Canadian Tire Centre: Guide for Visiting Fans

Canadian Tire Centre is located 22 kilometres west-southwest of downtown Ottawa, and OC Transpo provides special shuttle buses to the arena for events. The main game-day routes are OC Transpo Routes 404 and 405, which both serve the arena. Route 404 departs from Tunney's Pasture, stops at 17 points across the city, and the full trip takes roughly 39 minutes. Tunney's Pasture is a major OC Transpo hub with connections to Ottawa's O-Train light rail, making it a practical transfer point if you're coming from downtown or the airport. Return buses depart from the stop where you were dropped off about 15 minutes after the event ends.

If you're driving, access Canadian Tire Centre from Highway 417 via two exits: Terry Fox Drive or Palladium Drive; Palladium Drive offers both northbound and southbound traffic loops leading to the arena. On game days, the Palladium Drive North route has less traffic congestion. Budget 30–45 minutes from downtown Ottawa during peak game traffic.

Ottawa's airport is the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW), located in the south end of the city. From YOW, the drive to Canadian Tire Centre takes roughly 30–40 minutes depending on traffic. There's no direct transit link — you'll need to rideshare or rent a car, then connect from downtown if taking transit. Canadian Tire Centre has designated rideshare pickup and drop-off zones near Gates 1 and 3. For drop-off, guests may use Frank Finnigan Way, located directly in front of Gate 1.

Canadian Tire Centre has over 6,500 parking spaces in various lots around the arena. Parking ranges from $10–$40 depending on lot proximity; Lot 1 (closest) is typically $25–30, Lots 2–3 are $20–25, and outer lots 4–5 are $10–15, while VIP/reserved can run $40+.

There are nine different lots; Lots 1–4 are reserved for passholders, with premium parking in Lot 4, while Slap Shot Lots 5 and 9 offer expedited parking paid via the Indigo NEO app. Slap Shot Lots must be paid upon arrival or up to 4 hours in advance through the Indigo NEO app — pull in, park, register your plate, and pay. Accessible parking is in Lot 3 with a valid government-issued Accessible Parking Permit.

The practical advice: pre-purchase online through Ticketmaster before a big game — lots closest to the building do sell out. Lots 5 and 6 tend to fill before an event starts. If you don't mind a longer walk, the outer lots are your best egress bet — more room to manoeuvre when 18,000 people are all leaving at once.

This is where the suburban location bites. There's no walkable hotel-and-bar district surrounding the arena the way there is at a downtown NHL venue. Your options split into two philosophies: stay in Kanata close to the game, or stay downtown and commute.

If you want to be close, the Kanata/Centrum area along Highway 417 has a cluster of mid-range chain hotels — the Homewood Suites by Hilton Ottawa Kanata and Hampton Inn options nearby are your best bets for value, typically running $130–$200 CAD per night for a standard room. Moxies Kanata in the Centrum Shopping Centre is just off Highway 417 and moments away from Canadian Tire Centre, Tanger Outlets, and cinemas — meaning you'll at least have options for dinner and a pre-game drink within a short drive or rideshare.

For more personality, stay downtown Ottawa near the ByWard Market or Centretown. You'll pay a rideshare both ways (roughly $25–40 CAD each direction from downtown to the arena), but you'll wake up in a city with actual breakfast spots, craft beer bars, and Parliament Hill out your window. For a mid-game-trip experience, it's the better call.

Here's the honest truth about the Kanata bar scene: the arena's isolation from many restaurants and bars makes it difficult for post-game celebrations to continue naturally, unlike more centrally located arenas. Plan accordingly. That said, there are viable options within a short drive.

Moxies Kanata — just off Highway 417 in the Centrum Shopping Centre, moments from Canadian Tire Centre, with free parking on-site. It's a solid Canadian premium-casual chain — expect steaks, burgers, pastas, and cocktails. Not groundbreaking, but reliable, well-staffed on game nights, and right there.

The Royal Oak (inside CTC) — one of the on-site restaurants at Canadian Tire Centre , The Royal Oak is a pub-style option inside the building itself. Get there early — Bert's Bar at Gate 1 is the official Sens Army headquarters , but The Royal Oak gives away fans a slightly less partisan perch to grab a pint before puck drop.

Kelseys Original Roadhouse Kanata — a classic roadhouse atmosphere in Kanata with signature dishes like four-cheese spinach dip, double-stacked burgers, and chicken wings, with multiple TVs broadcasting sports. Good for a pre-game feed. Busy on game nights, so arrive an hour before you need to.

Darcy McGee's (Kanata) — an Irish pub in the Kanata area that the local crowd knows well. Gets animated on Senators game nights and fills up early. Worth the stop for a Guinness and nachos, but if you linger too long, you'll be scrambling to park.

Bags and purses are restricted to 4" × 6" × 1.5". Exceptions include diaper bags and medical device bags. This is one of the most restrictive bag policies in the NHL — that 4" × 6" × 1.5" allowance is essentially a wallet or a very slim clutch. Don't show up with a regular purse and assume you'll talk your way in. There is no on-site bag check , so if you arrive with something prohibited, it goes back to the car.

Doors open for Ottawa Senators games two hours before game start time. The box office opens two hours prior to event time and is closed on non-event days. Canadian Tire Centre is a cashless environment — plan on using Visa, MC, AMEX, or debit. Two cash-to-card machines are available: at the Gate 1 main lobby and on the 200 Level.

One notable quirk: tickets are not scanned at the entry point but instead scanned as you enter the level of your assigned seat — don't panic when no one stops you at the main gate turnstile. Also notable: no re-entry is permitted after you've exited the venue.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Canadian Tire Centre is committed to improving access for people with disabilities. Accessible seating is available throughout the arena and can be purchased via Ticketmaster or in person at the box office; for most events, a maximum of four accessible seats can be purchased to accommodate a patron, a companion, and up to two additional guests. The arena has wheelchair access, elevators to all floors, accessible washrooms on every level, sensory kits, and designated accessible parking in Lot 3.

The Guest Services Booth, along with first-aid facilities, is located behind Section 201 on the Main Concourse; seating maps, seating assistance, sensory needs, and many other services are available from Guest Services staff. If you need a physical ticket for accessibility reasons rather than a mobile ticket, contact Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-4357.

Arena seating is in three levels — 100, 200, and 300 — surrounding the arena floor, with the 100 level closest to the ice rising to the 300 level furthest away. There is no formal designated away section at Canadian Tire Centre for NHL games, so visiting fans are distributed throughout the bowl. In practice, away fans tend to cluster in whatever block of tickets they've bought together, usually in the upper 300 level where prices are lowest.

For the best sightlines on a budget, the 300 level end zones (sections 301–305 and 318–323) give you an elevated, full-ice view that's actually quite good for following the play. The 200 level corners (sections 203–206 and 214–217) offer a solid mid-price option — close enough to see faces, far enough to see the full ice. The Molson Canadian Fan Deck in sections 214–216 on the second level is behind the net with VIP vinyl stadium seats and a full bar directly behind the seating area — worth considering if your budget allows. Avoid sections 109–113 at ice level; the Bell Club prevents a complete revolution around the lower bowl , and those sections feel disconnected from the flow of the concourse.

Concession vendors include Gabriel Pizza, Smoke's Poutinerie, Tim Hortons, Ottawa Street Eats, Tender's Love and Chicken, and the Wayne Gretzky Distillery Cocktail Lounge, among many others. Expect to pay roughly $14–17 CAD for a beer and $8–12 CAD for a basic hot dog or slice of pizza. Mobile ordering is available at select locations via the Ottawa Senators app to skip concession lines. The Smoke's Poutinerie stand is the one local-flavoured concession worth seeking out — it's the right call for a Canadian hockey game.

The Senators crowd is knowledgeable and proud — this is a hockey city, not a casual sports town — and they'll make noise when the home side scores, but they're not hostile in the way that, say, a Philadelphia or Boston crowd can be. Wear your visiting team's jersey openly and you'll get chirped, not threatened. The arena's suburban isolation actually works in your favour: because there's no rowdy bar district surrounding the building where fans have been drinking for four hours, the in-arena atmosphere is spirited but controlled. One thing that genuinely surprises first-timers: tickets are scanned at the level of your assigned seat rather than at the main entrance , which means the main lobby feels unusually open when you first walk in. Don't mistake that for security being lax — they check on the way up. The building also gets legitimately loud during playoff atmosphere games, particularly against Toronto or Montreal, when the partisan energy shifts up a gear.

By Transit: Return buses depart from the stop where you were dropped off approximately 15 minutes after the event ends. The OC Transpo game-day shuttles on Routes 404 and 405 queue up and load quickly — they're designed for this. Get to the bus stop within 5 minutes of the final horn to catch the first wave. If you miss it, the next bus won't be far behind, but you'll be standing.

By Car: The lots closest to the building (1–3) take the longest to clear because everyone hits the same exit chokepoint on Cyclone Taylor Boulevard. Accessing Highway 417 via the north loop of the Palladium Drive interchange is typically faster than the south exit. Outer lots 5, 6, and 9 exit more freely. Realistically, budget 20–35 minutes to reach a moving highway after the final whistle for a typical game, and 45+ minutes after a playoff or high-stakes match. If you can wait 20 minutes in the arena before walking out — grab a last beer, let the lot thin — you'll cut your exit time roughly in half.

By Rideshare: After the game, rideshare demand increases sharply, leading to longer wait times and surge pricing; waiting a few minutes or walking a short distance from the arena before requesting a ride can help. The official drop/pickup zone is near Gate 1 on Frank Finnigan Way, but every Uber driver in a 10-km radius knows this and prices surge accordingly. The one practical tip: walk toward the Terry Fox Drive side of the complex and request your ride from there — you'll get a slightly faster pickup and occasionally beat the surge window by 2–3 minutes, which makes a real difference in price.

Opinionated tip: Take the OC Transpo bus home. It's cheap, it runs right after the game, and you skip the parking lot lottery entirely. Save the rideshare for the trip out.

How do I get to Canadian Tire Centre without a car?

Take OC Transpo Routes 404 or 405 , which run as special event shuttles. Route 404 departs from Tunney's Pasture and serves 17 stops across Ottawa , with a journey time of about 39 minutes. Tunney's Pasture connects to the O-Train light rail network.

What is the bag policy at Canadian Tire Centre?

Bags and purses are restricted to 4" × 6" × 1.5". Exceptions include diaper bags and medical device bags. There is no bag check on-site, so anything prohibited must go back to your car.

How much does parking cost at Canadian Tire Centre?

Parking ranges from $10–$40 depending on lot proximity; Lot 1 is typically $25–30, Lots 2–3 are $20–25, and outer lots are $10–15. Pre-purchase through Ticketmaster is strongly recommended.

When do gates open for Senators games?

Doors open two hours before game start time for Ottawa Senators games.

Does Canadian Tire Centre accept cash?

The venue is cashless — use Visa, MC, AMEX, or debit. Two cash-to-card machines are available at the Gate 1 main lobby and on the 200 Level.

Where are the best seats for away fans? There's no formal away section. Upper 300-level end zones offer full-ice views at the lowest prices. The 200-level corners (sections 203–206 or 214–217) are the sweet spot for value and sightlines. The Molson Fan Deck in sections 214–216 offers VIP seating with a full bar directly behind the seats.

Is Canadian Tire Centre accessible for fans with disabilities?

Yes — the arena has wheelchair access, elevators to all floors, accessible washrooms on every level, sensory kits, and designated accessible parking in Lot 3.

Is a downtown Ottawa hotel or a Kanata hotel better for a Senators game trip? Kanata hotels are closer and save on rideshare costs, but downtown Ottawa gives you a far richer pre- and post-game experience with restaurants, bars, and city attractions. If you're making a weekend of it, stay downtown and take the OC Transpo bus to the game.