Veteran goaltender James Reimer's first step toward a potential return to the National Hockey League was a challenging one, as his debut with the American Hockey League's Belleville Senators ended in a narrow overtime defeat.
A Tough Start in Belleville
The 37-year-old netminder suited up for the Belleville Senators on Sunday, January 11, 2026, facing off against the Rochester Amerks at the CAA Arena. In his first competitive action since playing for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland, Reimer surrendered six goals on 28 shots in a fast-paced 6-5 overtime loss.
The game concluded dramatically just 13 seconds into the extra frame, when Rochester's Jack Ratherborne beat Reimer for the winner. Belleville had forced overtime thanks to a late goal by Philippe Daoust with only 1:50 remaining in the third period.
The Path Back to the NHL
Reimer's appearance in Belleville came after he signed a professional tryout agreement with the Ottawa Senators organization on Thursday. After three days of practice with the AHL squad, the game served as a live evaluation for the Senators' management.
The veteran goalie needs to secure a standard NHL contract to officially join the Ottawa Senators roster, and that move could materialize as early as this week. This timing is critical, as Ottawa faces a back-to-back set on the road against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday and the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
Ottawa's Goaltending Situation
The Senators' interest in Reimer is heightened by the current state of their NHL goaltending. Veteran starter Linus Ullmark remains on a leave of absence for personal reasons, with no definitive timeline for his return, according to President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios.
In Ullmark's absence, backup Leevi Merilainen has carried a heavy load, making his eighth consecutive start in Ottawa's 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Reimer had previously attended the Toronto Maple Leafs' training camp on a pro tryout this season before his stint with Team Canada in Switzerland.
Belleville's Valiant Comeback Effort
Despite the final score, the Belleville Senators showed resilience in front of their new goaltender. After falling behind 4-1 in the third period, the team mounted a furious comeback to tie the game.
Defenceman Lassi Thomson led the charge with two goals, while Wyatt Bongiovanni and Arthur Kaliyev also found the back of the net. Reimer's debut saw an early test, as Rochester's Riley Fiddler-Schulz scored on just the second shot of the game, 3:34 into the first period. Ryan Johnson later gave the Amerks a 2-1 lead in the second period on the 12th shot Reimer faced.
While the stat line from his AHL debut was not ideal, the game provided Reimer with crucial game action. His performance in Belleville will be a key factor as the Ottawa Senators' brass decides whether to offer him an NHL contract to bolster their goaltending corps for the challenging week ahead.
