25 STARS FOR 25 YEARS
TSN ranks the Sens’ all-time best — and the No. 1 pick is no surprise
The Senators are celebrating their silver anniversary this season, which is always a good time to look back over the past 25 years.
There are the highs of the club’s first trip to the playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres in 1997, or former captain Daniel Alfredsson’s OT winner against Buffalo to send the club to the Stanley Cup final against Anaheim in 2007.
There has been heartbreak along the way, with the club’s loss to the New Jersey Devils in 2003 in the Eastern Conference final or the awful 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of Round 1 of the post-season in 2004.
Through it all, there have been different faces for this wonderful roller-coaster ride the Senators have taken us on since their return in 1992.
TSN polled members of the organization and several people in the local media to come up with list of the top 25 players in franchise history and were unveiled Thursday. 1. DANIEL ALFREDSSON, RW:
This one was never in doubt really. There was no other choice. He wasn’t just a captain, he was a leader and was the face of the franchise. The No. 11 that hangs in the rafters is always a reminder. 2. ERIK KARLSSON, D: Drafted No. 15 overall in 2008, the Senators captain has emerged as one of the best defencemen in the league and the two Norris trophies are proof. He’s exciting to watch.
3. JASON SPEZZA, C: He couldn’t handle the pressure of playing in a Canadian city, but he did the job while he was here. Helped get the club to the Stanley Cup final in 2007 and had eight seasons with 20-plus goals.
4. MARIAN HOSSA, RW: The Senators never should have dealt him to Atlanta in 2005. Huge mistake. The image of Hossa lying on ice after the team lost in the Eastern final in 2003 will always be vivid. A heart-and-soul player.
5. WADE REDDEN, D: Was never the same after he left the Senators with short stops in New York, St. Louis and Boston. Picked up in a three-way deal with the Islanders, he was a consistent player that got
the job done.
6. ZDENO CHARA, D: When he left in 2006 for Boston, it changed the direction of the franchise. He’s always been hard to play against and led by example. Bad decision to let him go.
7. ALEXEI YASHIN, C: The first player ever chosen by the franchise in 1992, he had his share of contract battles but he produced points. The deal that sent him to the Islanders in 2001 was one of the best in franchise history.
8. DANY HEATLEY, LW: Had backto-back 50-goal seasons with the Senators and helped get the club to the Cup final in 2007. He’ll always be remembered for his trade demand because of a “diminished role” and bad attitude.
9. CHRIS PHILLIPS, D: He was the franchise leader in games-played with 1,179 when a back injury would no longer allow him to continue. A No. 1 overall pick in 1996, he got the job done and raised his game at playoff time.
10. MIKE FISHER, C: A secondround pick in 1998, he worked hard to get to the NHL and has had a great career. The Senators sent him to Nashville because they wanted him to be with his family. Same effort every night.
11. PATRICK LALIME, G: He is the winningest goalie in franchise history with 283 victories and had 67 wins in 2002-03. He’ll be remembered for his Game 7 meltdown against Toronto in 2004, but he had a lot of good nights.
12. CRAIG ANDERSON, G: He isn’t far behind with Lalime in the win column, either, with 272 career victories with Ottawa. He will become the winningest goalie in franchise history down the road and has just been solid.
13. MARTIN HAVLAT, RW: Nobody was more exciting at full speed than Mach 9. He had the skills to pay the bills and brought people out of their seats. The deal to send him to Chicago was one of the worst in club history.
14. RADEK BONK, C: The club’s top selection 1994 never lived up to the billing offensively, but he established himself as a strong contributor at both ends of the ice. Had a good career with the Senators.
15. SHAWN MCEACHERN, LW: He arrived at a time the Senators needed players with experience in 1996 and was a valuable addition. Was a perfect fit for top players because he had good skills combined with excellent speed.
16. KYLE TURRIS, C: This might be the best trade Bryan Murray ever made by acquiring Turris from the Coyotes for a pick and defenceman David Runblad. He struggled with injuries last year but Turris has consistently improved.
17. CHRIS NEIL, RW: He has been a good soldier for the organization and has always been a player who stepped up to pay the price for his teammates. He worked hard to develop his all-around game to have a strong career.
18. MARK STONE, RW: You have to think if he continues to develop he’ll rocket up this list one day. He’s a good player at both ends of the ice and gets the job done. If NHL players go to the Olympics, he deserves a shot.
19. MAGNUS ARVEDSON, LW: He only spent six seasons with the Senators, but had a difficult time staying healthy. His teammates called him “The Machine” because of the shape he was in. Was a consistent player. 20. ANTON VOLCHENKOV, D: The ‘A’ Train was just a tough competitor in every sense of the word. Drafted by the Senators in 2000, he was part of the Ottawa teams that had a lot of success.
21. MILAN MICHALEK, LW: Was the centrepiece of the deal that sent Heatley to the Sharks and had a strong career here. Michalek was used on one of the top two lines because he had decent offensive skills.
22. CHRIS KELLY, C: After winning a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, he returned to the Senators last summer for a second time around. A good competitor, this organization drafted and developed him. Knows his role.
23. RON TUGNUTT, G: Helped lead the Senators to the playoffs for the first time in 1997 before the club dropped a series against Buffalo in Game 7. Was sent packing by GM Marshall Johnston in 2000 in favour of Tom Barrasso.
24. ANTOINE VERMETTE, C: This is the only surprising name on the list because he had more success when he left the Senators than he did in five years here. Drafted by the club in 2000, he’s a strong twoway players. 25. STEVE DUCHESNE, D: Acquired for a second-round pick, he helped transform the Senators from pretender to contender. He was the first bonafide superstar the club ever had in its lineup. Made everyone around him better.