He really was one of a kind.
And tonight his number 25 will rightfully be raised to the rafters at the Canadian Tire Centre. It’s another humbling reminder about the gradual passage of time but it’s also well-deserved recognition for one of the most important players in the history of the Ottawa Senators.
In an era where fighters were a dime a dozen, Chris Neil was a unicorn of sorts. Oh he could play that tough guy role. He could stand in there against the league’s scariest and hold his own. You’d have a hard time finding video proof of a fight he lost actually. He stuck up for his teammates and he put his body and his own wellbeing on the line to do it.
But it wasn’t just the fighting.
A lot of the most memorable Chris Neil moments are those devastating open ice hits. The kind you just don’t see anymore. There was an art to it and nobody understood that art better than Neil. To be able to regularly wreck the opposition, single-handedly shift the momentum in countless games and never get suspended…that will always be one of the most impressive parts of his career. He lived on that edge. Almost always in control of his emotions and keenly aware of that difference between playing physical hockey and losing your cool.
Nobody understood their role quite like Chris Neil.
But he could play the game too.
While nobody would ever confuse him for an elite offensive talent, he did find ways to contribute. Outworking the opposition down low, getting to the front of the net at all costs and scoring those “dirty” goals. The 6th round pick in the 1998 Entry Draft scored 112 of them in his career and another nine in the post-season.
It was that one of a kind ability to occupy the impossible role of enforcer and play the game that allowed Chris Neil to carve out one of the most impressive careers in the history of the Ottawa Senators. Fifteen seasons, 1026 games, nearly 200 fights, more than 2,000 penalty minutes and every second of it, with the Senators logo on the front of his jersey.
There won’t be another Chris Neil either. Not in Ottawa. Not anywhere actually. The game has changed, some say for the better, and gone are the days where you need a player like him in your lineup. And that’s fine. When that number 25 gets raised to the rafters tonight, it’s a recognition of not only Chris Neil but of that era in the game and that forgotten role in the sport.
There have been and will continue to be, critics of this decision. But 99% of the noise will come from outside of the Ottawa hockey market and therefore, will mean absolutely nothing. They don’t get it and really, they don’t need to get it. It’s not for them.
There is no rule book on number retirements. It’s one of the few ways that an organization can define it’s own history. And for a franchise that has struggled with player loyalty and stability at times over the years, recognizing a player like Chris Neil makes perfect sense. Hard-work, longevity, impact in the community and just a relentless and never-ending dedication to the team.
Nobody will ever wear 25 again in Ottawa. And nobody will ever have a career quite like Chris Neil did.
One of a kind.
***
Here’s how the Senators are expected to line up…
Tkachuk-Stützle-Joseph
DeBrincat-Greig-Giroux
Brassard-Pinto-Batherson
Motte-Kelly-Watson
Chabot-Zaitsev
Brannstrom-Zub
Larsson-Hamonic
Mads Sogaard gets the start in goal.
Puck drop will be slightly delayed tonight, as you might expect. Ceremony starts at 6:00 PM and puck should drop around 7:20 PM. The game is available on TSN5 and RDS. Stream it if you dare.
A closer look at this evening’s match-up has been prepared for you in the columns and rows below.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 16-32-5 (37 pts) | 26-24-3 (55 pts) |
| Goals For | 2.40 (32nd) | 3.00 (21st |
| Goals Against | 3.64 (27th) | 3.21 (20th) |
| Power Play | 17.6% (26th) | 26.5% (2nd) |
| Penalty Kill | 76.1% (23rd) | 80.5% (15th) |
| Shots For | 26.7 (31st) | 33.4 (5th) |
| Shots Against | 33.6 (26th) | 32.3 (22nd) |
| Leading Scorers | Domi- 36 pts Kane- 35 pts Toews- 28 pts Jones- 24 pts Raddysh- 24 pts |
Tkachuk- 56 pts Stützle- 5 pts Giroux- 49 pts Batherson- 44 pts DeBrincat- 44 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Petr Mrazek 5-15-2 4.00 GAA, .884 sv% |
Mads Sogaard 1-0-0 2.71 GAA, .925 sv% |
