Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer isn’t holding back his excitement, as the team prepares to return to playoff hockey for the first time in eight years.
“I keep on hearing the word excitement and that’s exactly how I feel,” Andlauer told CTV News Ottawa at Six Friday.
“I feel excited for our fans, I feel excited for our players, in particular players like Brady Tkachuk or Thomas Chabot who have played over 500 games with our organization and haven’t yet tasted the playoffs.”
On Tuesday night, the club clinched a playoff spot after the Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings. The Sens secured their spot despite losing to Columbus 5-2.
Andlauer says he expects Tkachuk, the team’s captain, to be back on the ice after suffering from a lower-body injury that kept him out of the final weeks of the regular season.
“I think if the playoffs started today, he’d be playing,” he said.
“We saw how he played during the Four Nations with the passion, the intensity that he exudes.”
Andlauer also praised the work of president of hockey operations Steve Staios for his work in building the team’s confidence.
“They are a young, hungry team. A lot of them haven’t tasted the playoffs. It’ll be a first for them. It’s a great building block for this city, for this organization. Steve Staios has done an incredible job in building that culture and foundation,” Andlauer said.
The Senators first round playoff opponent and dates for the series have not been confirmed, but Andlauer says the team has seen success against other teams in the Atlantic Division.
“The teams that we’ll play whether it be Toronto or Washington, or Tampa potentially, we’ve had good success against them throughout the season, so they’ll be coming with a level of confidence. Even though, we will be deemed the underdog as this team has always been,” he said.
He says the team is working to allocate tickets to season seat holders. Single-game tickets could be available for the general public as soon as April 18 or April 19.
During the 2017 playoff season, the Sens went all the way to the conference finals but fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games. Since then, it’s been a tumultuous few years for the team, with unfulfilled potential on the ice leading to the firing of general manager Pierre Dorion and former head coach D.J. Smith last year.
Andlauer and his group purchased the Senators from the late Eugene Melnyk in September 2023.
Sens Mile officially opened Friday afternoon on Elgin Street between Gladstone Avenue and Laurier Avenue, as the city celebrates the team’s return to the playoffs.
Andlauer says he’s open to turning the Canadian Tire Centre into a gathering spot for fans to watch key away games.
“Hey listen, if fans want that, let’s do it, whatever the fans want,” he said.
