CoryWatt

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Cory Watt·May 17, 2023·Partner

Top 10 Ottawa Senators Who Went on to Win Stanley Cups

Every fan base bemoans the ones that got away - players who left their team and went on to great things. But the list of former Senators who've actually gone on to win a Stanley Cup is fairly small. Over the weekend, I engaged in a hockey conversation I’d had many times before. Somebody was talking about Jakob Chychrun scoring more goals this season than all Sens defencemen combined. “They always seem to get better when they leave here. Why can’t they have that success here in Ottawa?” I can’t be the only one who's heard this. Others must have had to sit through talk about Mika Zibanejad being a number one centre now in New York, about Erik Karlsson having a 100-point season in San Jose a couple of years ago, or about Filip Gustavsson being a top five goalie in pretty much all categories right now in Minnesota. While all of these things may be true, not one of those players will find their names engraved on the Stanley Cup. Not yet, anyway. In fact, the actual list of players who played at least a half-season in Ottawa and then moved on to achieve that ultimate success is very small. A few were superstars, but most were not. Here are the top 10 former Senators who went on to win a Cup. 10. STANISLAV NECKAR Neckar was my favourite Senators player name growing up (NETZ-CASH) and was traded from Nashville to Tampa Bay at the deadline in 2004. He played just two games in the playoffs (which was twice as many games as he'd played all season) and the night he lifted the Cup would be his final appearance in an NHL uniform. 9. MIKE PELUSO Remember him? An original expansion draft Senator and Kentucky Waterfall advocate (to quote the Beastie Boys, a number one on the side and don’t touch the back, a number six on top and don’t cut it wack, Jack), Peluso managed 318 PIM in his only season with the Senators. He went on to tally 3 points in 20 games to lift the Cup as part of the 1994-95 New Jersey Devils. And it's doubtful anyone's been more emotional than Peluso was that night. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlVEUI4EdOQ[/embed] 8. ANDRE ROY The former Sens enforcer, one of the funniest guys to ever play for the team, appeared in 21 playoff games for Tampa Bay in 2004. And the night they won the Cup, he was pretty happy about it, cutting loose with a river dance on skates [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q97dOSUuaiw[/embed] 7. STEVE DUCHESNE Duchene scored THE goal of my childhood. In 1997, his 1-0 winner with four minutes left against Buffalo put the Senators in the playoffs for the first time. He had six points in twenty-three games with the Cup-winning 2002 Detroit Red Wings, before retiring, like a hero. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kijOAMpZFQA[/embed] 6. ANTOINE VERMETTE Vermette scored three game-winning goals en route to a Cup win with the 2015 Chicago Blackhawks. That includes this double overtime winner in Game 4 of the Western Final. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR63O3j8kfY[/embed] 5. CHRIS KELLY The Ottawa fan favourite scored 13 points in 2011, finishing 7th in team playoff scoring, to help the Boston Bruins win it all. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5v4WdKCmzU[/embed] 4. RAY EMERY Emery will forever be remembered for backstopping the Sens 2007 run to the Cup final, but also for fighting Martin Biron and Andrew Peters back-to-back that year, with a smile on his face. In 2013, Razor became the first NHL goaltender to start off a season with 12 consecutive wins. He went 17-1 with the eventual Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks that year but did not make an appearance in the playoffs. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzD5RF7G2Qg[/embed] 3. DOMINIK HASEK Had anyone ever really heard of an adductor? Before The Dominator blew his out playing against Germany, he won 65% of his games as a Senator. He never saw the Ottawa crease again after the Olympics and forced a 23-year-old Ray Emery into the thick of a playoff race. The team did not resign him, and he went on to win the 2008 Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings. He then retired to rest his… I want to say back. No, groin. No, it’s more like a rear end/hip thing, right? [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBA_k1NSgnI[/embed] 2. ZDENO CHARA Big Z had 149 points in 299 games as a Senator. More importantly, I once saw him driving near his Kanata home with the majority of his head sticking up out of an SUV’s sunroof. He scored nine points in twenty-four games as captain of the 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DBjIlGDhn0[/embed] 1. MARIAN HOSSA Everybody’s favourite. 390 points in 467 games as a Senator. Three Stanley Cups. Five Cup Finals. Hockey Hall of Famer. ‘Nuff said. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qBE0n7ghAU[/embed]

Cory Watt·May 11, 2023·Partner

Tkachuk Brothers Are Made For the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Compared to the regular season, the NHL playoffs are almost a different sport. But Matthew Tkachuk's game transitions perfectly to the grind of the post-season, and once Brady gets there, his will too. This column was going to come as a major shock. A real hot take. Following his King Clancy Trophy nomination this week, it was going to be filled with gushing talk of Brady Tkachuk’s “intangibles” and what he brings to this team on and off the ice. I know, real groundbreaking stuff. Then it seemed a better option to tackle a topic that had yet to be spoken of by anyone: potential. Oh, yes. In the past five years, why hasn’t anyone, anywhere, thought to speak of the Ottawa Senators' potential? In all seriousness, Senators fans have heard about potential for so long they’re dying to see something actually happen. This year was a good step, but we’ve seen many good steps end up in the same place. However, maybe there's reason for real hope this time. There’s always endless pleasure for Senator fans in watching the Toronto Maple Leafs attempt a Stanley Cup playoff run. This season, it may be worthwhile for the Sens faithful to watch the difficulty the Leafs (and the Bruins) have had with Matthew Tkachuk. Yes, I recognize that Brady and Matthew are different players, just look at their first names. Matthew clearly has more offensive jam, while Brady probably has more physical jam. All this to say, the Tkachuk residence is a jam factory and big Walt is a… wait, what do you call someone who makes jam? Clumsy metaphors aside, the Tkachuk will to win is flowing from their pores and that's been playoff torture for the Bruins and Leafs. Watching the Bruins lose in overtime in games 5 and 7, it was stupefying to see how Matthew Tkachuk was left to bother Bruin goalies, to tip pucks, to generally be a Tkachuk in the blue paint. And watching that makes one think. Who else is capable of doing this? Who relishes that dirty, painful position directly in front of a goalie? Who else scores so many of his goals either in or just outside the crease? If this is what works in the playoffs, then the Senators and their fans DO have reason to hope. Again, I recognize Matthew and Brady are different, but they're both perfectly suited for the playoffs. We just need to see it now. We just need to see Brady get there and have a chance to shine the way Matthew currently is. There may also be a good reason for Senators fans to cheer for the Florida Panthers right now, beyond the fact they’re playing Ottawa’s biggest rival. How about sibling rivalry? I’m not sure about anybody else, but if my brother had anything, I wanted it. It didn’t even matter if I liked what it was, I just needed to have it. If Brady can tap into that and outshine his brother (the way I’ve sworn a blood oath to outshine mine), then there’s reason to get excited. First you have potential, then you accomplish something, then you make history.