The Senators will compete in the annual Kraft Hockeyville preseason game this fall.
If the Ottawa Senators could get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs half as often as they get to Kraft Hockeyville, Sens fans would probably be okay with that.
The league announced on Saturday that the Senators will participate in a preseason game as part of Kraft Hockeyville, an event awarded to the community of Elliot Lake, Ontario*. The game will be held on Sunday, September 29th, as the Senators will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It's the first officially scheduled Sens game for next season. The rest of their preseason schedule will be announced later this month.
The Senators played a Hockeyville game last year in Sydney, Nova Scotia. East Coaster Drake Batherson wrote a perfect hometown hockey story, scoring a goal and three assists in his return to where he played major junior hockey. The Senators defeated the Florida Panthers 4-2.
The previous year, the Sens played two games against the Habs: one in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the other two days later in Bouctouche, New Brunswick. This will be the ninth Hockeyville game the Sens have played since Hockeyville started in 2006.
As part of the prize for winning Kraft Hockeyville 2024, Elliot Lake received $250,000 for upgrades to support the reopening of its local rink, Centennial Arena. The community also gets $10,000 worth of kids' hockey equipment from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund.
"Northern Ontario maintains a rich hockey history," Senators President of Hockey Operations and GM Steve Staios said in a press release. "We're looking forward to showcasing both our team and our brand to the many passionate fans in their communities as part of this fall's Kraft Hockeyville events.”
June 19 preseason schedule update: The Habs announced on June 19th they will play the Sens on October 1st at home and on the 5th in Ottawa)
*This corrects an earlier version of this story that indicated the game would be held in Elliot Lake. While Elliot Lake was the winner of Kraft Hockeyville, the location of the game has not been finalized. – SW