Senators to move AHL affiliate to Belleville, Ont.

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators are moving their American Hockey League team to Canada. The Senators announced Monday that team owner Eugene Melnyk has purchased Ottawa’s AHL affiliate currently residing in Binghamton, N.Y. and will move it to Belleville, Ont. for the start of the 2017-18 season. According to the statement, the City of Belleville will undertake more than $18.5 million in renovations to prepare the city’s Yardmen Arena for professional hockey. Belleville was home to the Ontario Hockey League’s Bulls from 1981 to 2015, when the team moved to Hamilton and became the Bulldogs. Ottawa’s AHL affiliate has resided in Binghamton since the 2002-03 season. The team won the Calder Cup championship in 2011.