loyal and passionate, and the long drive doesn't dampen the game-night energy. The ByWard Market and downtown Ottawa have excellent pregame dining, but you'll need to drive or bus to the arena after. Plan to arrive 60-90 minutes early. The arena sits in an open suburban area, Ottawa winters are no joke, and the wind rips across the parking lots.
View Seating GuideTips & Fan Reports
Game Day
Hard-sided bags and backpacks are refused at any size; a clutch under 4 by 6 by 1.5 inches is the allowance.
Buy the parking pass through Ticketmaster ahead of the day.
Doors open two hours before a Senators game, one of the longest windows in the league.
Parking & Directions
Use the Indigo Neo app for parking. Lot 5 (OT800 - Canadian Tire Centre) is the easiest exit after the game. You can pre-order based on the event. No cash accepted at the window.
There is really no good place to park near Canadian Tire Centre. Traffic management is chaotic after the game and people are not patient. Give yourself extra time for everything.
Take public transit if possible. The arena is outside the city so carpooling or taking the shuttle is encouraged. Check the Senators website for fan events and viewing party info on big game nights.
Food & Drinks
BeaverTails are a uniquely Ottawa treat, fried dough with chocolate, cinnamon, or fruit toppings.
Ottawa is the shawarma capital of Canada. The arena version is decent, but the real deal is at downtown shops.
Poutine at the arena uses real cheese curds. Standard Canadian arena quality.
Seating
Prices at Canadian Tire Centre are in Canadian dollars.
For hockey the upper bowl at centre ice shows you more of the game than the glass does, at a fraction of the price.
The Molson Fan Deck is premium seating anyone can buy through Ticketmaster rather than a membership-gated room, unusual, and worth knowing if you want the atmosphere without a season commitment.
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Only clutch- or wallet-style bags smaller than 4 x 6 x 1.5 inches are permitted, and they cannot have a metal or chain strap.
Approved bags must fit under the seat and pass security screening; medical-device and childcare or diaper bags are exceptions and must enter at Gate 3.
- Gate opening
Doors open two hours before Ottawa Senators games.
- Venue payments
Canadian Tire Centre is cash-free and accepts major credit cards, debit cards, and major contactless payment methods.
Reverse ATMs throughout the arena convert cash to a physical payment card usable at venue concessions and restaurants.
- Re-entry
Canadian Tire Centre has a strict no-readmission policy; a guest who exits cannot re-enter.
Guides for Canadian Tire Centre
- Game Day Guide
7 steps from arrival to puck drop, and 20 venue rules checked against official sources. 3 bars, patios and plazas to fill the hours before doors, and what to bring.
- Parking & Directions
2 lots and garages with distances and entry routes, from C$21. Or leave the car: the cheapest way in is OC Transpo Game Day Express Bus, C$4.
- Food & Drinks
33 concession stands and 58 items researched from the venue's own menus, cheapest food C$7 and drink C$6.
- Seating Guide
9 seating areas at Canadian Tire Centre, with the level names printed on the ticket.
- Cost Calculator
Build a total for your own party using Canadian Tire Centre's stored figures.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Venue facts
Wikipedia / Official Venue Page
- Parking prices
Canadian Tire Centre Directions & Parking, NHL rate table: Slap Shot Lots 5 and 9 $21 (paid on arrival through the Indigo Neo app), Lot 4 $35 (pre-purchased, limited on-arrival sales), Passholder Lot 1 $40; buses and RVs $75 and $60 (Canadian dollars). OC Transpo fares are not published there.
- Venue policies
Current Canadian Tire Centre A-Z, accessibility, safety, parking, and Ottawa Senators mobile-ticketing pages reviewed for Senators policies.
Not yet checked against a published source
These figures are estimates. Most venues no longer publish the numbers behind them (concession and ticket pricing moved to dynamic marketplaces), so we hold them as estimates rather than dating them as verified.
- Ticket prices: Secondary market averages (SeatGeek/StubHub)
- Food prices: Team Marketing Report FCI + venue research
- Drink prices: Team Marketing Report FCI + venue research