Battle of Ontario returns on Oct. 14
NHL schedule includes a three-week break for the Olympics in Beijing from Feb. 2-25
Nothing like a Battle of Ontario to welcome fans back to the Canadian Tire Centre for the first time in 19 months.
The NHL released the 2021-22 schedule Thursday night for all 32 teams and the Ottawa Senators will face a big test as they return to the Atlantic Division.
The Senators will open the season against the archrival Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 14 at the Canadian Tire Centre and then the two teams will face off again Saturday, Oct. 16, at Scotiabank Arena on Hockey Night in Canada.
The Battle of Ontario is the perfect way to start the year because both fan bases love to get riled up and ready.
Senators owner Eugene Melnyk reached out to the league when it was working on the schedule to let them know it'd be great to the Leafs first.
“The NHL heard us loud and clear and the word came from directly from Eugene that we wanted to come out with a bang,” said Anthony LeBlanc, the Senators' director of business operations. “What better way is there to come out with Toronto on opening night.
“And, with everything I've heard from the province, it's going to be a full building. By October, with all the metrics we've seen, we'll be able to have full capacity in the Canadian Tire Centre.”
Since the Senators, and the rest of the teams in Canada, played the shortened 56-game regular season in empty arenas, by the time the first patron is allowed to enter the rink it will have been 589 days since the Senators had spectators in Kanata.
The last time the Senators played at home before the league went on pause for the novel coronavirus was on March 5, 2020, with a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders.
LeBlanc is right, because by October the restrictions should be completely lifted. He added he's heard nothing from the province about anyone having to produce a vaccine passport to enter the rink. Proper safety measures are being put in place with a cashless operation and tickets will be issued for smartphones.
Those with cash will be able to turn it in for an ATM card on site. The same setup will be used for the club's AHL affiliate in Belleville at CAA Arena. LeBlanc said it's time to get back to business after a difficult 15 months at the 18,1530-seat building.
“The New York border is 60 miles away and you cross that border — the world is normal. We're expecting the same here in Ontario,” said LeBlanc. “We're back and it's going to be exciting. Let's get back to business; it's been way too long.”
The release of the schedule has been long awaited and is a signal teams in Canada can get back to work. Yes, the NHL managed to pull off last season in empty buildings but it came at a huge cost.
Work can now begin in earnest on sponsorships and season ticket sales.
“Based on there not being a spike, and not being a new variant, and this is going to be our new normal, I do feel very confident based on what I've heard from the government of Ontario that we should be in a position in October to sell every seat in our building,” said LeBlanc. “We need people to continue getting vaccinated across the province.
“The biggest concern I have is everything is based on everybody across the province, which stretches from Kenora to Ottawa.”
LeBlanc said the club is doing a lot of hiring after employees returned to the building this week so they can ramp up sales.
“It's back to normal. It's rocking and rolling. We're selling season tickets, we're finalizing sponsorships, we're renewing some big, considerable long-term sponsorships. We're working and we're selling and it's so far, so good,” he said. “We've only got a couple of months before that opening night but we're happy to be back and actually have something to look forward to, which is fans in the building opening night.
“Fans are everything. We're just excited. I've recruited a lot of people into the business side of the operation and it feels like the business season has just started.”
This schedule does include a three-week break for the Olympics from Feb. 2-25 as long as a deal between the league and International Olympic Committee is reached to allow the players to head to Beijing.
If there's no deal in place then, the league will amend the schedule. At this point, the Senators are scheduled to close out the year on April 29 against the Philadelphia Flyers on the road. The final regular season home game will be April 28 against the Florida Panthers.
The club's longest road trip of the season will be in January and will kick off in Seattle against the expansion Kraken. That game will take place Jan. 6. The Senators will then make stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg before wrapping up the trip on Jan. 15.