2003–04 Ottawa Senators season


The 2003–04 Ottawa Senators season was the 12th season of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. This season would see the Senators again finish with over 100 points, finishing with 102, but this was good for only third in the tightly-contested division, as the Boston Bruins would have 104 and the Toronto Maple Leafs 103. Ottawa would meet Toronto in the first-round of the playoffs for the fourth time, where the Maple Leafs would win the series 4–3 to end the Senators' playoff hopes. Ottawa would fire Head Coach Jacques Martin after the playoff round.

Offseason

In the off-season, Eugene Melnyk would purchase the club to bring financial stability. Another change was in the general manager position. Marshall Johnston resigned and was replaced by John Muckler on June 3, 2003. Muckler had been a candidate for the positions of Ottawa head coach or GM back in 1992, but had chosen to sign on with the Buffalo Sabres instead.
On June 21, 2003, Assistant Coach Roger Neilson died after four years of battling cancer. The Senators would wear a patch on their jerseys with an illustration of his signature and a necktie. Neilson would often wear distinctive neckties and the necktie became associated with him, and also became the symbol for "Roger's House", a residence for the use of families with a family member fighting cancer while in hospital, established by him and the Senators.

Regular season

lead the club in scoring with 82 points, good enough for sixth overall in the NHL.

Highlights

On February 5, 2004, the Senators were playing the Toronto Maple Leafs and were leading 4–0 in the second period. The flu started affecting players on the Senators leading the team to be down to only 15 skaters by the end of the game. The Maple Leafs took full advantage and won the game 5–4 in overtime.
On March 5, 2004, in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, a record was set for the most penalty minutes in a game by both teams, at 419 minutes. Five brawls broke out in the last two minutes of the game. It took the officials until 90 minutes after the game was over to sort out the penalties. By the end of the game, Philadelphia had 213 penalty minutes and seven men left on the bench, while Ottawa finished with 206 penalty minutes and six men left.
The Senators finished the regular season first overall in the NHL in scoring, power-play goals scored and power-play percentage.

Division standings

Schedule and results

Playoffs

In the first round of the 2004 playoffs, the Senators would lose again to the Maple Leafs 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. Two days after the Senators' loss, Head Coach Jacques Martin was fired, and goaltender Patrick Lalime was later traded to the St. Louis Blues.
Martin had been coach of the Senators for eight-and-a-half years. He was well respected, earned a 341–255–96 regular season record with the Senators, had led the team to eight consecutive playoff appearances and was widely credited with changing the team into an elite NHL franchise. He also won the Jack Adams Trophy as Coach of the Year in 1999. However, after losing eight of 12 playoff series, including all four series in five years against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, Senators ownership felt that a new coach was required for playoff success.
On June 8, 2004, Bryan Murray of nearby town Shawville, Quebec, became the team's fifth head coach, leaving the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. where he had previously been general manager.
Eastern Conference Quarter-finals

Player statistics

Regular season

;Scoring
PlayerPosGPGAPtsPIM+/-PPGSHGGWG
RW813646824641415
RW773248802412905
RW6831376846121307
C782233557122503
C801927464922403
C66123244662601
D8117264365211203
D7916254114733703
LW811524392622223
C53920292212112
D82716234615001
RW3871017166202
D60116172917000
RW82881619413001
C577714165010
RW235914161201
C7321012806010
RW305510262001
C24461039-3100
D55268246101
LW4324614-1101
D561451613000
D37055722000
D1912381000
G57022170000
RW6101140000
D1301160000
C501121000
G2901100000
D1601147-1000
G300020000
LW50000-3000
RW100000000
C/LW40000-2000
C100020000
D100021000

;Goaltending
PlayerMINGPWLT/OTGAGAASOSASVSV%
332457252371272.29513341207.905
1528291663542.123651597.917
126320052.3805247.904
Team:4978824329101862.24820371851.909

Playoffs

;Scoring
PlayerPosGPGAPtsPIM+/-PPGSHGGWG
RW731402102
RW712320000
RW70332-1000
D711283000
C71124-2000
RW711240000
C702202000
LW702241000
C710140001
D7101122100
D71012-5100
C71014-1000
D70118-2000
RW7011190000
C40114-1000
RW70006-4000
G700020000
D20000-1000
D70006-2000
G100000000
C30002-1000
D500060000

;Goaltending
PlayerMINGPWLGAGAASOSASVSV%
398734131.960139126.906
4010011.5001514.933
Team:438734141.920154140.909

Awards and records

Trades

Waivers

Source:

Roster

Sources:
Ottawa's draft picks from the 2003 NHL Entry Draft held on June 21 and June 22, 2003 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Round#PlayerNationalityCollege/junior/club team
129Patrick EavesUnited StatesBoston College
267Igor MirnovRussiaDynamo Moscow
3100Philippe SeydouxSwitzerlandKloten Flyers
4135Matt KarlssonSwedenBrynäs IF
5142Tim CookUnited StatesRiver City Lancers
5166Sergei GimayevRussiaSeverstal Cherepovets
7228Will ColbertCanadaOttawa 67's
8269Ossi LouhivaaraKookoo
9291Brian ElliottCanadaUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison

Farm teams