Canadian Tire Centre

About Canadian Tire Centre

Canadian Tire Centre is Ottawa's premier arena, home to the Ottawa Senators (NHL) and the Ottawa Black Bears (National Lacrosse League). The 18,600+ seat venue also hosts major concerts, touring shows, and sporting events throughout the year.

The arena opened on January 15, 1996, with a Bryan Adams concert. It has gone through several name changes — The Palladium (1996), Corel Centre (1996–2006), Scotiabank Place (2006–2013) — before becoming Canadian Tire Centre on July 1, 2013.

Events and Teams

Ottawa Senators (NHL)

The Senators have played here since opening night in 1996. The first NHL game was January 17, 1996 (Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators).

Ottawa Black Bears (NLL)

The Black Bears joined as the arena's lacrosse tenants in 2024.

Concerts and Shows

The arena hosts major touring artists in full and half-arena configurations. Capacity expands to 20,500 with floor seating for concerts.

Notable Events Hosted

2007 Stanley Cup Finals (Games 3 and 4)
2009 and 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
2013 Women's World Hockey Championships
Wayne Gretzky's final NHL game in Canada (1999)

Visitor Information

Cashless venue — no cash accepted anywhere, including parking. Credit/debit only. Two cash-to-card machines available at Gate 1 and 200 Level
Bag policy: Bags limited to 4" x 6" x 1.5" maximum
No re-entry once you leave the building
Parking: 9 lots surrounding the arena. General parking starts at ~$20. Pre-purchase via Ticketmaster or use the Indigo Neo app
Restaurants: Bert's, LEGACY, Club CIBC, The Royal Oak, The Ledge, and more inside the arena

Getting There

By Car: ~15 minutes from downtown via Highway 417 (Queensway) west, exit at Palladium Drive
By Transit: OC Transpo Route 404 from Tunney's Pasture and Hurdman stations on event days (~27 min from Tunney's Pasture). Routes 405 and 406 provide additional event-day service
Phone: 613-599-0100

Features