Senators move forward with new arena plans in Ottawa

When longtime Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk passed away suddenly earlier this year, fans of the team were left wondering about the future of their team.

After all, this is a team that has always operated under the threat of relocation when Melnyk was at the helm. Attendance has waxed and waned throughout the years and fan interaction has come and gone depending on the quality of the on-ice product, but all along there's been a sense that if the team were to move from their current home in the suburbs of Kanata to downtown Ottawa that things would improve. Melnyk though, of course, stood in the way of these plans for years due mostly to the costs of changing buildings. 

Now though, it looks like the Senators may finally get their new building in downtown Ottawa.

Earlier today the team announced they have received city approval to build a new arena in the LeBreton Flats area of Ottawa.  The sprawling 29-hectare site sits on the Ottawa River, just adjacent to Parliament Hill. And the new arena plans from the Sens look BEAUTIFUL.

Check it out:

"Today's announcement marks a significant move towards our long-term vision, a downtown arena at LeBreton Flats. We believe that this development will have a major impact on both the Nation Capital Region and our franchise, one that will help to shape the future of the city. We thank the NCC for their collaboration and look forward to working alongside them as we take the next steps on this exciting journey," said Sens President Anthony LeBlanc in a prepared statement.

Here's hoping that the Sens do indeed get this building done and they can put all the relocation rumors behind them once and for all.