The Ottawa Senators play the second game of their annual rookie tournament today in London, Ontario.
This afternoon's opposition is the rookie from the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks dropped their tournament opener to Toronto on Thursday. The Sens will close out the tournament with a game against against those same Maple Leafs tomorrow night.
Ottawa was impressive in the tournament's opening game, cruising to an easy 4-1 win. Derek Grant, who was named team captain for the tournament, scored twice in the game. The other goals came from Jean Gabriel Pageau and Troy Rutkowski.
Plenty of players stood out for the Sens in that one but it was the performance of Shane Prince that stood out. He dominated in all three zones, picked up a couple assists and even got his gloves off in the third period. Prince is often forgotten with all the legitimate prospects this organization has but he's a guy that is close to making the jump to the big leagues.
Will add line up notes to this post as they become available. Full tournament roster notes can be found here.
You can catch the game on Rogers 22 in Ottawa or on the radio at The Team 1200.
- A quick update on the Jared Cowen negotiations. Actually, perhaps the word "negotiations" is no longer accurate. As I understand it, the Sens have sort of left Cowen and his agent with a few take it or leave it options. Believe there is a mix of short and long term options being offered to the big defenceman and it's now up to him to pick which one suits him best right now. The Sens seem pretty intent on keeping Cowen's salary this season below the $3 million being pulled in by Marc Methot.
- The Ottawa Senators play their first pre season game next weekend in Winnipeg! They'll officially open their training camp on Wednesday with their pre camp medicals and make their first appearance on the ice on Thursday morning. Hockey is almost back!
- Reminder that this weekend you can bring your empties into a local Beer Store and donate 100% of the proceeds to Roger's House. The Annual Bottle Drive for Roger's House, operated by the Sens Foundation, is a great way to raise money for a terrific cause.
