Canadian Tire Centre Game Day Guide
Ottawa Senators · Ottawa, ON
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.
- Bag storage
Canadian Tire Centre does not provide an onsite bag or coat check.
- Gate opening
Doors open two hours before Ottawa Senators games.
- Mobile tickets
Canadian Tire Centre uses fully digital mobile tickets through the Senators App or My Sens Account.
Add tickets to Apple Wallet or Google Pay before arrival; screenshots and printouts do not work, and limited ticketing Wi-Fi is available at the gates.
- Re-entry
Canadian Tire Centre has a strict no-readmission policy; a guest who exits cannot re-enter.
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include outside food and beverages, bottles and cans, coolers, sticks and flagpoles, aerosols, fireworks, skates and skateboards, illegal drugs or noxious substances, helium balloons, horns and noisemakers, frisbees and beach balls, laser pointers, umbrellas, studded jewelry, weapons, and dangerous devices.
Camera and recording restrictions vary by event; prohibited items found inside may be confiscated and the guest may be ejected.
- First aid
First aid is on the Main Concourse behind Section 201 and is staffed by City of Ottawa Paramedic Services during every event.
Ask any Guest Services staff member for first-aid assistance.
- Nursing and lactation
A nursing room is available by advance arrangement with Guest Services or during an event through the Guest Services Booth at the 200 Level Gate 1 entrance.
Call Guest Services at 613-599-0122 to arrange access before arriving.
- Family restrooms
Private unisex restrooms are on the 300 Level, and most arena restrooms have a counter suitable for infant care.
- Tickets for children
Under the venue's general policy, a child younger than 2 does not need a ticket unless the child will occupy a seat.
The policy can vary by event, so confirm it when purchasing tickets.
- Guest services
The Guest Services Booth is on the Main Concourse behind Section 201.
For immediate in-event assistance, call or text 343-551-4400.
- Service animals
Service animals may accompany guests in public areas unless prohibited by law.
Guests should carry documentation identifying the animal as a certified service animal.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking is prohibited inside Canadian Tire Centre, and guests cannot leave to smoke and then re-enter.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Canadian Tire Centre, hour by hour.
Pregame in downtown Ottawa
Explore the ByWard Market for restaurants, shops, and Ottawa's best food scene. The market area is packed with options.
Drive or bus to Kanata
Head west on the Queensway (Highway 417). OC Transpo express buses depart from downtown. Allow 25-30 minutes.
Doors open
Enter Canadian Tire Centre and warm up. Walk the concourse and check out the concessions.
Find your seat
The arena fills with passionate Sens fans. Rivalry games against the Leafs and Canadiens are electric.
Game time
Three 20-minute periods. Ottawa fans are loyal and loud despite the suburban location.
Grab a poutine or shawarma
Ottawa is the shawarma capital of Canada. The arena serves it alongside poutine and classic arena fare.
Head back downtown
Drive or catch the express bus back to the ByWard Market for post-game drinks and late-night dining.
Tips & Fan Reports
ByWard Market in downtown Ottawa is where fans gather pre- and post-game if staying in the city.
Ottawa shawarma is legendary, the city has more shawarma restaurants per capita than anywhere in Canada.
The arena is in Kanata, 25 minutes from downtown Ottawa. You need a car or the OC Transpo express bus.
The OC Transpo Game Day Express buses are affordable and avoid the parking hassle. Use them.
Canadian Tire Centre is in suburban Kanata, 25 min from downtown Ottawa. Not a walkable game-day experience.
OC Transpo runs special game-day express buses from downtown. Check the schedule - they're much better than driving.
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.
Park in Lot 1 if you are heading east afterwards. It has its own ramp onto the eastbound 417 and skips the general exit.
Before the Game
Canadian Tire Centre is at 1000 Palladium Drive in Ottawa, and its most practical detail is about leaving rather than arriving: vehicles parked in Lot 1 can use a dedicated ramp onto the eastbound 417 Queensway at the end of Senators games and select concerts, which sidesteps the queue everyone else joins. Doors open two hours before a Senators game, among the most generous windows in the league. Bags are restricted to clutch or wallet styles under 4 by 6 by 1.5 inches, must fit under the seat, and hard-sided bags and backpacks are refused outright.
Where to Go Before the Game
Lot 1, with the ramp to the eastbound 417
The lot to aim for: vehicles parked here can use a ramp exiting directly onto the eastbound 417 Queensway at the conclusion of Senators games and select concerts.
Known for Direct ramp to the 417 · Skips the exit queue · Senators games and select concerts
1000 Palladium Drive
The arena's address. Arriving from the east, take the Palladium Drive exit from Highway 417, exit northbound to the right, follow the interchange and turn left onto Cyclone Taylor Boulevard.
Known for Palladium Drive exit off the 417 · Left onto Cyclone Taylor Blvd
Cyclone Taylor Boulevard
The road the eastern approach turns onto after the Palladium Drive interchange, leading into the arena grounds.
Known for Final approach · Off the interchange
Pregame Rules
What Canadian Tire Centre allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Bags are restricted to clutch or wallet style bags smaller than 4" x 6" x 1.5", subject to contactless security screening.
- Diaper and medical bags are permitted upon screening.
- Bags must fit under the seat. Hard-sided bags and backpacks are not permitted.
- Doors open for Ottawa Senators games two hours before game start time.
- The arena is at 1000 Palladium Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2V 1A4. Arriving from the east, take the Palladium Drive exit from Highway 417, exit northbound, follow the interchange and turn left onto Cyclone Taylor Blvd.
- Vehicles parked in Lot 1 can use the ramp to exit directly onto the eastbound 417 Queensway at the conclusion of Ottawa Senators games and select concerts.
- Parking passes can be purchased online through Ticketmaster.
Weather
Canadian Tire Centre is indoor, so these are the conditions for the parking lot and the walk in, not the seats.
Across the NHL season the warmest month is October, with an average high of 57°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 8°F. October is the wettest month at 3.9 inches and March the driest at 2.6 inches.
That January low ranks 3rd coldest of the 32 NHL venues, and October here ranks 17th wettest.
October
3.9 inchesNovember
3.1 inchesJanuary
2.8 inchesMarch
2.6 inchesApril
3.0 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but empty refillable water bottles are permitted and filling stations are available throughout the arena.
- A card or a phone wallet
Canadian Tire Centre is cash-free and accepts major credit cards, debit cards, and major contactless payment methods.
- A coat for the walk in
January lows average 8°F between the lot and the door at Canadian Tire Centre.
- A poncho for the walk in, not an umbrella
Umbrellas are on Canadian Tire Centre's prohibited list, and October averages 3.9 inches of rain.
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.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: Doors open two hours before Ottawa Senators games.
- Pregame
Canadian Tire Centre official site: Know Before You Go & A-Z Guide, and Directions & Parking
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Canadian Tire Centre A-Z, accessibility, safety, parking, and Ottawa Senators mobile-ticketing pages reviewed for Senators policies.