PHANEUF TAKES ROAD TRIP DOWN NOSTALGIA LANE
Former Senators defenceman excited for double Canadian homecoming with Kings
The next few days will be a homecoming for Dion Phaneuf.
One of the few players to suit up for both the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, the veteran Los Angeles Kings defenceman will make his first stop at Canadian Tire Centre since being dealt by Ottawa last February on Saturday afternoon, and then Monday he’ll face Toronto at Scotiabank Arena.
There will be no shortage of nostalgia for the 33-year-old Phaneuf.
“I was very lucky to play in three Canadian markets, and two of them are on this trip, so it’s nice to get back and it’s nice to see some familiar faces,” Phaneuf, who also played for the Calgary Flames, said after an off-ice workout Friday at Minto Field on the University of Ottawa campus.
“I have nothing but great things to say about both cities. Ottawa is special to me for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, my daughter (Zaphire) was born here and I really enjoyed my time here. I look at the success and the run that we had (in 2017), and thewaythecitywelcomedme when I got here from a pretty big rival in Toronto.
“I’ve got really good memories here. I wish this organization, as I do Toronto, nothing but success. Being in Ottawa, I was treated very well here, the fans were incredible and I enjoyed living in the city.”
The Senators acquired Phaneuf in a blockbuster deal with the Leafs on Feb. 9, 2016. It was shocking to see a former captain of the Leafs get dealt to an archrival, but the teams were going in different directions.
A former Calgary Flames captain as well, Phaneuf played a key role for Ottawa, on and off the ice, in a leadership role. He helped the Senators get to the Eastern Conference final in 2017, where they dropped a 4-3 double-overtime decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7.
When the Senators decided to deal Phaneuf, it was a signal that a full rebuild was underway. The bigchangesbygeneralmanager Pierre Dorion started before the 2017-18 trade deadline in February and Phaneuf was moved to the Kings in the middle of a game in Pittsburgh on Feb. 13.
He was sent to L.A. that night with winger Nate Thompson in a deal that brought Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore to Ottawa. Gaborik is expected to be placed on long-term injury reserve after off-season back surgery, and Shore was traded to Calgary a couple of weeks later.
“It wasn’t that big of a surprise, if you want me to be honest,” Phaneuf said. “I had an idea what was going on and Pierre was really good with me throughout the whole thing. That’s why I wish Ottawa nothing but success and Pierre and the whole organization.
“They treated me very well, so I wasn’t shocked.”
It’s rare for a player to get dealt mid-game, but Phaneuf has been around long enough to know when coach Guy Boucher didn’t put him on the ice midway through the second period that the Ottawa portion of his career was over.
“When I got sat down I kind of had a feeling because I didn’t think I was playing that bad,” Phaneuf said with a smile. “No, I knewonthebench,andIdidn’t know where (I was headed) at that point. I only found that out when I went into the room and there was some technical stuff that had to happen.
“(The Kings) were playing at the time so they were waiting to make sure that everybody got out of that game healthy that was involved in the trade. It was an experience. I’ve never gone through that before, but I knew I had been traded when I didn’t play another shift.”
He isn’t surprised with the changes in Ottawa, but he wasn’t going to go near the whole Erik Karlsson/Mike Hoffman saga when asked about it.
“Year to year, there’s ups and there’s downs. We didn’t play well enough last year and that’s why there’s changes made. It’s a result-oriented business. There’s a lot of different pieces over there now and that’s just part of the business,” Phaneuf said.
The change has been easy for Phaneuf. He and his wife, actress Elisha Cuthbert, already had a home in Los Angeles so the move was perfect.
“I really like the adjustment. The guys welcomed me, and my family is there, so I was very fortunate it worked out that way,” Phaneuf said. “I really like our team. We fell short last year, but right from Day 1 the guys welcomed me into the room and it was pretty seamless.”