Ottowa Senators

Competing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Senators are an NHL team based in the Canadian capital playing their home games at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators’ home jersey is predominantly red with white, black, and gold accents. The original Ottawa Senators were founded in 1883 and boasted a history steeped in success, winning 11 Stanley Cups between 1917 and 1934. The 21st century has not been as kind, however.

History

The Senators in their current form were founded in 1992 following a two-year campaign by real-estate developer Bruce Firestone and two of his colleagues, Cyril Leeder and Randy Sexton. The campaign had heavy public backing and culminated in the foundation of a new franchise under their historical name. They played their first season in 1992-1993.

Current Roster

Left-winger and top goal scorer for the Senators in the 2019-20 season were Brady Tkachuk. The 20-year-old American (and son of former NHL star Keith Tkachuk) scored an impressive 21 goals and 23 assists last season’s COVID-shortened campaign. Bobby Ryan fills another spot on the wing and is the highest-paid player on the team. Ryan was recently awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy following his inspirational comeback having missed 3 months of the NHL season due to alcohol abuse.

Thomas Chabot, Anthony Duclair, and Connor Brown round out the Sens’ young core, which should improve in the coming years.

The Senators’ current general manager is Pierre Dorion, who has been involved in the franchise since 2007. He has held a number of positions within the organization, working his way up from chief amateur scout eventually becoming general manager in April 2016. The current coach, D. J. Smith is a former player for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche. He was announced as head coach of the Senators in May of 2019 on a three-year contract.

Major Trades

The most famous trade in Senators’ history came when they traded their star player Alexei Yashin to the New York Islanders for Zdeno Chara, Bill Muckalt, and a first-round pick in the 2001 draft. After missing the duration of the 1999-2000 season when contract negotiations broke down, the Senators looked to cash in and cash in they did. The first-round pick they got in the trade turned into Jason Spezza who after a quiet couple of seasons would explode with 90, 87, and 92 seasons in his prime. Chara also found significant success in Ottawa, ending his Senators career as the fourth all-time point scorer for a defenseman. He is of course somehow still playing in Boston, having just finished his 22nd season in the NHL.

Major Achievements

The Senators have one Stanley Cup Final appearance back in 2007, but as of yet, they haven’t secured the trophy. Prior to that Stanley Cup Final appearance, the Senators won a Presidents’ Trophy in the 02-03 with the regular season’s best record before losing in the Conference Finals to the New Jersey Devils in a heartbreaking 7 game series.

Recent Team Stats

Last season, Tkachuk led the team in points with 43, however, the Senators showed some scoring depth. Their top goal scorer was center Jean-Gabriel Pageau with 24, while defenseman Thomas Chabot managed the most assists with 33.

Famous Players

Undoubtedly, the greatest Ottawa Senator since their re-establishment in 1992 is Swedish right-winger and captain Daniel Alfredsson. Across 17 seasons with the Senators, Alffy amassed 426 goals and 682 assists in 1,178 games. He made 6 All-Star games throughout his career and holds the all-time Senator records for goals, assists, points, and +/- rating in a single season (+42 2006-07).

Center Jason Spezza was another fantastic offensive threat for the Senators playing alongside Alfredsson and Dany Heatley as part of the potent and famed “CASH” line. Spezza is the Senators’ second-highest all-time point scorer with 687. In terms of defensemen, Erik Karlsson goes down as the best in Sens’ history. In the 2015-16 season, he set a new record for the Senators for most points in a season by a defenseman (82). Karlsson won 4 Norris trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman in his time in Ottawa and maybe the most talented player to ever play in the nation’s capital.