Established
1992
City
Ottawa
League History
1992 – Present / National Hockey League
Team History
1992 – Present / Ottawa Senators
Nickname
Senators – The Ottawa Senators have been a part of the National Hockey League (NHL) since 1992, but their nickname has roots that date back to the early 1900s. The team was initially named after an amateur hockey club from Ottawa known as the “Ottawa Senators,” which competed in various leagues around Canada during this period.
The name is derived from a 19th-century political party called "the Honourable Senate of Canada," representing English and French Canadians in Parliament then. This connection between politics and sports made perfect sense for a city like Ottawa, home to professional hockey teams and federal government offices.
In addition to its historical significance, many fans appreciate how well it reflects on current-day Canadian culture: unity through diversity despite language barriers or other differences among citizens; strength through collaboration; respect for tradition while embracing change; patriotism towards one's country—all values embodied by today's NHL franchise in our nation's capital!
For any sports fan looking to learn more about the origins of their favorite team’s nickname, there are plenty of online resources detailing its history with detailed accounts written by historians and journalists – providing insight into why we proudly call ourselves ‘Senators’ today!
Championship
Stanley Cup 0
Arena
2013 – Present / Canadian Tire Centre
2006 – 2013 / Scotiabank Place
1996 – 2006 / Corel Centre
1996 / The Palladium
1992 – 1995 / Ottawa Civic Centre
Owner
2003 – Present / Eugene Melnyk
1992 – 2003 / Rod Bryden
1992 / Bruce Firestone
- 1992
- 1992
- 1996
- 2003
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Ottawa Senators Team Formation
Ottawa real estate developer Bruce Firestone decided along with colleagues Cyril Leeder and Randy Sexton that Ottawa was now able to support an NHL franchise, and the group proceeded to put a bid together. His firm, Terrace Investments, did not have the liquid assets to finance the expansion fee and the team, but the group conceived a strategy to leverage ... -
Rod Bryden Takes Control
In 1992, Rod Bryden became CEO of Terrace Corporation, the principal owner of the new Ottawa Senators NHL franchise. In 1993, he became the franchise’s Chairman and Governor. In 1994, construction on the Palladium arena (later the Corel Centre and Scotiabank Place, Now the Canadian Tire Centre) was begun by the Palladium Corporation, of which Bryden was the owner and ... -
Canadian Tire Centre Opens
As part of its bid to land an NHL franchise for Ottawa, Terrace Corporation unveiled the original proposal for the arena development at a press conference in September 1989. The proposal included a hotel and 20,500 seat arena, named The Palladium on 100 acres (0.40 km2), surrounded by a 500-acre (2.0 km2) mini-city, named “West Terrace.” The site itself, 600 ... -
Eugene Melnyk Saves the Day
On August 26, 2003, Eugene Melnyk purchased the Ottawa Senators hockey club of the NHL and their arena, Corel Centre out of bankruptcy. He is the sole owner and holds the titles of governor and chairman. Eugene has repeatedly stated that the team is not for sale and he would never consider selling it. Although the Ottawa Senators are a ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Senators
The early years for the Senators were marked by instability as they struggled with ownership issues that plagued them until Eugene Melnyk bought them out in 2003. Despite these struggles, they managed to make some deep playoff runs thanks mainly to star players like Daniel Alfredsson, who had been with them since the 1995-96 season when he was drafted sixth overall from Sweden’s Frolunda HC club team. His leadership on both ends helped propel Ottawa into contention year after year before his retirement after the 2013-14 season, where he scored his 400th career goal, becoming the first Senator ever to do so.
In recent years, the franchise has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but 2017–18 saw a resurgence as led by Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Matt Duchene, among others, who made it all way back to playoffs, where lost Game 7 double overtime against Pittsburgh Penguins ending their Cinderella run that season. As we look forward, future hopeful new head coach DJ Smith will be able to lead young core talent back post-season play while developing prospects such as Brady Tkachuk and Colin White Drake Batherson to become NHL stars soon.
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
4 / Chris Phillips
8 / Frank Finnigan
11 / Daniel Alfredsson
99 / Wayne Gretzky
*Blue is this team’s history