Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators: Northeast Division
Being from Ottawa, it is not a surprise that I am an avid Ottawa Senators fan. Since i was 1 years old, the Ottawa Senators have been in existence and I have been a fan of the team ever since. My dad, once an avid Montreal Canadians fan, changed his loyalty to the Ottawa Senators and has been the driving force behing my love for the team. He has been a season tickets holder since their inauguration and rarely, if ever, misses a home game. What follows is a little history of the establishment of the Ottawa Senators.
Ottawa had been home to the original senators, a founding NHL franchise and eleven-time Stanley Cup champions. After the NHL expanded to the United States in the late 1920s, the original Senators were not able to make enough money in Ottawa to offset the increased costs of operating the team. The club started selling players for cash to survive, but eventually the losses became too much and the team was to relocate to St. Louis in 1934. Fifty-four years later, after the NHL announced its plans to expand by two teams, Ottawa real estate developer Bruce Firestone decided along with colleagues Cyril Leeder and Randy Sextonthat Ottawa was now ready for another franchise, and the group proceeded to put a bid together. In 1989, after finding a suitable site for the arena in Kanata, they announced their intention to win a franchise and launched a successful "Bring Back the Senators" campaign to both woo the public and persuade the NHL that the city could support an NHL franchise. Public support was high and the group would secure over 11,000 season ticket pledges. On December 12, 1990, it became official as the NHL granted franchises to Ottawa as well as a group in Tampa Bay to start play in 1992. And thus one of the most important parts of my life had been established.
Ottawa has developed into a great hockey city while developing many great rivals and players. The Montreal Canadians, Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators have become their greatest rivals. Ottawa and Toronto games are always exciting and have been classified as one of the best rivalries in the league (known as the "Battle of Ontario"). Since the second coming of the Ottawa Senators, we have managed to make the Stanley Cup Finals once and make the playoffs every year from 1996 until 2008, one of the longest playoff streaks of all time. Many great players have come and gone but my two all- time favourites are Ron Tugnutt and Ray Emery. Since I am a goalie, it is not a coincidence that my two favorite players are goalies. While we have yet to win a Stanley Cup, my devotion to the Ottawa Senators will never die. I look forward to the many more years of watching this franchise succeed and one day bring a Stanley Cup home to the Capital of Canada.
To meet the 2009-2010 Ottawa Senators Team rostor, please click here. In addition, below is my favorite Senators video that pays tribute to the Ottawa Senators only drive to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007
Ottawa had been home to the original senators, a founding NHL franchise and eleven-time Stanley Cup champions. After the NHL expanded to the United States in the late 1920s, the original Senators were not able to make enough money in Ottawa to offset the increased costs of operating the team. The club started selling players for cash to survive, but eventually the losses became too much and the team was to relocate to St. Louis in 1934. Fifty-four years later, after the NHL announced its plans to expand by two teams, Ottawa real estate developer Bruce Firestone decided along with colleagues Cyril Leeder and Randy Sextonthat Ottawa was now ready for another franchise, and the group proceeded to put a bid together. In 1989, after finding a suitable site for the arena in Kanata, they announced their intention to win a franchise and launched a successful "Bring Back the Senators" campaign to both woo the public and persuade the NHL that the city could support an NHL franchise. Public support was high and the group would secure over 11,000 season ticket pledges. On December 12, 1990, it became official as the NHL granted franchises to Ottawa as well as a group in Tampa Bay to start play in 1992. And thus one of the most important parts of my life had been established.
Ottawa has developed into a great hockey city while developing many great rivals and players. The Montreal Canadians, Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators have become their greatest rivals. Ottawa and Toronto games are always exciting and have been classified as one of the best rivalries in the league (known as the "Battle of Ontario"). Since the second coming of the Ottawa Senators, we have managed to make the Stanley Cup Finals once and make the playoffs every year from 1996 until 2008, one of the longest playoff streaks of all time. Many great players have come and gone but my two all- time favourites are Ron Tugnutt and Ray Emery. Since I am a goalie, it is not a coincidence that my two favorite players are goalies. While we have yet to win a Stanley Cup, my devotion to the Ottawa Senators will never die. I look forward to the many more years of watching this franchise succeed and one day bring a Stanley Cup home to the Capital of Canada.
To meet the 2009-2010 Ottawa Senators Team rostor, please click here. In addition, below is my favorite Senators video that pays tribute to the Ottawa Senators only drive to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007
