Elite youth hockey players in Gatineau will be in contact with more people from the world of professional hockey than ever before, starting next year.
The Ottawa Senators have announced a new, five-year partnership with Hockey Outaouais to rebrand its three boys’ AAA teams to the Sens’ name, logo and colours.
The Senators say that one part of the partnership consists of services provided by the team. ‘’Special events will be organized to bring U13, U15, and U17 players into contact with various individuals who work in professional hockey,’’ said the team’s release.
In the 2026-2027 season, Ottawa Valley-born former NHLer Francis Wathier will oversee these three teams and the hockey branch of Nicolas-Gatineau high school’s ‘’sports-études’’ program, which develops the Outaouais’ top student-athletes.
He said the opportunity for youth to meet their idols is “massive” because even just seeing them on TV makes them say, ‘’I want to be the next Stützle, Chabot, Tkachuk or the next Giroux.’’
Sens veteran Claude Giroux, one of the career-highest scoring active NHLers, played junior hockey with Ottawa’s Cumberland Grads and the Gatineau Olympiques. Sens forward Tim Stützle, defenceman Thomas Chabot and captain Brady Tkachuk are among the most popular players on the team.
Wathier, born in St. Isidore, Ont. — about 70 kilometres east of Ottawa — said the resources young players will receive from the partnership align with what he wants to bring to the sports-études.
Wathier played parts of 11 seasons of pro hockey, including 10 career NHL games with the Dallas Stars. He says he wants to invite people he met during his career to meet young hockey players in Gatineau and surrounding parts of the Outaouais.
‘’I don’t want to be the guy that’s going to take everything,’’ he said. ‘’We will rely on a lot of people to give their expertise to the players.’’
Sylvain St-Laurent, the Ottawa Senators’ director of communications, said the partnership is also ‘’a sponsorship in which the Senators will offer the teams a sum of money for equipment purchases.’’
Wathier said this will allow the sports-études program to redirect funds to more instructors per player. He said in recent years, too many players have been admitted to the program, watering down the talent pool.
This principle has become a theme across the province. Earlier this season, Hockey Québec announced it would abolish three of its 15 Midget AAA teams by 2029 to favour player development.
‘’When you play against the best, you always get better,’’ Wathier said.
Wathier, 41, said there are more resources for young players now compared to when he was developing.
‘’I hired a skating coach while I was a pro and learned how to do ‘mohawks’ at 21 or 22 years old,’’ he said, referring to a heel-to-heel skating technique allowing precise edgework. ‘’Now, I’ve been teaching kids mohawks at seven years old.’’
He also said being around ex-professionals helps young players understand the intensity of the grind required to make it pro.
Wathier said his 17 year old son, Sam, who is NHL-draft eligible in 2026, gained a strong understanding of what it takes to be a pro at a young age. He said his son grew up watching him fight to earn NHL minutes.
‘’He’s seen what needs to be done, the sacrifice,’’ Wathier said.
St-Laurent said future Outaouais Senators players may also get access to some of the Sens’ facilities, including Canadian Tire Centre, where they may meet other employees from the organization. ‘’Whether it’s coaches, specialists or heads of other departments, there’s a bunch of possibilities and that’s what’s exciting,’’ he said.
Players will even gain social media exposure. “The Senators are committed to providing AAA teams with visibility on their various digital platforms,’’ the press release said.
‘’Whenever there will be a tournament victory, a big performance from a player, or a good story to share, we’ll make sure Sens fans are made aware,’’ St-Laurent said. ‘’They’re going to be a part of the Sens’ family.’’
