The NHL has planted a huge seed of doubt for an outdoor game in Ottawa in 2017.
Commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking to reporters after the 2016 PrimeTime Sports and Entertainment Conference in Toronto, indicated because officials on Parliament Hill recently turned down the idea of hosting a game there between the Senators and Montreal Canadiens, the NHL has started to look at other options outside of Ottawa.
The Senators studied playing an outdoor game at Parliament Hill on Dec. 19, 2017, to mark the 100th anniversary of the first NHL game in Ottawa. But that was rejected by the Heritage Ministry because of cost, a 16-week schedule to construct the rink, logistics of trying to get 30,000-40,000 people on the Hill and the disruption to everyday business.