Ottawa Black Bears leaving the Canadian Tire Centre, ticket holders told

Ottawa Black Bears leaving the Canadian Tire Centre, ticket holders told

Professional lacrosse team has been based in Ottawa since 2024

Ottawa's professional lacrosse team will no longer be playing at the Canadian Tire Centre, fans have been told.

Ticket holders received a message informing them that the Ottawa Black Bears will not play at the CTC in Kanata for the 2026-27 season.

People who had made payment for the next season will receive an automatic refund within 10 business days, the message said, referring further inquiries to the National Lacrosse League (NLL).

The message did not say where the team will play next.

CBC reached out to the Ottawa Black Bears and the NLL for comment. An email sent to the address listed on the team's Facebook page bounced back, saying the Black Bears will not be returning to CTC for the 2026-27 season.

The Black Bears is a partnership between the NLL, owners GF Sports and Entertainment and the Ottawa Senators. It was formerly known as the New York Riptide, and moved to Ottawa in 2024.

At the time, Erik Baker, who's part of the ownership team, said they chose Ottawa for many reasons, one of them being the strength of the Senators Sports & Entertainment brand.

Back in 2003, Ottawa's previous NLL team, the Ottawa Rebel, was sold to Edmonton after two seasons.

Nathan Fung is a reporter with CBC Ottawa, with a strong interest in covering municipal issues. He has previously worked as a reporter in Hamilton and Edmonton. You can reach him at nathan.fung@cbc.ca