NHL postpones Senators-Leafs after Ottawa shootings (Updated)
A gunman opened fire at the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa on Wednesday morning, shooting a solider standing guard there before driving a car to the doors of Parliament Hill. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire from inside the building; the gunman was later reported dead, while the solider was being treated for injuries.
Ottawa police confirmed there were shootings in three different locations, sparking fears of a coordinated attack.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators were scheduled to face off tonight, and Canadian Tire Center is about 30 minutes outside of downtown Ottawa (without traffic). But at 1:25 p.m. ET, the NHL announced the game has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date.
The NHL postponed the Boston Bruins’ home game against the Senators on the day of the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013, announcing it two hours after the attack. Suspects were still at large at the time, and there were security concerns.
The Maple Leafs did not have a morning skate in Ottawa on Wednesday, and were in fact locked down in a hotel across from the War Memorial.
Cyril Leeder, president of the Ottawa Senators, said on FAN 590 that his team is in “a controlled lockdown at Canadian Tire center” while the Leafs are staying at a Westin attached to the Rideau Centre. He said “We've had reports from some of the guys [the Leafs] that were there that they could hear the shots going off from their rooms." (Thanks to Hope Smoke for the quotes.)
Our thoughts and prayers to everyone in Ottawa affected by this tragedy.
