Assorted Thursday Links

‘Quest for the Cup’?

It seems like just the other when the Ottawa Citizen’s Mark Sutcliffe wrote an article detailing how the Senators marketing department was on the same page as the hockey ops people – promoting the rebuild movement and Ottawa’s youth. (Oh wait, it was just the other day!)

LOUD CROWD UPDATE: Apparently the advertisement that adorns the top of this piece is not the up-to-date version. To find the correct advertisement, follow this link.

New SBP Banner

Thanks to Bryan Murray’s busy month that led up to last year’s trade deadline that saw Mike Fisher and Alexei Kovalev head out of town, the banner adorning ScotiaBank Place’s main gate wound up being pretty barren by the time the wheeling and dealing was done. Well, for those who wanted something new or for those who weren’t particularly enamoured by the 14’x14′ glamour shot that captured Chris Phillips’ gelled male-pattern baldness coif, you’re in luck! A new banner commemorating the team’s 20th Anniversary season has been put up. (Note: that’s not Alexei Yashin on the right. That’s Laurie Boshchman, the captain from the team’s inaugural 1992-93 season.)

Going GIF

Thanks to Twitter follower (@5up) for following up on our request for a GIF that captures a hilarious dance sequence shown during the YouTube video that showcases Steve Duchesne’s infamous goal that launched the Senators into their first playoff appearance. To check out the GIF, follow this link.

Peter Regin Hurt?

The Ottawa Sun is reporting (hat tip to Sens Chirp for the link) that during an informal workout this afternoon on the Bell Sensplex turf, Peter Regin suffered what looks to be a high ankle injury. While there is no news on the severity of the injury itself, the fact that he hurt it while playing soccer bodes well. There stands a good chance that he was only feigning the injury. As Twitter follower @JamesMullins put it, “A quick shot from one of those magic spray cans should fix him up.”

Joking aside, hopefully it’s nothing more than a minor sprain. As one of the few Senators vets who has to take advantage of the internal competition for the vacant second line center minutes, he needs to be healthy in camp to have a shot at proving his worth.

In the meantime while Regin is recovering, I’ll try* not to write any more articles advocating the acquisition of Kyle Turris. (* emphasis on try.)

Adam Proteau Dislikes Ottawa’s Projected Second Line

In his latest article for The Hockey News, Proteau writes:

Other than the presumptive first line of Jason Spezza centering Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek, Ottawa’s forward group is a giant mystery. THN’S depth chart shows the second line as Peter Regin between Nick Foligno and Bobby Butler – and if that’s the way it plays out as the year begins, it could be a very long season in Canada’s capital city.

This season is designed to be one of evaluation and player development so that important player personnel decisions can be made.Proteau is right when he says that it could be a long season filled some losing but I’m comfortable with that (and I hope I’m not alone in saying that) so long as important questions like “Can either of Foligno or Regin be second line players?” are answered.

SenatorsExtra.com Poll Question

Over at the Ottawa Citizen’s subsidiary sports site, James Gordon posed the question, “If the Senators invited Alexandre Daigle back to participate in 20th anniversary celebrations, would you a) cheer for him? b) boo him? c) act indifferent?

Pavol Demitra Left His Mark on Senators

In a fantastic read, Ken Warren examines ‘the one who got away’ from the Senators organization. My favorite part of the article is the story that the left-winger scored on 10 straight shootout attempts at the end of practice in Charlottetown, then skated to centre ice, stripped off a healthy share of his equipment, raised his arms and yelled, “What am I doing here?” It was a good question. 

Does Anyone Know Someone Who Has a Rachunek or Demitra Senators Jersey?

One of our devoted readers is looking to acquire one and in return, he is offering tickets or a donation to a charity of the owner’s choice. If you have one and are interested in talking trade, email us and we’ll put the two of you in touch.