Mark Stone is back in Ottawa tonight.
One of the most universally adored players in the history of the franchise plays his first game in the city where he got his start.
Stone played 366 games in a Senators jersey, scoring 123 goals and putting up 311 points along the way. He went from late round gamble with an awkward stride, to competent NHLer, to a legitimate star in this town.
He really only played five full seasons with the Senators but in that short time, he left an impression on so many- on his coaches, on his teammates and on Sens fans.
Yet as he makes his return tonight, I am not quite sure how I feel. It’s not him, I don’t think. It’s me.
See, we’ve been through this a lot in our short history. We’ve watched fan favourites leave town under unfortunate circumstances. Yashin became public enemy number one when he visited in an Islanders jersey. Heatley came back in Sharks colours and we booed. Alfredsson returned in a Detroit sweater and we cheered. Karlsson rolled into town in teal and we stood and clapped. Spezza, Hossa, Chara, Duchene, Fisher. It’s a long list.
With each one of these “returns”, we are expected to look at the player’s contribution to the team, make our own determination about why they left based on the facts at hand and then either welcome them back or let ’em have it.
And it’s just…tiring is all.
Maybe it’s because in my older age my emotional attachment to the team is fading a little bit. Maybe it’s because we’ve been through this so much lately or it could be because Stone didn’t really have a chance to hit the level of an Alfie or a Karlsson. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because I really don’t feel like I know why Stone left in the first place. Whatever it is, this particular return feels different.
Stone was loved in this city. Stone could have been the Captain of this team through the rebuild and if things broke the right way and if Ownership followed through on a plan, Stone could have been a key piece on a contender in Ottawa. His number would have been lifted to the rafters of a downtown arena someday.
But he “decided” he didn’t want to be a part of a rebuild.
He decided that at this point in his career, he wasn’t willing to commit to the uncertainty that came with being an Ottawa Senator. Maybe the organization’s offer wasn’t good enough? Maybe the lack of bonuses in the contract was an issue? Maybe we should have seen it coming…
Either way, Stone had an opportunity to cash in and he did what any of us would do in that situation- he took the $76 million guaranteed dollars and packed his bags for green pastures. In a matter of hours, the heart and soul of the Sens franchise was ready to be a Vegas Golden Knight for life.
Sens fans should welcome back Mark Stone with open arms. It’s a no-brainer. He absolutely deserves it. The organization should run a tribute video, we should all stand up and we should all show our appreciation for one of the best players to ever wear a Sens jersey.
And then we should sit down and hope that in the future, our hockey team can find a way to convince our favourite players to stick around.
A best guess at Ottawa’s line up for this one.
Tkachuk-Pageau-C.Brown
Namestnikov-Tierney-Duclair
Ennis-White-Batherson
Chlapik-Anisimov-Sabourin
Chabot-Hainsey
Borowiecki-Zaitsev
Reilly-DeMelo
Craig Anderson is expected to get the start in goal.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:30 PM with the game available on TSN5, RDS2 and across the interwebs.
Here’s a closer look at tonight’s match-up.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 24-19-5 (53 pts) | 16-22-8 (40 pts) |
| Goals For | 3.02 (15th) | 2.67 (23rd) |
| Goals Against | 3.04 (15th) | 3.35 (28th) |
| Power Play | 22.1% (9th) | 11.3% (31st) |
| Penalty Kill | 78.8% (19th) | 80.8% (15th) |
| Shots For | 34.0 (2nd) | 29.8 (24th) |
| Shots Against | 30.5 (10th) | 32.8 (28th) |
| Leading Scorers | Pacioretty- 45 pts Stone- 43 pts Smith- 37 pts |
Duclair- 32 pts Pageau- 31 pts Brown- 27 pts |
| Starting Goalie | TBD | Craig Anderson 6-11-1 3.27 GAA, .897 sv% |
