Ottawa Senators
From the 11-time Stanley Cup champions to the modern Presidents' Trophy winners.
The Ottawa Senators (French: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Canadian Tire Centre, which opened in 1996.
- Buffalo_Founded
- 1970
- Ottawa_Founded
- 1992
- Conference
- Eastern
- Stanley_Cups
- 0 (Both Franchises)
- Rivalry_Type
- Divisional
- Key_Playoff_Matchup
- 2007
- Status
- Active
Lore & Background
Founded and established by Ottawa real estate developer Bruce Firestone, the team is the second NHL franchise to use the Ottawa Senators name. The original Ottawa Senators, founded in 1883, won the Stanley Cup 11 times, playing in the NHL from 1917 until 1934. On December 6, 1990, after a two-year public campaign by Firestone, the NHL awarded a new franchise, which began play in the 1992–93 season. The Senators have made 18 playoff appearances, won four division titles, and won the 2003 Presidents' Trophy. They made an appearance in the 2007 Stanley Cup Final but lost to the Anaheim Ducks in five games.
In Their Own Story
The arena hummed with anticipation, the ice shimmering under the bright floodlights. A Sabres forward skated the puck into the offensive zone, eyes locked on the net. The Senators' defense closed in, sticks down, ready to intercept. The crowd roared, a mix of blue and gold and red and black. One shift could change the series. The puck hit the boards, a sharp crack echoing through the rink. It was more than a game; it was a battle for pride.
Reader's Guide
The team's early years (1992–1996) included a first game victory over the Montreal Canadiens, but they tied for the worst record in the league in their inaugural season. After a series of last-place finishes, the team hired Jacques Martin as head coach in 1996. Under Martin's 'defence first' philosophy, the Senators qualified for the playoffs every season from 1996–97 through 2003–04, winning their first playoff series in 1998 and the Presidents' Trophy in 2003. The team faced financial difficulties and bankruptcy in the early 2000s but continued to play.
Did You Know?
- The original Ottawa Senators won the Stanley Cup 11 times.
- The team's first-ever draft selection was Alexei Yashin in 1992.
- Daniel Alfredsson won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 1996.
- The Senators nearly defeated the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 1997 playoffs, and were swept by the Sabres in the first round of the 1999 playoffs.
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