The Ottawa Senators held their annual media kick-off event Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre.
It’s a day for local media, including Hockey Hot Stove, to put their palates to the test, getting a sneak peek at new food and drink selections available in the coming weeks. Learn about new activations inside and outside the CTC and more news encompassing the Senators.
It all gets underway next Tuesday as the club hosts their charity golf event at the Rideauview Golf Club in Manotick.
All players are slated to participate with the exception of Jake Sanderson, who will be in Las Vegas as part of the NHL promotional tour.
Senators rookies report September 10 in preparation for the Prospects Challenge to be held at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau on the 12th and 13th. Fans will have an opportunity to view an open rookie practice at 10:00 a.m. on the 12th. Ottawa will play each night at 6 p.m., facing the Maple Leafs and possibly Gavin McKenna on Saturday and the Canadiens on Sunday.
In addition, in conjunction with Outaouais Minor Hockey, the NHL is inviting youngsters to compete in a street hockey event.
Raised in Montreal, Senators owner Michael Andlauer previously pledged to put a stamp on his team’s footprint in Quebec.
Last year. the organization sponsored local minor hockey AAA clubs in the Gatineau sector of Aylmer. Young teens donned Senators colours for the first time. The club also played a preseason game in Quebec City.
This season will see the debut of bilingual and solely French merchandise, and a brand slogan that relates in both official languages. Gone is “Heart Over Hype.” Enter “The Hill We Choose” or en français, “Le Sommet Que Nous Choisissons.”
Vice-President of Marketing Peter Shier explained the Senators’ new motto, “We’re three: Parliament Hill as well as the hills of Gatineau, which is great. So it encompasses both regions, which we felt was really important. We’re the capital of the country where hockey is religion, and the goal is to win the Stanley Cup in Ottawa. So that’s the hill piece of it.“
“The We part of it is an invitation. It’s saying to people, “We want you to be part of this. We hope you’ll be part of this for everybody. We’re all in this together. The players, the fans, the foundation, corporate partners. When you choose something, it means you’re selecting that over something else. And we want people to feel that they have permission to choose us now. We’ve been around for 30 years, which means that a lot of people grew up with having to choose between Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa has their teams. Now those people are having kids. We want those kids to be Sens fans, and we think they will be. There’s not an alternative now. You’ve got a team here. You’re going to support it. So you’ll see more of this through the year,” Shier added.
Another favorite is the Senators Fanfest, which is scheduled to take place September 19.
While the Senators previously announced that second-level seating was replaced this summer, 850 seats were removed on the third level in order to create a “Fandeck.” Similar to what’s been done in other arenas/stadiums, this allows fans to view games in a modern casual setting.
The Molson Fandeck will be general admission.
Fans will see 18 theme nights, two of which feature bobbleheads. The first, December 10; the second, April 4, features a bobblehead never before seen in the NHL.
And yes, Senators President Cyril Leeder said there will be a tribute video on October 21 when Brady Tkachuk returns to Ottawa for the first time since requesting a trade to the Florida Panthers.
Game perks return for Senators Season Seat members. Seat members will also receive first dibs on tickets for so-called “rivalry games.” As many readers are aware, Canadiens and Maple Leafs fans travel well and tend to outnumber Senators fans at times.
Members will be able to purchase those games at lower costs. The club is introducing a Verified Sens Fan program whereby individuals must prove their Senators fandom to purchase rivalry game tickets, which cannot be resold or transferred.
Thursday, more information was provided regarding free bus transportation to and from the CTC for games.
Details are not fully completed, but there will be seven to eight buses leaving from various sports bars throughout Ottawa-Gatineau. The free transportation is on a first-come basis. Each bus features a Senators Brand Ambassador to provide fans with a fun trip to their game.
Finally, new food fare and drinks are always a hit.
Second-level Grab & Go items include a High Protein Chicken Bowl and a S’mores Parfait. Poutine Burgers made with Bison, Cheetos Steak Nacho, Hot Maple Chicken Waffle Sandwich, Birria Grilled Sandwich, and Korean Crispy Chicken Bowl are all available in various sections throughout the first and second levels.
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