The NHL is back! And what a start to the season it was for the Sens

 Ottawa launched their 2020-21 NHL season with a gift to fans who waited 310 long days to see them play, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Friday night. The convincing win was no small feat, as the majority of NHL analysts had pegged the Maple Leafs as the top

Camps open league-wide, prompting questions and answers

 Above: Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk This past Sunday hockey returned across the board in the National Hockey League with the opening of training camps. The Ottawa Senators, one of seven teams to not qualify for the playoffs last season, opened up a few days earlier on Dec. 30th. And so it

Naughty or nice: the ABC’s of Xmas

 It’s been one helluva year, said everyone everywhere. Even in the usual sanctified domain of the sports world, the Year of COVID-19 hit hard and fast and repeatedly. But we’re moving on here, good people. ‘Tis the season for some much-required joy and boy do we need that lift, especially

Who’s tops in an all-Canadian division?

 Last week in this very corner the thought was that an all-Canadian team realignment in the National Hockey League should not only be instituted this coming season but should also be a permanent thing. Great idea? Well, I thought so. To further the discussion, this week’s gripper deals with a

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

Report cards come a little – too – early

 We are supposed to be gunning for a playoff season just around the corner. We’re supposed to be talking about who’s going to win the goal-scoring race, Auston Matthews, Alex Ovechkin or David Pastrnak. We’re supposed to be talking about MVP and whether the unexpected Leon Draisaitl can accomplish the

Few certainties in the Senators’ picture

 Anticipation, anticipation Is makin' me late Is keepin' me waitin' Carly Simon   Pretty cheesy lede, eh? Point being, in Ottawa playing the anticipation game is a daily occurrence, whether you’re a fan of the Senators or a finger-crossing rider on LRT. Things are seemingly never a certainty around these

Senators must be asking – where is everyone?

 So, here’s a question – would you hand over your hard-earned dollars to watch a young, mistake-prone yet energetic pro hockey team play in the world’s toughest league? The answer in Ottawa – yep, I’m talking to you – is apparently, not so much. Ottawa’s sad-sack attendance numbers have become

Figuring out Senators’ near future is going to be a puzzle

 The possibilities are endless. This is the reality of the world where Ottawa Senators’ general manager Pierre Dorion exists. The next few weeks – and months – are rich with ifs, ands, buts, maybes and maybe nots. In Ottawa the only sure thing is there’s no sure thing. Here’s what

All-star break gives Senators’ brass time to reflect and ponder plans

 The Ottawa Senators’ bye week is upon us. They won’t hit the ice again until Jan. 27th when they host the New Jersey Devils. That’s a break the size of the one in our foundation wall (. . . but that’s another story). Nine-days-plus. A long, long time between games.

Canadian clubs: the good and the bad and the in-between

 We’re right around the halfway point in this NHL season and as we are prone to do a couple of times per season, let’s have a glance at how our seven Canadian teams are faring, and what might lie ahead in the upcoming months. Across Canada? It’s truly a mixed

Making the grade – your Ottawa Senators

 A new year, and for a change, the Ottawa Senators head in with a modicum of hope. Couldn’t say that on the brink of 2019, or 2018. Been a while, eh? Face it, the farm is filled with potential plums and if you’ve been watching the world junior tourney, there

Tkachuk ka-chunks the opposition, repeatedly

 To Johnny (. . . and Jenny) Senator Fan, a few pressing internal thoughts and proposals and questions that need your attention. Have a look. Brady Tkachuk is a somewhat captivating character. This could be the understatement of the year. The second-year winger is kind of the anti-Mister Rogers. Instead

Early returns favouring most Canadian NHL teams

 You couldn’t request and receive a better out-of-the-gate scenario for the majority of National Hockey League teams based here in Canada. As the league approaches the 20-game mark, let’s have a look at what’s been going right and what’s been going wrong for Canada’s seven clubs. CALGARY FLAMES (B) The

Senators’ problems are good problems to have

 It really is looking like something of a perfect storm for Eugene Melnyk and Pierre Dorion. Public perception regarding the Ottawa Senators has been justifiably poor the past few years, but doesn’t it just seem the tide is shifting (somewhat)? Ottawa is in an ideal situation right now. Dedication to

Sens empty dust-bin of calamitous past few seasons

 “Who is Chris Tierney, Alex?” It’s the type of stumper that’ll perplex even the best of Jeopardy champions (even James Holzhauer, me-thinks). Answer being: This player lead the Ottawa Senators in scoring by a forward last season. Matt Duchene was long gone to Ohio by the time the year ended,

Senators turn the page on dismal season

 Photo courtesy of NHLI via Getty Images The legendary rocker Bob Seger must be reading the Ottawa Senators’ collective mind: Turn the Page. Seger’s ditty doesn’t have anything to do with hockey, however the message behind the song’s title could fit nicely into Ottawa’s philosophy. Because let’s face it –

Few passing grades as Senator season passes

 Photo courtesy of NHLI via Getty Images “Well, at the very least we had – at the very least – umm, Brady Tkachuk!” Offers Glass-Half-Full-Guy. “That’s like doing back-flips cause you got one of the six numbers in 6/49 right!” Counters Glass-Half-Empty Guy. That kind of season, eh Ottawa? For

Spirits lifted for Senators during dads’ trip

 Photo courtesy NHLI via Getty Images I imagine if my dad was watching, I’d work at about the same level. In this grim swamp of a season for the Ottawa Senators, this past week presented a rare light and positive look. The dads’ trip. As far as I know, most

Senators streak indicative of state of entire organization

 Photo courtesy NHLI via Getty Images In the NHL there’s, of course, the Great 8. The Ottawa Senators however are well on the other side of the discussion as far as ‘8’ goes. Eight straight losses. This team is sinking harder and faster than my RSP portfolio. Hell, we all

Not all miserable in Senator land

 Photo credit: NHLI via Getty Images Well now, wasn’t that a party? Not the kind where everyone has a festive time and hugs, good feelings and smiles are shared around the room. Nope, this was more of the kind of party where your guests drink too much, break some chairs, accidentally

In the NHL, it’s early but . . .

 Photo credit: NHLI via Getty Images It’s never really too early to start spinning a good tale. So, here we sit, less than a month into the National Hockey League season with plenty of storylines crying for attention. Given we live in an age of relentless social media, news and notions

Youth plunge makes for great entertainment

 Photo credit: NHLI via Getty Images Who knew that the low end of the cycle could be so much – well - fun? Because, I don’t even need to tell you (but apparently, I will) that the Ottawa Senators are clearly at the low end. And this is unlikely to change

Patience takes a vacation for fans of NHL draft

 Photo courtesy NHLI via Getty Images What’s the most entertaining fallout from a National Hockey League draft? Rampant speculation. Year after year after year, we get loads of it once the picking gets done. When the Ottawa Senators snagged Boston College forward Brady Tkachuk with the fourth overall pick Friday

NHL Playoffs: A veritable alphabet soup

 Photo courtesy of NHLI via Getty Images Here we go. It’s the A, B, Z’s (American pronunciation for rhyming purposes please) of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with a few Ottawa references thrown in. (This IS an Ottawa-based magazine after all, right?). So, strap on your ‘well, what a poetic thought’ hat