The Ottawa Senators have called a press conference for 10:00 AM this morning where it is expected they’ll announce a new partner and a name for the building once known as Scotiabank Place.
And while the reports have yet to be “confirmed”, some good detective work by a couple SensChirp readers leads us to believe the new sponsor is Canadian Tire and the building will be renamed The Canadian Tire Centre. Plenty of reaction to the new name around these parts yesterday but the reality is it’s a good Canadian company now associated with the Ottawa Senators brand.
I’ll be the first to admit The Canadian Tire Centre doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. And despite the pleas of many Sens fans on Twitter last night, I don’t believe they’ll be accepting Canadian Tire money at the concession stands next season. Although, does anyone really have THAT much Canadian Tire money?
The full name may be a little clunky but the alternatives like The CTC, or even the CT Centre sound just fine. I’ve already heard some fans discussing nicknames like The Shop, or The Garage. It works…
What’s really interesting about this morning’s announcement is the “why” behind this decision. Bruce Garrioch has suggested that because Scotiabank was not a “financial backer” the Sens had an out in their contract. Does that mean Canadian Tire IS a financial backer? If so, could that mean a much needed infusion of cash for a team on a pretty strict budget?
There have been rumours swirling about Eugene Melnyk searching for co-investors for the last little while.
Not sure what kind of details will be released this morning but stay tuned for updates to this post and to the comment section below. Hope some of the reporters have a chance to ask a couple questions about why this decision was made and more importantly, why now?
Welcome to The Canadian Tire Centre- Home of your Ottawa Senators!
