Gary Bettman and the Senators have just ruined a Canadiens playoff watch party

The Montreal Canadiens' playoff buzz has run into the business side of the league.

A planned Canadiens viewing party at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau was cancelled ahead of Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, May 23. The event was built for just over 4,000 fans.

This was not a small bar turning on the game. It was a paid, arena-sized Canadiens night inside the Ottawa Senators' protected market.

Tickets had gone on sale for $13, with proceeds tied to community causes, and organizers had secured TVA Sports' broadcast authorization.

The post framed it bluntly:

The league's position matters because this was never just about showing a hockey game on a big screen.

NHL territorial rules give teams control in their city and within an 80 km radius, and Gatineau falls inside Ottawa's zone, despite it being in a totally different province.

That puts the Senators in a sensitive spot. They are trying to own the Ottawa-Gatineau market, but Canadiens fans have deep roots across the river in Quebec.

The NHL protected franchise territory before fan momentum.

The Senators did not need a loud public fight here. No approval was enough to stop the event from moving forward.

For the Canadiens, the optics are almost useful. Their fans were strong enough in Gatineau to force a league business decision.

For the Senators, this is a reminder that market control is not the same thing as market loyalty.