Since the purchase of the Ottawa Senators, their new owner, Michael Andlauer has made a point of embracing the other side of the provincial border. Most of the talk about hockey fans in Quebec has been about Gatineau, which is located just across the river from Ottawa, but Andlauer and the Senators are shifting their focus further into the province, and looking at the market in Quebec City.
The Senators announced that they would be playing two preseason games at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City in Sept. 2025. The trip to Quebec City will be four days, including the two preseason games, public practices, and team-building activities.
Andlauer, who was joined by Quebec City native Thomas Chabot, continued the announcement by saying that he would like to see the Senators play regular season games there. Since the departure of the Quebec Nordiques in 1995, the market has been in conversation for a new team, though it is unlikely to happen any time soon. The team and fans there had a natural rivalry against the Montreal Canadiens, so to move their fandom to there would feel like cheating for many. Most followed the organization and became Colorado Avalanche fans, but with the city being under five hours away, the Senators could begin to expand their fanbase.
In the statement about wanting to play regular season games, Andlauer stated that if there can be neutral-site games in Europe, there can be in Quebec City, too.
Senators Fans Fearsome of Relocation
It is no secret that Andlauer loves Quebec. He was a part owner of the Montreal Canadiens, but further in his announcement, he was asked about the possibility of relocation if the new arena plan with the National Capital Commission (NCC) falls through. His answer was pretty firm, stating “No. I love Ottawa-Gatineau.”.
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One of the first orders of business after acquiring the team was to get a plan for a new arena closer to the heart of the city of Ottawa, rather than the outskirts in Kanata where they currently reside. The NCC has been reportedly slow, which makes sense as it is affiliated with the government, and things take time.
The plan was to have a deal in place for the purchase of the land early in 2025, but PostMedia’s Bruce Garrioch said that it is likely going to be at the end of the calendar year before an answer is given. (from NCC targets end of 2025 to finalize sale of LeBreton Flats land to Ottawa Senators, Ottawa Sun, Jan. 23, 2025)
This delay is likely frustrating for the Senators organization, and fans have been looking into this announcement as impending doom and a future relocation. Andlauer sounded very confident that the Senators will be staying put in the national capital.
Attendance has been an issue for the Senators, especially over the last number of years throughout their rebuild. The Senators averaged over 18,000 members in attendance in every single season after the 2004-05 lockout until 2015-16. After that, from 2016-17 until now, they haven’t hit that mark again on a season average. The numbers have been trending up post-pandemic, but they haven’t quite reached the mark that the club wants to see.
With that being said, a relocation is very unlikely. Everything the organization has done since the purchase has been to develop the fanbase more where they currently are, they have made great relational hires, and getting the right people in the right jobs. Andlauer and the Senators looking at Quebec City is a marketing ploy, not a test of support behind a relocation.
