The Ottawa Senators and their fans are not the only ones winning during an unexpectedly successful 2011-12 NHL season – one that has the team making the playoffs for the first time in years.
Businesses in the city are also scoring more thanks to the Senators’ solid regular-season performance during a year that was supposed to be all about rebuilding.
Before the current NHL season started, most hockey analysts predicted the Senators would finish dead last in their division, or next to it.
Instead, the team clinched a playoff spot with a commanding 5-1 win over the New York Islanders on April 1.
They currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, and look poised for a first-round meeting with the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.
The regular season ends Saturday and the playoffs are expected to begin next week.
The city is now gearing up for a great cap to a surprising season.
“This is really against all odds; we sure proved (them) wrong,” says Lorne Geller, a Centretown resident and long-time Senators fan. “Unlike last season, I’m more inclined to go to a bar with friends now to watch games with other fans.”
Sports bars and pubs in Centretown have experienced a slight increase in business this hockey season, albeit a modest one, business owners suggest.
A playoff run, however, will only make things better, they say – especially when the city dubs Elgin Street the “Sens Mile” as it did during previous playoff runs.
“We won’t see a noticeable increase in business until deeper in the playoffs,” says Barrett Karam, manager of MacLaren’s on Elgin. “Elgin Street being dubbed the ‘Sens Mile’ definitely creates an attractive location for Sens fans to migrate to.”
More business is not the only benefit, though, says Gyneya Dicks, manager at Hooley’s Pub at Elgin and MacLaren streets. “People stay later, even after a game ends. The further they go, the better it is for business.”
Jeff O’Reilly, manager at D’Arcy McGee’s at Elgin and Sparks streets, remembers the team’s run to the 2007 Stanley Cup final.
He does not expect the team to go as far this year, but says it is an example of what the Sens Mile can mean for local businesses.
“It was exciting, and awesome, to see all the pride, the Sens jerseys,” he says. “It definitely was a boon for us, and we hope to see something similar this year.”
Last year, the Sens did not make the playoffs, leaving sports bars across the city without the extra business of pint-happy fans.
As of late March, there remained a chance the Senators would miss the playoffs following a string of four straight losses, leaving some fans hesitant to start celebrating.
Even with star players Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza missing from the crucial game against the Islanders, the Sens came out on top, giving fans the green light to celebrate.
“The fact we’ve come this far is great. The playoffs will only be the cherry on top, and make it that much better,” Geller says.
He says he's grateful that the team’s doubters have been chastened.
“It’s like the Senators are saying ‘in your face’ to them.”