Senators Skills Competition Provides Healing After Olympic Hockey Heartbreak
Following a devastating overtime loss for Canada in the Olympic gold medal hockey game, thousands of Ottawa Senators fans gathered at the Canadian Tire Centre for the annual Sens Skills competition, seeking solace and entertainment. The event offered a much-needed distraction from the national disappointment that had unfolded mere hours earlier in Milan-Cortina.
Players Process Olympic Drama Before Showcasing Skills
Senators forward Ridly Greig described watching the intense championship match between Canada and the United States as a nerve-wracking experience. "I was telling the boys I think I chewed all my nails off," said Greig, who hails from Lethbridge, Alberta. "What a game. I thought Canada was pretty dominant throughout the whole game. A couple bounces not the Canadian way, and yeah, it's unfortunate."
The game reached its heartbreaking conclusion when American player Jack Hughes scored the overtime winner, defeating Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington with a precise wrist shot. Despite the loss, players acknowledged the quality of the competition.
"It was an awesome game," said Dylan Cozens, who has represented Canada in international tournaments. "It was super high paced and really fun to watch. A lot of intensity. I haven't really felt like that during a hockey game before. It's awesome to kind of take a step back and be a fan, sort of, and just watch two great teams go at it."
Mixed Emotions for Senators Teammates
The Olympic final created complex emotions within the Senators locker room. While most players were cheering for Canada, two of their teammates – captain Brady Tkachuk and star defenceman Jake Sanderson – were celebrating as members of the victorious American team.
"You're always going to cheer for your country," said defenceman Thomas Chabot, who served as captain of Team Black during the skills competition. "But it's amazing to see my king Chucky and Sandy, to see them win. Obviously, it sucks for our staff members who were with Team Canada, but I'm sure they had a great experience. It's unfortunate, but at the end of the day, only one team can win."
Cozens added praise for his gold-medal winning teammates: "They're great players, they deserve it."
Skills Competition Highlights and Surprise Winner
While Tkachuk and Sanderson celebrated in Italy, their Senators teammates entertained a decent-sized crowd of enthusiastic young fans at the Canadian Tire Centre. Drake Batherson captained Team White while Thomas Chabot led Team Black in various skill challenges.
The competition produced several impressive performances:
- Ridly Greig claimed fastest skater honors with a blistering lap time of 13.4 seconds
- Drake Batherson won the hardest shot competition with a powerful slapshot recorded at 106 miles per hour
- Dylan Cozens excelled in the shootout, scoring on four of his five attempts
Perhaps the most memorable moment came from an unexpected source. Rebecca Leslie, an Ottawa native playing for the Professional Women's Hockey League's Ottawa Charge, dominated the accuracy shooting event. Competing alongside NHL players, Leslie shattered all four targets in an astonishing 9.5 seconds.
"She was telling me before that, we were wasting time chatting, that she wasn't going to get it done," Chabot recalled with amusement. "And she won it all."
The Charge was well-represented at the event, with four players – Leslie, Ronja Savolainen, Gabbie Hughes, and Sarah Wozniewicz – participating alongside their NHL counterparts.
The skills competition served as a therapeutic diversion for both players and fans, demonstrating hockey's ability to unite and heal even in the wake of national sporting disappointment. The event highlighted emerging talents while providing a platform for women's hockey stars to showcase their skills alongside established NHL players.
