Perspective: The Senators’ playoffs run reminded me of what it means to be a fan

I still remember exactly where I was in the dying seconds of the last time the Ottawa Senators made the playoffs in 2017. 

My 12-year-old self, decked out in team merch and hanging onto my Spartacat toy for dear life, was lying on my living room carpet and shook with the nerves, excitement and hope that naturally come with watching a Conference Final Game 7.

If the Sens could score just one more goal, it would send them to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2007.

A double overtime one-timer eliminated the Sens from Cup contention and crushed my hopes. I remember burying my face in the floor, remaining completely still and silent as the disappointment sank in.

Although the loss stung, it was easy to stay optimistic after a couple of weeks passed by. 

If the team made it that far, they were sure to build on their success the following year … right?

Boy, was I wrong.

From conflicts between players to the team’s former controversial owner, to the infamous Uber video, there was certainly never a dull moment in the years to come.

The destruction of the on-ice product was even harder to watch. 

After the Sens’ disastrous 28-43-11 record in the 2017-18 season, I watched as all my favourite players were slowly but surely traded away, from Erik Karlsson to Mark Stone to Jean-Gabriel Pageau. 

Flashforward to the 2024-25 season: eight years since the dreaded double overtime, Game 7 soul-crushing loss. 

I’m 20 years old, and my favourite team finally made the playoffs again after a lengthy rebuild.

Within that time, I graduated middle school, finished high school and worked through half of my bachelor’s degree. 

Sens fans my age went through our teen years with no playoff hockey, making it all the more special now that it’s here.

As soon as the playoff schedule was released, I cleared my calendar to make sure I could tune into every game. My family and I decorated our house with as many Sens flags, stickers, bobbleheads and jerseys as we could find. 

With a renewed sense of hope, I took in as many moments as I could, from listening to pregame shows to making overly optimistic (read: mildly impossible) predictions.

(The Sens could totally win the series in four, I bet!)

When Ticketmaster crashed and prevented me from getting playoff tickets, I quickly gave StubHub an obscene amount of money, but it was worth it for what I saw as a priceless opportunity. 

Given the last eight years, I knew I couldn’t take the Sens making the playoffs for granted.

I was overjoyed to have experienced Game 4 at the Canadian Tire Centre. Although the team was down 3-0 in the series, the sea of fans donning black and red jerseys bursted with energy. The atmosphere was unlike any regular season game I had ever experienced. “Go Sens go” chants and towel waving continued well into the night, even during many TV timeouts. The fun “Matthews’ balding” and “Marner’s leaving” chants were unforgettable, making my strained voice the next day more than worth it.

When the Sens won in overtime, I nearly cried in relief as the building exploded with cheers.

My dad and I, who have spent countless nights sitting on the couch watching this team develop, stayed standing at our seats long after most people had left, soaking in the win as “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey rang through the arena. 

Despite the disappointing first-round exit to the Toronto Maple Leafs two games later, I have a hard time staying down about the team. After all, I finally got to experience the Sens in the playoffs after years of unsuccessful (and at times, painful) hockey.

The tight series made all the waiting worth it.

Seeing the city come alive with Sens flags waving on cars, trumpets out on Sens Mile and thumbs up between strangers rocking their Sens merch reminded me that playoffs are what being a hockey fan is all about.

In the tough years, myself and many Sens fans stuck with the team despite the very frequent losses. I made do with what we had, whether it was watching the Oilers repeatedly crush the Senators in the cursed 2021 North Division, or listening to the Locked on Senators podcast’s draft lottery spins that began long before the seasons ended.

In a strange way, I look back at some of those seasons a lot more fondly than one would expect. 

Although they were agonizing, it was a fun era watching a team that, despite their shortcomings, were shaping up to be a close-knit group with tons of fun storylines.

It was an important time for development. But after eight years, I was certainly more than ready to see on-ice success.

This is just the beginning of what former Sens general manager Pierre Dorion once said would be years of “unparalleled success.”

Now, let’s just see if they can do it again next year — and hopefully make it past the first round.

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Featured image by Daniel Meilleur