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Ottawa 67's Arena Name: Ottawa Civic Centre |
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| Ottawa Civic Centre |
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| What's the Arena Like? |
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The Ottawa Civic Centre is the largest arena in the OHL, and also one of the strangest. It was built underneath the grandstand of Frank Clair Stadium, which is home to the Ottawa Renegades of the CFL. Consequently, the roof of the Civic Cenre slopes at an incredible angle, with nearly all the seats on one side of the ice. From a distance it's not even really possible to determine if the building you're looking at is a hockey arena, as for all intents and purposes it looks like the football stadium that it is. The Civic Centre juts out from underneath one of the grandstands and is architecturally one of the strangest buildings I've ever seen, with huge steel roof supports jutting out on an angle towards the roofline. The far side of the building is, again, a football grandstand. There really isn't a main lobby in the Civic Centre. We entered near the will-call booth which is on the short side of the arena, and found ourselves in a low, squat hallway with a few food stands and private suites and hallways leading out into the short-side stands. If you walk up a short flight of stairs, though, the arena opens up and you find yourself in a massive concourse with walls made of windows and a ceiling that extends far up into the heavens. The concourse is gigantic and the food stands, souvenir stands and other diversions barely make a dent in the halls. The concourse's doorways extend into the arena bowl about halfway up, with an inside concourse running in-between the upper and lower sections of the bowl. The Civic Centre is extremely impressive upon first glance. The short side only has about ten rows of seating contained in it, but the big side has at least thirty and is NHL-sized. There is also a collection of rail seating down by the glass. All seats are brand-new, dark red and padded like those in a movie theatre. Views are all pretty decent, although being near the back of the top level is a bit uncomfortably far away from the action. The seats on the short side are a bit obstructed as well as the ceiling extends too far down to obscure your view of the scoreboard. The scoreboard has a full video board, though, and is NHL-quality. There is a row of private boxes hung high above the ice on the high side and the press box is right at centre ice. The ceiling is flat until the massive steel supports begin to angle down slightly past halfway. The wall of the short side looks strange, but the 67's have taken full advantage of it by using it to hang their banners as well as for selling advertising. Once the game begins the quality of the Civic Centre experience continues. There is a professional-quality pregame show on the big board and, for those fans who are on the short side (as we were) the team gives televisions so that no one misses the show. The 67's do play some contemporary music, but they also have a terrific trumpeter who roams the stands playing traditional hockey music. It's a nice change from the usual top-40 nonsense, and it's different from the traditional organ music as well. The building's peripherals are decent; the washrooms are clean, the sound system is clear without being overpowering and there is a large (albeit expensive) parking lot to handle all but the largest crowds. My few pet peeves with the Civic Centre are small but notable. The 67's have a large number of promotions, which I'm not a fan of, and they also are one of only two OHL teams (the other is Mississauga) who have a squad of cheerleaders. While I'm most definitely not against scantily-clad women in principle, they don't belong at a hockey game. Finally, on the short side of the building the 67's have installed heat lamps in the seating area. I'm not sure why this is done as the building isn't cold by any stretch, but it was a strange and uncomfortable experience spending the game feeling like a steam tray of wontons. The Ottawa Civic Centre was the last arena I visited to complete my 20. I had a fantastic time at the building and I have good memories of it. I suppose the best way to sum up the arena is to say that it's a dual building - the large half of the building is both NHL-sized and NHL-quality, with the design reminiscent of either Joe Louis Arena in Detroit or the Continental Arena in New Jersey. In point of fact, the Civic Centre has been used by the NHL, as the Senators played out of the arena while Scotiabank Place was under construction out in the middle of nowhere. The short half of the Civic Centre, though, is another world, where the fans sit close, the views are obstructed somewhat and the noise carries. Perhaps it is to the city of Ottawa's credit that they built a building with the best of both worlds - one Civic Centre for the fan who wants comfort, fun, and a professional atmosphere, and one for the fan who wants to cheer and yell at the players. The Civic Centre is the most professional building in the OHL, and is well-worth the visit. Ottawa Civic Centre by Sports Nut, Arena Correspondent The Ottawa Civic Centre is an arena that truly brings new meaning to the term "sports complex." The arena is located on Bank Street, a major north/south route in Ottawa, only steps from the famous Rideau Canal. Going towards the arena from the north, Bank Street is very much like a Yonge Street in Toronto, bustling with people and shops as far as the eye can see. However, when you get to the arena, it all stops, quite suddenly in fact. Once you cross the Rideau, south of the arena, you're into more parkland and almost a suburbia-type atmosphere, with small businesses, apartment buildings, and fast food joints lining the streets. One could almost say that the Civic Centre is the end of downtown, on Bank Street at least. The arena itself is a part of a major sports complex in Ottawa, Landsdowne Park. It is actually situated under Frank Clair Stadium, which is the home of the Canadian Football League's Ottawa Renegades. The arena is built underneath one of the grandstands of the stadium, so that means that one side of the seating plan in the Civic Center is 2 levels high, while the other side of the arena, under the stadium, is only a fraction of the height. When you pull up to the arena, you notice that it's set back a bit from the road. This allows for a rather large parking lot to the north side of the arena, as well as a small road-way of sorts in front of the arena (perfect place for cabs and such to wait and pounce). The parking at the north end of the arena does cost a bit, so if you're not a fan of paying for parking, just hop on one of the buses that go to the arena and you'll be all set (check out Ottawa's bus route schedules for more info). The main entrance and box offices of the Civic Centre are on the West side of the arena, facing Bank Street. Now, the looks of the arena here are deceiving. There is a large ramp right next to the main entrance, which could throw someone off. The main doors are located south of the ramp, where the long set of double glass doors are. Follow the thousands of people heading into the arena doors on Bank Street, and you'll be fine. The box offices are located just inside the main entrance of the arena. The lobby where they're located is quite spacious, but one would imagine it fills up quickly when people are buying tickets. Just inside the next set of doors, they take your ticket, and you're into the arena. The first thing that I noticed was the really short ceiling in the ticket collection area. That's from the stadium next door, I'd imagine. To the left are 2 staircases - one heading up, and one heading down. The one heading up brings you to the second level concourse, which extends around the north half of the arena. The one going down brings you to the locker rooms, I'd imagine (never been down there before). The front area is lined with booster club folks, vending machines, program sellers - the usual people and items. Going straight ahead puts you under the stadium next door. There's a low ceiling, so watch out! If it's 10' high, I'd be surprised. It's also a bit narrower, too, in terms of passing people. A few people wide in most areas, but a great view of the rink at times, as well. It also brings you along side the famous "Asylum", which I highly recommend a visit to if you go to a 67's game. One of the best views of a rink I've encountered to this point. Along the trek to the Asylum, under the shorter roof, there are plenty of stands with foods, beverages, and other activities to tickle your hockey taste buds. Not quite a 'midway' atmosphere, but close. Once you get to the east end of the arena, you encounter more folks selling programs, more booster club representatives, and more vending machines. Another entrance, I see. After this, there's no-where to go from here but up (if you're walking around the arena, that is). So, travel up the flight of stairs and you're into the second level concourse. The word "spacious" comes to mind here, when describing this concourse. It's at least doubled the width of the first level areas, and triple in height. There is also a wall made out of glass, which lets you see the outside of the arena quite nicely. This concourse is also filled with countless concession stands and activities for the kids. The one thing that immediately comes to notice, though, is the prices. Ottawa food is by far the most expensive I've encountered anywhere. $11 for a nachos and small beer is extreme, in my books. However, if people are willing to pay it, management is willing to price it. That's life, I suppose. This concourse, despite its large nature, can fill up quickly during the intermissions. The first time I went to a game there, Canada was playing the US in the World Juniors tournament. I had a hard time getting through the crowds, who were watching the televisions above the concourse. With 10,000 people at many games, what do you expect, though? Unlike the first level, the second level doesn't allow you to see the game. You have to venture through small tunnels and thick curtains to get to your seats. Once you walk through the curtains, it's another world. The seats are different colours, so that's a rather eye-catching sight. When you walk through the curtains, you're already between the first and second levels, about 20' above the ice. You have a great view of everything, really, and there isn't a bad seat in the house. The view from the upper bowl is something that's tougher to describe. Very high up, yet you can still feel the atmosphere in a packed arena. The view from the lower bowl is also quite nice, as you can almost feel like you're on the ice with the guys. Generally speaking, it's a great arena. It's very accessible from downtown Ottawa, as it's on a main street and easy to find. The atmosphere with a packed house is simply amazing, almost comparable to London or Windsor. While it's quite the expensive place, the fans seem to not really mind as lineups for concessions and souvenir stands are quite long during intermissions. From what I noticed, as well, washrooms and vending machines are plentiful, for those who are in need of a quick break. The Civic Centre is the largest arena in the OHL, and it's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. |
| Future Developments |
| There are no plans to renovate or replace the Ottawa Civic Centre. |
| What Is It Like For Away Fans? |
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The "short side" of the Civic Centre's seating is nicknamed the "Asylum". Fans with season tickets in this area love sitting behind the visitor's bench and heckling the opposition. I went to Ottawa on "Scouts' Day" which was a Sunday afternoon in which the score was never really close, and so I didn't encounter any problems from the crowd of mostly children. However a Friday night in Ottawa can be a completely different experience. The Asylum can be intimidating, but for the most part 67's fans are good people. Knighthawk says: VERY nice rink. I just prayed that London's new rink was going to be just like it. Fans can be somewhat intimidating. Because it is so big, it is one of the toughest buildings for the opposing team to win in. Sports Nut says: I've been there three times now, and for the most part, they're solid hockey fans. I wore my Spits jersey to each game, even though Windsor only played there once, and I managed to get a few negative comments each time(last 2 games were ottawa v. Ptbo/Kingston). When I went the first time, their fans were somewhat hostile, but nothing serious happened, except for some verbal exchanges. For the most part, they weren't bad at all. Expect second glances if you're cheering for the visiting squad, though. Similar to Windsor, but less harassment overall. Jason Cormier says: The Asylum (the seats behind the visitor's bench)....always high. The arena is installing higher glass behind the visitor's bench in an attempt to tone them down. Intimidation Factor: MEDIUM |
How To Get There |
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Located geographically in the centre of Ottawa, the Civic Centre can be accessed via Bank Street (west side) or at the back of the park by Queen Elizabeth Drive (east and north sides). From Highway 417, westbound direction, please take exit 119 (Metcalfe Street). Three streets after exiting turn left on Bank Street. Eastbound on the 417, please take exit 120 (Kent Street). Make a right at the second street (Arlington), then another right at the next light (Bank Street). Look for the floodlights. Parking is on-site and expensive. There are few options outside the massive Landsdowne lot, so your best bet is to swallow the charge. |
| Inside Ottawa Civic Centre |
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| Admission Prices |
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Adults $15 Students & Seniors $14 Children $11 *Students 13-21 years of age with valid student ID, Seniors 65 years+ ** Children 12 years of age and under |
| Franchise History |
| The Ottawa 67's were added to the OHL as an expansion team in 1967-68. Originally they were supposed to begin play in the Civic Centre from the beginning, but the building's construction fell behind schedule and the team played the first half of the 1967-68 season at Robert Guertin Arena in Hull, before moving into the civic Centre in January 1968. |
| Retired Numbers |
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7 Denis Potvin 7 Doug Wilson 14 Peter Lee 15 Bobby Smith |
| Another Shot of the Ottawa Civic Centre |
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| Local Rivals |
| Kingston, Belleville, Oshawa, Peterborough. |
| About the City |
| By Ottawa Resident 67's Fan: Ottawa, Canada's Capital and fourth-largest city, is a white-collar town of roughly 1,000,000 residents situated on the south bank of the Ottawa River in Eastern Ontario. The Ottawa region was originally home to First Nations peoples who were part of the Algonquin tribe. The first European settlement was that of Philemon Wright, who started a community on the Quebec side of the river (now known as Gatineau) in 1800. Wright discovered that transporting timber from the Ottawa Valley to Montreal was possible using the river, and soon Ottawa was soon a booming logging town. The Ottawa Valley grew in importantance when Colonel John By led a team that constructed the Rideau Canal, which connects Ottawa with Kingston and the Great Lakes. The city, originally known as Bytown, was renamed Ottawa in 1855. Ottawa is first and foremost a white-collar town with the Federal Government being a main source of employment for many residents. Ottawa's major industries are advanced technology, travel and tourism, and retail and services. Ottawa has been ranked 6th in the world in terms of quality of life. The rating was mostly due to low crime rates, environmental cleanliness, public services, political stability and favourable socio-economic conditions. Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College are the 3 main post-secondary schools in the Ottawa region. The Byward Market on George St. is a popular hangout for students and residents alike, with most of the night scene in Ottawa around the market. Ottawa is home to 12 national museums devoted to Canadian art, nature, science and technology, aviation, war, civilization and more. Among the Ottawa's downsides is the fact that we have no subway system. This is mainly due to the fact that when the original sewer system was built, no one thought that a subway could work in Ottawa. The city has recognized this, and has built a light-rail system called the O-Train. Right now, the O-Train only runs around the Downtown core, but talks among city councillors have resulted in preliminary plans to expand the system as far west as Kanata, and as far east as Orleans. Another downside to Ottawa is a very complex street system downtown. Traffic can really get backed up around the downtown core after a Renegades game or after an event at Parliament Hill. Famous people from the Ottawa area include comedians Dan Aykroyd and Tom Green, singers Paul Anka, Alanis Morissette and Bruce Cockburn, writer Margaret Atwood, and several Ontario premiers including the current one, Dalton McGuinty. For more information about Ottawa visit Ottawa Tourism at http://www.tourottawa.org/. |
Feedback |
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at  and I'll update the guide. |
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Copyright © Kevin Jordan
2002-05. |