The Ottawa Senators have taken another big step toward a new arena close to downtown.

On Monday afternoon, the Senators finalized an agreement to buy roughly 11 acres of land at LeBreton Flats to build a new NHL arena and events centre, just 2 kilometres away from Parliament Hill. The proposed building would be located just off Albert Street, and naturally, the Sens would be its main tenant.

That parcel of land is considerably bigger than the six acres that were being offered up by the National Capital Commission early in the discussions. The lack of land was one of the few details that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman expressed mild concern about in his past conversations with the media.

Monday's agreement was reached between the NCC and Capital Sports Development Inc (CSDI), which is run by Sens ownership. Their new deal lays out obligations for both parties on items like decontamination of the LeBreton soil and building of infrastructure elements.

With the deal in place, the project now slides into its next phase, which will involve things like zoning, design, and regulatory approvals.

Senators President and CEO Cyril Leeder says the organization is pleased with today's next step in the process, but reminds fans that it's not the final step.

“There are still many more hurdles to clear and we look forward to working with the NCC and other stakeholders to achieve our shared vision of creating an event centre at LeBreton Flats that can be enjoyed by our Ottawa-Gatineau community,” Leeder said in a team press release on Monday afternoon.

Tobi Nussbaum, the Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, was also quoted in today's press release:

“The promise of a major events centre will provide a lively and convenient attraction for residents and visitors, inject new energy and excitement into the core of the Nation’s Capital and further catalyze the development of LeBreton Flats. This agreement builds on the two previous real estate transactions completed by the NCC since 2022 on the Building LeBreton project that will see over 2000 new housing units along with new retail and commercial spaces built on the site.”

Assuming they reach the finish line, the sites will be, according to the NCC website, within a five-minute walk from two light-rail stations on the O-Train Confederation Line (Pimisi and Bayview stations). It remains to be seen how much parking will be available at the events centre.

The expansion Senators played for a few seasons downtown at the Civic Centre before heading for the suburbs and a new building in Kanata, where they've been since 1996.

By Steve Warne

This article originally appeared on The Hockey News website: Senators Reach Agreement To Buy Land At LeBreton, Move Closer To New Arena

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The Detroit Red Wings have faced an arduous rebuilding process under the tutalege of GM Steve Yzerman, who didn't have much to work with upon his return to the organization to take over from Ken Holland in April 2019. 

Detroit hasn't played beyond the 82nd game of the regular season since three years prior that point in April 2016, which was the rookie campaign of current team captain Dylan Larkin.

It was also the final NHL season for Hall of Famer Pavel Datsyuk, who was only a fresh-faced rookie on the legendary 2001-02 Red Wings roster. 

Datsyuk, who would return to his native Russia to finish out his playing career in the months that followed Detroit's most recent postseason appearance, believes that the Red Wings' rebuilding efforts may have been hampered from the get-go thanks to their 25-year run of playoff hockey.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

“The Red Wings were at the top for a long time, winning many titles, so it’s understandable that their rebuild is taking more time than usual,” Datsyuk recently explained to RG.org. “They say a rebuild takes about seven years, but since Detroit was so high up, the road back to the top takes even longer."

"Now Detroit has a great arena, which is already a big plus," Datsyuk continued. "Perhaps what the team lacks is standout leaders – but that’s true not only for Detroit, it applies to hockey in general. Players are maturing more slowly these days, and some never mature at all, staying teenagers forever."

The good news for the Red Wings is that their core players consisting of Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider have not only matured, but have blossomed into bonafide NHL players. Additionally, the Red Wings are now getting key contributions from the likes of Marco Kasper, Simon Edvinsson, and Albert Johansson. 

While multiple NHL Insiders have expressed doubt on whether the Red Wings will ultimately experience postseason hockey at Little Caesars Arena for the first time this season, Datsyuk has a far more optimistic outlook. 

In Datsyuk's mind, not only will the Red Wings break out of their playoff drought this spring, but will return to the Conference Final for what would be the first time in 16 years. 

"Here’s my prediction – Detroit will reach the conference final," Datsyuk said. 

Detroit last reached the Conference Final in 2009, facing current Red Wings forward Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks, and defeating them in five games to punch their ticket to a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Hockeytown is hungrier than ever for postseason hockey, and it would be nothing short of an unbeatable atmosphere in the Motor City if the Red Wings not only secured a playoff berth, but also won multiple rounds.

Fans could proudly say they heard it first from the Magic Man himself.

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The Red Wings aim to win four crucial divisional games over the Tampa Bay Lightning next season

The Red Wings will be battling this upcoming season to end their nine-year playoff drought and one of the biggest things they'll need to do to ensure that they make the postseason is win crucial games. The Atlantic Division is tougher than ever and with only three available spots plus a pair of wild card spots, they need to win these games. 

One of their key divisional opponents is the Tampa Bay Lightning, who will be looking to claim a playoff spot for 11 of the past 12 years including four trips to the Stanley Cup Finals with a pair of championship wins. Despite their longstanding success, the Red Wings surprised the Bolts during their season series last year with a split after four games. 

Detroit AHL Coach Says Cossa Will Be Firmly in the Mix for Red Wings Backup RoleDetroit AHL head coach Dan Watson notes goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa will be in the conversation for the Red Wings backup goalie spot

Tampa Bay and Detroit have faced off 83 times with the Red Wings holding the upper hand historically with a 41-32-2-8 all-time record in the matchup. Detroit loves this matchup with a 11-7-2 record over their last 20 matchups.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

The Bolts will be returning with their league-best offence that features recent newcomers Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand plus adding the highly sought-after Pontus Holmberg from Toronto. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and defenceman Victor Hedman help anchor the Lightning's fourth-best backend in the league.

Detroit has managed to grind out wins against Tampa by tightening up defensively and limiting their opponents’ scoring chances, something that should become more consistent with the addition of All-Star goaltender John Gibson. They’ve also bolstered their depth by bringing in forwards James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton, along with taking a low-risk chance on the blueline with former first-round pick Jacob Bernard-Docker.

Dan Cleary’s Crystal Ball: What’s Ahead for Two Top Red Wings ProspectsThe cupboards were nearly bare when Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman arrived back in town in April of 2019 to take over from Ken Holland, owing mostly to the latter's penchant for trading prospects for older veterans. 

The Red Wings are reportedly exploring several other moves as well, including the possibility of acquiring restricted free agents like Mason McTavish and giving some of their top prospects a shot at cracking the NHL roster. 

The battles between the Red Wings and Steve Yzerman's former team will prove to be must-see once again with their first matchup of the 2025-26 season landing on October 17th at home. They will play host again on November 28th before traveling South to Tampa Bay on March 12th and April 13th.

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The Minnesota Wild have announced that they have signed former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson to a professional tryout (PTO). 

Johnson, 38, is among the most recognizable unrestricted free agent (UFA) defensemen who do not have a contract for the 2025-26 season. However, after landing this PTO with the Wild, he now has a golden opportunity in front of him to try to change that. 

We have signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a professional tryout.

📰 Read more » https://t.co/AN0w9xJGfQpic.twitter.com/wmXSUAavSZ

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) August 11, 2025

Johnson played the 2024-25 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, which was his second stint with the club. In 41 games with the Blue Jackets in 2024-25, he had zero goals, six assists, and a minus-13 rating. 

During the 2018 NHL off-season, the Penguins signed Johnson to a five-year, $16.25 million contract. However, he did not stay in Pittsburgh for the entirety of his contract, as he was bought out by the Penguins following the 2019-20 season. In 149 games as a Penguin from 2018-19 to 2019-20, Johnson recorded four goals, 20 assists, 24 points, 416 hits, and a minus-5 rating. 

After being bought out by the Penguins, Johnson would go on to sign a one-year deal with the New York Rangers. Since his time with the Penguins ended, he has also played for the Colorado Avalanche (twice), Chicago Blackhawks, and Blue Jackets. Now, he will be looking to earn a contract with the Wild for the season after landing this PTO. 

Penguins Prospect Should Become Important PiecePittsburgh Penguins prospect Ville Koivunen certainly left a strong first impression during his full professional season in North America this past campaign.

The Minnesota Wild made a move on Monday. The Wild have announced they have signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a professional tryout (PTO).

Johnson, 38, played in 41 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. He recorded six assists, 35 blocked shots, 21 hits and was a minus-13.

The Minnesota Wild have signed Jack Johnson to a PTO pic.twitter.com/BHtna7QPrt

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 11, 2025

The 6-foot-1 defender has played 19 seasons in the NHL with six different teams. He has recorded 77 goals, 265 assists, 342 points, 1,831 blocked shots, 1,931 hits and is a career minus-127 in 1,228 games.

He won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. Johnson is one of six players from the 2005 NHL Draft that are still playing today. Sidney Crosby, Anze Kopitar, Kris Letang, Jonathan Quick, and Ryan Reaves are the others.

Why Johnson?

The Wild have Jake Middleton, Jonas Brodin, and Zeev Buium under contract as left-shot defensemen.

In the AHL they have, Carson Lambos, Stevie Leskovar, Matt Kiersted, Ben Gleason and Jack Peart under contract as left-shot defenders.

We know that Brodin had off-season surgery and could miss the start of the season. The next available left-shot defensemen would be Lambos or Kiersted.

On the right-side, the Wild have Jared Spurgeon, Brock Faber, Zach Bogosian and David Jiricek. One of either Bogosian or Jiricek could play their off-sides to start the season but the Wild elected not to do that during the regular season when they had injuries.

If they don't view Lambos as an NHLer and Brodin could miss more time than expected, the Wild could sign Johnson to an NHL contract as insurance. Right now, he comes into training camp on a tryout.

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Wild Defenseman Jonas Brodin Had Surgery, Could Miss Start Of SeasonST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild could be without its top defenseman for the start of the 2025-26 season.  Revisiting My 2024-25 Minnesota Wild Bold PredictionsBefore the 2024-25 season started I wrote some bold predictions for the Minnesota Wild. I think it is time to look back on them and see what was correct, if any and what came close. Where Wild's Zeev Buium Ranks In Calder Trophy VotingMinnesota Wild rookie defenseman Zeev Buium burst onto the scene in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round. He had just finished his sophomore season at the University of Denver where he was up for the NCAA's Hobey Baker Award as the top player in College Hockey.

Former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jack Johnson is another step closer to playing in his 20th NHL season. 

This is because the Minnesota Wild have announced that they have signed Johnson to a professional tryout (PTO).

We have signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a professional tryout.

📰 Read more » https://t.co/AN0w9xJGfQpic.twitter.com/wmXSUAavSZ

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) August 11, 2025

Johnson spent this past season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he recorded six assists, 21 hits, 35 blocks, and a minus-13 rating. This was after he posted three goals, 13 assists, 16 points, and a plus-15 rating in 80 games with the Colorado Avalanche during the 2023-24 season. 

Johnson was signed by the Blackhawks during the 2022 NHL off-season to a one-year, $950,000 contract. In 58 games for the Blackhawks in 2022-23, the left-shot defenseman recorded four assists, 75 hits, 96 blocks, and a minus-25 rating. His time with the Blackhawks ended at the 2023 NHL trade deadline when he was traded to the Avalanche.

Now, Johnson will be looking to impress the Wild at training camp to increase his odds of landing a contract for the 2025-26 season. In 1,228 career NHL games over 19 seasons, the 2005 third-overall pick has recorded 77 goals, 265 assists, and 342 points. 

Blackhawks Exciting Forward Set To Smash Career Highs Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar certainly took a nice step in the right direction with his development this past season with the Original Six club. In 53 games with the Blackhawks on the year, he set new career highs with 12 goals, 14 assists, and 26 points. With this, he certainly demonstrated that he can provide solid offense at the NHL level already. 

The New York Rangers were able to hire one of the most highly regarded coaches in the NHL this offseason, Mike Sullivan. 

Why was Sullivan even available in the first place? 

Sullivan coached the Pittsburgh Penguins for 10 seasons and won two Stanley Cups, as most of his tenure was greatly successful. 

However, toward the end of his time in Pittsburgh, the Penguins began to struggle. 

The Penguins have failed to reach the playoffs over the past three seasons and haven’t even won a playoff round since 2018. 

While Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas didn’t necessarily feel that the recent lack of success was Sullivan’s fault, he felt it was time for both the Penguins to have a fresh face behind the bench and for Sullivan to find a new coaching destination. 

“He and I met last Tuesday — just about where we’re at, where we’re going, the road that we see to get there, the challenges that lie ahead,” Dubas said in April. “In my mind, and there had been a few stretches during the year where I (felt) this as well … where maybe someone could be a great coach and it was just time for them to go elsewhere.

“Use whatever analogy you want: Sometimes the class needs a new professor; sometimes the professor needs a new class.”

There were rumblings throughout the 2024-25 campaign that the Penguins and Sullivan could part ways, and Dubas admitted he had that possibility in his mind for months before the end of the season.

“There were times throughout the year that I thought it just may be time,” Dubas said of Sullivan. “It’s a lot to ask of somebody, when they’ve done such a long and successful job here, to be managing that and continue to transition the team, too. Off the top of my head, I don’t know that there’s an NHL coach that’s done that.”

Longtime NHL Reporter Believes There's One Clear Option For The Rangers' CaptaincyThere’s one player who’s beginning to gain momentum for the New York Rangers' captaincy. 

Shortly after parting ways with the Penguins, Sullivan signed a five-year, $32 million contract with the Rangers, making him the highest-paid coach in NHL history. 

Meanwhile, the Penguins hired Dan Muse to replace Sullivan, who served as a Rangers assistant coach for the past two seasons under Peter Laviolette.

The Buffalo Sabres should be in the market for an impact top-six forward after dealing winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan. The opening weeks of free agency did not provide GM Kevyn Adams with an opportunity to replace Peterka’s production, and with the two-year deal signed last month with defenseman Bowen Byram, Adams will have to try to acquire a scoring forward with younger players, prospects, and/or draft picks. With just over a month before training camp, the odds are that an addition like that will have to happen during the season. 

Winger Tyler Bertuzzi is a veteran of the Atlantic Division, playing his first seven seasons in Detroit, a short stint with Boston, and one year with Toronto. The 30-year-old is in year two of a four-year, $22 million contract with Chicago, and scored over 20 goals for the second season in a row last season, but the Hawks attempt to build a veteran support group around wunderkind Connor Bedard was a dramatic failure.

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Bertuzzi is one of the few forwards on the Chicago roster that has term remaining, and by the time the Hawks are ready to contend for a playoff spot, he will be past his prime. GM Kyle Davidson or his successor may be looking at a complete reset if the club continues to struggle and could be willing to move out the veteran winger while he still can garner a good return, but his 10-team no trade clause may complicate matters.  

What Would It Cost?

Adams would definitely be attracted by a veteran with years remaining on his deal, especially with the cap going up significantly and Bertuzzi locked in at a $5.5 million AAV. The Hawks are loaded with draft capital, so it is likely that they would prefer a player with some NHL experience or a prospect close to being ready to make the jump. That would mean names like Zach Benson, Devon Levi, Noah Ostlund, or Konsta Helenius.  

 

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