Senators, NHL exploring possibility of hosting outdoor game on Parliament Hill

The Ottawa Senators and the National Hockey League are evaluating the logistics of hosting an outdoor game on Parliament Hill in 2017, commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Monday.

The idea, first reported in March, is to incorporate a Heritage Classic with Canada’s 150th birthday and the NHL's 100th anniversary, both of which will be marked in 2017.

Creating a temporary stadium and accommodating tens of thousands of fans on the Hill would not be a simple proposition, however.

"It's complicated. We'd have to know more. It's complicated and expensive," Bettman said at the league's annual Stanley Cup Final press conference. "We've been exploring it and doing some homework on it."

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly added the league is looking at other options in Ottawa, including but not limited to TD Place, home of Ottawa's CFL team.

"There are number of possibilities in Ottawa," Daly said. "If it doesn't happen on Parliament Hill it doesn't necessarily mean we're not doing an outdoor game in Ottawa, right? As I said, there are other possibilities.

"Believe it or not there may be more than one but there might be No. 1 and No. 1A (TD Place)."

At any rate, it appears as though the Senators will be hosting an outdoor game as early as 2017, with the location listed as TBD.