Ian Mendes

Jul 9, 2024 | nytimes.com | Ian Mendes

Projecting an opening-night roster in the middle of July can be a dangerous game. Last year, for example, we could not have envisioned a couple of late-summer plot twists for the Ottawa Senators. They signed Vladimir Tarasenko on July 27, while they opened the regular season without both Josh Norris and Shane Pinto in their lineup. Our initial sketch of the lineup also featured Dominik Kubalik having a sizeable role on the club too.

Jul 7, 2024 | nytimes.com | Ian Mendes

OTTAWA - The friendly family wager occurred more than a decade ago, but Stephen Halliday still remembers the terms precisely. In the spring of 2013, a 10-year-old Halliday wanted to purchase a $25 New York Rangers ball cap from Dick's Sporting Goods. The price tag was a little steep, so his father, James - a die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan - came up with a fun bet. If the Boston Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their playoff series, James would pay for the hat for his son.

Jul 3, 2024 | nytimes.com | Ian Mendes

You would have probably expected Shane Pinto to indulge in a celebratory dinner a few hours after signing his new contract on Tuesday evening. Instead, the Ottawa Senators centreman had one of the staple meals that he learned to cook himself when he lived with Jake Sanderson during the 2022-23 NHL season. Pinto prepared a simple dish of grilled chicken, rice and kale - hardly a dinner commensurate with his new two-year, $7.5 million contract.

Jul 2, 2024 | nytimes.com | Ian Mendes

When the Senators made the defenceman the seventh overall selection in the 2024 NHL draft on Friday night in Las Vegas, it was clear the 18-year-old was uncomfortable with the bright lights of television cameras. And he was suddenly thrust into a line of questioning from reporters whose faces and voices he did not recognize. What does it feel like to be drafted? How would you describe yourself as a defenceman? Who are you thinking of on a day like today?

Jul 1, 2024 | nytimes.com | Ian Mendes

OTTAWA - Last Monday, Steve Staios hit a home run by landing Linus Ullmark. And when free agency opened on Monday, the Ottawa Senators general manager pretty much checked off all the boxes on his to-do list. He traded for a right-shot defenceman. He signed a Stanley Cup-winning veteran to play inside his top six. And he also added some depth to help his bottom two lines.