Back where it began: Sens host Habs to mark 30 years of memories at Canadian Tire Centre

The Ottawa Senators played their first game in the arena 30 years ago against the Montreal Canadiens. CTV’s Josh Marano reports on the anniversary rematch.

Three decades after the first puck dropped at what was then known as the Palladium, the rivalry that helped christen the Ottawa Senators’ home building returns.

On Saturday night, the Senators hosted the Montreal Canadiens at the Canadian Tire Centre, marking 30 years since the arena first opened its doors to NHL hockey. The Canadiens beat the Senators 6-5 in overtime.

For longtime fans — and for the voices who’ve been there since the beginning — the milestone brings back a flood of memories.

TSN 1200 broadcasters Dean Brown and Gord Wilson, who have called Senators games since the franchise’s inception in 1992, say the arena has become far more than just a workplace.

“This has really become a home away from home… our second home… because we’re here so often,” Wilson says.

Brown and Wilson vividly remember the move from the Civic Centre to the Palladium three decades ago, trading a cramped broadcast booth for a view that felt, as Wilson put it, “like moving into the penthouse.”

While the building’s debut was unforgettable, the game itself is one they’d rather not relive.

“The first game, unfortunately, wasn’t a great game,” Brown recalled. “Ottawa didn’t score a goal; they got shut out.”

Since then, the Canadian Tire Centre has hosted far more moments worth celebrating, from playoff runs to jersey retirements that helped define the franchise.

“Retiring the jerseys of Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Phillips and Chris Neil — those kinds of night really made it an iconic building for so many people,” Brown said.

Now the Senators and Canadiens meet again where it all began, adding another chapter to one of hockey’s most heated rivalries. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk says the timing feels fitting.

“For us to be playing against a team that’s had great moments within the last 30 or so year, I think it’s a perfect time and a perfect game for the setting,” Tkachuk says.

For the captain, last season’s playoff berth stands out as a personal highlight at the arena, along with a more intimate memory — watching his son Ryder attend his first NHL game, one that featured family on both sides of the ice.

As the celebration continues Saturday night, Brown and Wilson say the building’s legacy goes beyond wins and losses.

“The fact that the team has grown with it — and we’ve seen the highs and the lows with this hockey team in this building — has been just a remarkable run,” Wilson says.

Fans attending the anniversary game can expect plenty of nostalgia, including memorabilia displays at the Sens Store as well as alumni jerseys to purchase, intermission music featuring songs from artists who’ve performed at the arena over the years, and a ceremonial puck drop featuring a notable alumnus — a fitting tribute to 30 years of memories inside Ottawa’s hockey home.

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App