At the past few World Championships, Ottawa Senator players have thrived for Team Canada. Since there won't be any Senators playing this year, we look back at some of the best Sens' performances.
As Canada opens the 2023 World Hockey Championships on Friday, they’re a little shy on Ottawa Senators. Yes, after a silver medal last year, head coach D.J. Smith has returned for an encore performance as assistant coach. But for the first time since 2017, there are no actual Senator players on Team Canada this year.
2022 Worlds: Thomas Chabot, Drake Batherson, Nick Holden
Both Thomas Chabot and Drake Batherson suited up last year and would have made fine targets for Hockey Canada again this year. Both players have stepped up for Canada in the past, especially Chabot, who’s been to a U18 Worlds, two World Juniors and three World Championships. He’s truly been Captain Canada. And last year, he was literally Canada’s captain. But unfortunately, a wrist injury ended his NHL season early this year and rehab will be the focus of his spring and summer.
“Yeah, it’s my wrist,” Chabot said at the team’s season-ending media availability. “A torn ligament and a cracked bone. That’s going to be the main focus, going through the summer, is fully rehabbing it and making sure it’s not something that stays all summer and maybe into next season.”
Amen to that. For the Senators to return to the playoffs in an uber-tight Eastern Conference, the Senators need Chabot to be fully healthy, not playing through pain like he did for a lot of this season.
As for Batherson, he almost certainly would have played if not for a recent Hockey Canada ruling to ban all 2018 Team Canada World Junior players from international competition. Five players from that team are being investigated in connection with an alleged sexual assault. No charges have been filed, but Hockey Canada has opted to bench all 22 players until things get sorted out.
“I definitely would’ve been interested,” Batherson said. “But obviously with what happened with my World Junior team, we’re not eligible to go this year because of the ongoing investigation. But if I ever get that opportunity to represent Team Canada again, I would absolutely go. I had an absolute blast, meeting new teammates, playing in different countries, it was awesome. Especially last year being in Finland, that was kind of cool going over to Europe.”
Batherson had a memorable tournament last year, winning a silver medal and then finishing second in overall scoring. His biggest highlight was an overtime goal in the quarterfinals. Down 3-0 to Sweden in the third period, the Canadians looked like they were heading home, before rallying to win it 4-3. Batherson set up the tying goal in the dying moments and then scored in overtime to win it.
2021 Worlds: Connor Brown, Nick Paul, Jacob Bernard-Docker
The 2021 tourney got off to a disastrous start. The team lost its first three games to Latvia, the U.S. and Germany and actually needed help elsewhere just to barely squeeze into the knockout round. Once they were in, they suddenly got off the mat and began throwing haymakers.
Connor Brown led the entire tournament in scoring. And in the final, he set up Paul for the golden goal, one of the most memorable markers in the tournament's history.
2020 Worlds: Cancelled
2019 Worlds: Thomas Chabot, Mark Stone
Chabot and Mark Stone helped Canada to a silver medal, falling to Finland in the gold medal game. Unlike 2021, Canada dominated preliminary play, going 6-1. Unfortunately, the tournament ended the way it started, with a 3-1 loss to the Finns.
Full disclosure, Stone had actually been shipped out to Vegas three months earlier, so he's an unofficial Senator in this story. But the trade was still so new that he still felt like a Senator. Stone's big moment was also in the quarterfinal when he scored in overtime to keep Canada alive, en route to being MVP of the tournament.
Team Canada does have a few Ottawa ties this year, including former Ottawa 67 Tyler Toffoli who'll take over from Chabot as team captain. Ottawa natives Mackenzie Weegar and Jack Quinn will also play. Devon Levi, who used to play for the CCHL's Carleton Place Canadians will have a chance to suit up for Canada in goal.