Following a lackluster season, the Ottawa Senators are gearing up for a strong return in the 2024-2025 campaign. The team announced the regular season schedule today, revealing key dates to mark on your calendar.
- October 10th vs Florida Panthers (Home Opener), Brady Tkachuk faces off against his brother and the reigning Stanley Cup Champs
- October 22nd at Utah Hockey Club, First trip to Utah
- October 29th vs St. Louis Blues, Mathieu Joseph returns to Ottawa
- November 9th at Boston Bruins, Linus Ullmark’s first game against the Bruins and return to TD Garden
- January 16th vs Washington Capitals, Jakob Chychrun returns to Ottawa
- January 25th vs Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa hosts the Battle of Ontario
- April 17th vs Carolina Hurricanes (Fan Appreciation Day), Last game of the Regular Season
The Senators have a challenging start to their season, facing off against the 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. This matchup also sees Brady Tkachuk facing off his older brother Matthew in what is sure to be a physical game on both ends… if their past matchups are anything to judge by.
On their first multi-game road trip, Ottawa kicks things off in Salt Lake City visiting the newly formed Utah Hockey Club. This trip is rounded out with stops in Vegas and Colorado.
In one of the few moves made so far in free agency, Ottawa sent Mathieu Joseph to St. Louis. Joseph and the Blues return to Ottawa for the first time on October 29th. The return for Joseph is still to be announced, but the Sens will look to take the first match-up with him on the opposing side.
The biggest move of the off-season the Sens have made to date is trading for the Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark. The Vezina-winning netminder fills one of the biggest holes in the Senator’s line-up and he is facing off against his old team for the first time on November 9th, making his return to TD Gardens.
Unlike last season, the Sens will be on the road during the Holiday season. Since the IIHF World Juniors will be taking place in Ottawa this year, the Senators will have a nine-game road trip to bring them into the new year.
Another player making his return to Ottawa after being traded is Jakub Chychrun. The defenseman had been a key part of the Senator’s lineup over the past two seasons. Chychrun is back in the nation’s capital with his new Washington squad on January 16th.
In a tale as old as time, the Battle of Ontario has been a deep-running rivalry for years. In recent years, the match-ups between Toronto and Ottawa have been pretty one-sided. However, last season, that fire seemed to be re-ignited. With Ottawa dramatically taking the latest bid, thanks to a late-game slapshot from Ridly Greig. The latest rendition of this rivalry finds itself back in Ottawa on January 25th this season.
The Ottawa Senators will hope to be playing meaningful hockey come April. Their final game of the regular season will take place at the Canadian Tire Centre and will see the Senators facing off a new-look Carolina Hurricanes team. This game, as always, will be fan appreciation night in Ottawa.
The Senators will have 26 matchups within the Atlantic Division. They will play the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, and Montreal Canadiens four times and face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers three times.
ITR 37: Round Two – Inside The Rink
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