History of the Ottawa Senators ( 1992 - ) Founded and established by Ottawa real estate developer Bruce Firestone , the Ottawa Senators are the second National Hockey League ( NHL ) franchise to have the Ottawa Senators name . The original Ottawa Senators , founded in 1883 , had a famed history , winning 11 Stanley Cup s and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934 . On December 6 , 1990 , after a two year public campaign by Firestone to return the NHL to Ottawa , the NHL awarded a new franchise , which began play in the 1992 – 93 season . The club has seen its share of struggles , both on and off the ice . The team has had two changes of ownership , from Firestone , to Rod Bryden in 1993 due to the arena development process and its financing , and subsequently to Eugene Melnyk after the team filed for bankruptcy in 2003 . On the ice , the club finished last in the league for its first four seasons . Changes in hockey management have led to steady improvement of the team ' s play , resulting in the team qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs in 11 of the last 12 seasons , winning the President ' s Trophy once , and making it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007 . The ' Bring back the Senators ' campaign . After the NHL announced its plans to expand in the late 1980s , real estate developer Bruce Firestone thought that Ottawa was now ready to again support a franchise . He decided to launch a bid for the Ottawa franchise through his development firm Terrace Investments . Firestone first told his fellow Terrace executives , Cyril Leeder , and Randy Sexton , after a game of shinny in March 1988 . Both were surprised ; Leeder thought the idea was " ridiculous " . Terrace did not have enough assets to finance the team , but Firestone believed that they could do so as part of a development project . Their plan was to build a mini - city ( named ' West Terrace ' ) of 9 , 000 around a $ 100 million arena and hotel development on approximately 500 acres . Getting an NHL club for the arena would drive up the price of the surrounding lands and Terrace ' s net worth would jump from $ 100 million to $ 400 million by 1997 . The strategy was straightforward : " buy the site , win the franchise , build the building . " In 1989 , Terrace found a suitable site west of Ottawa , 600 acres of farmland , located on both sides of the 417 Highway west of Terry Fox Drive in the then City of Kanata . On June 22 , 1989 , Terrace publicly announced their intentions to acquire an NHL franchise and revive the Senators name . The name choice provoked threats of legal action . Firestone , however , obtained permission from original - era / 1950s era Senators club owner Tommy Gorman ' s descendants to use the old Senators name and settled with the Ottawa Jr . Senators ' owners . To kick off the " Bring Back the Senators " campaign , Terrace held a press conference with special guests Frank Finnigan , representing the old Senators ' players , and Joe Gorman , representing the Gorman family . Finnigan , the last surviving member of the Senators ' last Stanley Cup championship ( in 1927 ) , was presented with a new number 8 jersey and the promise to have him drop the first puck at the first game if they emerged victorious . Terrace unveiled drawings of the $ 55 million , 22 , 500 seat arena , now named the " Palladium " , designed by Rossetti Associates , architects of the The Palace of Auburn Hills arena . Also unveiled was a logo for the team using a stylized Peace Tower and Canadian flag , designed by David O ' Malley of Ottawa . The theme song for the franchise drive was Tom Petty ' s " I Won ' t Back Down " . The Senators ' bid was considered something of a longshot . Jim Durrell , mayor of Ottawa at the time , but later part of the Senators ' front office said " It ' s not that the area isn ' t a big enough market to support a professional hockey team , it ' s just that we ' re not going to get it . " NHLPA head Alan Eagleson was quoted as saying " local fans are being led through the petunia patch if Bruce Firestone thinks he can land an NHL expansion franchise for Ottawa this century , well into the next or ever . " Despite the naysayers , 11 , 000 fans sent in $ 25 non - refundable pledges toward season - tickets by November 1990 . In December 1990 the NHL held a league meeting in Palm Beach , Florida to consider expansion applications . The NHL executives were reportedly impressed by the Ottawa presentation , including Finnigan ' s participation , the several hundred fans and the marching band who traveled to Palm Beach , but apparently were more impressed at the fact that the group was one of the few applicants willing to pay the $ 50 million franchise fee without reservations . On December 6 , 1990 , the Terrace group was approved to purchase one of the two franchises ( along with the Tampa Bay Lightning ) to start play in the 1992 – 93 season . Financing struggles . The Palladium project . Since the location for the new arena was on land designated for agriculture , the arena and development had to be approved by the Ontario government . The Ontario New Democratic Party government of Bob Rae was not sympathetic to the conversion of farmland and would not lend any assistance to the project . As the rezoning hearings dragged on , Firestone was offered $ 20 million to relocate to Anaheim , which had an arena , but no team . Firestone turned it down , claiming " I didn ’ t bring back the Ottawa Senators to play in Anaheim . " Eventually , the rezoning was approved with conditions . The Palladium ' s size was reduced to 18 , 500 . Terrace had to pay for a necessary highway interchange . Terrace had to suspend its plans for the rest of the " West Terrace " development , which limited the site ' s value . Only the lands to the south of the 417 were allowed to be developed , and the lands on the north side of the 417 were to remain farmland . According to Firestone , Terrace ' s investment lost $ 80 million in value to secure the zoning . Eventually , the strain to complete the payment on the franchise to the NHL and to build the arena led to Firestone ' s resignation on August 17 , 1993 after Terrace missed mortgage and development payments . He was replaced as club president by Bryden , who would lead the franchise for the next ten years . Financing of the arena project was difficult . Terrace had four financing deals fail . As it became clear that the Senators could not finance a needed highway interchange without government backing , the provincial government was persuaded successfully to provide a $ 27 million dollar loan for the highway interchange construction . In the end , the firm of Ogden Entertainment , a New York city facilities management firm , backed the project with a $ 20 million loan in exchange for a 30 year contract to manage the facility . In addition , U . S . banks loaned $ 110 million , the federal government gave the Senators $ 6 million , $ 10 million from Terrace and $ 15 million from a Canadian pension fund . The Senators played the first game at the Palladium ( today called Scotiabank Place ) on January 17 , 1996 . One month after opening , Corel Corporation bought the naming rights and the arena was renamed the Corel Centre . The bankruptcy . The debt payments weighed heavily on the Senators . For several years , Bryden tried to reschedule the debt on the arena . There were various attempts at filing tax losses to write off the debt , all rejected by the federal government . In 2002 , Ogden went bankrupt . It had re - invented itself as Covanta Energy and failed not long after the Enron scandal . This led to the Senators filing for bankruptcy on January 9 , 2003 , when it could not arrange financing to pay all it owed to Covanta , becoming due because of Covanta ' s bankruptcy . On August 26 , 2003 the team and arena was purchased by Biovail CEO and Toronto St . Michael ' s Majors owner Eugene Melnyk who had shown interest for several years in the team . The limited partnership between Terrace and the limited partners was dissolved and Covanta ' s creditors received the proceeds of the sale towards the money it was owed for the NHL franchise fee and the Palladium . 1992 – 1995 : Expansion club struggles . The team would name Mel Bridgman as their first general manager ( GM ) in 1991 after being turned down by Scotty Bowman and John Muckler . The decision was criticized by the press due to Bridgman ' s lack of GM experience . In the coaching department , the club would pick Rick Bowness , formerly the Boston Bruins head coach as their first head coach assisted by Alain Vigneault , E . J . Maguire and Chico Resch . John Ferguson would be named director of player personnel . The Expansion draft day on June 18 , 1992 was memorable . The team ' s laptop computer failed and the club was unprepared with a backup plan , and picked several ineligible players . Not much talent was available as other teams protected young prospects . The players the Senators did select were " journeymen NHLers or players who had good years in minor leagues but no longer were considered prospects . " While side - deals during the draft were not allowed , the team would select players in concert with the other teams and in return , other teams gave the Senators Neil Brady , Jody Hull , Brad Marsh and Steve Weeks during the summer , all who would make the team . In the Entry Draft , the Senators would name Alexei Yashin their first ever pick but he would not join the team until 1993 . The team would have to work hard to earn wins . 1992 – 93 . The new Senators played their first game on October 8 , 1992 , in the Ottawa Civic Centre against the Montreal Canadiens . There was lots of pre - game spectacle — the skating of Brian Orser , the raising of banners commemorating the original Senators ' eight Stanley Cup wins , retirement of Frank Finnigan ' s jersey number and the singing of the anthem by Alanis Morissette . NHL president Gil Stein took part , presenting Bruce Firestone with a " certificate of reinstatement " to commemorate Ottawa ' s return to the league after 58 years . The ceremonial face - off between Laurie Boschman and Denis Savard was done by Frank Finnigan , Jr . ( his father having died on Christmas Day , 1991 ) , Firestone , Stein , and original Senator Ray Kinsella . The Senators would play in the 10 , 000 seat Civic Centre until January 1996 . The Senators would defeat the Canadiens 5 – 3 that night , but it would be one of the few highlights that season for the Senators . The club would tie with the San Jose Sharks for the worst record in the league that year , winning only 10 games with 70 losses and 4 ties ( 24 points ) in the 1992 – 93 season . The Senators hold the NHL record for least road wins ( 1 ) for their record that season . Their points total for the season was one point better than the NHL record for least points in a season ever . The Senators had aimed low . Firestone had set beating the old record the Senators ' goal for the season , as the team planned to finish low in the standings for its first few years in order to get high draft picks . Among the disappointments during the early years of the resurrected Senators was Alexandre Daigle , the number one overall pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft . During the 1992 – 93 season , it had become clear that Daigle would be the number one pick . The Quebec Nordiques publicly announced that they would trade several players for him , as they wished to build a new arena and needed a marquee francophone player . As the season progressed , both the Senators and the San Jose Sharks were neck and neck in last place , and at that time , NHL rules meant the worst team would get the first pick . This ' competition ' was variously dubbed the ' Daigle Cup ' and the ' Yelnats Puc ' . Near the end of the season , the Senators would call other teams to ask for their opponent ' s best players to be playing them in upcoming matches , making plans to field a weaker squad if their opponent did so also . The club made no trades to improve its position , not wanting to lose the number one pick . After the season , Bruce Firestone would make comments to the press about how the team deliberately lost games , expecting that comments would be ' off the record ' . Instead , his comments were reported , the NHL investigated , and the team was fined $ 100 , 000 for his comments . The NHL changed its rules as of the 1995 Draft so that a lottery would be held for the top draft picks . In 1993 , the Senators would sign Daigle to a $ 12 . 25 million contract , the largest rookie salary in league history , which would lead to a cap on rookie contracts a few years later . The club would promote Daigle over Yashin , as seen in the yearbook photo . In 1995 , coaches Rick Bowness and Alain Vigneault would be fired after demoting Daigle to part - time status . In the end Daigle did not come close to the career the Senators hoped for . After scoring only 74 goals in just over four seasons , he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers . He is regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in sports history . 1993 – 95 . After the 1992 – 93 season , Bridgman was fired and replaced by team vice - president Randy Sexton . In the 1993 – 94 season , the club would add prospects Daigle and Alexei Yashin . Yashin would have an outstanding rookie season and become a finalist for the Calder Trophy . Yashin led the team in points with 30 goals and 79 points , and Daigle had 51 points . The Senators would make some progress , improving their record to 14 wins and 37 points , but would again finish last in the league . During this period , the club may have been more focused on building the Palladium , for which construction began in July 1994 . In the strike - shortened 1994 – 95 season Yashin and Daigle led the club in points again , although their point totals declined . The ' 94 – 95 Senators team record declined also from the previous season , finishing with 9 wins and 23 points ( this was over only 48 games ) , to finish last in the league again . 1995 – 1998 : Ottawa ' s turnaround . One month before the Senators were to open the new Palladium , after three straight last place finishes , and poor attendance at the Civic Centre , the Senators organization was in turmoil . Star player Alexei Yashin , angered that management favoured Daigle over him despite posting higher numbers , was a contract hold - out . First round draft choice Bryan Berard , who had left the Senators training camp unsigned to a contract , had publicly stated that he would never report to the Senators . After head coach Rick Bowness demoted Daigle had been demoted to the fourth line , general manager Randy Sexton fired Bowness and his assistant coach Alain Vigneault on November 20 , 1995 . He replaced the coaches with Prince Edward Island Senators coach Dave Allison and gave the assistant coach job to former Hartford Whalers head coach Pierre McGuire , who was working as a scout for the Senators . Daigle was returned to full - time duty , but Sexton ' s changes did not improve the teams ' play . The situation was a big concern for the Senators ownership and especially for Ogden , which had a lot invested in the soon - to - open Palladium , and which did not want to open the Palladium to poor attendance . Ogden brought in Roy Mlakar to assist in sorting out the turmoil . He would eventually become team president and CEO . The turnaround process started with the firing of Sexton on December 11 , 1995 and the hiring of Anaheim Mighty Ducks assistant GM Pierre Gauthier as GM , Ottawa ' s first with previous NHL executive experience . Before the end of January , Gauthier had signed Yashin to a three - year contract , traded Berard to the New York Islanders for Wade Redden , and hired Jacques Martin as head coach . In the midst of the upheaval , the new Palladium had opened . The Senators , still coached by Allison , lost their opening game in the arena 3 – 0 to the Montreal Canadiens on January 17 , 1996 . The event was much more subdued than their franchise ' s first game . The Cup banners were raised , but the winches jammed , blocking the view of many fans . There were no entertainment big names , and only Firestone and Bryden participated in the ceremonial face - off . The club would lose its first four games at the Palladium , winning none for Allison who was fired on January 24 after the team lost 22 of 25 games . While Ottawa finished last in the league for the fourth year in a row , the 1995 – 96 season ended with renewed optimism , partly from the debut of new star Daniel Alfredsson , who won the Calder Memorial Trophy , the NHL Rookie of the Year Award , the first Senator to do so . Alfredsson , selected 133rd overall in 1994 , was also selected to play in the 1996 NHL All - Star Game . The 1996 – 97 season would see the Senators qualify for the playoffs for the first time , in dramatic fashion . They clinched the seventh seed on the last game of the regular season , thanks to a late goal from Steve Duchesne against Dominik Hasek , then of the Buffalo Sabres , giving the Senators a 1 - 0 win and the first playoff appearance for an Ottawa - based team in 67 years . The Senators then faced the Sabres in the first round of the playoffs and were eliminated in the full seven games . Despite holding a lead in game seven , Alexei Yashin put the puck in his own net , allowing Buffalo to tie the game and eventually win the game and the series on a goal by Derek Plante in overtime . The next season , 1997 – 98 , saw the Senators improve further . They improved their regular season record , finishing with their first winning record in franchise history ( one game over . 500 ) . In the first play - off round they upset the top - seeded and the heavily favoured New Jersey Devils in six games to win their first playoff series . The Senators next faced the eventual Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals and lost in five games . It was in this season that the team unveiled its ' third jersey ' in red with the Centurion head logo ' rotated ' to face forward . The jersey and logo would be used until the end of the 2006 – 07 season . After the season , Rick Dudley would become general manager , after Gauthier returned to Anaheim to become the Ducks ' general manager . Dudley would be the Ottawa GM for only a year , leaving to join the Tampa Bay Lightning , ( for which the Senators received Rob Zamuner as compensation ) and was replaced by Marshall Johnston . 1998 – 2004 : Emergence as Stanley Cup contenders . The Senators have qualified for the playoffs every year since . However , they met with limited success at first , only winning five series in their first nine trips to the post - season . In 1998 – 99 , the Senators jumped from 14th in the previous season to 3rd , with 103 points — the first 100 - point season in club history . However , they took an embarrassing pratfall in the playoffs ; they were swept by the Sabres and only scored three goals in the process . Ottawa was locked in a contract dispute with then - captain Alexei Yashin during 1999 – 2000 . Yashin held out for the entire season , hoping either to play elsewhere or claim his contract was for 1999 – 2000 , not a year of service . The team responded by suspending him for the entire season and granting the captaincy to Alfredsson , who still holds it today . Yashin tried to sign on with a team in Switzerland , but the International Ice Hockey Federation banned him from playing internationally until the dispute with the Senators was resolved . An NHL arbitrator rejected Yashin ' s request to make him a free agent , instead ruling that he owed the Senators one more season if he ever returned to the NHL . The Senators even took legal action to recover damages suffered as a result of the dispute . Despite the distraction , the Senators ' regular season was successful as they finished with 93 points to qualify for the playoffs in sixth place in the Eastern Conference . Like the previous year , they had a quick playoff exit , losing in six games in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs . Yashin returned for the 2000 – 01 season , no longer the captain of the team . Despite being booed at home and in most arenas , being cursed as " Alexei Cashin " or " Cashin Yashin " by the fans , he played well for the Senators . And the Senators had another successful season , finishing with 109 points , winning the division and good enough for second in the Eastern Conference . For the third straight season , the Senators could not win a playoff round , losing again to Toronto in the first round , this time in a 4 – 0 sweep . After the season , on the day of the 2001 Entry Draft , Yashin would be traded to the New York Islanders for Zdeno Chara , Bill Muckalt , and the Islanders ' first round draft pick ( second overall ) , which the Senators used to draft Jason Spezza . Yashin would sign a $ 87 . 5 million ten - year contract with the Islanders . In 2001 – 02 , the Senators regular season points total dropped to 94 points , third in the division , but the team did qualify for the playoffs . Jacques Martin stepped aside as head coach for the final two games to allow assistant coach Roger Neilson to have 1 , 000 games as head coach in the NHL . In the first round , they upset the Philadelphia Flyers in five games , limiting the Flyers ' high - powered offence to just two goals for the franchise ' s second playoff series win . This led to a second round series with Toronto , the third straight year the Senators had met the Maple Leafs in a ' Battle of Ontario . ' The Maple Leafs won the series in a tense seven - game affair , after the Senators had led the series 3 – 2 after five games . After the disappointing end to the season , there was speculation that front - office changes were coming . In the end , GM Marshall Johnston retired , but Martin and Mlakar were re - signed . John Muckler was hired on June 12 , 2002 , the Senators ' sixth GM , and the first with previous experience as a general manager ( with Buffalo ) . He had been interested in the Ottawa job in 1991 , but he chose not to wait for the Senators to make him an offer , and he joined the Buffalo Sabres organization . In 2002 – 03 off - ice problems dominated the headlines . The Senators filed for bankruptcy on January 9 , 2003 after a long history of debt . They continued regular season play after getting some emergency financing from the NHL . Despite the off - ice problems , Ottawa won the Presidents ' Trophy , finishing with a franchise - record 113 points , making them the first Canadian team to win it since the Calgary Flames in 1989 . This was also the highest finish by an Ottawa team in 77 years ( since the original Senators finished first overall in 1926 ) . In the playoffs they defeated Yashin and his New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers before coming within one game of making it into the finals , falling to the eventual champions , the New Jersey Devils . 2003 – 04 : End of the Jacques Martin era . In the off - season , Eugene Melnyk would purchase the club to bring financial stability and the team entered the 2003 – 04 season with high expectations . Coach Jacques Martin would guide the team to another good regular season , finishing with 102 points . This was good for only third in the tightly - contested division , as the Bruins would have 104 and the Leafs 103 . The seedings meant that the Senators would play the Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2004 playoffs for the fourth straight time . By now , Ottawa had developed a strong rivalry with their Ontario cousins and there was a great deal of pressure on the team to finally defeat the Leafs . Despite missing their captain Mats Sundin and other veterans , the Leafs would win the series on the back of ' hot ' goaltender Ed Belfour who had two shutouts , defeating the Senators in seven games . In the seventh game , Senators goaltender Patrick Lalime would surrender three goals before the first period was done and would be replaced by backup Martin Prusek . The Senators were not able to come back from the 3 – 0 deficit , losing 4 – 1 . It was Lalime ' s last appearance in a Senators ' uniform , and Jacques Martin ' s last game as coach . Two days after the Senators ' loss , Martin was fired . Lalime was later traded to the St . Louis Blues for a 4th round pick in the 2005 NHL Draft . After losing eight of twelve playoff series , including all four series in five years versus the Leafs , team management felt that a new coach was required for playoff success . Muckler even suggested that the new coach would have " to fix the dressing room " , implying the team was not responding to Martin . On June 8 , 2004 , Bryan Murray of nearby Shawville , Quebec , became the team ' s fifth head coach , leaving the Anaheim Ducks where he had been general manager . He would not actually coach until 2005 due to the NHL lockout , instead spending time on scouting . 2004 – present : Bryan Murray era . On June 8 , 2004 , Bryan Murray born in nearby Shawville , Quebec , became the team ' s fifth head coach , leaving the Anaheim Ducks where he had been general manager . He would not actually coach until 2005 due to the NHL lockout , instead spending time on scouting . The Senators like the other NHL teams did not play during the lock - out . Most players chose to play in Europe , although some , like Jason Spezza played for the Senators farm team , the Binghamton Senators . Prior to the lockout , the Senators had acquired free agent goaltender Dominik Hasek . He did not play for any teams during the season , but did practice with Binghamton . Daniel Alfredsson had a very good season in Sweden , and his club team won the Swedish championship . 2005 – 06 : High expectations unfulfilled . The media predicted the Senators to be Stanley Cup contenders , as they had a strong core back after the lockout , played in an up - tempo style fitting the new rule changes and Hasek was expected to provide top - notch goaltending . The team rushed out of the gate , winning 19 of the first 22 games , in the end winning 52 games and 113 points , placing first in the conference , and second overall . Prior to the season , the Senators had acquired Dany Heatley in a blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Thrashers for Marian Hossa and Greg DeVries . Heatley , Alfredsson and Spezza immediately formed one of the league ' s top offensive lines , dubbed the " CASH line " by fans in a contest held by the Ottawa Citizen . ( The name is made from the initials of Captain Alfredsson , Spezza , and Heatley . Another nickname the line has picked up is the ' Pizza Line ' , and is the nickname used by the Citizen ' s rival paper , the " Ottawa Sun " . ) The line made a dramatic debut in the first game , with Alfredsson scoring a goal to force overtime and Alfredsson and Heatley scoring goals in the league ' s first shootout . Heatley became the first Ottawa Senator in franchise history to reach 100 points and the first to reach the 50 - goal mark . The line is notable as a top offensive line , the top line of all time for the Senators , and is widely regarded as one of the top lines in the NHL earning such quotes as ' best trio in the NHL ' , ' most dangerous line in hockey ' , ' high - flying trio ' , " league ' s highest scoring line " and ' potent first line ' in the sports media and hockey fans , both of the Senators and other teams . Despite the regular season success , the team entered the playoffs under a cloud . In February , Hasek had suffered an adductor muscle injury while playing for the Czech national ice hockey team during the 2006 Winter Olympics . He had played only one game for the Czech team and returned to Ottawa to heal but would not play for the Senators again . Rookie netminder Ray Emery had to take over the starting goaltender duties , leading the media to predict an early playoff exit due to Hasek ' s absence . Hopes were raised in the first round , when Emery would become the first rookie netminder since Philadelphia ' s Brian Boucher in 2000 to win a playoff series when the Senators defeated Tampa Bay , four games to one . However , the Senators then lost to the Buffalo Sabres in the second round , a series in which all games were decided by one goal . This was the last hurrah for several Senators , as Zdeno Chara , Hasek , Martin Havlat , Bryan Smolinski and Brian Pothier all left the team after the season . Chara , Hasek and Pothier signed with other teams as free agents . Havlat and Smolinski were traded away to Chicago . 2006 – 07 : Trip to the Stanley Cup Finals . The Senators ' season went off to a poor start , and was marked by a struggle to reach a . 500 win - loss ratio . Until December , the team had a 21 - 18 - 1 record ; however , they had much more success in the remaining half of the season , eventually finishing second in the division after the President ' s Trophy - winning Buffalo Sabres and earning the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference . They ultimately finished with 105 points , their fourth straight 100 - point season and sixth in the last eight . In the playoffs , Ottawa ' s fourth placing in the Conference meant that the first - round playoff series was against the fifth - seeded Pittsburgh Penguins . Some media were expecting the Penguins to win the series because the Penguins had won the season series , the Senators ' past playoff troubles and the strong young talent of the Penguins , including Sidney Crosby . However , the Senators won easily by a score of four games to one , including a 3 - 0 win in the fifth game . This was the only series where the Senators were the higher - seeded team . The second - round series was versus the Atlantic Division - leading New Jersey Devils , in a rematch of the 2003 Eastern Conference Finals . The Senators again won by a score of four games to one . Next , the Senators faced off against the Buffalo Sabres in the Conference Final , looking to get even for losing to the Sabres in the 2006 playoffs . The Senators took the series , again by a score of four games to one , earning the Prince of Wales Trophy as Eastern Conference Champion and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals , to face the Western Conference champion Anaheim Ducks . Daniel Alfredsson scored the series - winning goal , ( see video ) in overtime , redemption for being beaten a year before on the goal that eliminated the Sens from the playoffs . It was also the first series win by the Senators against the Sabres . The 2006 – 07 Senators thus became the first Ottawa team to be in the Stanley Cup Finals since the 1927 Stanley Cup Finals . Despite the 80 year gap , one fan attended games both the 1927 and the 2007 Finals . The third game of the series and first home game for Ottawa on June 2 , was attended by 99 – year old Russell Williams as a guest of the Senators . He had attended the last Finals game in Ottawa on April 13 , 1927 , played in the old Ottawa Auditorium . Both the 1927 and 2007 games were won by the Senators . The city was swept up in the excitement of being in the finals . Businesses along all of the main streets posted large hand - drawn ' Go Sens Go ' signs , residents put up large displays in front of the their homes or decorated their cars . A large Ottawa Senators flag was draped on the City Hall , along with a large video screen showing the games . A six - story likeness of Daniel Alfredsson was hung on the Corel building and the Senators organization held rallies at City Hall , and car rallies of decorated cars paraded from Lynx stadium , through downtown to Scotiabank Place . The series marked the first time that a NHL team with a captain from Europe had made the finals , as Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson is from Sweden . Previously , only Americans or Canadians had captained teams in the Finals . Alfredsson would be one of the bright lights for the Senators in the series , as he had been in all of the playoff series . But he would be one of the few bright lights as Anaheim won the series in five games bolstered by strong defensive play and opportunistic scoring . The first two games were in Anaheim , both won by the Ducks by one goal margins . Game three went to the Senators , but game four in Ottawa was won by the Ducks , for an insurmountable 3 games to 1 lead . The Ducks would finish the series in game five at home . The Ducks had been favoured to win the Cup since before the season started . The Senators were the third consecutive Canadian franchise to reach the Final and they suffered the same fate as the Calgary Flames of 2004 and the Edmonton Oilers of 2006 . 2007 – 2009 : A team in turmoil . In the off - season after the Stanley Cup Final , Bryan Murray ' s contract was expiring , while GM John Muckler had one season remaining , at which he was expected to retire . Murray , who had previously been at GM for other NHL clubs , was expected to take over the GM position , although no public timetable was given . Owner Melnyk decided to offer Muckler another position in the organization and give the GM position to Murray . Muckler declined the offer and was relieved from his position . Melnyk publicly justified the move , saying that he expected to lose Murray if his contract ran out . Murray then elevated John Paddock , the assistant coach to head coach of the Senators . Under Paddock , the team came out to a record start to the 2007 – 08 season . However , team play declined to a . 500 level and the team looked to be falling out of the playoffs . Paddock was fired by Murray , who took over coaching on an interim basis . The club managed to qualify for the playoffs by a tie - breaker , but was swept in the first round of the playoffs to the Penguins . In June , the club bought out goaltender Ray Emery who had become notorious for off - ice events in Ottawa and lateness to several team practices . For 2008 – 09 , Murray hired Craig Hartsburg to coach the Senators . Under Hartsburg ' s style , the Senators struggled and played under . 500 . Uneven goaltending with Martin Gerber and Alex Auld meant the team played cautiously to protect the goaltender . Murray ' s patience ran out in February 2009 with the team well out of playoff contention and Hartsburg was fired , although he had two years left on his contract , and the team also had Paddock under contract . Cory Clouston was elevated from the Binghamton coaching position . The team played above . 500 under Clouston and rookie goaltender Brian Elliott , who had been promoted from Binghamton . Gerber was waived from the team at the trading deadline and the team traded for goaltender Pascal Leclaire , although he would not play due to injury . The team failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons . Auld would be traded in the off - season to make room . Clouston ' s coaching had caused a rift with top player Dany Heatley ( although unspecified ' personal issues ' were also noted by Heatley ) and after Clouston was given a contract to continue coaching , Heatley made a trade demand and was traded just before the start of the 2009 – 10 season . Logo and jersey design . The team colours are red , black and white , like the original era Senators , and like other Ottawa sports teams ( such as the Ottawa Renegades , Rough Riders and 67s ) , with added trim of gold . The colours are attributed to the colours of the defunct Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association , the Ottawa Hockey Club being a member club . The club logo is officially the head of a Roman general , a member of the Senate of the Roman Empire , projecting from a gold circle . There have been several versions of the team logo . The original , unveiled on May 23 , 1991 , described the general as a " centurion figure , strong and prominent " according to its designer , Tony Milchard . Milchard intended the logo to be similar to that of the Chicago Blackhawks head logo . Leaked before its unveiling , the logo design was unpopular with fans , being compared unfavourably to the American Express card , the USC Trojans and the Trojan condom . The original had the words " Ottawa Senators " within the circle . This logo was slightly revised in 1996 to remove the team name from the gold circle and replace it with laurels . The original home jersey was white with black and red stripes . The original ' away ' jersey was black , with white and red trim . Shoulder patches used a winged ' S ' ' established MDCCCXCIV ' ( 1894 ) logo . The league changed its policies on coloured and white jerseys and the white jersey became the ' away ' jersey . The club would use the white jersey with the original logo until the end of the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals . In 1998 , the Senators unveiled a new logo , taking the head , which had been in profile , and rotating it so that it was face - first . The new logo was unveiled with a new red ' third ' jersey , prominently using ' curved ' or ' swoosh ' stripes . On the shoulder , the original logo was used as a shoulder patch . The original dark jersey , ( then the ' away ' jersey ) which was mostly black , was retired after the season . The red jersey became the home jersey and it remained in use until the end of the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals . Starting in July 2000 , the Senators reused the alternate logo on another third jersey , designed by Ottawa firm Hoselton Brunet , this one black with red and gold sleeves and a gold stripe with laurel leaves along the bottom of the jersey . On the shoulders , was a modified version of the original Peace Tower logo of the expansion campaign , which the management liked . Like the original logo , this design was leaked onto the Internet . This jersey was in use until the end of the 2006 – 07 season . 2007 – 08 Update . On August 22 , 2007 , the Senators unveiled a set of new jerseys , which have a more refined , streamlined look to them . The team retired all three previous jerseys and did not have a third jersey for the 2007 – 08 season . The updated look came in conjunction with the launch of the new " Rbk EDGE " jerseys by Reebok , adopted league - wide for the 2007 – 08 season . At the same time , the team updated its logos , designed by local firm Acart Communications . The new primary logo is an update of the old secondary logo , which according to team owner Eugene Melnyk , " represents strength and determination . " The logo was modified in several ways , updating the facial features , removing facial colouring , reducing size of the gold semicircle and updating the cape of the warrior . The new secondary logo is an update of the old primary logo . Only the primary logo will appear on the jerseys , as the secondary logo will be on Sens ' merchandise . The new shoulder patch ' O ' logo replaces the winged ' S ' shoulder patch with the jersey logo of the original Ottawa Senators club .