The Buzz and the Home Opener Win That the Senators Needed
The buzz in this city is different.
An offseason that added two-time 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat and hometown legend Claude Giroux to this team’s emerging core ushered in an excitement that has not been felt here since the early 2000s.
The ‘Summer of Pierre’ built up a lot of equity in the front office, but the work done by the front office was matched by the organization’s willingness to re-engage with this community. Not only have the Senators been more visible at local events, but the organization has also committed itself to promoting and drawing attention to societal issues.
Whether it was the actions to address the on or off-ice product, this encouraging sense of normalcy has been a welcomed change. And with it, there has been an organic swelling of optimism that has reinvigorated this market’s pride in its professional hockey team.
It all culminated Tuesday night with the home opener and the first real opportunity to celebrate the new direction of this franchise.
The Canadian Tire Centre was sold out. 19,811 strong. The crowd was one of the Senators’ largest since the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017. The atmosphere was electric, but what helped make Tuesday night’s win against the Bruins even more special were its implications.
After starting the season with two losses, it was way too early to amplify concern over the Senators opening the season with two losses. In saying that however, there has been so much emphasis placed on the importance of starting the season well by the head coach and general manager that an extended losing streak to kick things off would have invited a lot of negative discussions.
Fortunately, Tuesday night’s game never allowed those conversations to get off the ground.
It began with an unexpected ceremonial puck drop from Senators legend Daniel Alfredsson that was reminiscent of his return when he signed a one-day contract to retire as an Ottawa Senator. When the first notes of U2’s ‘Beautiful Day’ played, the camera panned to the soon-to-be Hall of Famer in Ottawa’s dressing room and followed him to centre ice where he was serenaded with chants of “Alfie! Alfie! Alfie!”
The return of the icon signified a reparation of the relationship that dissolved under Eugene Melnyk’s watch. For Alfie to participate in Tuesday’s home opener, it was a pivotal moment for the person and franchise and allows both parties to move forward and build towards Alfredsson’s eventual return to a hockey operations role. (More on this later.)
Once the puck dropped, it did not take long for the Senators to feed off the crowd’s energy. Claude Giroux scored the first goal of his Senators career at the 1:04 mark of the first period. The Senators would add six others highlighted by Tim Stützle’s first of the season and Artyom Zub blowing the roof off the place with an insurance marker in the third period. Seven goals, seven different goal scorers and one fan who instantly became the face of every piece of Senators social media content for the remainder of the season.
The Senators never ran out of goals, but they did run out of beer. It was one of the most entertaining games in recent memory and it helps set the bar for how electric the Canadian Tire Centre can be. Provided the team can keep playing an entertaining brand of hockey and the vibes in the crowd continue to be strong, it is going to go a long way to helping sell tickets and season ticket packages. For an organization that has employed some good people who have endured some hardships and challenges under previous ownership, I could not be happier for the Senators’ staff.
Reverse Retro
At 11 am this morning, the Senators and the rest of the NHL revealed this year’s ‘Reverse Retro’ jerseys.
The jersey itself keeps the 2D Senators logo, but throws it on an altered version of the alternate Senagoth jersey that the team introduced in 1997.
Here is an image of the jersey that I pulled from the video.
The jersey does not move the needle for me, but it doesn’t look terrible either. I prefer the team’s black base to their red alternatives, but in this instance, it feels too similar to the team’s current away jersey. It also lacks some a wow factor for me. These kinds of jersey initiatives allow teams to push their jersey boundaries and try something different, but it feels like the Senators played it too safe here. As much as I admire them for trying something different, even if it doesn’t work, I cannot help but think they would have been better served by introducing something different or new.
I keep coming back to the idea that the team should eventually pay homage to the formation of the organization by reintroducing the ‘Bring Back the Sens’ parliamentary jerseys. Not only would they be fresh, but not many fans have their hands on some of that vintage swag. I feels like a merchandiser’s dream.
Alfredsson’s Return
I mentioned Alfredsson’s return and its symbolism earlier in this post, but the Hall of Famer joined TSN’s Claire Hanna during the broadcast’s first intermission.
The entirety of the interview can be viewed below courtesy of @peskysickos on Twitter — who is criminally underfollowed considering the video content the account puts out during the game. If you miss anything important on a broadcast, chances are Pesky Sickos has you covered.
The most important takeaway from the Alfredsson interview is that he is certainly interested in joining the Senators’ front office in some kind of hockey capacity. He was not sure what role it would be or if it would even happen, but he would definitely think hard about the opportunity should it present itself.