Posted by Roy Mlakar on March 26, 2009 in Roy Mlakar

Any team that tells its fans that "improvement" is its goal – and doesn’t make reaching the playoffs its top priority – is probably a struggling franchise. In Ottawa, fans have now seen their team go to the post-season for 11 consecutive years, a streak that is second in the NHL only to the Detroit Red Wings (the New Jersey Devils have also made the playoffs every season since 1996-97, matching Ottawa's streak).

The Senators, who reached the Stanley Cup final just two years ago, are a “driven franchise.” To be sure, it was to the delight of every coach, player, trainer or member of team management that almost 15,000 Sens fans lined the street after the team returned home from its hard-fought battle with the Ducks in 2007. I remember some players fighting back the tears in appreciation of seeing all the fans demonstrating their gratitude for “the run.” Of course, winning the Cup has always been the goal of this franchise and that of our fans.

The latest Senators drive to continue the playoff appearance streak has been fun for all involved with the club and, of course, the fans. "Cory (Clouston, our head coach) has everyone on the same page," said Senators general manager Bryan  Murray.  "It looks like they are having fun, both in the upbeat practices as well as the games. The trouble now is, with the three-point games, it's very hard to make up ground.”

Whether you choose to call it “competitive balance” or  “parity,” as we go down the final 10-game stretch, 24 teams are still alive in the race to secure one of the 16 berths to compete for Lord Stanley's silverware. You can't say the NHL hasn't been exciting this season, right down to the end. 

Posted by Roy Mlakar on February 26, 2009

I've decided to hand this space over to my daughter, Tracy, this week. She is is currently the Associate Director of Development Communications for UCLA's Anderson School of Management. She recently received her masters in sports administration and marketing from California State-Long Beach. Her ultimate sports career would blend her two passions: helping others and sports, preferably at a sports non-profit group or foundation.

Tracy has served as an intern for both the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and Major League Soccer's L.A. Galaxy. Here are her thoughts on what makes an internship experience so valuable:

I once heard a sports executive say that he would rather hire someone he knew than go through the process of interviewing a group of strangers. It was at this moment that I vowed to use my internships as opportunities to be that one intern who stood out above the rest so if a job presented itself, my resume would be recognized.

Then I decided that even this strategy might be too ambitious. Perhaps I didn’t want a job in the department in which I was interning. I decided my internships should be about standing out so that when a job presented itself ANYWHERE in sports, I would have the best sports references and endorsements than any other candidate. I might even have a connection to the job by getting to know my sports colleagues.

The Good
I made it my goal to “be the intern.” What do I mean by this? Well, I don’t care what title you may have in your full-time job or how old you are — you’re still an intern. And that means, you do all kinds of envelope licking, storage room cleaning, excel spreadsheet filling, database crunching, mail sending, and silent auction sorting that the intern job entails. And I guarantee that if you do it well enough, you’ll get more responsibilities. And with that, you’ll be recognized for a job well done and more likely to be remembered by your employer after you leave and the next crop of interns arrive. I also guarantee that you will actually learn something. Despite the fact that you’re envelope licking, mail sending, database crunching, etc…you will learn something new. And that something new might actually help you obtain your next job in sports.

The Better
What did I learn during my internships? A lot, actually. I learned the importance of volunteering. I volunteered for extra hours I thought I didn’t need, for beach clean-ups, for weekend events, things that weren’t even related to my internship. I took vacation days from my actual paying job to volunteer for hours upon hours. And through this, I met people outside of the department for which I was interning, thus increasing my professional network. These were people I never would have known since they worked in an entirely different building. And during these hours, I asked them about their jobs, what they liked and didn’t like, where their favourite city was to live, what sports they enjoyed working for and why, and if they were even fans of the sport for which they were working. 

The Best
What else did I learn? That interning was not only a way to meet professional sports executives as colleagues, but also how I made some new friends. I wouldn’t recommend going into a job looking to meet friends — you are there to learn and to work. But just like in a paying job, the people you spend large quantities of time with organically become part of your world. And that’s just an added benefit.

Posted by Roy Mlakar on November 11, 2008 in Roy Mlakar

Newcomer Alex Auld is off to a fast start between the pipes for the Sens and, according to general manager Bryan Murray, that is "healthy" for the organization. "Especially when both goalies are class acts and play for the team and not themselves," Murray added.

Going into tonight's game against the Montreal Canadiens, Auld has a 5-2-1 record and leads the NHL with a 1.84 goals-against average. His save percentage, an outstanding .936, is currently second-best in the league.

Bryan should know all about Auld. When he was general manager of the Florida Panthers, Murray made Auld his second selection in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Auld has since played for five teams, with his best year coming in Vancouver in 2005-06, when he won 33 games and posted a 2.94 goals-against average.

With Auld and Martin Gerber on hand, Murray likes the goaltending tandem he now has in place.

"Our players have always liked Martin (Gerber)," said Murray. "Marty comes to work every day, trains very hard and is a battler. Both guys get along so well and to date, complement one another."

Gerber, who won the No. 1 job early last season and guided the team to its red-hot start (tops in NHL after 20 games with a 16-4-0 record), lost a 2-1 heartbreaker last Friday night at Carolina.

The good news is, everyone has confidence regardless of who gets the nod in net and that certainly is a good thing!

Posted by Roy Mlakar on October 17, 2008 in Roy Mlakar

After playing only three games in the last 16 days, the NHL schedule starts to heats up again for the Sens with back-to-back games tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes and tomorrow against the Boston Bruins, both at Scotiabank Place. 

Since coming back from Sweden, the team has played only once in North America, while most other NHL clubs have played five or six tilts already. The reason for this is a lesson we learned from the Anaheim Ducks, who last year came back from London after playing the rival L.A. Kings twice to open the 2007-08 season and played three games in the midwest. 

"We thought it was a great plan to play Columbus, Detroit and Chicago before going home to Anaheim," said Ducks GM Brian Burke. "It proved a mistake as our club was dead tired and with the time change, we ended up losing all three games. The experience was great and we enjoyed playing in Europe but I would suggest when you come back, to take at least five days to acclimated to North America again with the time change."

Nobody enjoyed the Senators' European experience more than captain Daniel Alfredsson, a native of Goteborg, Sweden. The trip included an exhibition game in his hometown.

"It was great going home to play," said Alfredsson. "It was especially exciting for me to play at home in Goteborg and against my old team, the Frolunda Indians. The crowd was awesome and it was truly a memory I will remember for a lifetime."

After returning home, the Sens were granted five days off by the NHL until the Oct. 11 home-opener against the Red Wings. Now the team will play seven games in a 13-day period to end the rest of October. With four home games among those seven contests, the Sens Army will get familiar with new coach Craig Hartsburg and his troops on a much more regular basis. 

Posted by Roy Mlakar on September 26, 2008 in Roy Mlakar

The new NHL season gets underway Saturday (Oct. 4) from Stockholm, where our Sens meet the rival Pittsburgh Penguins at 2:30 p.m. Ottawa time (CBC national broadcast)  Anytime the NHL asks your team to perform overseas, the organization certainly is proud to represent the league in such a prestigious international forum.

To think that our captain, Daniel Alfredsson, a Swedish icon, will get a chance to play his old teammates, the Frolunda Indians, in his hometown of Gothenburg on Thursday (Oct. 2) will be even more of a bonus for Daniel and his family. That game will be carried live, as will all of the 2008-09 action on the Team 1200, with Dean Brown and Gord Wilson back again, just as they have been calling all the action since Day 1 of the modern Senators franchise.

So sit back and turn on the action as it will surely be a spectacle in Europe. The game with Frolunda sold out in 16 quick minutes and the back-to-back contests vs. the Penguins in less than two hours. One thing is for sure, it will be exciting!

Posted by Cyril Leeder on September 26, 2008 in Cyril Leeder

On Tuesday September 16th, Eugene Melnyk and Senators Sports & Entertainment outlined a vision to bring Major League Soccer (MLS) to Ottawa and participate in the construction of a new world class soccer stadium. 

Our city is now reviewing its options as it pertains to Lansdowne Park and Frank Clair Stadium.  We have moved past the question of whether we should have a major stadium but rather “How” do we get this stadium built and “where” should it go.  Eugene’s vision is to work with the City to build a world class stadium and large soccer complex next to Scotiabank Place.

There are many compelling reasons why this site and proposal makes sense. Senators Sports & Entertainment would help fund the capital cost of the facility. The land is city owned and is presently used by the City as a snow dump. There are over 8,000 parking spaces already next to the site that would not have to be recreated. Two full highway interchanges (Terry Fox and Palladium Drive) provide direct access to the site.

Synergies with Scotiabank Place and The Bell Sensplex would create a sports and entertainment node. The site would be an ideal location for a park and ride for the city transit system.  The 8,000 parking spaces are vacant all day when they could be used for commuters. Over 15 million people have made their way to this site over the past 12 years and Sports and entertainment fans have a familiarity with access and egress from the site. The soccer community (now Ottawa, Ontario and Canada’s largest participation sport) would get a brand new stadium and 5 community soccer fields.

How can you help?  We have launched a public support campaign.  All you have to do is go to the web site and complete the support ballot.  It only takes a minute.  And then, please take a second minute and send the link to your friends.  The site is located at www.bringtheworldtoottawa.ca 

Thank You.

Posted by Roy Mlakar on July 18, 2008 in Roy Mlakar

For the first time in a number of years, the Senators have a very balanced (by month) schedule for the 2008-09 season. The Home vs. Road breakdown looks like this:

* indicates one game home, one game road both in Stockholm, Sweden to start the season

About the Senators' season-opening games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Stockholm, GM Bryan Murray said "any time you're selected to represent the league in a foreign country, it's an honour."

"It will be especially fun for me and my family,"  added captain Daniel Alfredsson.
    
The Sens will play a pre-season "exhibition" game against Alfie's old Swedish team, the Frolunda Indians, in Gothenburg on Oct. 2 prior to the two games vs. the Penguins in Stockholm on Oct 4 and 5.  Both games will be broadcast back to Ottawa with further details to be released at a later date.
    
Another highlight of the new schedule is the arrival of the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings for the home-opener here at Scotiabank Place on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.  If it is anything like last season's much-publicized battle in January, it will certainly not disappoint. One can hardly wait. 

Season tickets are the best way to make sure you're part of all the action and they're available now at a significant discounted from gate prices. Call 613-599-0200 and ask to speak to one of our season ticket representatives today!

Posted by Roy Mlakar on July 7, 2008 in Roy Mlakar

This summer, starting on July 21 and running through to Aug. 29, the Bell Sensplex will be the home of the annual Ottawa Senators Summer Hockey Camps. During a total of six one-week sessions, boys and girls ages 5 to 16 will be coached by a quality lineup of hockey instructors. Special guests from your Ottawa Senators will be featured each week.

Already confirmed to make an appearance are:

Week One: July 21-25 - On Tuesday of this week, it will be defenceman Anton Volchenkov and Ilya Zubov, a top rookie from a year ago.

Week Two: July 28-Aug. 1 - Chris Kelly will be at the camp.

Week Three: Aug. 5-8 - Chris Phillips will skate with the youngsters on Wednesday.

Week Four: Aug. 11-15 - Shean Donovan will be on hand.

Week Five:  Aug. 18-22 - On Tuesday of this week, Chris Neil will be the guest instructor.

Week Six:  August 25-29 - Shean Donovan will be back on Tuesday.

The camp is filling up quite quickly, so my advice is to call Matthew Bennett at (613) 599-0132 and register right away. Other fun events off the ice include team building activities, progressive puck control, soccer and more. 

Registration fees start as low as $199 for selected camps for ages 5 and up (and only $83 for the little ones ages 3 to 6 who do not take part in the off-ice activities). 

Enjoy your Sens at the camp!

Posted by Roy Mlakar on May 22, 2008 in Roy Mlakar

While NHL commissioner Gary Bettman can't pick who will compete in the final for the coveted Stanley Cup, he has to be pleased with this matchup. With U.S. television ratings rising both on Versus and NBC, these two teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, come from long-time traditional hockey markets that have enjoyed significant success in the last 10-15 years.

The Red Wings, who have long owned the moniker "Hockey Town USA," have a veteran cast of players who are not strangers to the final. Certainly led by Nicklas Lidstrom, clearly the best defenceman in the NHL again, this team is quick and a great transition squad. Chris Osgood has been very sharp in goal in relief of former Senator Dominik Hasek. Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom have been dangerous in all three previous series. The best news is that the playoffs' leading goal scorer, "The Mule" Johan Franzen, is skating and could return in the series. 

Most everyone in our nation's capital is well aware of the Penguins' firepower and speed to burn. They are led by the obvious stars, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, while ex-Sen Marian Hossa has been a key contributor to their current 12-2 record going into this Cup final. Their offence has also been bolstered by power forward Ryan Malone. And, while their defence has been criticized in the past, they have played extremely well, especially big Hal Gill, who has stepped up his game. Finally, goaltender Marc-André Fleury has been stellar in all three series and seems not to be rattled under the stressful situations.

A "dream matchup" for sure. This one could easily go seven games, unless the veterans of the Red Wings prove just too experienced for the youthful Pens. Enjoy it!

Posted by Roy Mlakar on April 28, 2008 in Roy Mlakar

For hockey fans, this is the most exciting time of the year, especially if your team is still playing for the coveted Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh is alive again like it was in the days of Mario Lemieux and a young Jaromir Jagr in the early '90s. Pens sweaters are everywhere and the downtown there is electric.

The New York Rangers are back to being the talk of the "Big Apple." Madison Square Garden is electrifying again and thoughts of a run to the Cup that last was held by Mark Messier in 1994. With the super pest Sean Avery, solid goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist and vets like Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka, they have the firepower, especially with Scott Gomez and Chris Drury added to the list.

Montreal and Philly have quite the series going, with each team showing great resilience and taking turns exposing opposing netminders in the battle. Both buildings are crazy with excitement and notable "tough barns" for the opposition under the best of circumstances.

Now in the West, Dallas has proven to be the hottest team of all in the post-season. Not only did they beat the defending champion Ducks in rapid fashion, they have taken both home games in San Jose to have an early 2-0 lead in that series.

Finally, the high-flying Wings have used home-ice advantage to their liking by taking a 2-0 lead over the injury riddled Avalanche. Peter Forsberg has yet to make an appearance and they have bumps and bruises to their back line that have exposed them to the speed of the Red Wings.

Enjoy the next several weeks, as at this point any of the eight teams still alive has a chance. Or in reality, do they? You make the call!