Ottawa Senators, preparing for Battle of Ontario, raise their flag at city hall

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe stepped up to the podium outside the Heritage Building at city hall, took one look around at the people gathered outside and asked the question everybody wanted answered. “Why is there a Maple Leafs fan here?” Sutcliffe asked before booing. Sutcliffe should know by now that there is one in every crowd.

Accompanied by owner Michael Andlauer, chief executive officer Cyril Leeder, legendary winger Chris Neil and Spartacat, Sutcliffe raised a Senators flag at city hall on Wednesday to officially open Sens Mile. The club will play its final home game on Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes to wrap up the regular season before the focus turns to facing the Leafs in the playoffs for the first time since 2004. It’s appropriate that, as the Senators return to the playoffs for the first time in eight years, they do so by facing off against the arch-rival Toronto Maple Leafs in a first-round series that will begin on Sunday.



It will be the first time in 21 years that the Leafs and Senators have faced off in a Battle of Ontario that is meaningful. The Senators and Leafs met in the playoffs four times in five seasons from 2000 to 2004, with Toronto winning each series. This should be a great series because fans from both cities are thrilled it’s going to happen.

“At the end of the day, making the playoffs was certainly the goal, and it didn’t matter who we were going to play,” Andlauer said. “Certainly, from a fan’s perspective, the Battle of Ontario, we’re 0-for-4 and now we have a chance to have one.” Neil, who was a villain in those days when the Battle of Ontario was brought to new heights, is confident this group of Senators will have a chance to beat the Leafs.

The Senators swept the series 3-0 during the regular season and outscored the Leafs 9-3, but those numbers can be thrown out because we know the regular season means nothing. “It’s good to be back playing the blue team,” Neil said. “We’ve got some demons to conquer there.

It’s a challenge for us, but we’re going to be the underdog. We’ve got something to prove. “Toronto is the favourite, they finished above us in the standings.

” Neil admires the leadership he’s witnessed from captain Brady Tkachuk, centre Tim Stutzle and the rest of the group. “Being around the guys in the dressing room in today’s era, it’s awesome, and they’re passionate. It reminds me of when I first came into the league; it’s like a brotherhood.

When I came in, we had Daniel Alfredsson and Wade Redden to take you under their wing. “Guys like Brady and Timmy are doing the same thing.” Andlauer has been thrilled with the reaction from the faithful, and the Sens Mile street signs will be running down Elgin Street until the end of the playoffs.

“This is awesome. Making the playoffs has exceeded my expectations from a fan’s perspective in light of the fan reaction,” Andlauer said. “The excitement and the fever in the city .

.. I’m loving it.

” Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday at noon. Season-ticket holders were given one last opportunity to snap up extra seats during a window on Wednesday, which means there may not be much left for Toronto fans to buy. Club officials estimate there will only be about 500 tickets for each of the three games in the series left for the public.

The demand has been high for tickets, and the Senators added about 900 new season-seat holders in the last month. The club started the season with approximately 7,500 season-ticket holders. Sutcliffe is confident that the Senators making the playoffs will help some of the bars, restaurants and hotels in the city.

He said the spirits of the community have been lifted with the club getting back to the playoffs. “What’s good for our hockey team is good for our economy,” Sutcliffe said. “It’s the renewal of a tradition in our city, and it’s going to be great for downtown Ottawa.

I would say that what’s good for our hockey team is good for our community. “I believe we have a team that is built for the playoffs, and I’m very excited to see them play. If that means we have to deny the Toronto Maple Leafs the Stanley Cup for the 58th consecutive year, I’m OK with that.

” Of course, Andlauer never misses a beat, and since most of the members of city council were on hand, he took the opportunity to muse about getting a little help from his friends at city hall. “Since we have the councillors here, should we put in a motion for a new arena downtown? Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” Andlauer said with a smile. bgarrioch@postmedia.

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