NHL: Where the Captaincy Really Means Something

 Outside of battling and baffling offer sheets, it’s been the hot topic in hockey this past week. It’s Toronto. It’s a new captain. And his name is Auston Matthews. Which hauls me into today’s discussion and debate – does it really, truly matter who your captain is in this day

Ottawa Senators: Rebuild Part II?

 “I think the Senators are going to be a really, really busy team in the off-season.” Hockey’s pre-eminent insider Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet, HNIC) had those words earlier this week and they are all of being the following: Predictable, believable, somewhat alluring to Ottawa fans and somewhat frightening to Ottawa fans.

D.J. Smith fired by Senators

 Out with the old, and in with the older. In a move that surprised absolutely no one, the Ottawa Senators fired head coach D.J. Smith on Monday. The 46-year-old Windsor, Ont., native joins his former boss, general manager Pierre Dorion, out the door of the struggling hockey club. Dorion was

Top Athletes in Ottawa History

 Ottawa, Canada's vibrant capital, has a sports heritage, particularly distinguished by its early 20th-century dominance in ice hockey. The era was characterized by the influential presence of the original Ottawa Senators, a cornerstone team of the National Hockey League (NHL) founded in 1917. Their remarkable streak of success, marked by

On Avs, Alfie and St. Nick

 Various blips in need of a blast in this week’s special National Hockey League roundup. Lots to cover off as hockey melts the ice on another season and has already fired up a jump-start towards the next. Enjoy. Avs Trump a Dynasty It was bound to happen. In fact, I

Hockey rolls on!

 Been there, done that must count for a lot given the lack of love the New York Rangers are getting heading into the Eastern Conference final. Across the board, hockey prognosticators are throwing their affection at the two-time Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. At NHL.com, some of the best

Goal getters: The top goal scorers for the Ottawa Senators

 Nothing excites sports fans around the world more than a player who consistently scores points, or goals, for their team. These are the players that kids will want to have on the back of their replica shirts, the one future children will be named after. When boiled down to its

Where Art Thou, Brady?

 Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? Sure, computer gamers from the mid-1980s would scratch their heads over that one for a few years, but here in Ottawa it’s a different type of game: Where in the world is Brady Tkachuk? St. Louis? Hunkered down in Ottawa . . .

Goalie woes continue, prospects shine, and Karlsson makes news

 ABOVE:  Joey Daccord injured himself in the third period of Wednesday's game against the Canucks. (PHOTO: SPORTSNET.CA) The Ottawa Senators played two games last week, and both were spirited efforts against the Vancouver Canucks. Ottawa played well enough to win each game, but, unfortunately for them, both ended in an overtime loss. Canucks

The transition from terrible to contender may be closer than you think

 NBC analyst Pierre McGuire believes the Ottawa Senators will be a Stanley Cup contender in the next 2-3 years. The veteran broadcaster made the comments this past week on Ottawa sports radio. While ownership and management continue to rub their collective hands in glee and proclaim the Senators will soon

NHL swings and misses, big time

 Stephen King has notched his rightful place high up on the pole as one of my more revered writers (especially his earlier stuff). He came to mind Friday night shortly after 8. From the perspective of many an Ottawa Senator fanatic, only King – the Sultan of Scare – could

Ringside for Youth XXIV packs a punch

 Photo credit: Timeout with the Twins WATCH ABOVE: Timeout with the Twins were invited to attend Ringside For Youth, an evening of amateur boxing, a celebrity appearance, a silent auction, a live auction and a three-course meal, benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa.  Their video includes highlights from

J and J’s Gibberish: Hockey Talk and Mental Health Movember

 One mother's weekly journey in raising her special needs children.  With all the celebrity shaming going around (rightfully so I might add!!!) for atrocious predatory and vile male behaviour, I thought I would use this week’s J and J Gibberish to launch a series about celebrities using their voices for

Something Wonderfully Wicked This Way Comes as City Lawyers Enter the Court of Macbeth

 Photos by Andrew Alexander In Henry VI, Shakespeare penned one of his most quoted lines referring to the vilest of deeds that could be done to any bar association: “The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.” Actor Woody Harrelson was much more lenient when he said that in

Daniel Alfredsson: defining a generation

 Photos by Andre Gagne. Twenty years ago, Ottawa was a capital city without any real significance in the world of professional sports. One of the city’s two pro sports teams, the Canadian Football League’s Roughriders, had just folded following a dismal 3-15 season. The other, the National Hockey League’s Ottawa

Remodeling and Adjusting Keeps Neil Rolling Along

 Nobody could have seen this coming. Chris Neil as Ottawa Senator franchise leader in penalty minutes? Sure. But Chris Neil as the longest serving active Senator? Not on your life. Except there he was Saturday afternoon - as the Sens faced the Kings in Los Angeles - tugging on the

Ottawa Life Guide to the Sens

 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