Chris Phillips

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Lore & Background

Phillips worked in community and business development for the Senators from 2015 to 2021, when he resigned as the executive director of the Senators Community Foundation after a dispute with owner Eugene Melnyk. After Melnyk's death, he rejoined the organization in September 2022 as the Vice President of Community and Business Development. Phillips was raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta. He began his junior career with the Junior A Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 1993–94. He joined the Major Junior Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL for the 1995-96 season, where he won the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy and was drafted first overall in the 1996 NHL entry draft by the Ottawa Senators. The Senators reassigned Phillips to the Raiders for the 1996-97 season, then traded him to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, where he helped the club win the President's Cup and earn a berth at the 1997 Memorial Cup. Phillips was selected to the Memorial Cup all-star team and won the 1996-97 Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy. Phillips made his NHL debut in the 1997–98 season. He missed 48 games in the 1998-99 season. In 2002–03, Phillips helped the Senators win the Presidents' Trophy. He appeared in all 82 games for the first time in 2003–04. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Phillips signed with Brynäs IF of the SEL. In 2006-07, he had his best offensive season, with eight goals and 26 points, and was named an alternate captain. He helped the team reach the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals. On February 5, 2015, Phillips played in his 1,179th career game, setting a new franchise record for most games played for the club. In the summer of 2015, he suffered a crack in a disc in his back and missed the entire 2015–16 season.

In Their Own Story

The arena hums with tension as the clock winds down in game six of the 2003 Eastern Conference finals. Chris Phillips skates back into position, breath visible in the cold air of the rink. The Senators are facing elimination against the New Jersey Devils. With a calm demeanor, Phillips intercepts a pass near the blue line and joins the rush. In overtime, he scores the winning goal, forcing a seventh game. The crowd erupts as his teammates rally around him, grateful for another shift where the defense held firm against the pressure of the moment. Though the Senators lost game seven, Phillips' goal remains one of the most memorable in franchise history.

Reader's Guide

Chris Phillips is a former NHL defenceman who played his entire career with the Ottawa Senators. He was known as a stay-at-home defenceman and holds the franchise record for most regular-season games played (1,179). His number was retired by the team in 2019. After retiring, he worked in community and business development for the Senators and later rejoined the organization as Vice President of Community and Business Development in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Phillips was drafted first overall in the 1996 NHL entry draft by the Ottawa Senators.
• He played 1,179 regular-season games with Ottawa, the most in franchise history.
• Phillips scored an overtime winner in game six of the 2003 Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils.
• He won the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL's top defenceman in 1996-97.
• Phillips served as an alternate captain for the Senators during the 2006-07 season.