Puck Daddy's Summer Series: The Ottawa Senators from A to Zed

Fri, Aug 21, 2015, 12:00 p.m.

(Ed. Note: August is known to be a very quiet month in the hockey world. As we wait for September to arrive and training camps to begin, let’s learn a little history about all 30 teams. Behold, our summer A-Z(ed) series, in which we ask fans of all 30 teams to drop some knowledge on us! Add your own choices in the comments!)

By: Michaela Schreiter, staff writer for Silver Seven Sens

A. Alfie! Alfie! Alfie!

Sorry Antoine Vermette fans, Daniel Alfredsson takes this spot. I mean, come on. His name is synonymous with a religion for Sens fans.

Alfredsson served as captain from 1999-2013, making him the longest serving captain in franchise history, and for a few years, the longest serving captain currently playing in the NHL. He played on some of the team’s top lines, including the PIZZA line with Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. As a result, he holds the Senator’s franchise records for goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108). He held the record for games played, with 1,178, until Chris Phillips claimed that title last season. He led the team to a Presidents’ Trophy win, an Eastern Conference Championship and an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. If you really want to see how much Alfie means to Sens fans, just wait for the 11-minute mark of any Senators home game.

B. Bryan Murray

Bryan Murray, also known as BMUR or GMBM, has been the Senators’ general manager since 2007. Before that, he was the team’s coach. He led them to the Stanley Cup Finals in his last year as coach, and drafted some of the team’s best players currently on the roster. You may have heard of a little-known defensemen named Erik Karlsson.

And regardless of whether or not you agree with his management decisions, you can’t deny that his in-game reactions are priceless!

C. Canadian Tire Centre

The Palladium… no Corel Centre… sorry, Scotiabank Place… DAMMIT Canadian Tire Centre has been the Sens’ home ice for almost 20 years. That’s right. They haven’t changed arenas once in that time. Naming rights seem to be a hot commodity in the city of Ottawa. Just when Sens fans get used to calling the arena by its correct name, things change again. It’s only a matter of time before we’re watching the team play in the Golden Palace Egg Roll Arena.

D. Dynasty

This word does not get thrown around a lot in Ottawa. The modern franchise has yet to win a Stanley Cup. And if the Blackhawks have trouble defending their claim as a modern-day dynasty, what hope do the Senators have? No, the word dynasty does not apply to the Sens we know today, but it certainly applied to the original Ottawa hockey franchise. The Ottawa Hockey Club, also known as the Silver Seven or the Senators, was labelled one of the NHL’s original dynasties during their days in the NHL.

Between 1903 and 1927, the club won 11 Stanley Cups. This includes the Challenge Cup Era and pre-NHL years, in which the team held onto the Stanley Cup between 1903 and 1906. But the Senators also won as part of the NHL in 1920, 1921, 1923 and 1927.

The club was named one of the most successful Canadian sports teams in the first half of the 20th century by the Canadian sports editors, giving fans of the original club every right to use the term dynasty.

E. Eugene Melnyk

Eugene Melnyk has been the owner of the Ottawa Senators since the team nearly declared bankruptcy in the mid ‘90s. He is known for his off-the-cuff interviews with Toronto radio stations and tight budget. While fans may have mixed feelings about the Senators’ owner, he saved this team from folding at a time when other Canadian teams were relocating to the US. If not for Melnyk, who knows where the Senators would be today.

Unfortunately, Melnyk has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the last few months. After being diagnosed with liver disease, Melnyk made a public, albeit controversial, plea for liver donors. Thankfully, he found one and is on his way to a full recovery.

F. Frank Finnigan

Frank Finnigan was a member of Ottawa’s original NHL team, the Ottawa Hockey Club. Up until his death in 1991, he was the last surviving member of the club’s 1927 Stanley-Cup-winning team.

Born and raised in Shawville, QC, he garnered the nickname 'The Shawville Express' as he always took the train in from Shawville to Ottawa to play hockey. He played for the University of Ottawa, and the Ottawa City Hockey League before joining the Senators in 1923-24. He served as the team’s captain from 1930 to 1933.

Not only is he remembered as one of the club’s most successful players, but also as the player who scored the final Senators goal in their final season in Ottawa, before they relocated to St. Louis. He went on to play for the St. Louis Eagles after the move, and later the Toronto Maple Leafs. His contribution to Ottawa’s hockey scene didn’t end there.

In 1990, he joined the ‘Bring the Senators Back to Ottawa’ campaign team. He made public appearances and campaigned to bring an NHL team to Ottawa, which was obviously successful. Although he died before the team would play their first game, the organization honoured his contribution by having his son, Frank Jr., drop the puck on opening night. The team also retired his #8 that same night. So next time you’re at an Ottawa Senators home game, look up to the rafters and you’ll see Frank Finnigan’s number; the only number to be retired for the Senators’ modern franchise.

G. Goalies

In any other season, I probably would have titled this section Goalie Graveyard. For years the Sens were plagued with a lack of goaltending support. Despite high-profile goalie signings or trades, every goalie who came to town had their 15 minutes of fame, and then quickly fizzled out (See: Ray Emery, Patrick Lalime, Dominik Hasek, Pascal Leclaire… you get the idea). Whether it was off-ice problems, poorly timed “injuries” or bones that break like glass, there was no goalie let-down that could surprise Sens fans.

But this season, we experienced something very unfamiliar: Too many goalies.

After Andrew Hammond’s record-breaking run, the team had no choice but to sign him. This left the Sens with three NHL-level goalies, and a big decision to make. That, combined with the addition of college prospect Matt O’Connor, resulted in Robin Lehner being moved to the Buffalo Sabres. Now, the team moves forward with Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond, and O’Connor takes the title as New Goalie of the Future. For the time being, Ottawa is anything but a goalie graveyard.

H. Hamburglar

The aforementioned 2014-15 late-season run was, in large part, due to Andrew Hammond. He stepped in when both Lehner and Anderson went down with injuries (remember the goalie graveyard I mentioned?), and completely turned the season around for the Sens. After a handful of solid games, and a five-game win streak, the Sens would not look back. They went on to knock the Bruins out of the playoff race and stamp their ticket to the postseason. Whether or not this magical play will continue remains to be seen, but we have to give credit where credit is due, and Andrew Hammond did not become the Hamburglar simply because of his name.

I. Internal Budget

No matter where the NHL salary cap is, the Ottawa Senators’ salary cap sits a little, or in some cases a lot, below that number. Owner Eugene Melnyk has made it clear that the Sens do not have the money to go out and buy players as they please. Bryan Murray is forced to be a little more frugal, keeping the budget well below the cap. Needless to say, this has become a point of frustration for Sens fans. But it may have resulted in many of the reasonably priced contracts currently on the roster: Kyle Turris at $3.5 million/year, Erik Karlsson at $6.5 million/year and Mike Hoffman at $2 million/year.

J. Jared Cowen

At this point in the article, most Sens fans have probably tuned out. My brain often turns off when I see the name Jared Cowen.

Despite being drafted 9th overall in 2009 and considered one of the most highly anticipated defensive prospects after Erik Karlsson, Cowen has struggled to find his game. Untimely injuries and a few years of disappointment have left fans, management and most likely Cowen very frustrated… to say the least.

I’m guilty of giving this guy too many chances, but it looks like that’s the way management is going. This upcoming season truly is Cowen’s last chance to prove himself before Murray trades him for a few hockey sticks and a vending machine.

K. KARLSSSSSSSSSSSON!

Let’s be honest, the Sens have struggled recently in the captain department. After years of iconic leadership courtesy of Daniel Alfredsson, the stage was set for someone to come in and inevitably become a monumental letdown. Honestly, who can follow Daniel Alfredsson?

After Alfie’s departure, Jason Spezza spent one year as captain before leaving town. It seemed like the team was chasing away their captains. Enter Erik Karlsson!

The undisputed (post-Alfie) face of the franchise stepped in and not only played a Norris-Trophy-worthy season, but also showed some serious leadership skills. On the ice, in the dressing room and during media interviews, Karlsson represents his team very well. It looks like Alfredsson’s apprentice has become the master.

L. Laurie Boshman

While Daniel Alfredsson may be the Sens’ most well-known captain, Laurie Boshman is the original, or OG as the kids say. He served as the first Senators captain in modern franchise history in 1992-93.

His time in Ottawa was short and he didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard, with 16 points in 70 games. But his career was not just measured by his time in Ottawa. He played for five different teams in 14 seasons in the NHL, and is one of only 16 players to record 500 points and over 2,000 penalty minutes. Something in Ottawa must have appealed to Boshman, as he now lives in Stittsville, just around the corner from the Canadian Tire Centre.

M. Muckler, John

John Muckler might be one of the most polarizing management figures in Senators’ history. He was general manager of the Sens from 2001 to 2007, arguably the team’s most successful period. Unfortunately, he is also associated with some historically detrimental moves.

Let me take you back to the summer of 2006, when both Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara were set to become unrestricted free agents. Due to the NHL salary cap, Muckler could only keep one of the team’s top two defencemen. He chose Redden, signing him to a two-year, $13-million deal, and letting Chara sign with the Boston Bruins. As bad as this seemed at the time, it only got worse. Chara would go on to captain the Bruins to a Stanley Cup just five years later, while Redden signed with the Rangers as soon as his contract was up. Despite everything that Muckler has done in various levels of the NHL, he will always be remembered for this decision.

Regardless, he deserves credit for helping put together the Ottawa Senators team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007.

N. No Leafs Fans Allowed

In an attempt to prevent Leafs fans from overtaking their home turf, the Ottawa Senators often ask that tickets to Sens vs. Leafs games be purchased by Sens fans only. Having been to my fair share of Sens/Leafs games in Ottawa, I can attest to how uncomfortable it is for those wearing red. But this has to be one of the most embarrassing policies in the league. Although we’ve seen other teams do something similar (see: Tampa Bay Lightning), most Sens fans wish this wasn’t a thing.

O. Ottawa Civic Centre

In addition to the plethora of names given to the Senators’ current home arena, the team also played at the Ottawa Civic Centre during the modern franchise’s first few seasons in the league.

Located in the heart of the city, the Civic Centre currently serves as home to the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. But between 1992 and 1996, it was also the home of a young Ottawa Senators franchise. Although this is a key part of modern day Senators history, it does not hold many fond memories for the Sens or their fans. To put things lightly, the team was not very successful in their first few seasons. In the 1992-93 season, they won just 10 games. They would finish last, or very close to last, for the next three seasons. While the Civic Centre did not see many wins, it saw the early days of the team that we know and love today.

P. Pascal Leclaire

Look away, Sens fans! These memories are not pretty.

Pascal Leclaire joined the Ottawa Senators after being traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2009. Despite losing Antoine Vermette in the process, Sens fans thought this was the answer to the team's goaltending problems. And for a few games, it seemed like that was going to be the case.

Then Leclaire went down with an injury. And then he got injured again. Then another injury… you get the idea.

Leclaire’s time in Ottawa was ultimately the peak (or rock bottom, depending on how you look at it) of the team’s goaltending issues. But since the trade that brought Leclaire here also gave the Sens the draft pick that they used to acquire Robin Lehner, he also signalled the end to these issues between the pipes. So there is a positive side to all of this.

Q. Qu'est-ce que c’est?

Here’s to Ottawa, the city that says everything in English and French. It may take us twice as long to get anything done, but we know the Canadian national anthem in both languages, and how to say “Senators goal scored by…” in French. Jealous?

R. Returning to the NHL

After being home to one of the NHL’s founding clubs (Ottawa Hockey Club), the city of Ottawa went without NHL hockey for over 50 years. In 1933-34, the Ottawa Hockey Club moved to St. Louis, and despite multiple attempts to bring them back to Ottawa, none were successful and the city was left hockey-less.

That was until 1989, when Bruce Firestone, Cyril Leeder and Randy Sexton put together a bid to bring an NHL team back to Ottawa. The group secured over 11,000 season seat pledges, and land in Kanata on which to build an arena. As a result, the ‘Bring the Senators Back to Ottawa’ campaign was successful. On December 12, 1990, the NHL approved Firestone’s bid to bring a team back, with the Senators set to play their first season in 1992.

S. Silver Seven

Silver Seven isn’t just a popular Ottawa Senators blog (shameless self plug!). It’s also the nickname of the original Ottawa Senators hockey club, mentioned above. Between 1917 and 1934 the Ottawa Hockey Club was a part of the National Hockey Association, which would become the National Hockey League. The club was actually one of the founding members of the league, and went by a few different nicknames: Generals, Silver Seven and Senators. And they were no slouches in the win department. In 1903, Ottawa HC won the Stanley Cup and held onto the championship until 1906. These were known as the Silver Seven years. The team also won the Cup in 1920, 1921, 1923 and 1927. Despite this success, the club ran into financial difficulties in 1933-34 and relocated to St. Louis that season. But they left their mark on the Canadian sports scene. In 1950, the Canadian sports editors selected the Ottawa HC as one of the greatest Canadian teams of the first half of the 20th century.

T. Tim Murray

The former Sens’ assistant general manager may be in the control seat for the Buffalo Sabres now, but he is still the same straight-to-the-point GM we know and love. Sens fans remember him fondly as part of the team who brought Erik Karlsson, Robin Lehner and Mika Zibanejad to Ottawa Senators. But he is more well-known for the way in which he drafts players, rather than the players he drafts.

No one announces draft picks like Tim Murray. He has no time for sugar coating, or filling airtime by giving shoutouts to fans. He gets to the podium, says the player’s name, drops and mic and walks off the stage. He. Is. Everything.

U. Under-performers

Every team has those players who didn’t live up to the expectations placed upon them. But not all teams can claim responsibility for one of the all-time greatest draft busts in NHL history: Alexandre Daigle. In a draft year that featured Chris Pronger and Paul Kariya, the Sens were accused of intentionally losing games in order to get the first overall pick for Daigle. He was expected to be a star, but things didn’t quite work out...

After a career-high 51 points in one season, Daigle quickly fizzled out. He had a total of two above-20-goal seasons, but that was it. He went from being a first-overall draft pick to the captain of Canada’s Spengler Cup team in a few short years. Thus setting the stage for one of the biggest draft busts in NHL history. Thank you, Ottawa!

V. [is for] Vendetta

Wow, I’ve always wanted to say that! Anyways, no one holds a grudge like Sens fans. You betray our team and we will lay the hammer down every time you step into our rink. For years. YEARS! Don’t believe me? Check out some of Alexei Yashin’s highlights when the Islanders came to town.Or tune in next time Dany Heatley crawls up from the minors and shows his face in Canadian Tire Centre. See? I can’t help it!

W. Wayne Scanlan

If you live in Ottawa, or follow Ottawa Senators media, you’ve probably come across an article or two by Wayne Scanlan. He covers the Senators for the Ottawa Citizen. And unlike many of his peers, he has earned the respect of fans, bloggers, players and management. He backs up opinions with facts, and never veers too far on either side of any spectrum. He is so well respected, that some people still read the newspaper just to find out what Wayne says about the latest Sens news. If you haven’t checked out his work, I strongly suggest giving it a read. You won’t be disappointed.

X. X-Mark(Stone)s the Spot

See what I did there? I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Mark Stone in here somewhere. The sixth-round pick turned Calder Trophy nominee has turned into one of the Sens' best young players. And his stock is only rising. He played a key role in the 2014-15 late-season push that saw the Sens squeak into the playoffs:

Even a broken wrist in the playoffs couldn’t stop him. In six playoffs games he had four points. Did I mention he had a broken wrist? His long reach, indisputable hockey sense and strength on the puck makes him deadly to opponents and a major factor in the Senators’ future.

Y. Yashin, Alexei

This one needs no explanation, but I’ll try anyways.

Alexei Yashin served as the Sens’ captain during the late ‘90s, and played a key role in some of the club’s biggest moments. He assisted on the goal that sent the Senators to the playoffs for the first time in modern-day history:

He was arguably the team’s best player during his time there. Fans couldn’t help but love him. But things quickly turned sour when he ran into multiple contract disputes with management. This all culminated with Yashin refusing to honour his contract and demanding a trade. He got his way, as the Sens sent him to the New York Islanders later that year. This trade just happened to bring us Zdeno Chara and a draft pick that turned into Jason Spezza.

So I supposed we should be grateful… I guess.

Z. Zibanejad, Mika

When the Senators drafted him, I could barely pronounce his name. Now, I am so glad he’s on our team! (Partly because it saves me from using Zenon Konopka in this section.)

The 2010-11 season saw the Ottawa Senators crash, burn everything to the ground and begin to rebuild. Mika Zibanejad was Ottawa's first draft pick took in the first round (6th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He symbolizes this rebuild, and so far, you won’t hear many complaints from Sens fans. He joined the team with high expectations placed upon him. Not only did he play well in the then-Swedish Elite League, but he also scored Sweden’s Golden Goal in the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships.

After going from the SEL to the AHL to struggling in the NHL, Zibanejad finally seems to have found his groove. All signs point to him being a strong NHL player for years to come.

Meet the author: Michaela Schreiter is a staff writer for Silver Seven Sens. As a long-time hockey player, she prides herself on being better at skating than she is at walking. She’s been an Ottawa Senators fan since the modern franchise came to Ottawa, and as a result, she has become an expert in blind optimism and holding grudges. Follow her on Twitter: @Schreids.

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