Hockey, and sports in general, can be broken down into unforgettable moments. Some moments chart the course of a franchise, if not an entire league. These moments can define a team’s destiny for years to come, or be forgotten in the wind. Last Word On Hockey’s Summer Series looks at these defining moments this time around, and looks at those that defy destiny. Today we travel to the Canadian National capital and feature the biggest defining moment of the Ottawa Senators.
The Ottawa Senators Renewed Franchise Defining Moments
The Ottawa Senators reenactment of their franchise has brought success. Conversely, it has also been quite unsuccessful. Back in 1992, June I think it was, the Sens got to draft their franchise that would debut in the NHL along with its expansion cousins the Tampa Bay Lightning. In fact, if you throw the San Jose Sharks in there, the trio experienced very similar fates to their NHL franchise existence respective beginnings’. Poor winning percentages.
Obviously, you would have to mix in the good times. The first that comes to mind, especially of recent times, the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoff run. Glimpses of that run probably came to the forefront before that infamous run, like back in 2015, when the Hamburglar Andrew Hammond would go 20-1-2, and down the stretch, having come into the season with only a single game of NHL experience. There were definitely signals the team was strong. The likes of Mark Stone, Erik Karlsson, and Kyle Turris had more than enough talent to go around. Also, Craig Anderson was the unheralded legend of the Sens during that run. He was 35 at the time of the 2017 playoffs. His total career stats with the Sens include ten seasons, 435 games, a 202-168-46 record, a 2.84 goals-against average and a spectacular .914 save percentage.
The True Ottawa Senators Defining Moments
But, also don’t forget, we are here to talk about the Ottawa Senators defining moments, not ultimate successes. Also, don’t forget that Karlsson was one of the league’s best defencemen for a long time during his span in Ottawa. But let’s start with a trip way back, back to the turn of the 20th century.
Of course, a long time ago, the Ottawa franchise, The Silver Seven, deserve a lot of the rich heritage for hockey on the Rideau Canal. The hockey club was one of the dominant of the world for a long stretch. Moreover, names like Frank (one-eyed) McGee or Harvey Pulford were among the hardest players to beat for any competitor for their time on top. Perhaps the real defining moment is from those times, a city that captured 11 Stanley Cup championships, between 1903 and 1927. But our criteria is not to include the previous iterations of the franchise, just like with the Winnipeg Jets for instance. So, what about the Sens all-time franchise defining moment, the new version of the Sens hockey club.
Frank McGee, the Senators’ First Franchise Player https://t.co/xPQdalzjm4#NHL #THW
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) July 25, 2025
The Top-Defining Ottawa Senators Moment the ’06 Injury
The 2005-06 versus the 2006-07 discussion would definitely be in the debate for greatest NHL moment, as they appeared in what is the new franchise version’s only ever Stanley Cup Final to this point.
But for the Ottawa Senators, it is no debate when it comes to defining moments. The lead up to this run of dominance was quite spectacular. However, perhaps the build up began before the ’07 run to the cup. The acquisition of Dany Heatley? Maybe. A legendary points-per-game. Not our take, but now you’re hot. The 2007 team was good, they had depth, but the 2006 team was more skilled. The type of skill that could have overcome depth. Furthermore, the major point of why the 2006 Stanley Cup playoff team was better. Zdeno Chara and Dominik Hasek made the ’06 team better, can anyone say Martin (Marty) Havlat (the Havlatian one)?
We All the Reason Know Is Dominik Hasek
The Ottawa Senators defining moment is in the Winter ’06. The Olympics. Hasek was cruising that season for the Senators, 28-10-4. Then, just ten minutes into the 2006 Torino Winter Olympic Games, Hasek would go down with an adductor muscle tear. Not known at the time, but that would effectively end his 2005-06 NHL campaign as well.
The Dominator, none other than Dominik Hasek himself. At one time, this man won back-to-back Hart Memorial Trophies as league Most Valuable Player. Yes, Hasek may have been 41 years old. Conversely, he would go on to win his final Stanley Cup championship two years later. He appeared in 41 games in 2007-08. The man was a legend, and as long as he was in an NHL net, one of the most dominant of all time. Five seasons in his NHL career he had a .930 SV% or better.
Of course, Ray Emery did a more than admirable job of stepping up. He more than proved himself in the 2006-07 run. The loss of the Hamilton native was a tragic moment for the entire hockey community. Furthermore, he was a goalie that played nearly 300 career NHL games (287). This is a man who had a 145-86-28 record, with 16 shutouts, a 2.70 GAA and a .906 SV%. He was more than competent, but the Sens missed the high-end skill in 2007. In any case, the Hasek injury, and the loss of a chance at a playoff run with Hasek in the pipes will go down as the defining moment in the Ottawa Senators franchise.
Naturally, it leads to the Sens honourable mention defining moments. The Marian Hossa for Dany Heatley trade was definitely up there. Also, after the 2005-06 season, the Sens had a huge choice to make. They effectively had to decide between one of Chara and Wade Redden. At the time, it made sense to the city of Ottawa. But deep down, Chara would go down as a great. At 6’9″, and an unstoppable clock, how could anybody rival the Big Z on defence.
The defining moments for the Sens, can’t be their first-round exits against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was more about making it to the playoffs, after having started their franchise on such a rough foot. It wasn’t until their home grown prospects emerged as stars, opposed to the strategy for building the Vegas Golden Knights for say example.
Alexandre Daigle‘s lack of ability to reach expectations, is a legacy the Sens franchise carries the weight of, maybe to this day. We are really here to argue that the 2007 Stanley Cup appearance was the Sens defining moment, but we wanted to explain the lead up to it.
Well we hope you enjoyed our summer series and our take on the Ottawa Senators franchise defining moments. Yes, there were definitely other instances of defining moments for Ottawa. Getting Ron Tugnutt was a big deal for the team initially beginning to get over the hump. Players like Mike Fisher and Chris Neil were icons in the Ottawa market, despite not possessing much star-level qualities. We didn’t even reference the 2003 team, that kind of set a precedence for the team wanted to be a contender. Again, another run that led to the 2006 timeline being so influential. In any case, the current core has had some defining moments, maybe the 2020 NHL Entry Draft or the acquisition of the Vezina-calibre backstop Linus Ullmark. But one thing is for sure, their best is yet to come.
Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
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