An Eventful Thursday For the Ottawa Senators

To quote the great retired play-by-play announcer Bob Cole, “Everything is happening.”

It was that kind of day as the Ottawa Senators hit the ice for the first time to open training. camp. There were subtle tweaks to the lineup; a Josh Norris update from the player himself; a surprise signing; no, not the one fans expected; and the day closed with with the official statement from the National Hockey League, that Michael Andlauer had been approved by its Board of Governors as owner of the club.

Meet the new boss

Thursday evening, the new Senators majority owner released a statement to the team’s fans.

Dear Sens Fans,

Today my family and I are really excited to officially become a part of your community, a part of the best fanbase in the NHL and a part of the National Capital Region and Ottawa’s team, the Senators.

Since the announcement of the successful bid for the team, I have gotten to know the community. This is a true hockey community with deep roots in the sport. Sens fans are passionate, understated and underestimated.

We are the team that plays between two large hockey markets who both believe they are the centre of the hockey universe. I have been the underdog my whole life, and I know we have the team, staff, fans and community to prove them wrong.

My partners and I may be the team owners on paper, but this team truly belongs to Ottawa-Gatineau. I promise to take care of your team with the utmost respect, integrity and care both on and off the ice.

On the ice, it is all about having a winning team with the goal of bringing home the Stanley Cup. Off the ice, it is about being inclusive, bringing the community together, being the best in class and being able to make a difference. Our Sens Community Foundation is a very important part of this franchise, for both the community and also for me and my family. I look forward to playing an active role in the process of restoring the Foundation to its place as a pillar of our community.

Thank you to the NHL and the Melnyk family for the trust to steward this remarkable franchise.

To the fans, thank you for your passion and your trust. See you at the rink!

Go Sens Go!

Sincerely,

Michael

Andlauer and his partners will be introduced to the media at a press conference Friday at 11 a.m.

With Country Music star Morgan Wallen taking over the Canadian Tire Centre, the Ottawa Senators shifted gears to the Bell Sensplex with a pair of notable tweaks to the lineup, trials if you will.

Lefty, righty – righty, lefty

Thomas Chabot who’s played the left side on the back end his entire six seasons with the club, skated on the right for the majority of the Group 2 training session alongside his partner Jakob Chychrun.

Chychrun has played the right side on occasion with the Arizona Coyotes.

Head coach D.J. Smith explained the move, “Well, “Chicks” played the right. I’ve always said that the guy with the most skill typically plays his position. But in that case, they both have a tremendous amount of skill and “Chicks” play the right. We know he can play the right. He’s played the right in Arizona. So let’s see if “Chabby” can do it. On the offensive blue line, it’s not really going to matter. It’s off the rush defensively, in the zone offensively. So we’re gonna get a look at it. And obviously, things can move day to day, but we’ll give it a try.”

“I just think those two together, we wanted to have a strong top four. And those two together just played a small sample size (last season). They both like to get into the rush. I think they’re gonna be able to create some offense. I think when you put them out there, you know, with one of your top lines. On icings and what have you, I think they can create quite a bit, they can create off the rush as well,” added Smith.

For Chabot, it was expected and he welcomes it during the preseason, “At the end of the day, it’s just about getting reps and that’s what we’re doing. Practice and the preseason are there for that too, on getting used to playing both sides., but no, it went well. I mean, we talked about it during the summer. We didn’t know who was going to go right or who was going to the left.”

Chabot noted, depending on the situation, a player often ends up on their opposite side, “At the same time, there are so many different situations in the game that you get to happen to be on the right side or the left side and there’s just about reading off each other make it more.”

Newcomer Vladimir Tarasenko also flipped to his offside while skating on a line with centre Josh Norris and right-wing Drake Bathersoin, although they did swap sides towards the latter part of their skate.

“He’s (Tarasenko) on the left, then he went on the right at the end. This is a trial-by-error situation. We have some guys that haven’t played the left in a while in (Claude) Giroux and Drake. So now’s the time to try it.”

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Josh Norris update

Wednesday, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion stated centre Josh Norris sustained a minor “tweak” in his surgically repaired shoulder while participating in a captain’s skate a week ago, and that he would don a non-contact yellow jersey to open camp.

For his part, Norris participated in all drills Thursday and really didn’t appear out of place.

The great news is; that the 24-year-old did not suffer a setback and will play some preseason games, but not the first two per Smith.

“He’s a phenomenal skater clearly, and just a matter of time here, before he gets a regular jersey on – gets into exhibition games. He looks really good and he skated really well.”

Norris understands the organization’s decision early in camp, “I think they’re just looking out for me and I totally get it. Do I want to be in a yellow jersey? Probably not. But I know it’s probably right this early in camp and I just want to feel good, you know when it matters the most. So just taking some precautions and I trust those guys”

A surprise signing

While the Senators GM didn’t get restricted free agent Shane Pinto to sign on the dotted line Thursday, there was still a signing. After playing only one season of junior hockey, undrafted Sudbury Wolves defenseman Djibril Toure inked a three-year entry-level contract with the club.

Toure registered five goals, and 11 assists, posting a team-high 91 penalty minutes with the OHL Wolves in 2022-23.

The six-foot-seven, 200-pound, 20-year-old signed his deal after attending Ottawa Senators development and rookie camps. Toure took Senators’ development coaches Shean Donovan, Wade Redden, Jesse Winchester‘s advice and drove two hours from his home in Montreal to Ottawa each week to work out at the Canadian Tire Centre throughout the summer.

Finishing first in the dreaded skate test Wednesday, Toure is only one year removed from playing in the Central Canada Hockey League where he split the 2021-22 campaign with Carleton Place and Hawkesbury.

Having witnessed Toure at the recent Sabres Prospect Challenge, D.J. Smith provided a synopsis of Toure to Full Press Hockey, “I thought he closed really well. I thought you know for a big guy. His range was really good. I believe he won the skate test here yesterday. He’s an athlete. And obviously, you know, undrafted, and what have you – taking a chance on a six foot six guy that’s an athlete, that’s more rangy and he’s physical. You know, you never know. And he looked pretty good to me.”

Grinning ear to ear, with an infectious laugh, Toure was extremely personable when speaking to the Ottawa Senators media.

“Oh yeah, it actually feels amazing like, like surreal basically. I mean, yeah, that’s telling, two years ago back that I’m gonna be playing with the Sens and have a contract with them. I would be telling you, you’re lying. I mean, it’s been a crazy journey unexpected, but I love it and I’m here for it and ready to work,” exclaimed Toure.

On signing his contract with his parents watching on FaceTime, “Oh my God, it was actually surreal. I didn’t believe it at first, but once I saw it sat in Pierre Dorion’s office with pen and paper in my hands. It was unreal. I can’t tell you more.”

Unwritten etiquette is, that there’s no cheering in the press box, but one has to cheer for a success story such as Djibril Toure.

News Release: The #Sens have signed ATO defenceman Djibril Toure to a three-year, entry-level contract: https://t.co/yXWDXir4Rf pic.twitter.com/vob2mXFjXX

— Sens Communications (@Media_Sens) September 21, 2023