Battle of Ontario - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Ottawa Senators–Toronto Maple Leafs
Regular Season History
Number of Meetings	87
Record	OTT: 47-32-3-5 (.595)
Last Meeting	November 12, 2011
Last Result	OTT: 5-2
Location	Air Canada Centre Air Canada Centre The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
Next Meeting	January 17, 2011
Location	Air Canada Centre Air Canada Centre The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
Current Streak	OTT: 2
First Meeting
1st Meeting	December 6, 1927
1st Result	0-0 (OT)
Location	Ottawa Auditorium
Post Season History
Post Season Series	4, TOR: 4-0 (1.000)
Post Season Games	24, TOR: 16-8 (.667)

The Battle of Ontario is a rivalry between the Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

and the 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...

of the National Hockey League

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

, often described as one of the top NHL rivalries. The teams both compete in the Northeast Division

Northeast Division (NHL)

The NHL's Northeast Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Adams Division...

and with current NHL scheduling meet 6 times per season. Games between the teams can often be seen on Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...

.

Early history

Games between Ottawa and Toronto ice hockey teams date back before the founding of the NHL, and both the Leafs and the original Senators

Ottawa Senators (original)

The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...

were founding teams of the NHL. Both cities, along with Montreal, also have histories of Stanley Cup winners. Teams from Ottawa and Toronto once met in a series for the Stanley Cup in February, 1904, with the Ottawa Silver Seven

Ottawa Senators (original)

defeating the Toronto Marlboros

Toronto Marlboros

The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989...

. After the original Ottawa NHL franchise folded in the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

, Ottawa-area hockey fans became mainly fans of other NHL teams. A Toronto-Ottawa sports rivalry continued during this time, however, between the Toronto Argonauts

Toronto Argonauts

The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

and Ottawa Rough Riders

Ottawa Rough Riders

The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...

of the Canadian Football League

Canadian Football League

The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....

(CFL).

Modern era

The modern Senators entered the NHL in 1992, but the rivalry between the two teams did not begin to emerge until the late 1990s. From 1992 to 1998, Toronto was in the league's Clarence Campbell/Western Conference and Ottawa was in the Prince of Wales/Eastern Conference, which meant that the two teams rarely played each other. But before the 1998–99 season, the conferences and divisions were re-aligned, and Toronto was moved into the Eastern Conference's Northeast Division with the Senators, Canadiens, 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...

, 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:...

.
By 1999, both Ottawa and Toronto were elite Eastern Conference teams, annually competing for the division title. Not all Leafs fans in the Ottawa area became Senators fans upon the revival

Revival (sports team)

In sports, a revival of a sports team is the naming of a new franchise or club in a sports league after a defunct franchise or club in a possibly defunct league.Sports teams names or nicknames are copyrighted in North America and elsewhere...

of the Ottawa NHL franchise. This has resulted in a base of Maple Leafs fans who attend Leafs-Senators games in Ottawa.

In , the teams met for the first time in the playoffs, with the Maple Leafs dispatching the Senators in six games. Some Leafs fans saw this as revenge, since the Sens' Marian Hossa

Marian Hossa

Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...

had accidentally clipped the Leafs' Bryan Berard

Bryan Berard

Bryan Wallace Berard is a former American professional ice hockey player. He was the first overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. He is most noted for a debilitating eye injury he received early in his career...

in the eye on March 11, nearly ending the young defenceman's season and almost his career.

21st century

The next season, they met again in the first round as Ottawa entered the playoffs ranked 2nd in the East and the Maple Leafs 7th. While the Senators were expected to defeat the Maple Leafs, especially since they had swept the regular season series against them, the Leafs swept the series in a major upset instead; Ottawa did not score their first goal of the series until 16:51 of the third period in the third game.

In , the teams met in the playoffs for the third straight year. The two teams were very evenly matched, and the Maple Leafs managed to win the second-round series in the full seven games and advance to the conference finals. One incident happened late in Game Five when Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson

Daniel Alfredsson

Daniel Alfredsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. He is the captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He is considered a leader by example and has been compared to former Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman in his value to the Senators...

hit forward Darcy Tucker

Darcy Tucker

Darcy Tucker is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played most of his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A sixth round draft choice, Tucker began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens...

in what Toronto called a hit-from-behind, and then seconds after hitting Tucker in the Leafs zone, he scored the game-winning goal. Tucker suffered an injury on the play, and Alfredsson was not penalized or suspended for it. Tucker had gotten his share of hatred in the first round against the New York Islanders

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

when he wasn't penalized for a hit that dislocated the right knee

Knee

The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...

of the Isles' Michael Peca

Michael Peca

Michael Anthony "Mike" Peca is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League . He most recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. He has also played for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple...

. That play, despite no punishment for Tucker, was still included in a video of "unacceptable plays" that the NHL sent to all its teams.

In , the rivalry hit an all-time high when Tucker attacked the Senators' Chris Neil

Chris Neil

Chris Neil is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Neil currently plays right wing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League .-Early years:Neil started out playing minor hockey in the town of Flesherton, Ontario...

, who was sitting on the bench. This resulted in numerous players exchanging punches before order was restored. Tucker, Neil and Hnidy all received fighting majors and game misconducts for the same incident. After the game, Tucker claimed Neil spit on him, an allegation which Neil denies. The NHL board looked into this claim and concluded that Neil did not do this. Tempers remained frayed, especially with 1:23 to play, when Toronto's 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....

jumped Magnus Arvedson

Magnus Arvedson

Magnus Arvedson is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey left winger who played 7 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks...

from behind and threw several punches at Arvedson. Domi received a roughing minor, instigator minor, fighting major, misconduct and game misconduct. Arvedson did not get a penalty on the play. The suspensions were announced a few hours after Tucker and Domi appeared at NHL head offices in Toronto for a hearing. Tucker was suspended for five games, without pay, and it was made clear at the hearing that Neil did not spit at Toronto's bench. Domi was suspended for three games, also without pay. A total of 163 minutes in penalties were called in the game. The Maple Leafs went on to win the season series, but the Sens still topped off the NHL

Presidents' Trophy

The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...

.

Another incident in the regular season fueled the rivalry even more. On January 6, 2004, the Maple Leafs were playing a game against 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...

, when Leaf captain Mats Sundin

Mats Sundin

Mats Johan Sundin is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player. Originally drafted first overall in 1989, Sundin played his first four seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, where he played the majority of his career, serving 11...

's stick broke on an attempted shot at the blue line and he threw it away in disgust. Instead of hitting the glass, the stick went over and into the crowd. The NHL reacted by giving him a one-game suspension. The game he was suspended for was a game against the Senators in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

. During the game, Daniel Alfredsson's stick broke, and immediately he faked a toss of his stick into the stands. This caused an uproar with the Maple Leafs, in part because they had also lost the game badly, by a score of 7–1. Alfredsson dismissed the Leafs' reaction, calling it an over-reaction. This incident added to the rivalry, and Leafs fans continue to boo Alfredsson at games in Toronto.

Ottawa and Toronto matched up in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years in . Alfredsson guaranteed a victory after the Leafs took game 5. He delivered on his promise in game 6, but the Sens turned in a lacklustre performance in the series finale. The Leafs beat the Senators in the series. After the NHL lockout the Senators goalie Patrick Lalime

Patrick Lalime

Patrick Lalime is a Canadian professional ice hockey broadcaster and former player. Lalime played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres...

was traded to the St. Louis Blues, and Ottawa head coach Jacques Martin was fired after the series.

Post-lockout era

In , the two teams nearly met again in the playoffs, but the Maple Leafs missed qualifying by two points. As the Senators clinched the top spot in the East, the Maple Leafs claiming eighth position would have ensured a first-round match-up. The Sens largely dominated the season series by winning 7 of the 8 games (including 3 routs of 8–0, 8–2, and 7–0).

In , the Leafs nearly qualified for the playoffs, but finished in ninth position, and thereby missing out, for a second consecutive year. Meanwhile, the Senators made it to the Stanley Cup Finals

2007 Stanley Cup Finals

The 2007 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2006–07 season. As a culmination of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Western Conference champion Anaheim Ducks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Ottawa Senators in...

.

The season was characterized by a share of lopsided victories by the two teams against each other; for example, wins of 5-0 and 8-2. The Leafs failed to make the playoffs for the third straight season, this time by 11 points. Ottawa had also been struggling going into the post-season, finishing in 7th place in the East after a 15–2 start and leading the league at one point, barely making it into the playoffs. The Sens were swept 4–0 in the first round by the 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...

, in a rematch of the previous year's series. Although Pittsburgh was heavily favoured to win, the fact that the Leafs' Mark Bell laid what 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...

described as a "clean dirty hit" on Alfredsson in the April 3 game at Toronto, thereby sidelining him, may have worsened their situation.

The season was a poor one for both teams, with the Senators finishing 11th and the Maple Leafs 12th in the Eastern Conference. This marked the first time that both Ontario teams failed 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...

since the Senators joined the National Hockey League

National Hockey League

in 1992.

The season saw the Senators finish 5th in the Eastern conference and face the Penguins in the first round of the playoffs, while the Leafs finished last in the conference and failed to make the playoffs for the 5th consecutive year. The regular season saw the Leafs win 4 out of the 6 games played between the two teams.

The was a poor one for both the Ontario teams. Despite the Leafs posting its best regular season record since the season, the team missed the playoffs for 6th consecutive season. Meanwhile the Senators finished with a record of 32-40-10, and missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The 74 points put up by the Senators was the lowest total put up since the season. The Maple Leafs won the season series 3-2-1.

Early history

Modern era

21st century

Post-lockout era

See also