OTTAWA -- Thirty years ago, the City of Ottawa became an NHL city again.
On Dec. 6, 1990, the NHL awarded the City of Ottawa a new franchise, to begin play in the 1992-93 season.
"The Board of Governors today have granted conditional franchises, beginning in the 1992-93 season, to the applicants representing the City of Ottawa .. and Tampa," announced former NHL President John Ziegler, following the Board of Governors meeting in Florida.
The NHL also awarded an expansion franchise to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the 1992-93 season.
Bruce Firestone, Cyril Leeder and Randy Sexton were the founders of the Senators.
Leeder told TSN's John Rodenburg and Shawn Simpson on Friday the idea of trying to bring an NHL team to Ottawa started in 1987, after a pick-up hockey game with Firestone and Sexton.
Speaking on TSN 1200's The Drive with Ian Mendes and Lee Versage on Friday, Firestone said he gets chills every time he hears the clip of Ziegler announcing the franchise.
"There was so much work and pressure in and around that period, and even after that. Getting the conditional franchise one and then paying for it and putting a team on the ice was another thing," said Firestone.
Firestone said he was "really overwhelmed" when Ottawa received the NHL franchise.
"I promised the fans and our sponsors that our team would be competitive within seven to 12 years, hopefully challenging for a Stanley Cup," said Firestone when asked by TSN 1200 to name his favourite moment for the Ottawa Senators.
"When Daniel Alfredsson scored the goal against the Buffalo Sabres to put the Senators into the Stanley Cup finals, that was the moment that was pretty special. I hope I live long enough to see the Sens win another Stanley Cup."
The Ottawa Senators won the Stanley Cup back in the 1920s
Firestone, Leeder and the ownership group paid $50 million for the NHL franchise.
"Ottawa made a lot of sense. It's the capital of the country that made the game great, it's the fourth largest city in the country and there was other cities that were smaller that already had teams that were doing well," said Leeder on TSN 1200 when asked if Ottawa would have become an NHL city if they did not submit a bid.
"I don't know if it never would have happened; I just know having talked to Bruce I know it was difficult for him after we got the team, it was difficult on him, but he always says 'look we wouldn't do a thing differently.' Happy that it's here and happy that we had a hand in helping make it happen."
