Ottawa Senators
Bring Back the Senators
The Ottawa Senators, 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.
- season_year
- 2023–24
- season_number
- 32nd
- new_owner
- Michael Andlauer
- suspended_player
- Shane Pinto
- suspension_games
- 41
- games_played_at_season_end
- 76
- final_loss_opponent
- New Jersey Devils
- points_behind_wild_card
- 13
- playoff_appearances_missed
- 7
Verified Timeline
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 turning point for the coaching staff arrived after a four-game losing streak left the Senators at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. On December 18, 2023, head coach D.J. Smith and assistant Davis Payne were fired, with former player Daniel Alfredsson joining as an assistant under interim head coach Jacques Martin. The roster saw further movement when goaltending coach Zac Bierk was reassigned to a scout role in January 2024, replaced by Justin Peters. Off the ice, the team faced controversy when the NHL announced on November 1 that Ottawa would forfeit a first-round pick in either 2024, 2025, or 2026 for failing to disclose Evgeni Dadonov's no-trade list during a trade with Vegas. The season concluded with a 4–3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on April 6 at game 76, confirming another year without playoff hockey.
Reader's Guide
The team's history includes early struggles, a strategy of aiming low for high draft picks, and a turnaround under coach Jacques Martin. Key players from the early years include Alexei Yashin, Daniel Alfredsson, and later Zdeno Chara and Jason Spezza. The team qualified for the playoffs every season under Martin, winning their first playoff series in 1998.
Did You Know?
- The Senators' first game was on October 8, 1992, against the Montreal Canadiens, which they won 5–3.
- The team's first general manager was Mel Bridgman, who had no previous NHL management experience.
- Daniel Alfredsson won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 1996.
- The Senators won the Presidents' Trophy in the 2002–03 season.
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