OTTAWA -- It has been 310 days since the Ottawa Senators last played a game, the longest offseason in franchise history, and a lot has changed.
There are new faces aplenty, with heavy roster turnover from last season. They have new uniforms with the beloved 2D logo. And when they take the ice Friday night at the Canadian Tire Centre, they will be playing without fans in the stands for the first time.
Expectations are low for the Senators in the all-Canadian North Division, with many pundits picking them last. But that’s just the way the organization likes it.
“We kind of like the fact that the average pundit is saying, ‘You know, Ottawa’s improved, but we don’t know if they’ve got enough to go to the next step,’” team president Anthony LeBlanc told CTV News Ottawa. “I think we’re going to come out and surprise a lot of people.”
Every other Canadian team played in the NHL’s 24-team playoff bubble last year, but the Senators were among the seven teams who stayed home.
When the Senators face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs Friday night, nine players will be making their debuts with the team.
The most hyped among them is Tim Stützle, the team’s top draft pick from 2020 who joined the team on Sunday after being named one of the top players at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
“He’s a confident kid, and seeing him in practice, I think he’s ready to go,” forward Brady Tkachuk said Friday morning. “He’s a fast player, and he’s not afraid of anybody out there. I’m excited to watch him.”
Stützle, who is also celebrating his 19th birthday on Friday, said he expects the nerves for his NHL debut to clear quickly.
“It’s a very special day, so I think it’s normal to be nervous, and it can be good to be nervous,” he said. “But in the end, I think I can kind of control it during the game. I think I’m going to be nervous the first couple of minutes, but then I think it will be fine.”
The Senators resume play at a dangerous point for Ontario during the pandemic, with new cases soaring and a stay-at-home order in effect.
But team president LeBlanc expressed confidence in the team’s COVID protocols, developed with the NHL and public health officials at all levels of government.
“While it isn’t a bubble like you saw this summer when hockey return, it’s about as close to a bubble as you can get,” he said. “The players and coaches are basically only going to be at their residences, at the arena, on the team plane, team bus, and team hotel. So we feel that we’ve put together a plan that makes sense.”
LeBlanc also cited the benefits sports can provide for people who are stuck at home.
“People need a diversion,” he said. “I think there’s a big part of this that’s around the mental health aspect, where people really need the ability to have that Saturday night scheduled viewing of cheering on their team.”
Tkachuk, newly named an alternate captain, said the toughest part of the hiatus was “not seeing a lot of my good friends, other teammates, staff, just miss being part of the community.
“So to be back here, and finally have the season here, it’s going to be pure excitement and we want to put on a good performance – not only for ourselves, but for the community. Everybody’s been through a lot, and they can finally get behind one team and cheer for them.”
You can listen to the Senators’ home opener Friday night on TSN 1200. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
