It hasn’t always been easy being a fan of the Ottawa Senators.
In fact, there were times in the last few years especially where it was downright painful.
High-profile player departures, off-ice missteps, front office turmoil, a cash-strapped owner, mismanagement of precious assets, friggin’ terrible picks and seemingly endless fan outrage defined a lot of the Sens fan experience.
It really wasn’t the best way to spend your free time.
Yet last night, watching another dominant performance by Tim Stuetzle at the World Juniors and the downright giddy reaction of Sens fans in real time, it became crystal clear that the fog that has hung over this organization for the last few years has finally lifted.
It’s going to take some time for this fan base to get its swagger back. For a few years, our default setting was sad. And as we saw in the mini-meltdown following the Derek Stepan trade, there are still a lot of us that are stuck in that mindset.
It may take awhile to completely shake off everything that has happened in then last few years. The process of a sports franchise earning back the trust of fans can be complicated. While a lot of us are over it and have been for some, it’s going to take a bit longer for others. And there will be some that will always take a more cautious approach. And that’s fine.
There’s no right way to be a fan.
But whether you are the optimistic type or a little more cynical by nature, know this- there are bright days ahead for this franchise. It’s going to be fun to be a fan of the Ottawa Senators again.
And a lot of it is going to be because of Tim Stuetzle.
Never mind the fact that they already have one of the deepest prospect pools in hockey but what they have in Stuetzle is a player that has a real chance at being a star in the NHL.
A rare combination of speed, skill and raw determination. A player that is desperate to win and that has the physical tools to turn that desperation into reality.
And unlike some other can’t miss prospects in Sens history, this is not just the rose-coloured glasses of a biased Sens fan talking.
Fans of other teams can see it too. They know he’s gonna be a problem for a long, long time. The scouts can see it. Although even they may have underestimated the will of this particular player. The TSN broadcast crew at the World Juniors can’t stop talking about it. You’d think he was a Leaf the way they are fawning over him at every opportunity.
Ottawa has something special here.
It won’t happen immediately.
Over the course of this strange season there are likely to be ups and downs as Stuetzle transitions to the NHL game. But even through those growing pains, there are going to be moments where this kid demands your attention. Lifts you out of your seat. You won’t be able to look away. He’s that good.
The final steps in this whole “Ottawa Rising” thing are going to require a bit of patience. Turning a deep prospect pool into on-ice NHL success doesn’t happen over night. And it’s anything but automatic.
But it certainly happens a little quicker when you have a player like Tim Stuetzle on your side.
