1992–93 Ottawa Senators season


The 1992–93 Ottawa Senators season was the inaugural season of the modern Ottawa Senators. Despite winning the first game of the regular season on October 8, 1992, the Senators won only 9 more en route to their worst season ever. The team recorded three NHL records that season: the longest home losing streak of eleven, from October 27 to December 8; the longest road losing streak with a total of 38, from October 10 to April 3 and fewest road wins in a season, with just one victory.

Team business

On June 2, 1992, the then city of Kanata gave approval of the Palladium project. On June 29, the club held ground-breaking ceremonies for the Palladium project at the site. The team was still seeking partners for financing the project and Ogden Corporation would back $120 million in loans on November 11. Actual construction would begin in 1994.
On June 15, Rick Bowness was named as the team's first head coach. Bowness was previously a head coach for the original Winnipeg Jets and Boston Bruins.
On July 29, 1992, team president and former Ottawa mayor, Jim Durrell resigned.

Expansion and Entry drafts

The team's struggles started before the season when, at the expansion draft, Senators management attempted to make three draft picks who were ineligible. They had wanted to select players from the Canadiens and Maple Leafs after they had both lost two, the maximum. To top it off, the Sens selected C. J. Young from Calgary off the wrong master list of players. The players the Senators did select were "journeymen NHLers or player who had good years in minor leagues but no longer were considered prospects."
At the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, the Sens selected "relative unknown" Alexei Yashin as their first choice, second overall. Yashin opted to play in Moscow for the 1992–93 season instead of with the Sens.

Pre-season

The Senators held their first training camp at the Robert Guertin Arena in Hull, Quebec, on September 8. The team played its first game in Hartford against the Hartford Whalers. The game ends in a 1–1 tie, and the Senators first goal is scored by Neil Brady. The first game in Ottawa since re-joining the NHL is played on September 18. The Washington Capitals defeat Ottawa 4–3. The first win by the Senators since re-entry into the NHL is recorded on September 24, a 4–3 win against the New York Islanders. Defenceman Brad Shaw scored the winning goal. On October 7, just before the start of the regular season, the Senators announce Laurie Boschman as the team's first captain.

Regular season

The Senators finished last in goals scored, wins, points, even-strength goals scored, power-play goals for, power play goals against and power play % and shooting percentage.
Two Senators recorded hat tricks during the regular season; Bob Kudelski scored one in a 3–2 victory over San Jose on Sunday, January 10, 1993 and Laurie Boschman scored one on Saturday, April 10, 1993, in a 5–3 win on the road against the New York Islanders.

Highlights

The new Senators played their first game on October 8, 1992, in the Ottawa Civic Centre defeating the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens by a score of 5–3. The game was televised on Hockey Night In Canada and was in front of a sold-out Ottawa Civic Centre with 10,449 in attendance. The ceremonial face-off between Laurie Boschman and Denis Savard was done by Frank Finnigan, Jr., Bruce Firestone and Gil Stein. There was lots of pre-game spectacle—the skating of Brian Orser, the 9 banners being raised to honour the original Senators' Stanley Cup wins, retirement of Frank Finnigan's jersey number and the singing of the anthem by Alanis Morissette. The game was attended by Russell Williams, an Ottawa fan who had witnessed the last Stanley Cup win in Ottawa in the 1927 Stanley Cup Final, and would later attend the games of the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, held in Ottawa.

Starting lineup

Starting players:
Others:
Mark Lamb, Doug Smail, Darcy Loewen, Jamie Baker, Laurie Boschman, Andrew McBain, Norm Maciver, Chris Luongo, Tomas Jelinek, Marc Fortier, Mark Osiecki, Darren Rumble, Mike Peluso, Steve Weeks
Neil Brady scored the first goal for the modern-day Ottawa Senators franchise in the game.
It would take the Sens 39 games to win a road game, in their third-to-last road game of the season. It would be the only road win for the Sens in the entire season, and the only points won on the road as well. After the season, General Manager Mel Bridgman was fired, and eventually, would be replaced by Randy Sexton.

Final standings

Schedule and results

Player statistics

Regular season

;Scoring
PlayerPosGPGAPtsPIM+/-PPGSHGGWG
D8017466384−46712
C7619294854−201002
LW72251843104−29802
D817344134−47400
RW4821143522−221202
RW6913213414−24510
C717192664−40100
LW81151025318−35201
C6310142439−35330
C557172457−25500
RW597162343−37100
C709716101−26011
D693131661−24000
C/LW44961532−16600
LW514101451−34000
RW49761352−21000
D76391268−47100
LW26641016−8010
C44371030−23000
LW79459145−26000
D62448104−42000
D3224630−19100
D3404412−21000
D5903330−29000
RW40110−3000
G2501120000
C100116−7000
D401140000
D201100000
RW1501141−11000
C20000−2000
D40000−4000
LW300000000
G200000000
D1100042−5000
D600020−7000
G6400080000
LW100020000
G700000000

;Goaltending
PlayerMINGPWLTGAGAASOSASVSV%
33886484632504.43017371487.856
1326252171954.300739644.871
902020106.6704434.773
2497050307.230144114.792
Team:505384107043854.57026642279.855

Awards and records

Awards

Source:

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Waivers

Source:

Roster

Draft picks

Expansion Draft

The Senators participated in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft on June 18, 1992, to fill their roster for the 1992–93 NHL Season.
Round#PlayerNationalityNHL Team
12Peter SidorkiewiczHartford Whalers
23Mark LaforestNew York Rangers
35Brad ShawNew Jersey Devils
48Darren RumblePhiladelphia Flyers
510Dominic LavoieSt. Louis Blues
611Brad MillerBuffalo Sabres
713Ken HammondVancouver Canucks
816Kent PaynterWinnipeg Jets
918John Van KesselLos Angeles Kings
1020Sylvain TurgeonMontreal Canadiens
1121Mike PelusoChicago Blackhawks
1223Rob MurphyVancouver Canucks
1325Mark LambEdmonton Oilers
1427Laurie BoschmanNew Jersey Devils
1529Jim ThomsonLos Angeles Kings
1631Lonnie LoachDetroit Red Wings
1733Mark FreerPhiladelphia Flyers
1835Chris LindbergCalgary Flames
1937Jeff LazaroBoston Bruins
2039Darcy LoewenBuffalo Sabres
2141Blair AtcheynumHartford Whalers

Entry Draft

Ottawa's draft picks at the 1992 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, Quebec.
Round#PlayerNationalityCollege/Junior/Club Team
12Alexei YashinHC Dynamo Moscow
225Chad PenneyNorth Bay Centennials
350Patrick TraverseShawinigan Cataractes
473Radek HamrHC Sparta Praha
598Daniel GuerardVictoriaville Tigres
6121Alan SinclairUniversity of Michigan
7146Jaroslav MiklendaDS Olomuc
8169Jay KenneyCanterbury School
9194Claude SavoieVictoriaville Tigres
10217Jack GrimesBelleville Bulls
11242Tomas JelinekHPK Hameenlinna
11264Petter RonnquistNacka
S2Steve FlomenhoftHarvard University

Farm teams