The 2020–21 Ottawa Senators season was the 29th season of the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL). The Senators finished the season out of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
Due to the Canada–U.S. border restrictions brought in as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, the NHL realigned its divisions. The Senators were re-aligned with the other six Canadian franchises into the newly-formed North Division. The league's 56–game season is to be played entirely within the new divisions, meaning that Ottawa and the other Canadian teams played an all-Canadian schedule for the 2020–21 regular season as well as the first two rounds of the
2021 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on May 15, 2021, and concluded on July 7, 2021, with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning their second consecutive and third overall St ...
.
The Senators' season started off poorly; they began a nine-game losing streak in the second game of the season, and could not make up for the poor start, although they had a strong final month of play, finishing the season with a 10–3–1 run. In the off-season, the Senators had picked up a number of veteran free agents and traded for veteran goalie Matt Murray. The team had not played in over 10 months at the start of the season, and it showed in the long losing streak. As the season wore on, the team played more of their younger players and traded a number of the veterans at the trading deadline.
Brady Tkachuk
Braeden "Brady" Tkachuk (; born September 16, 1999) is an American–Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Tkachuk was chosen by the Senators as the fourth overall ...
was the leading points scorer for the team and Connor Brown scored 21 goals to lead the team.
The Senators were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a 3–2 overtime loss to the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
on May 2.
Team business
The team introduced three new jerseys for the season. Two were updated versions of the team's original jerseys used from 1992–1997 and a third was a "Reverse Retro" incorporating the style of the black original jersey, using red as the base colour instead.
In December 2020, the team announced a seven-year lease extension with the city of
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city in Ontario, Canada situated on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, located at the mouth of the Moira River and on the Bay of Quinte. Belleville is between Ottawa and Toronto, along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Its popula ...
, to host their
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
affiliate, the
Belleville Senators
The Belleville Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2017–18 season as the top minor league affiliate of the National Hockey League team, the Ottawa Senators. Based in Bellevi ...
, through the 2026–27 AHL season. However, due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Belleville Senators played their delayed-start season in Ottawa at the Canadian Tire Centre instead.
As there were ongoing restrictions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the season was delayed and the Senators were granted permission by the provincial government to play in its home arena as long as it was without spectators. Owner Eugene Melnyk made public his proposal to seat up to 6,000 fans, but withdrew the proposal after criticism.
In January 2021, former team general
John Muckler
John Muckler (April 13, 1934 – January 4, 2021) was a professional hockey coach and executive, who last served as the general manager of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Muckler had over 50 years of professional hockey e ...
passed away and was honoured at the first game. Muckler was the team's general manager when the team played in the
2007 Stanley Cup Final
The 2007 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2006–07 season, and the culmination of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Western Conference champion Anaheim Ducks and ...
. Also in January 2021, the team's former head of graphic design Kevin Caradonna passed away. Caradonna had designed the "forward-facing" logo used from 1997 until 2020 and the team's mascot " Spartacat."
In February 2021, the
Brampton Beast
The Brampton Beast were a professional ice hockey team based in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The team originally played in the Central Hockey League for one year during the 2013–14 season prior to the league's folding before joining the ECHL f ...
, the team's
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
Th ...
affiliate, announced that it had ceased operations permanently. The team had been one of several ECHL teams to voluntarily suspend operations before the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Off-season
The Senators parted ways with long-time goaltender Craig Anderson, announcing that they would not offer him a new contract. The team also parted ways with forward
Bobby Ryan
Robert Shane Ryan (né Stevenson; March 17, 1987) is an American former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted second overall ...
, buying out his contract. The team did not offer contracts to Mark Borowiecki and
Anthony Duclair
Anthony Duclair (born August 26, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Duclair was selected by the New York Rangers in the third round, 80th overall, ...
. The team also traded players on the long-term injured list:
Marian Gaborik
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
, who used the contracts for salary cap relief.
On the second day of the
2020 NHL Entry Draft
The 2020 NHL Entry Draft was the 58th NHL Entry Draft, held from October 6–7, 2020. The draft was originally scheduled for June 26–27, 2020, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, but was postponed on March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pan ...
, the team traded for veteran
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have play ...
goaltender Matt Murray, giving up a 2020 second-round pick and Jonathan Gruden, a 2018 fourth-round pick. The team picked up several veterans in trades, including
Braydon Coburn
Braydon Coburn (born February 27, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Coburn was originally selected in the first round, eighth overall, by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, beginning his NHL career wit ...
,
Erik Gudbranson
Erik Donald Stanley Gudbranson (born January 7, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently playing under contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected third overall ...
Derek Stepan
Derek Kenneth Stepan ( ; born June 18, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey center. He is currently under contract with the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played in the NHL for the New York Rang ...
, and
Austin Watson
Austin Watson (born January 13, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey left winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 18th over ...
. The team acquired NHL veterans
Evgenii Dadonov
Yevgeny Anatolyevich Dadonov (russian: Евгений Анатольевич Дадонов; born 12 March 1989) is a Russian professional ice hockey player for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played in two s ...
and
Alex Galchenyuk
Alexander Alexandrovich Galchenyuk (born February 12, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey center who is currently playing for the Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Colorado Avalanche of the ...
as free agents.
Regular season
The team played its first game of the season on January 15, 2021, defeating the "Battle of Ontario" rival
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...
at the
Canadian Tire Centre
Canadian Tire Centre (french: links=no, Centre Canadian Tire) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, located in the western suburb of Stittsville. It opened in January 1996 as the Palladium and was also known as Corel Cen ...
. It was the team's first game in 310 days. The team had nine new players in the lineup, including 2020 first-round pick Tim Stuetzle. The Senators proceeded to lose nine games in a row in January, before defeating the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
on February 4.
On February 15, 2021, the Senators made their first-ever comeback in team history from being four or more goals behind. The team was down 5–1 in Toronto to the Maple Leafs near the end of the second period.
Nick Paul
Nicholas Paul (born March 20, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). A left winger, he was selected by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round, 101st overall, of ...
started the comeback with a shorthanded goal. In the third period,
Artyom Zub
Artyom Valerievich Zub (russian: Артём Валерьевич Зуб; given name alternately spelled Artem; born 3 October 1995) is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Play ...
scored his first NHL goal on a breakaway after exiting the penalty box. Connor Brown later scored just after a power play, and
Evgenii Dadonov
Yevgeny Anatolyevich Dadonov (russian: Евгений Анатольевич Дадонов; born 12 March 1989) is a Russian professional ice hockey player for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played in two s ...
scored twice; first to tie the game with two minutes to play with Ottawa goalie
Marcus Hogberg Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to:
* Marcus (name), a masculine given name
* Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name
Places
* Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44
* Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl� ...
on the bench for an extra attacker and then scored on a breakaway to win the game 6–5 in overtime. However, he made a save while in the crease to stop Toronto's potential overtime goal.
The Senators goaltenders suffered a rash of injuries, causing the team to use five goaltenders. Matt Murray, Marcus Hogberg and
Joey Daccord
Joel "Joey" Daccord (born August 19, 1996) is a Swiss-American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Seattle Kraken of the National ...
were all injured at one time. Daccord's injury ended his season. The Senators called up
Filip Gustavsson
Filip Gustavsson (born 7 June 1998) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played with the Luleå HF organization in the Swedish Hockey League, as well as the ...
for his first NHL game and picked up
Anton Forsberg
Anton Forsberg (born 27 November 1992) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the seventh round (188th overall) of the 201 ...
on waivers.
Prior to the trade deadline, the Senators picked up
Ryan Dzingel
Ryan Michael Dzingel (born March 9, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey forward with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has pr ...
for his second term with the team, trading Alex Galchenyuk and Cedric Paquette to the Carolina Hurricanes. At the trade deadline, well out of a playoff spot, the Senators traded several veterans for draft picks. Erik Gudbranson went to the Nashville Predators for
Brandon Fortunato
Brandon may refer to:
Names and people
* Brandon (given name), a male given name
*Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins
Places
Australia
*Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales
* Brandon, ...
and a 2023 seventh-round draft pick. Mike Reilly was traded to the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The ...
for a third-round pick in the
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeyp ...
. Braydon Coburn was traded to the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...
for a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Connor Brown set a team record, scoring in eight consecutive games, beating the previous record of six, held by
Jason Spezza
Jason Rocco Anthony Spezza (born June 13, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. Spezza played 19 career seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 2002 to 2022, and is currently a part of the Toronto Maple Leafs' front ...
and
Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson (; born 11 December 1972) is a Swedish-Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He spent 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), primarily with the Ottawa Senators. He also briefly played for the Detroit Red Win ...
.
Standings
Schedule and results
The regular season schedule was published on December 23, 2020.
Player statistics
Skaters
Goaltenders
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Senators. Stats reflect time with the Senators only.
‡No longer with the Senators.
Awards and honours
Milestones
Transactions
The Senators have been involved in the following transactions during the 2020–21 season.
Trades
Free agents
Waivers
Contract terminations
Retirement
Signings
Draft picks
Below are the Ottawa Senators' selections at the
2020 NHL Entry Draft
The 2020 NHL Entry Draft was the 58th NHL Entry Draft, held from October 6–7, 2020. The draft was originally scheduled for June 26–27, 2020, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, but was postponed on March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pan ...
, which was originally scheduled for June 26–27, 2020 at the
Bell Center
Bell Centre (), formerly known as Molson Centre (), is a multi-purpose arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened on March 16, 1996, it is the home arena of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing the Montr ...
in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
, but was postponed on March 25, 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus ( ) is a Town (New Jersey), town in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,Ottawa Senators seasons
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...