10 sports stories to watch in Ottawa in 2015

1. FIFA Women's World Cup

2015 will feature the largest event to ever hit the capital as the FIFA Women’s World Cup begins in Ottawa on June 7 at Lansdowne Park. The tournament, which takes place in six cities across Canada, will see eight matches played in Ottawa, including three in the elimination round. While the FIFA Under-21 World Cup was a big event for the city, the women’s world cup is another step up as Ottawa proves it can host major international sports events. The world is watching.

2. Ottawa Redblacks' search for success

Sticking with Lansdowne Park, the Ottawa Redblacks will grace the pitch for its second season with hopes of drastically improving on a dreadful 2-16 debut. The team has already hired Jason Maas to help the sputtering offence and there are several more moves to come. Football has struggled to survive in Ottawa before, but more wins in year two will help the Redblacks franchise thrive.

3. Ottawa Senators coaching

This past summer, the on-ice future of the Ottawa Senators became less of a mystery when Clarke MacArthur, Bobby Ryan and Craig Anderson signed contract extensions, while Jason Spezza was traded to Dallas. The future of Senators coaching remains murky, however, as new head coach Dave Cameron becomes the team's sixth coach in the last seven seasons. Cameron will have to convince Bryan Murray and others he should remain head coach, instead of the Sens moving in a new direction. That will be something to watch closely.

4. Daniel Alfredsson's jersey retirement

The Sens have another question off the ice. That’s regarding the retirement of Daniel Alfredsson’s No. 11. Alfie’s number would be the first retired in modern franchise history and the image of his jersey hanging from the rafters can’t be understated. This season, Anaheim retired Teemu Selanne’s jersey, just one year following his retirement. It’s likely Ottawa won’t wait long to do the same at the Canadian Tire Centre.

5. 2017 NHL outdoor game

Another question that will surface in 2015, related to the Ottawa Senators, surrounds the location of the 2017 NHL outdoor game. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has met with the NHL’s Gary Bettman and Bill Daly regarding Lansdowne Park as a potential home. It’s also believed the game will be part of Canada’s 150th birthday celebration. That would join several other events in Ottawa in 2017.

6. Pro basketball in Ottawa

There’s another unanswered question for 2015 on the court: Will Ottawa get another pro, or semi-pro, basketball team? The Ottawa SkyHawks lasted just one season before the debt load grew and the franchise fell apart. Now a group led by Tony House, including Carleton Ravens head coach Dave Smart and former NBA player Leo Rautins, wants to revive pro basketball in Ottawa.

There’s also a report of a new Canadian basketball league involving former Toronto Raptors head coach, Butch Carter. It seems like TD Place Arena would be the likely home for any new basketball team, not the Canadian Tire Centre. Either way, if the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group is involved, what a sports entity it will be featuring CFL football, NASL soccer, OHL hockey and pro basketball.

7. Baseball returns to Ottawa

As for baseball, the Ottawa Champions bring the sport back to the capital this summer, as the Can-Am League squad takes to Ottawa Stadium beginning in May. The last time a Can-Am League team played in Ottawa, nobody really noticed. With hopes of a double-A team seemingly dashed right now, the consolation prize that is the Ottawa Champions won’t likely attract a large audience. Ottawa has never shown the ability to support much more than a hockey team, and with soccer and football already taking the field in the summer, will you pay for baseball? That remains to be seen.

8. uOttawa men's hockey future

Moving to the amateur level, the future of the University of Ottawa’s men’s hockey program also remains up in the air. The program was suspended for the 2014-15 season after sexual assault charges related to an incident in Thunder Bay. Will the school decide to resume the program or allow the court process to finish before taking to the ice? That question will have to be answered.

9. Sens move to Lebreton Flats?

This question only recently became a serious one, and might be just a pipe dream, but we should learn more in 2015 about the seriousness of whether the Ottawa Senators might move their arena downtown. The potential for a move to Lebreton Flats excites fans from downtown east, but it scares those in the west end, particularly the far west end, who have had an easier trek to the arena. With a new city council, the timing is no coincidence. Melnyk is an aggressive owner and he’s not afraid to test new waters. We will see if this idea makes waves.

10. Seeking success for Fury soccer 

Speaking of Melnyk, he tried to bring soccer to Ottawa a few years back, but to no avail. The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group did succeed in their efforts and Fury FC will enter its second season this summer. With the FIFA Women’s World Cup in town, Fury FC made the curious move of cancelling its women’s team after 14 seasons and much success. They say the money will be put into the men’s team, instead. Let’s see if the attendance can grow at TD Place stadium.

If I missed a story you think is important, please email me at jamie.long@cbc.ca or tweet me @cbcjlong.