We’re still a little over a month away from the opener but today, the Ottawa Senators launched the heck out of the 2025/2026 season.
It was basically the Event of the Century. Even Bruce Garrioch was there! And for some reason, the powers that be thought it would be a good idea to invite your ol’ pal SensChirp to the festivities. An influencer, apparently. Their words, not mine.
Before I get into some grainy photos from the event, a moment of reflection. I have been to a couple of these things now and they always leave me with this overwhelming sense of gratitude. And not just because of the free food. When I started this site some 18 years ago now, it was because I wanted to write about the Ottawa Senators for a living.
I ended up wandering down a very different career path but it’s amazing to have these glimpses of the life that a younger version of me wanted. And at the same time, it makes me realize that maybe I’m not too far off that living I was chasing. I expect that this year is gonna be full of these “midlife crisis” sounding musings but I am just extremely thankful for what we’ve built here on this site and for the doors it has opened for me over the years.
Now I didn’t go in THIS one specifically but it was very open.
By now you’ve heard a little bit about the event from the faster influencers and media folks in attendance.
It’s a chance for all parts of the organization – business, marketing and community – to give the fan base a sense of where things stand heading into a new year. And not surprisingly, business is good for the Ottawa Senators. Thanks to a long-awaited return to the post-season, it’s clear that this is an organization firing on all cylinders.
You can feel that excitement on a day like this.
On the business side, ticket sales are up across the board and new partners are lining up for a chance to work with the Sens. The demand for playoff tickets in April has translated into a huge increase in the season-ticket base and put the team in a great spot heading into October. With so many home games right out of the gate, the organization has a chance to really continue that momentum that we saw in the playoffs. Even with an inevitable move to LeBreton, the team is still investing in the current building. Seats have been upgraded around the rink and there are new bars popping up all over the rink.
They basically had to drag me outta this place.
On the community side, the impact in the Ottawa and Gatineau area is as strong as it’s ever been. Seriously, take a look at the Community Report that came out this morning. It can get lost in the shuffle a little bit in the day-to-day but it’s a good reminder at just how important this team is in the community and the lengths the team and the players are going to give back.
And on the marketing side, the team has a shiny new jersey and all sorts of exciting things lined up in terms of theme nights. The jersey is drawing mixed reactions, like every other jersey since the dawn of time, but what I will say is don’t judge it until you see it in person. The online photos really don’t do it justice.
Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Spence both stopped by too. You can see part of the scrum with Tkachuk here.
While the jersey release may be the big news of the day, the thing that really jumped out at me was the energy in the room. On the ice, this team took a big step last year. It feels like on all fronts, the organization is ready to build on that success and take this thing to the next level.
Again, a huge thanks to the Ottawa Senators for including me in today’s event!
For a full rundown of the day’s announcements, check out the incredible @BringBackLee. That guy tweets faster than anyone on the planet.
