The Ottawa Senators’ Quarter-Century Teams are set to be announced by the NHL on Jan. 25 as a part of their ongoing series. Every NHL team has two teams of their best players since Jan. 1, 2000, with three forwards, two defensemen, and a goaltender. The club-related posts have a First Team and a Second Team, and here, we will predict the Senators’ two quarter-century teams.
Ottawa Senators First Team
Going back to the first decade of eligibility for this list, the 2000s will make up the forward group, and one of the defensemen on this team. Into the 2010s, that is where the goaltender and other defenseman will make their mark.
Forwards: Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza
The famous “Pizza Line” has without a doubt been the most dominant trio the Senators have ever been able to put on the ice. While their performance and accolades together made for some special hockey moments, but individually, they are also the three top forwards to have played for the Senators during the past quarter-century.
Daniel Alfredsson served as the captain of the Senators for 13 seasons, beginning in the 1999-00 season. In the eligible span for the quarter-century teams, Alfredsson posted 886 points, which was the majority of his well-respected Senators career as he is widely regarded as the greatest Senator of all time.
Whenever the name Dany Heatley comes up, people immediately think of the phrase “50 in ’07”, calling back to his 50-goal season in 2006-07. One thing people overlook is that he scored 50 goals in 2005-06 as well. He scored 100 goals in his first two seasons with the team, and even to this day, he is the only 50-goal-scorer in Senators history. His departure was messy, and he doesn’t have the tenure that many other Senators legends do, but in his four seasons with the team, he was one of the best players in the league.
Jason Spezza, the center that held the “Pizza Line” together, was a dominant player as well. With parts of 12 seasons under his belt, all within the 25-year range, Spezza was without a doubt a star. His coming-out party was in 2005-06 as he scored 90 points in the regular season in just 68 games. The next season, in 67 games, he scored another 87 points. If Spezza was healthy during those seasons, he could very well own the single-season point record for the club. His playoff performances were outstanding as well. Between those first post-lockout seasons, Spezza had 36 points in 30 playoff games.
Defensemen: Erik Karlsson, Chris Phillips
There isn’t much that needs to be said about these two. Erik Karlsson is arguably one of the best defensemen to play the game, especially during the 2010s. With two Norris Trophies, contending for the Hart Trophy multiple times, and some outstanding offense, Karlsson is the best defenseman to ever lace up for the Senators, and despite being traded after nine seasons with the club, he is still in the conversation, along with Alfredsson, as the greatest Senator of all time. Karlsson amassed 518 points in 627 games with the Senators and served as captain for three seasons.
Related: Revisiting the Sharks’ Erik Karlsson Trade
Chris Phillips, while not a flashy player by any means, was one of the most stable defensemen in the league through the 2000s. He was the backbone of the defense group, and while many great defensemen also played with him, he made everyone better by being so reliable. With a combination of plenty of hits, blocks, takeaways, and not many giveaways, Phillips was as sturdy as a defenseman you could ask for.
Goaltender: Craig Anderson
Another pick with absolutely no debate. Craig Anderson leads the way in almost every goaltending category in Senators history. He ranks second in save percentage among goalies with 50+ games, trailing behind only Andrew Hammond, but ranks first in games played, wins, and second in shutouts. Anderson was never really a superstar goalie but was as reliable as anyone could ask for. He did place fourth in Vezina Trophy voting twice (only once in Ottawa), but outside of that, he didn’t receive votes any other year. With Anderson in net, the Senators were confident that they would have a chance to win almost any night.
Ottawa Senators Second Team
There are a lot of players who could make this team. There are hardly any clear-cut, objectively correct, and locks for the second team.
Forwards: Marian Hossa, Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk
For Marian Hossa, he only played for the Senators for four and a half seasons within the timeframe of these announced teams. The thing about Hossa is that he was such a complete player. From the 1999-00 season until his last season with the club, the 2003-04 season, he recorded over 350 points, was one of the fastest players on the ice at any time, and was strong on both sides of the puck. Hossa’s lack of longevity causes some hesitation, but there is no doubt that he is one of the most talented players to play for the Senators. In that short timeframe, Hossa had earned votes for the Selke Trophy, Lady Byng, and Hart Trophy twice each.
Now moving to the present day Senators, Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle have only just begun their careers.
Tkachuk has been captain of the Senators for four seasons, and in that time he has developed into a true unicorn of a player. In a league with true power forwards working their way out, Tkachuk is one of the few players who stand true to the meaning behind that title. Whether it be atop the league in hits and penalty minutes or scoring close to 40 goals and posting respectable point totals, Tkachuk does it all. In 475 games, Tkachuk has already entered the top 10 in franchise scoring. While the future is still very bright for him, he is still one of the greatest players to play for the Senators over the last 25 years.
Stutzle has emerged as one of the most talented players to ever play for the club, with the biggest competition being Karlsson. At just 23 years old, Stutzle has already posted over 100 goals and 290 points, including a dominant 2022-23 season where he recorded 39 goals and 90 points. He is just starting to scratch the surface of what he is capable of, but in just over 300 games he is already flirting with the top ten in franchise scoring.
Defensemen: Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden
While Zdeno Chara was just starting to take the step into stardom he would have with the Boston Bruins, he was still an excellent defenseman with the Senators. He did all of the things that made him as good as he was in Boston, but just not to the same extent. He was still a heavy-hitting, shot-blocking machine who played great defensively. In his four seasons with the Senators, Chara posted 146 points including two seasons with over 40. The introduction of the salary cap forced a difficult decision upon the Senators, and the idea of keeping Chara is one of the biggest hypotheticals in franchise history.
Ironically, the decision to move on from Chara was so that the Senators could hang onto Wade Redden, who fills in the other defensive slot here. Since Jan. 1, 2000, Redden played eight seasons with the Senators and earned Norris Trophy votes in seven of those seasons. He was a minute-eating defenseman with great defending abilities. While he wasn’t as physical as most defensemen of his style, he could move the puck very well, and was able to be relied upon for nearly 40 points or more when healthy.
Goaltender: Ray Emery
Without a doubt, the most difficult decision on this exercise is who this second goaltender would be. Ray Emery will forever be remembered in Ottawa for being the backstop for the back-to-back playoff runs in 2005-06 and 2006-07 where he played a combined 30 games in those two years. The 2006-07 playoff run, where the Senators lost to the Anaheim Ducks in the Stanley Cup Final, remains as one of the best memories for Senators fans, and Emery is a huge part of that.
Honourable Mentions/Third Team
Forwards:
Mark Stone, Chris Neil, Mike Fisher
Defensemen:
Thomas Chabot, Anton Volchenkov
Goaltender:
Patrick Lalime
The Senators haven’t had a ton of success over this 25-year span, but they have certainly had some impactful players make their mark on the franchise in that time.
