The Sens Are Back
Ottawa hockey fans, dust off your red jerseys — the Ottawa Senators are playoff bound. The team has officially clinched a spot in the NHL postseason, completing a remarkable back-to-back playoff appearance that the franchise hasn't achieved since the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons.
It's been a long road. For years, Senators fans endured rebuilding seasons, roster overhauls, and plenty of heartbreak. But this current core — built patiently through the draft and smart roster moves — is now delivering on its promise, and the city is buzzing.
A Rollercoaster Ride Worth Taking
The 2025–26 regular season was anything but smooth sailing. The Senators gave their fanbase every emotion in the book — dominant stretches followed by frustrating skids, overtime thrillers, and more than a few nail-biters down the stretch.
But through it all, the team found a way. That resilience is exactly what playoff hockey demands, and it's a good sign that this group has already shown they can grind through adversity before the postseason even begins.
The dressing room atmosphere, by all accounts, has never been better. Young stars have stepped up when it counted, and the locker room leadership has clearly grown since last year's playoff run.
Back-to-Back: A Real Milestone
Making the playoffs twice in a row might sound modest to fans of perennial contenders, but for Ottawa, it signals something genuinely meaningful: this is no longer a team that stumbles into October hoping for a miracle. The Senators are building something sustainable.
The last time Ottawa achieved consecutive playoff appearances was over a decade ago, during a different era of the franchise entirely. The fact that this young, homegrown squad is now doing it speaks to how far the rebuild has come.
What It Means for the City
Playoff hockey in Ottawa is a full city event. Canadian Tire Centre fills with energy that's hard to describe unless you've been there — the roar when the puck drops in Game 1, the watch parties spilling out across the ByWard Market and Glebe, the sea of red and black taking over downtown.
Local bars and restaurants will be gearing up for playoff viewing parties, and expect the usual wave of Sens pride that sweeps through every corner of the capital when the team is competing in May.
For a city that loves its hockey as deeply as Ottawa does, this is the kind of spring moment people talk about for years.
Eyes on the Prize
The Senators have shown they belong in the postseason conversation. Now comes the hard part — going deep. Playoff hockey is a different beast, and while Ottawa has the talent and the hunger, they'll need to bring their best game from puck drop in Game 1.
Regardless of how far they go, one thing is certain: Ottawa is a playoff city again, and the capital is ready to cheer every shift of the way.
Let's go Sens.
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Original article: Ottawa Senators are back in the NHL postseason
