Arena Digest - Corel Centre / Kanata, Ontario

Year Opened	1996
Capacity	20,500
Architect	Rossetti Associates Architects
Web Site	www.corelcentre.com
Phone	613/599-0100
Anchor Tenants	Ottawa Senators (NHL)
Previous Names	Corel Centre (1996-2006)
Parking	There are 6,500 parking spaces at the Corel Centre, managed by Ideal Parking.
Directions	1000 Palladium Drive, Kanata, ON K2V 1A5. From south of Ottawa: Follow Highway 31 or Highway 416 to the 417. Proceed west on Highway 417 to the Palladium Drive exit. From the Outaouais region: Take the Portage Bridge across the Ottawa River. Proceed on Wellington Street to Lyon Street, and south on Lyon Street to Highway 417 (the Queensway). Follow the Queensway west to the Palladium Drive exit. From the west: Take either Highway 7 (Carleton Place, Smiths Falls, Perth) or Highway 17 (Almonte, Pakenham, Arnprior, Renfrew) to Highway 417 (the Queensway). Follow the Queensway east to the Palladium Drive exit.

History
From 1901-1934 the original Ottawa Senators competed in the Canadian Amateur Hockey League, the National Hockey Association, and the National Hockey League where they won nine Stanley Cups. After their 1927 Stanley Cup, the team slowly sold its stars to other clubs for financial reasons, and eventually moved the team to St. Louis where they played their last two seasons as the St. Louis Eagles.

Finally Ottawa has a professional hockey team again. It seems that ever since the expansion Senators came into the league, it has been drama in Ottawa. From not having the finances to build an arena, to the owner missing mortgages, to declaring bankruptcy in 2003, the Senators had to start from ground zero since they were created in 1996.

Despite all the turmoil, the Senators overcame and have won three division titles in Corel Centre. The Corel Centre, formerly known as the Ottawa Palladium, is not an overwhelming, awe-inspiring arena in the Canadian hockey capitol. Although, the arena, located in Kanata, Ontario supplies six full restaurants, 140 private suites, many locker rooms, and performer dressing rooms in the three level complex.

Not being located downtown, the area surrounding the Corel Centre has expanded with new corporation and residential buildings, restaurants, and bars, to uplift the prestige and reputation of the area.