Hockey's Gary Bettman and mayor of Ottawa to meet before Senators game

The NHL is considering buying the team

Bettman is expected to meet with Sutcliffe at Canadian Tire Centre before the game

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will meet with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe on Tuesday before the Senators game against the Edmonton Oilers. The two are expected to discuss the NHL's possible purchase of the Senators, which has been struggling financially for several years.

The Senators are currently owned by Eugene Melnyk, who died in March. His daughters inherited the team, but they have not been able to come to an agreement on how to run it. As a result, the NHL has been exploring the possibility of buying the team and selling it to a new owner.

Bettman is expected to get an update from Sutcliffe on the city's plans for a new arena. The Senators have been playing in Canadian Tire Centre since 1996, but the arena is now outdated. The city has been planning to build a new arena for several years, but the project has been delayed by a number of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NHL is hoping to get a new arena built in Ottawa as soon as possible. The league believes that a new arena would help the Senators attract more fans and generate more revenue. The Senators have not made the playoffs since 2017, and they have not won a playoff series since 2012.

The meeting between Bettman and Sutcliffe is a significant step in the NHL's process of purchasing the Senators. If the two sides can come to an agreement, the NHL could buy the team as early as this summer.