The Ottawa Senators will host the NHL Prospect Challenge at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Quebec, on September 12-13, 2026, featuring top prospects Carter Yakemchuk and Lucas Beckman. The tournament will also include prospect teams from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and Winnipeg Jets, though the Senators will only play their Atlantic Division rivals.
Ticket Information and Schedule
Tickets for each game will start at $20 and go on sale Monday, June 29 at 10 a.m. on centreslushpuppie.com. The full schedule is as follows: Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. — Winnipeg Jets vs. Montreal Canadiens; Saturday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. — Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators; Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. — Winnipeg Jets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs; Sunday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. — Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators.
Key Prospects to Watch
Carter Yakemchuk, a 20-year-old defenceman, is coming off a promising first stint in the NHL. He recorded a goal and an assist in his first NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings on March 24 and helped Ottawa stay in the playoff race when numerous key blue liners were injured in the final month and a half of the regular season. In Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes, Yakemchuk had two assists in Game 4, his first taste of NHL postseason action. He has a great opportunity to make the Senators out of camp in October.
Lucas Beckman, a goalie, backstopped the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League's Chicoutimi Saguenéens to a championship this past season, going 16-4 with a .918 save percentage. Beckman, who spoke with the Ottawa Citizen ahead of his Memorial Cup debut, was traded to the Cape Breton Eagles earlier this month.
Additional Roster Members
The Senators' prospect team will also feature Memorial Cup champions Lucas Ellinas and Matthew Andonovski, who each recently finished his final Ontario Hockey League season with the Kitchener Rangers and will fully graduate to professional hockey this fall. Ottawa's full roster for the tournament will be released closer to September.
