Have the Ottawa Senators lost their shot of hosting an outdoor game?

After the Canadian federal government rejected plans for an outdoor game at Parliament Hill, the NHL is reportedly considering other markets for its next outdoor edition.

"We're going to see if we want to play a game on Founders Day (Nov. 26) somewhere else, and by that I mean in a different city," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. "We haven't made any decisions."

The Senators had hoped to play before the Peace Tower in a December 2017 game. Meanwhile, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson is pushing for the team to host the game at TD Place, home of the CFL's Redblacks, but the thinking is that Senators owner Eugene Melnyk was set on an iconic game, rather than another run of the mill stadium game.

Mayor Watson believes a game at TD Place can still accomplish much of the celebration, including the 100th anniversary of the first NHL game in Ottawa, the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation, and 25 years since the Senators returned to the NHL.

Melnyk and Watson met Thursday to discuss the possibility of a game at TD Place, a gathering which left Watson "cautiously optimistic."

The Montreal Canadiens are the anticipated opponent for an outdoor game in Ottawa and could be the new favorite to host, reports Garrioch.

The NHL is expected to make a decision on the game by mid-January.

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