2010–11 Ottawa Senators season
Encyclopedia
The 2010–11 Ottawa Senators season was the 19th
NHL season (18th season
of play) for the modern Senators franchise. The Senators posted a regular season record of 32 wins, 40 losses, and 10 overtime/shootout losses for 74 points, failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs
for the second time in three seasons. After falling to last place in the conference by the end of January, the Senators started a rebuild, trading away several veterans for draft choices. Coach Cory Clouston was fired at the end of the season.
on April 28 and Binghamton Senators
forward Ryan Keller
on May 19 as well as goaltender Mike Brodeur
on May 26. After some media speculation, the Senators also bought out Jonathan Cheechoo
's contract on June 29 after he cleared waivers, making Cheechoo a free agent.
At the Entry Draft
, the Senators traded their first-round pick to the St. Louis Blues
for defenceman David Rundblad
, who had been the Blues' first-round pick (17th-overall) in the 2009 Draft
. Having now previously traded their first, second, and fifth-round picks, the Senators picked Jakub Culek in the third round (76th-overall), Marcus Sorensen in the fourth round (106th-overall), Mark Stone
in the sixth round (178th-overall), and Bryce Aneloski
in the seventh round (196th-overall).
Throughout July, the Senators made various signings. On July 13, they signed Swiss forward and 2004 Senator draft pick
Roman Wick
to a one-year, entry-level contract, and re-signed Derek Smith
to a one-year contract. On July 22, they re-signed forward Cody Bass
to a one-year, two-way contract and forward Mike Hoffman
to a one-year, entry-level contract.
Having fired their goaltending coach Eli Wilson in January, the Senators signed former goaltender Rick Wamsley
as goaltending coach on July 27. His most recent job was interim head coach of the St. Louis Blues
' AHL
affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen
. He had at one time been Pascal Leclaire
's goaltending coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets
.
On August 5, the Senators re-signed Binghamton defenceman Geoff Kinrade
to a one-year, two-way contract as well as signing forward and local prospect Corey Cowick to a entry-level contract. Cowick was an assistant captain with Ottawa's OHL
team the Ottawa 67's
and was the Senators sixth-round pick at the 2009 Draft
.
Free Agents
The Senators entered the off-season with four restricted free agents (RFA): Chris Campoli
, Nick Foligno
, Peter Regin
, and Jesse Winchester
. The team also had six unrestricted free agents (UFA): Matt Cullen
and Andy Sutton
acquired via late 2009–10 season trades; Shean Donovan
and Anton Volchenkov
, as well as Binghamton players Martin St. Pierre
and Josh Hennessy
.
Of the four RFAs, all re-signed with the Senators. Winchester and Foligno each signed two-year deals on July 1 and July 21 respectively. Campoli and Regin both filed for arbitration, however, they each re-signed before it reached that point. Regin signed a two-year deal on July 29, while Campoli signed a one-year deal on July 30.
Of the six UFAs, none re-signed with the Senators. On July 1, the first day of free agency, Volchenkov signed with the New Jersey Devils
while Cullen signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Wild
. On August 2, Sutton signed with the Anaheim Ducks
in a two-year deal. Donovan did not sign with any NHL team. St. Pierre and Hennessy both signed with teams overseas.
In terms of acquisitions, the Senators made a notable move in signing former Pittsburgh Penguins
defenceman Sergei Gonchar
to a three-year deal in the first hours after the July 1 free agency deadline. Other free agency acquisitions include forward Corey Locke
, defenceman and enforcer Francis Lessard
, defenceman David Hale, and defenceman André Benoit
.
Spezza Trade Speculation
In early June, an Ottawa Sun
article reported that star centre
Jason Spezza
was "unhappy" and that there were "indications [he] may have asked for a trade." Though purely speculation, the article prompted various other Ottawa sports media sources to issue their own perspectives. Theories ranged from conjuring up various trade rumours, noting the similarity to the previous year's Dany Heatley
trade demand, or to suggesting that it was just "lazy rumor mongering." Meanwhile, the Sun received criticism for its journalistic integrity to the point where they had to defend accusations that they were "anti-Spezza" This did not stop speculation though, which was emboldened by silence both from Spezza and GM Bryan Murray.
Spezza finally broke the silence during his annual Celebrity Classic golf tournament on July 20:
Further, he expressed regret that the issue had become public at all. "Me and Bryan have talked since then and probably our conversation should have stayed between us," he said. "We probably wouldn’t even be talking here today. But it happened and it’s a reality." His statement largely settled the rumour, apart from some minor speculation (again by Ottawa Sun columnists) that Spezza had in fact demanded a trade similar to Heatley. However, sources confirmed with Spezza's team members that the situation was "not even close to the Dany situation."
against the Buffalo Sabres
. The game was played on September 28, 2010 at the J.L. Grightmire Market Street Arena.
The Senators goal for the season was to return to the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 seasons. Media predictions were mostly negative. The Hockey News predicted in their 2010-11 Yearbook that the Senators will finish tenth in the Conference, missing the playoffs. The Hockey News writer Adam Proteau predicted the Senators will finish ninth in the conference. The Las Vegas Hilton SportsBook set the odds at 40–1 that the Senators will win the Stanley Cup.
Within a few days of each other, two of the Senators celebrated milestones in wins. On October 22, Daniel Alfredsson scored a hat trick to reach 1,000 points in his career in a win against the Buffalo Sabres
. On October 26, Sergei Gonchar played in his 1,000th game in his career. The game saw the Senators set a new team record for fastest two goals. Erik Karlsson and Alexei Kovalev scored only nine seconds apart, breaking the record of ten seconds set in 1995. The Senators defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 5–2.
On November 13, 2010, the 14-year-old daughter of assistant coach Luke Richardson
died. The team, on a four-game road trip, returned to Ottawa for a 'celebration of life' memorial service held at Scotiabank Place
on November 17. 5,600 attended the service including former NHL players Paul Coffey
, Wendel Clark
, Doug Gilmour
and Tie Domi
. The team flew out after the ceremony for a game against the Carolina Hurricanes
that night. Richardson took a personal leave from the club. He returned to his duties with the Senators in January.
Another player reached the 1,000 point plateau on November 22. Alexei Kovalev scored at the 10:00 minute mark of the first period. Kovalev became the third Russian player to reach the mark. Kovalev later assisted on the game-wining goal as the Senators prevailed over the Los Angeles Kings
at home 3–2.
The Senators set a new modern franchise record starting in the first period of a game of November 29 versus the Edmonton Oilers
through the game of December 5 against the New York Rangers
. The team went through a scoring drought that lasted 202 minutes and 57 seconds without a goal. The Senators were shut out by the San Jose Sharks
and Buffalo Sabres
before Chris Kelly broke the streak in the second period of a game against the Rangers.
The Senators poor performance led to constant rumours of a shakeup right through until December. The rumours were heightened in January after the team went on a lengthy losing streak. Owner Eugene Melnyk
, who had remained silent during much of the streak, finally broke his silence in an exclusive interview with the Ottawa Sun
. He made it clear that, despite rumours in the media to the contrary, general manager Bryan Murray and head coach Cory Clouston
would be allowed to finish out their contracts and would not be replaced mid-season. Melnyk also assured the team's fanbase that a "plan [was] now in motion" to return the Senators to the status of Stanley Cup contenders, and that "difficult decisions" would be made in the coming months.
Those "difficult decisions" began on February 10, 2011, when the club traded long-time centre and fan favourite Mike Fisher to the Nashville Predators
for a first round and a conditional draft pick. The trade was met with mixed reaction from the Senators' fanbase. Some viewed it as an important step in the team's rebuilding process, while others were outraged at the loss of a player who was adored within the community. That outrage was most palpable when a local Ottawa radio station suggested that Fisher's new wife Carrie Underwood
was largely responsible for his move to Nashville, and subsequently banned the play of her music. Underwood is a country music
singer who is based in Nashville, where Fisher had recently began living during the off-season.
Following the Fisher trade, the Senators traded another lifetime Senator, forward Chris Kelly, to the Boston Bruins
in another move which was met with mixed reaction. The team shed salary by trading Jarkko Ruutu
and the under-achieving Alexei Kovalev
, both of whom were to become unrestricted free agent at seasons end, to playoff contenders Anaheim Ducks
and Pittsburgh Penguins
, respectively.
Struggling goalie Brian Elliott, a pending restricted free agent
was sent to the Colorado Avalanche
in exchange for goalie Craig Anderson, who had also been struggling through an inconsistent season.
Anderson, scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, was auditioned for a possible contract extension by the organization. Ottawa later acquired goalie Curtis McElhinney
on waivers on February 28. With Pascal Leclaire
's injury status unknown and future with the team in doubt, the Senators finished their schedule with a vastly different goal-tending tandem than they had begun the season with.
Following speculation that longtime Senators defenceman and looming unrestricted free agent Chris Phillips
would be dealt as part of the rebuilding process, the club instead signed him to a three-year extension on February 27, the day before the trade deadline. With a group of inexperienced young defencemen expected to stock the Senators' blueline in 2011-2012
, Phillips' experience was deemed an important asset. Defenceman Chris Campoli
was traded on deadline day to the Chicago Blackhawks
for forward Ryan Potulny
and a conditional second-round draft pick, as Ottawa's rebuilding process continued.
For the rest of the season, the Senators rotated call-ups from Binghamton. On March 21, after 11 games with Ottawa, Craig Anderson was signed to a four-year extension by Murray. After media speculation on the future of Murray within the organization, Murray re-signed as general manager on April 8, to a three-year extension. After the final game of the season on April 9, Murray dismissed Clouston and his assistant coaches.
}
26
6
5
11
-1
12
‡
50
2
8
10
-2
59
55
4
5
9
-11
120
82
1
8
9
-35
32
50
1
6
7
0
136
25
1
4
5
7
6
†
19
3
2
5
-1
8
50
0
3
3
-10
24
8
0
2
2
0
4
} || 8 || 0 || 1 || 1 || -1 || 6
|- align=center
| || 5 || 0 || 1 || 1 || -1 || 0
|- align=center
| || 9 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 3 || 0
|- align=center
| || 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -4 || 0
|- align=center
| || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|- align=center
| || 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -3 || 2
|- align=center
| || 24 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 78
|- align=center
| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -1 || 0
|- align=center
| † || 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|}
|}
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Senators. Stats reflect time with Senators only.
‡Traded mid-season.
Milestones
|}
Note: During Alfredsson's absence due to injury, the Senators have used five alternate captains on a game-to-game basis: Gonchar, Michalek, Neil, Phillips and Spezza.
was held at the Staples Center
in Los Angeles
June 25–26, 2010.
The Senators signed Kurt Kleinendorst to a two-year deal to be head coach of Binghamton. He was previously the head coach of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program's Under-18 team, which won the Under-18 world championship in 2010.
Binghamton qualified for the AHL playoffs for the first time since 2005. After nearly being eliminated in the first round by the Manchester Monarchs
, the Senators defeated the Portland Pirates
in the second round and swept the Charlotte Checkers
in the third round series to advance to the team's first-ever Calder Cup
final. The Senators defeated the Houston Aeros
in six games to win the Calder Cup championship. Goaltender Robin Lehner
was named the 'most valuable player' and received the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy.
Ottawa Senators seasons
This is the list of all regular-season and playoff results of the Ottawa Senators ice hockey club of the National Hockey League. Individual NHL and team season articles can be accessed by links under the 'Season' and 'Team' columns of the table....
NHL season (18th season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
of play) for the modern Senators franchise. The Senators posted a regular season record of 32 wins, 40 losses, and 10 overtime/shootout losses for 74 points, failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
for the second time in three seasons. After falling to last place in the conference by the end of January, the Senators started a rebuild, trading away several veterans for draft choices. Coach Cory Clouston was fired at the end of the season.
Off-season
Early in the off-season, the Senators signed several players including summer development camp attendee Colin GreeningColin Greening
Colin Greening is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
on April 28 and Binghamton Senators
Binghamton Senators
The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators...
forward Ryan Keller
Ryan Keller
Ryan Keller is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Keller is currently a member of the Edmonton Oilers organization, having signed in July 2011 as a free agent after playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League in 2010–11...
on May 19 as well as goaltender Mike Brodeur
Mike Brodeur
Mike Brodeur is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Brodeur is currently a free agent. Brodeur played most recently with the Binghamton Senators organization...
on May 26. After some media speculation, the Senators also bought out Jonathan Cheechoo
Jonathan Cheechoo
Jonathan Earl Cheechoo is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League. During the 2005–06 National Hockey League season, he led the NHL with 56 goals and won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy...
's contract on June 29 after he cleared waivers, making Cheechoo a free agent.
At the Entry Draft
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...
, the Senators traded their first-round pick to the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
for defenceman David Rundblad
David Rundblad
David Rundblad is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. Rundblad is currently a member of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . Rundblad previously played for Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Elitserien. Rundblad was drafted 17th overall by the St...
, who had been the Blues' first-round pick (17th-overall) in the 2009 Draft
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
. Having now previously traded their first, second, and fifth-round picks, the Senators picked Jakub Culek in the third round (76th-overall), Marcus Sorensen in the fourth round (106th-overall), Mark Stone
Mark Stone (ice hockey)
Mark Stone is a Canadian ice hockey player. He plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League . He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 6th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.-External links:...
in the sixth round (178th-overall), and Bryce Aneloski
Bryce Aneloski
Bryce Aneloski is an American ice hockey defenceman who was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 7th Round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft...
in the seventh round (196th-overall).
Throughout July, the Senators made various signings. On July 13, they signed Swiss forward and 2004 Senator draft pick
2004 NHL Entry Draft
The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed...
Roman Wick
Roman Wick
Roman Wick is a Swiss professional ice hockey player. Wick currently plays in the organization of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . Wick previously played for the Kloten Flyers of the Swiss National League A...
to a one-year, entry-level contract, and re-signed Derek Smith
Derek Smith (ice hockey b. 1984)
Derek A. Smith is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Smith is a member of the Calgary Flames organization of the National Hockey League . Smith previously was a member of the Ottawa Senators organization.-Playing career:...
to a one-year contract. On July 22, they re-signed forward Cody Bass
Cody Bass
Cody Bass is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . He plays the forward position, and possesses the versatility to play either centre or wing....
to a one-year, two-way contract and forward Mike Hoffman
Mike Hoffman (ice hockey b. 1989)
Mike Hoffman is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently playing with the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:...
to a one-year, entry-level contract.
Having fired their goaltending coach Eli Wilson in January, the Senators signed former goaltender Rick Wamsley
Rick Wamsley
Richard James Wamsley is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs...
as goaltending coach on July 27. His most recent job was interim head coach of the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
' AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen
Peoria Rivermen
The Peoria Rivermen are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena.-History:...
. He had at one time been Pascal Leclaire
Pascal Leclaire
Pascal Leclaire is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Leclaire is currently an unrestricted free agent. Leclaire played three years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was selected eighth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...
's goaltending coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
On August 5, the Senators re-signed Binghamton defenceman Geoff Kinrade
Geoff Kinrade
Geoffrey "Geoff" Kenneth Kinrade is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is a member of the HC Plzen 1929 team. He previously played in the organizations of the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Kinrade has played one game in the NHL...
to a one-year, two-way contract as well as signing forward and local prospect Corey Cowick to a entry-level contract. Cowick was an assistant captain with Ottawa's OHL
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
team the Ottawa 67's
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:...
and was the Senators sixth-round pick at the 2009 Draft
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
.
Free Agents
The Senators entered the off-season with four restricted free agents (RFA): Chris Campoli
Chris Campoli
Chris Campoli is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens. Campoli previously played with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders.- Junior career :...
, Nick Foligno
Nick Foligno
Nicholas Foligno [pronounced Fo-lee-no] is a professional ice hockey player with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He was chosen in the first round, 28th overall by the club in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. His father, Mike Foligno, also played in the NHL.-U.S...
, Peter Regin
Peter Regin
Peter Regin Jensen is a Danish professional ice hockey player with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by Ottawa in the third round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft...
, and Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester (ice hockey)
Graham Jesse Winchester is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:Winchester was born in Cornwall and raised in nearby Long Sault...
. The team also had six unrestricted free agents (UFA): Matt Cullen
Matt Cullen
Matthew David Cullen is a professional ice hockey center, who currently is an alternate captain of the Minnesota Wild of the NHL.-Playing career:...
and Andy Sutton
Andy Sutton
Andrew Cameron "Andy" Sutton is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers. He has previously played with the San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks.-Playing career:Sutton was born in...
acquired via late 2009–10 season trades; Shean Donovan
Shean Donovan
Shean Donovan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey Forward. A veteran of the National Hockey League, he played in 951 games spanning over seven clubs.-Playing career:...
and Anton Volchenkov
Anton Volchenkov
Anton Alekseyevich Volchenkov , also known as the A-Train and the Russian Bear, is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Volchenkov grew up in Moscow and began attending the CSKA hockey school at the...
, as well as Binghamton players Martin St. Pierre
Martin St. Pierre
Martin St. Pierre is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. St. Pierre currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL.- Playing career :...
and Josh Hennessy
Josh Hennessy
Joshua Hennessy is an American professional ice hockey player. Hennessy is currently a member of the Boston Bruins organization. Hennessy most recently played for HC Lugano in 2010/11 and previously for the Ottawa Senators organization....
.
Of the four RFAs, all re-signed with the Senators. Winchester and Foligno each signed two-year deals on July 1 and July 21 respectively. Campoli and Regin both filed for arbitration, however, they each re-signed before it reached that point. Regin signed a two-year deal on July 29, while Campoli signed a one-year deal on July 30.
Of the six UFAs, none re-signed with the Senators. On July 1, the first day of free agency, Volchenkov signed with the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
while Cullen signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. On August 2, Sutton signed with the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in a two-year deal. Donovan did not sign with any NHL team. St. Pierre and Hennessy both signed with teams overseas.
In terms of acquisitions, the Senators made a notable move in signing former Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
defenceman Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
to a three-year deal in the first hours after the July 1 free agency deadline. Other free agency acquisitions include forward Corey Locke
Corey Locke
Corey Locke, is a professional ice hockey player currently with the Ottawa Senators organization of the National Hockey League , playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League...
, defenceman and enforcer Francis Lessard
Francis Lessard
Francis Lessard is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently a member of the National Hockey League Ottawa Senators organization, playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League...
, defenceman David Hale, and defenceman André Benoit
André Benoit
Andre Benoit is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Benoit is currently a member of the Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. Benoit has played for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League , the Binghamton Senators and Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League...
.
Spezza Trade Speculation
In early June, an Ottawa Sun
Ottawa Sun
The Ottawa Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is published by Sun Media. It was first published in the early 1980s as the Ottawa Sunday Herald, until it was acquired by Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation in 1988....
article reported that star centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
Jason Spezza
Jason Spezza
Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre, an alternate captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
was "unhappy" and that there were "indications [he] may have asked for a trade." Though purely speculation, the article prompted various other Ottawa sports media sources to issue their own perspectives. Theories ranged from conjuring up various trade rumours, noting the similarity to the previous year's Dany Heatley
Dany Heatley
Daniel James Heatley is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger, and alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie in 2002...
trade demand, or to suggesting that it was just "lazy rumor mongering." Meanwhile, the Sun received criticism for its journalistic integrity to the point where they had to defend accusations that they were "anti-Spezza" This did not stop speculation though, which was emboldened by silence both from Spezza and GM Bryan Murray.
Spezza finally broke the silence during his annual Celebrity Classic golf tournament on July 20:
Further, he expressed regret that the issue had become public at all. "Me and Bryan have talked since then and probably our conversation should have stayed between us," he said. "We probably wouldn’t even be talking here today. But it happened and it’s a reality." His statement largely settled the rumour, apart from some minor speculation (again by Ottawa Sun columnists) that Spezza had in fact demanded a trade similar to Heatley. However, sources confirmed with Spezza's team members that the situation was "not even close to the Dany situation."
Pre-season
On June 18, the Senators announced that they would play eight pre-season games, which includes three home games, four road games, and one neutral site game. The Senators faced the Toronto Maple Leafs three times, and had home-and-home sets against the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers. The Senators also played in the 2010 Kraft Hockeyville game in Dundas, OntarioDundas, Ontario
Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
against the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. The game was played on September 28, 2010 at the J.L. Grightmire Market Street Arena.
Regular season
The Senators' regular season schedule was announced on June 22, 2010. The Senators opened the season at home against the Buffalo Sabres on October 8, 2010. The Senators end the season on the road against the Bruins on April 9, 2011.The Senators goal for the season was to return to the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 seasons. Media predictions were mostly negative. The Hockey News predicted in their 2010-11 Yearbook that the Senators will finish tenth in the Conference, missing the playoffs. The Hockey News writer Adam Proteau predicted the Senators will finish ninth in the conference. The Las Vegas Hilton SportsBook set the odds at 40–1 that the Senators will win the Stanley Cup.
Within a few days of each other, two of the Senators celebrated milestones in wins. On October 22, Daniel Alfredsson scored a hat trick to reach 1,000 points in his career in a win against the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. On October 26, Sergei Gonchar played in his 1,000th game in his career. The game saw the Senators set a new team record for fastest two goals. Erik Karlsson and Alexei Kovalev scored only nine seconds apart, breaking the record of ten seconds set in 1995. The Senators defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 5–2.
On November 13, 2010, the 14-year-old daughter of assistant coach Luke Richardson
Luke Richardson
Luke Glen Richardson is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Richardson played for 21 seasons in the National Hockey League...
died. The team, on a four-game road trip, returned to Ottawa for a 'celebration of life' memorial service held at Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place is a multi-purpose arena, located in Kanata, a suburban district of Ottawa, Ontario. It is home to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. It has also hosted the Canadian University Men's Basketball Championship...
on November 17. 5,600 attended the service including former NHL players Paul Coffey
Paul Coffey
Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
, Wendel Clark
Wendel Clark
Wendel L. Clark is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is perhaps best known for being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League , captaining the team from 1991 to 1994...
, Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour
Douglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
and Tie Domi
Tie Domi
Tahir "Tie" Domi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. During a sixteen-year NHL career when he was known for his role as an enforcer, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets....
. The team flew out after the ceremony for a game against the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
that night. Richardson took a personal leave from the club. He returned to his duties with the Senators in January.
Another player reached the 1,000 point plateau on November 22. Alexei Kovalev scored at the 10:00 minute mark of the first period. Kovalev became the third Russian player to reach the mark. Kovalev later assisted on the game-wining goal as the Senators prevailed over the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
at home 3–2.
The Senators set a new modern franchise record starting in the first period of a game of November 29 versus the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
through the game of December 5 against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. The team went through a scoring drought that lasted 202 minutes and 57 seconds without a goal. The Senators were shut out by the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
before Chris Kelly broke the streak in the second period of a game against the Rangers.
The Senators poor performance led to constant rumours of a shakeup right through until December. The rumours were heightened in January after the team went on a lengthy losing streak. Owner Eugene Melnyk
Eugene Melnyk
Eugene Melnyk is a Ukrainian Canadian businessman who now resides in Barbados. He is the current owner, governor, and chairman of the Ottawa Senators professional ice hockey club of the National Hockey League . He also owns the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors junior-age ice hockey club...
, who had remained silent during much of the streak, finally broke his silence in an exclusive interview with the Ottawa Sun
Ottawa Sun
The Ottawa Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is published by Sun Media. It was first published in the early 1980s as the Ottawa Sunday Herald, until it was acquired by Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation in 1988....
. He made it clear that, despite rumours in the media to the contrary, general manager Bryan Murray and head coach Cory Clouston
Cory Clouston
Cory Clouston is an ice hockey coach, currently the head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League. He has previously served as head coach of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League , the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League , and the Kootenay Ice of...
would be allowed to finish out their contracts and would not be replaced mid-season. Melnyk also assured the team's fanbase that a "plan [was] now in motion" to return the Senators to the status of Stanley Cup contenders, and that "difficult decisions" would be made in the coming months.
Those "difficult decisions" began on February 10, 2011, when the club traded long-time centre and fan favourite Mike Fisher to the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
for a first round and a conditional draft pick. The trade was met with mixed reaction from the Senators' fanbase. Some viewed it as an important step in the team's rebuilding process, while others were outraged at the loss of a player who was adored within the community. That outrage was most palpable when a local Ottawa radio station suggested that Fisher's new wife Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
was largely responsible for his move to Nashville, and subsequently banned the play of her music. Underwood is a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer who is based in Nashville, where Fisher had recently began living during the off-season.
Following the Fisher trade, the Senators traded another lifetime Senator, forward Chris Kelly, to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in another move which was met with mixed reaction. The team shed salary by trading Jarkko Ruutu
Jarkko Ruutu
Jarkko Ruutu ; born August 23, 1975) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player. Ruutu is currently playing for SM-Liiga team Jokerit. He is the brother of Tuomo Ruutu, currently playing in the NHL on the Carolina Hurricanes, and retired player Mikko Ruutu....
and the under-achieving Alexei Kovalev
Alexei Kovalev
Alexei Vyacheslavovich "Alex" Kovalev is a Russian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for Atlant Moscow Oblast of the Kontinental Hockey League....
, both of whom were to become unrestricted free agent at seasons end, to playoff contenders Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, respectively.
Struggling goalie Brian Elliott, a pending restricted free agent
Restricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
was sent to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
in exchange for goalie Craig Anderson, who had also been struggling through an inconsistent season.
Anderson, scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, was auditioned for a possible contract extension by the organization. Ottawa later acquired goalie Curtis McElhinney
Curtis McElhinney
Robert Curtis McElhinney is a Canadian professional ice hockey player with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League. McElhinney was a sixth-round selection of the Flames, 176th overall, at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft...
on waivers on February 28. With Pascal Leclaire
Pascal Leclaire
Pascal Leclaire is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Leclaire is currently an unrestricted free agent. Leclaire played three years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was selected eighth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...
's injury status unknown and future with the team in doubt, the Senators finished their schedule with a vastly different goal-tending tandem than they had begun the season with.
Following speculation that longtime Senators defenceman and looming unrestricted free agent Chris Phillips
Chris Phillips
Chris Phillips is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He has been a member of the Ottawa Senators for his entire career, which began with the 1997–98 season. He also serves as their alternate captain and is regarded...
would be dealt as part of the rebuilding process, the club instead signed him to a three-year extension on February 27, the day before the trade deadline. With a group of inexperienced young defencemen expected to stock the Senators' blueline in 2011-2012
2011–12 Ottawa Senators season
The 2011–12 Ottawa Senators season is the 20th NHL season, for the Ottawa Senators National Hockey League team.-Team business:...
, Phillips' experience was deemed an important asset. Defenceman Chris Campoli
Chris Campoli
Chris Campoli is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens. Campoli previously played with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders.- Junior career :...
was traded on deadline day to the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
for forward Ryan Potulny
Ryan Potulny
Ryan Potulny is an American professional ice hockey player. Potulny is a member of the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League...
and a conditional second-round draft pick, as Ottawa's rebuilding process continued.
For the rest of the season, the Senators rotated call-ups from Binghamton. On March 21, after 11 games with Ottawa, Craig Anderson was signed to a four-year extension by Murray. After media speculation on the future of Murray within the organization, Murray re-signed as general manager on April 8, to a three-year extension. After the final game of the season on April 9, Murray dismissed Clouston and his assistant coaches.
Standings
Pre-season
| 2010 Pre-season | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Decision | Record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | September 21 | Ottawa Senators | 5–0 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
Lehner Robin Lehner Robin Lehner is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League . He was a second-round draft pick of the National Hockey League Ottawa Senators in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He was the recipient of the Jack A... |
1–0–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | September 22 | Ottawa Senators | 1–4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Elliott Brian Elliott Brian Elliott is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, 291st overall... |
1–1–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | September 24 | Ottawa Senators | 2–4 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
Leclaire Pascal Leclaire Pascal Leclaire is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Leclaire is currently an unrestricted free agent. Leclaire played three years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was selected eighth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft... |
1–2–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | September 25 | Montreal Canadiens | 2–6 | Ottawa Senators | Elliott | 2–2–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | September 28 (in Dundas, Ontario Dundas, Ontario Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley... ) |
Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
2–1 | Ottawa Senators | Lehner | 2–3–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | September 29 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
4–3 | Ottawa Senators | Leclaire | 2–4–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | October 1 | Ottawa Senators | 4–5 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
SO | Elliott | 2–4–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | October 2 | New York Rangers | 5-8 | Ottawa Senators | Leclaire | 3–4–1Regular season
Skaters
|
24 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 72 | 4 | 9 | 13 | -9 | 42 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|- align=center
| || 5 || 0 || 1 || 1 || -1 || 0
|- align=center
| || 9 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 3 || 0
|- align=center
| || 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -4 || 0
|- align=center
| || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|- align=center
| || 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -3 || 2
|- align=center
| || 24 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 78
|- align=center
| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -1 || 0
|- align=center
| † || 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|}
|}
Goaltenders
| Regular season | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | Min | W | L | OTL | GA | GAA | SA | Sv% | SO | G | A | PIM | |
| ‡ | 43 | 2293 | 13 | 19 | 8 | 122 | 3.19 | 1147 | .894 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| † | 18 | 1055 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 36 | 2.05 | 589 | .939 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | 763 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 36 | 2.83 | 391 | .908 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| † | 7 | 399 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 2.56 | 205 | .917 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | 341 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 3.52 | 178 | .888 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 4 | 97 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4.33 | 42 | .833 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Senators. Stats reflect time with Senators only.
‡Traded mid-season.
Awards/Milestones
- Ryan ShannonRyan ShannonRyan Patrick Shannon is an American professional ice hockey player. Shannon is currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-College career:...
- Ottawa Senators' nominee for Bill Masterton Trophy
Milestones
| Regular season | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EWLINE
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| Regular season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EWLINE
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Trades
| Date | ||
| June 25, 2010 | To St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade... 1st-round draft pick (16th overall) in 2010 2010 NHL Entry Draft The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in... (Vladimir Tarasenko Vladimir Tarasenko Vladimir Andreyevich Tarasenko is a Russian professional ice hockey forward for HC Sibir of the Kontinental Hockey League . Tarasenko has played for the Russian junior team three times, winning a silver medal at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships, sixth place at the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey... ) |
To Ottawa Senators David Rundblad David Rundblad David Rundblad is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. Rundblad is currently a member of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . Rundblad previously played for Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Elitserien. Rundblad was drafted 17th overall by the St... |
| February 10, 2011 | To Nashville Predators Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... Mike Fisher |
To Ottawa Senators 1st-round draft pick in 2011 2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.The top three picks consisted... (Stefan Noesen Stefan Noesen Stefan Noesen is a American ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League. He was selected 21st overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators.- Career statistics :... ) Conditional 2nd or 3rd-round draft pick in 2012 2012 NHL Entry Draft The 2012 NHL Entry Draft will be the 50th NHL Entry Draft. The draft will be held on June 22–23, 2012 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the first time Pittsburgh will host the draft since the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.... |
| February 15, 2011 | To Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... Chris Kelly |
To Ottawa Senators 2nd-round draft pick in 2011 2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.The top three picks consisted... (Shane Prince Shane Prince Shane Prince is a American ice hockey player. Prince is currently a member of the Ottawa 67's in the Ontario Hockey League. He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 2nd of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.-Junior career:... ) |
| February 17, 2011 | To Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... Jarkko Ruutu Jarkko Ruutu Jarkko Ruutu ; born August 23, 1975) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player. Ruutu is currently playing for SM-Liiga team Jokerit. He is the brother of Tuomo Ruutu, currently playing in the NHL on the Carolina Hurricanes, and retired player Mikko Ruutu.... |
To Ottawa Senators 6th-round draft pick (171st overall) in 2011 2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.The top three picks consisted... (Max McCormick) |
| February 18, 2011 | To Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... Brian Elliott Brian Elliott Brian Elliott is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, 291st overall... |
To Ottawa Senators Craig Anderson |
| February 24, 2011 | To Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... Alex Kovalev |
To Ottawa Senators Conditional 7th-round draft pick (204th overall) in 2011 2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.The top three picks consisted... (Ryan Dzingel) |
| February 28, 2011 | To Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... Chris Campoli Chris Campoli Chris Campoli is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens. Campoli previously played with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders.- Junior career :... Conditional 7th-round draft pick in 2012 2012 NHL Entry Draft The 2012 NHL Entry Draft will be the 50th NHL Entry Draft. The draft will be held on June 22–23, 2012 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the first time Pittsburgh will host the draft since the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.... |
To Ottawa Senators Ryan Potulny Ryan Potulny Ryan Potulny is an American professional ice hockey player. Potulny is a member of the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League... Conditional 2nd-round draft pick (48th overall) in 2011 2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.The top three picks consisted... (pick later traded as part of trade for Matt Puempel Matt Puempel Matthew Puempel is a Canadian ice hockey left winger currently with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL. Puempel was selected by the Petes with the sixth overall pick in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection. He was selected 24th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators... ) |
Free agents acquired
| Player | Former team | Date | Contract terms |
| Sergei Gonchar Sergei Gonchar Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League... |
Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... |
July 1, 2010 | Three years, $16.5 million contract. |
| Corey Locke Corey Locke Corey Locke, is a professional ice hockey player currently with the Ottawa Senators organization of the National Hockey League , playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League... |
Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford Wolf Pack The Connecticut Whale is a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League . They play their home games at the XL Center.... |
July 7, 2010 | Two years, $1.1 million two-way contract. |
| Roman Wick Roman Wick Roman Wick is a Swiss professional ice hockey player. Wick currently plays in the organization of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . Wick previously played for the Kloten Flyers of the Swiss National League A... |
Kloten Flyers Kloten Flyers The Kloten Flyers are an ice hockey team based in the city of Kloten in Switzerland. They originated from the EHC Kloten. The team participates in the National League A and is known for its promotion of young players.... |
July 14, 2010 | One year, $625,000 entry-level contract |
| Francis Lessard Francis Lessard Francis Lessard is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently a member of the National Hockey League Ottawa Senators organization, playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League... |
San Antonio Rampage San Antonio Rampage The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. They are the top affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Their home arena is the AT&T Center.-History:... |
August 4, 2010 | One year, $550,000 two-way contract |
| David Hale | Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the... |
August 4, 2010 | One year, $675,000 two-way contract |
| Andre Benoit André Benoit Andre Benoit is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Benoit is currently a member of the Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. Benoit has played for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League , the Binghamton Senators and Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League... |
Hamilton Bulldogs Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens... |
August 6, 2010 | One-year, $550,000 two-way contract |
| Wacey Hamilton | Medicine Hat Tigers Medicine Hat Tigers The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League who play out of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Division Titles. The Tigers play at the Medicine Hat Arena.... |
March 8, 2011 | Three years, $2.145 million entry-level contract |
| Stephane Da Costa Stéphane Da Costa Stéphane Da Costa is a French ice hockey player currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . A forward, Da Costa was the 2010 winner of the Hockey Commissioners’ Association and the Hockey East Rookie of the Year awards. He played college hockey at Merrimack College... |
Merrimack Warriors Merrimack Warriors men's ice hockey The Merrimack Warriors men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Merrimack College. Merrimack has the smallest enrollment of any Division I college hockey program. The Warriors are a member of Hockey East. They play at... |
March 31, 2011 | Two years, $1.8 million entry-level contract |
| Pat Cannone | Miami RedHawks Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey The Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Miami University. The RedHawks are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association... |
April 8, 2011 | One year, $600,000 entry-level contract |
Free agents lost
| Player | New team | Contract terms |
| Josh Hennessy Josh Hennessy Joshua Hennessy is an American professional ice hockey player. Hennessy is currently a member of the Boston Bruins organization. Hennessy most recently played for HC Lugano in 2010/11 and previously for the Ottawa Senators organization.... |
HC Lugano | 1 year |
| Martin St. Pierre Martin St. Pierre Martin St. Pierre is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. St. Pierre currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL.- Playing career :... |
HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | 1 year |
| Jonathan Cheechoo Jonathan Cheechoo Jonathan Earl Cheechoo is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League. During the 2005–06 National Hockey League season, he led the NHL with 56 goals and won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy... |
Worcester Sharks Worcester Sharks The Worcester Sharks are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . The franchise is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and play their home games at the DCU Center in Downtown Worcester. The Sharks and the city of Worcester hosted the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic.-History:On... |
Contract bought out |
| Anton Volchenkov Anton Volchenkov Anton Alekseyevich Volchenkov , also known as the A-Train and the Russian Bear, is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Volchenkov grew up in Moscow and began attending the CSKA hockey school at the... |
New Jersey Devils New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
6 years, $25.5 million |
| Matt Cullen Matt Cullen Matthew David Cullen is a professional ice hockey center, who currently is an alternate captain of the Minnesota Wild of the NHL.-Playing career:... |
Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
3 years, $10.5 million |
| Andy Sutton Andy Sutton Andrew Cameron "Andy" Sutton is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers. He has previously played with the San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks.-Playing career:Sutton was born in... |
Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
2 years, $4.25 million |
Claimed via Waivers
| Player | Former team | Date claimed off waivers |
| Marek Svatos Marek Svatoš Marek Svatoš is a Slovak professional ice hockey forward who is currently a free agent. In the 2010–11 season, Svatoš had played for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League before signing with the St. Louis Blues of the NHL... |
Nashville Predators | February 24, 2011 |
| Curtis McElhinney Curtis McElhinney Robert Curtis McElhinney is a Canadian professional ice hockey player with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League. McElhinney was a sixth-round selection of the Flames, 176th overall, at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft... |
Tampa Bay Lightning 2010–11 Tampa Bay Lightning season The 2010–11 Tampa Bay Lightning season was the 19th season for the Lightning franchise of the National Hockey League . For the first time since the 2006–07 season, the Lightning qualified for the playoffs.-Pre-season :... |
February 28, 2011 |
Lost via Waivers
| Player | New team | Date claimed off waivers |
Player signings
| Player | Date | Contract terms |
| Colin Greening Colin Greening Colin Greening is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:... |
April 28, 2010 | One-year, $735,000 entry-level contract |
| Ryan Keller Ryan Keller Ryan Keller is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Keller is currently a member of the Edmonton Oilers organization, having signed in July 2011 as a free agent after playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League in 2010–11... |
May 19, 2010 | One-year, $525,000 two-way contract |
| Mike Brodeur Mike Brodeur Mike Brodeur is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Brodeur is currently a free agent. Brodeur played most recently with the Binghamton Senators organization... |
May 26, 2010 | One-year, $600,000 two-way contract |
| Jesse Winchester Jesse Winchester Jesse Winchester is a musician and songwriter who was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist. His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "Yankee Lady" in 1970... |
July 1, 2010 | Two-years, $1.5 million |
| Derek Smith Derek Smith (ice hockey b. 1984) Derek A. Smith is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Smith is a member of the Calgary Flames organization of the National Hockey League . Smith previously was a member of the Ottawa Senators organization.-Playing career:... |
July 13, 2010 | One year, $550,000 |
| Nick Foligno Nick Foligno Nicholas Foligno [pronounced Fo-lee-no] is a professional ice hockey player with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He was chosen in the first round, 28th overall by the club in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. His father, Mike Foligno, also played in the NHL.-U.S... |
July 21, 2010 | Two-years, $2.4 million |
| Mike Hoffman Mike Hoffman (ice hockey b. 1989) Mike Hoffman is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently playing with the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:... |
July 22, 2010 | Three-years, $1.83 million entry-level contract |
| Cody Bass Cody Bass Cody Bass is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . He plays the forward position, and possesses the versatility to play either centre or wing.... |
July 22, 2010 | One-year, $500,000 two-way contract |
| Peter Regin Peter Regin Peter Regin Jensen is a Danish professional ice hockey player with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by Ottawa in the third round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft... |
July 29, 2010 | Two-years, $2 million |
| Chris Campoli Chris Campoli Chris Campoli is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens. Campoli previously played with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders.- Junior career :... |
July 30, 2010 | One-year, $1.4 million |
| Geoff Kinrade Geoff Kinrade Geoffrey "Geoff" Kenneth Kinrade is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is a member of the HC Plzen 1929 team. He previously played in the organizations of the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Kinrade has played one game in the NHL... |
August 5, 2010 | One-year, $550,000 two-way contract |
| Corey Cowick | August 5, 2010 | Three years, $1.835 million entry-level contract |
| Chris Phillips Chris Phillips Chris Phillips is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He has been a member of the Ottawa Senators for his entire career, which began with the 1997–98 season. He also serves as their alternate captain and is regarded... |
February 28, 2011 | Three years, $9.25 million contract extension |
| Derek Grant Derek Grant (ice hockey) Derek Grant is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Binghamton Senators in the American Hockey League... |
March 10, 2011 | Three-years, $1.815 million entry-level contract |
| Mark Borowiecki | March 11, 2011 | Two-years, $1.22 million entry-level contract |
| Craig Anderson | March 21, 2011 | Four-years, $12.75 million contract extension |
| Andre Petersson André Petersson André Petersson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player, currently contracted by Ottawa Senators in the NHL. He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in round 4, 109th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.... |
April 8, 2011 | Three-years, $2.19 million entry-level contract |
Roster
Final roster as of April 9, 2011 game.|}
Note: During Alfredsson's absence due to injury, the Senators have used five alternate captains on a game-to-game basis: Gonchar, Michalek, Neil, Phillips and Spezza.
Draft picks
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...
was held at the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
June 25–26, 2010.
| Round | Overall pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College/junior/club team (League) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 76 | Jakub Culek | LW | Rimouski Océanic Rimouski Océanic The Rimouski Océanic are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season... (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... ) |
|
| 4 | 106 | Marcus Sorensen | RW | Sodertalje SK Södertälje SK Södertälje Sportklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club playing in HockeyAllsvenskan. Södertälje were charter members of Elitserien when the league was founded in 1975 and have since played 24 seasons in the league... (Sweden Jr.) |
|
| 6 | 178 (from San Jose) | Mark Stone Mark Stone (ice hockey) Mark Stone is a Canadian ice hockey player. He plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League . He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 6th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.-External links:... |
RW | Brandon Wheat Kings Brandon Wheat Kings The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the... (Western Hockey League Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... ) |
|
| 7 | 196 | Bryce Aneloski Bryce Aneloski Bryce Aneloski is an American ice hockey defenceman who was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 7th Round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft... |
D | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Cedar Rapids RoughRiders The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the East Division of the United States Hockey League . Before moving to Cedar Rapids in 1999, the team was based in Mason City, where they were known as the North Iowa Huskies.... (United States Hockey League United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger... ) |
Farm teams
- Binghamton SenatorsBinghamton SenatorsThe Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators...
(American Hockey LeagueAmerican Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL)) - Elmira JackalsElmira JackalsThe Elmira Jackals are an ice hockey team that play in the ECHL. Their home games are played in First Arena in Elmira, New York and they refer to themselves as "the beasts of the east"...
(East Coast Hockey League (ECHL))
The Senators signed Kurt Kleinendorst to a two-year deal to be head coach of Binghamton. He was previously the head coach of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program's Under-18 team, which won the Under-18 world championship in 2010.
Binghamton qualified for the AHL playoffs for the first time since 2005. After nearly being eliminated in the first round by the Manchester Monarchs
Manchester Monarchs
The Manchester Monarchs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Verizon Wireless Arena. They have been the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings since 2001.-History:...
, the Senators defeated the Portland Pirates
Portland Pirates
The Portland Pirates is a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. They play in the Cumberland County Civic Center in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the...
in the second round and swept the Charlotte Checkers
Charlotte Checkers (2010–)
The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the American Hockey League , and are the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
in the third round series to advance to the team's first-ever Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
final. The Senators defeated the Houston Aeros
Houston Aeros
The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :...
in six games to win the Calder Cup championship. Goaltender Robin Lehner
Robin Lehner
Robin Lehner is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League . He was a second-round draft pick of the National Hockey League Ottawa Senators in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He was the recipient of the Jack A...
was named the 'most valuable player' and received the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy.