During the media event the Ottawa Senators hosted on Sept. 3, there were plenty of announcements, including the plan for Brady Tkachuk’s return to the capital, their slogan for the 2026-27 season, changes inside the Canadian Tire Centre, and plenty of other things.
Some of their announcements came as a surprise, but a lot of these were answers to questions many have been asking.
Senators to Show Tribute Video When Tkachuk Returns
While there were some arguments online about whether Tkachuk would receive a tribute video as a thank you for his services, it was likely always going to happen. He ranks top-10 in games played and assists, and top-five in goals and points. The team confirmed they will be playing one.
He was a member of the team for eight seasons, captain for five, and the heartbeat of the team for many years.
Was the ending ugly? For sure, but teams almost always show some respect to a former player, especially one of this calibre.
How will fans react to the video? It is expected that there will be a lot of booing, there could be jerseys thrown on the ice, and very few, if any, cheers.
The return may be similar to when Jack Eichel was rained on with boos when playing his first game back at the KeyBank Center. While the situation was very different, the dislike from the fanbase at the time of that tribute was very similar to where the Senators fans are at now.
New Slogan “The Hill We Choose” Generates Backlash Online
After some great slogans over the last decade, including “The Kids Are Alright”, “Sens in Session”, and others, the reaction to their newest rendition from fans online hasn’t gone as they had hoped.
With “The Hill We Choose” announced as the new slogan, the message that was supposed to be sent was in opposition to Tkachuk leaving, stating how the players are choosing to be there, and that Ottawa is a place they want to be.
Some of the backlash on the announcement included how the phrase is similar to “a hill to die on”, causing some confusion about the usage of the phrase. In the unveiling of the slogan, a white silhouette of a man placing a flag on a hill is shown, and many pointed out that a white flag is symbolic of surrender.
18 Theme Nights Announced for Home Games
A growing trend across the league has been themed games in the home arena. The Senators have done many of these before, but there are some fun new ones.
Oct. 8, 2026 vs. PHI – Home Opener: The home opener for any team is always exciting, and while this isn’t necessarily a theme, the crowd is bound to be loud and enjoy the atmosphere, with the first 10,000 fans receiving a magnetic schedule.
Oct. 24, 2026 vs. NYR – Rinkside Rodeo: It will be cowboy/cowgirl night in the Canadian Tire Centre as they host the New York Rangers, with the first 7,000 fans receiving a Senators-themed rope hat.
Nov. 12, 2026 vs. COL – Hockey Fights Cancer: November is Hockey Fights Cancer Month, and each team hosts their own themed game with light purple jerseys and stick tape, which go up for auction to raise proceeds for charities. The Senators will host theirs against the Colorado Avalanche.
Nov. 21, 2026 vs. LAK – Women in Sport Night: The Senators will be celebrating women in sports, including the PWHL’s Ottawa Charge, and will be hosting special concourse programming.
Nov. 23, 2026 vs. CGY – Catan Night: It was a bit of a shock to see the Senators hosting a Catan Night, but it generated a lot of excitement online. Last month, The Athletic’s Keith Law wrote about Catan popping up across major sports. (Why a board game is popping up across the NBA, NHL, and NFL, The Athletic, Aug. 13, 2026)
Dec. 10, 2026 vs. VGK – Bobblehead Night: Another common theme night, especially for the Senators, is Bobblehead Night. This will be their first of the season, and who the night is focused on hasn’t been announced.
Dec. 14, 2026 vs. BUF – Germany Send Off: The Senators are partaking in the NHL Global Series, heading to Dusseldorf, Germany, to play two games against the Chicago Blackhawks just 30 minutes from Tim Stutzle’s hometown, Viersen. The Germany Send Off will be focused around Stutzle, and there will likely be lots of German flags and colors around the rink.
Jan. 14, 2027 vs. WPG – Hockey Talks: The Senators traditionally host an event around Bell Let’s Talk Day and will be hosting their own Hockey Talks day to raise awareness for mental health.
Jan. 23, 2027 vs. CBJ – Arcade Night: With Arcade Night, the Senators stated, “Level up your game night with classic arcade games throughout the arena!”
Jan. 25, 2027 vs. CAR – Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night: Like every season, the Senators will take a night to celebrate and appreciate all of the Canadian Armed Forces, where they will likely warm up in camouflage jerseys and will pay tribute to veterans and active-duty service members.
Feb. 9, 2027 vs. CBJ – Indigenous Culture Celebration: The Senators will take this night to celebrate the deep Indigenous culture rooted within the Ottawa area, and across the nation.
Feb. 25, 2027 vs. DET – Black History Celebration: Like their Indigenous Culture Celebration, the Senators will be taking a night to celebrate Black history in the local area, as well as across Canada.
March 6, 2027 vs. SEA – Sparty’s Birthday: The Senators will celebrate their mascot, Spartacat, where they typically have festivities in the plaza, other team mascots may appear, and the first 5,000 fans will receive a special retro-style lunch box, likely to be Sparty-themed.
March 7, 2027 vs. BUF – Together Igniting Hope Telathon: The Senators will host a telathon to raise money for pediatric care, mental health services, and more. Along with a live phone line during the broadcast, the Senators may also have special merchandise available.
March 11, 2027 vs. MIN – Pride Night: The Senators will celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ community with Pride-themed activities throughout the rink.
March 14, 2027 vs. VAN – Star Wars Night: Another common theme night across the league is built around Star Wars, with an altered in-arena atmosphere, fans dressing up, and much more.
April 4, 2027 vs. DET – Bobblehead Night #2: The second Bobblehead Night the Senators will host comes at the tail end of the season.
April 8, 2027 vs. WSH – Fan Appreciation Night: The Senators’ penultimate home game will be their Fan Appreciation Night, which typically consists of parties in the plaza, giveaways, prizes, and much more.
PWHL’s Ottawa Charge Welcomed to CTC
The Canadian Tire Centre has been undergoing some significant changes, and while there is a further breakdown below, they have done some big work to prepare for the arrival of the Ottawa Charge.
The team is moving from TD Place to the Canadian Tire Centre as their permanent home venue. Senators great and vice president of business operations, Chris Phillips, stated, “We’re building out a campus for the Charge…it’s a brand new area of the building for them to have their own dedicated locker room, lounge and facilities.”
While the future of the Senators’ home arena isn’t set in stone, the Charge will be playing at the CTC for the foreseeable future and will be making sure they feel more than welcome.
CTC Making More Significant Changes
In addition to preparing for the Charge’s arrival, the arena will be getting some more upgrades for this season.
One of the big changes will be the new Fan Deck in the 300-level. Andrew Wilimek wrote, “The Fan Deck will be open to anyone in the building with a ticket. General Admission standing room tickets will go on sale for select games. Fans can expect there to be full bar service and food stations added.”
This Fan Deck will replace seating sections 301 and 328, which has led to a reduced official capacity, dropping to 17,010 from 18,655 in previous seasons.
The team showcased some new food options as well, with a poutine burger, Cheetos steak nachos, and waffle chicken sandwiches garnering great reviews online.
Senators Unveil Sens Army Express Transportation
One of the biggest issues with the Senators calling the CTC their home has been fans leaving the centre of the city, and heading to Kanata to watch the games. The location isn’t ideal, and with the inconsistency of their light rail transit, the Senators stepped in to make their own option.
With the introduction of the Sens Army Express, the team stated, “The bus service will take fans from Molson bars spread throughout Ottawa-Gatineau to the Canadian Tire Centre for every Ottawa Senators home game, beginning with preseason games against Toronto and Montreal in late September.”
Adding this additional transportation is not only a way to get more fans to the games, but also to help solve one of the big complaints about the rink. This is a great step for the team.
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