Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons.
Whether you are new to town or have just decided that this year you are going to join the slew of hockey fans inhabiting Ottawa’s pubs, bars or other fine drinking establishments, there are a few things you should know about the capital’s NHL team.
The modern Senators have been a team since 1992, a reincarnate of the original Ottawa Senators hockey team who won 11 Stanley Cup titles from their founding in 1883 to their removal from the NHL in 1934. But it was not until the early 2000s that the Senators started gaining recognition as a viable force in professional hockey.
This past year was possibly their most exciting season yet, so you can be sure the buzz is on for the 2015-2016 season.
After failing to qualify the year before April 2015 saw the Sens lose first round to the Montreal Canadiens, the underdogs put up an admirable fight. They finished their regular season 23-4-4 in their last 31 games, qualifying for the post-season against all odds.
The Sens’ comeback is largely credited to goalie Andrew “The Hamburglar” Hammond, who would get cheeseburgers thrown at him as he skated off the ice – out of respect. The big question this year is whether the team will start with Hammond or one of their other goalie, the proven and reliable Craig Anderson.
Some of the team’s other key players include the captain, Erik Karlsson, who is a Swede with really nice hair and one of the top of young defensemen in the league. There’s Bobby Ryan who was acquired in a promising trade with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks but has yet to payoff, and Mark Stone, a rookie who had an incredible record last season.
Now you can’t talk about the Sens without a nod to Daniel Alfredsson. Alfredsson, another player from Sweden, played 17 seasons with the Senators and was captain from 1999 until he signed a one year, five and a half million dollar deal with the Detroit Red Wings in 2013, which proved to be his last year. He signed a one-day contract with the Sens so he could retire an Ottawa player in 2014. It was just announced in early September that the Senators have hired Alfredsson on as the team’s senior advisor.
Many fans and critics agree that the biggest issue facing the Senators is monetary, with the possibility that the team’s owner, Eugene Melnyk, will not spend enough money to justly equip the team to win the Stanley Cup.
However, fans are looking to carry the momentum from last year and put up a fight this season! Stay tuned to find out.
