Behind THE NAME

OTTAWA SENATORS (1992-present) Despite being a 22-year-old franchise on paper, the Ottawa Senators are one of the oldest teams in hockey. After early incarnations as the Ottawa Hockey Club in 1883 and the Generals in 1890, the team became the Senators in 1902. They won 11 Stanley Cups (seven in the National Hockey Association and four in the NHL) before folding one season after relocating to St. Louis and becoming the Eagles in 1934. When Ottawa got its NHL franchise back in 1992, it chose “Senators” to honor the city’s hockey history. The name has obvious links to the city’s title as Canada’s capital, but the head in the logo references a member of the senate of the Roman Empire.…

A WORTHWHILE SABRE SABBATICAL

TWICE IN HIS LIFE, TED NOLAN thought his NHL coaching career might be over. The first one featured dark moments of doubt and anger. The second set him up for experiences he never could have imagined. Both times have helped shape the Sabres’ coach into the forward-thinking man he is today. Nolan infamously disappeared from the NHL in 1997 after winning the Jack Adams Award. He turned down an insulting one-year extension from new Buffalo GM Darcy Regier. Nolan also rejected an offer from Tampa Bay that year, fearing his eight-year-old sons’ development would be hampered in Florida (a wise move, since Jordan Nolan of the Kings now has two Stanley Cup rings). And he never got another look until the Islanders hired him in 2005. “I probably wasted two years…

In The CARDS

ATHLETES CAN BE A SUPERSTITIOUS LOT. They like their routines and are loathe to change it up if they are winning. In 1996-97, Score spotlighted 13 – get it? – players who had particular hockey-related superstitions. Some of the quirkier hang-ups include: Chris Chelios wearing the same protective gear for more than 10 years, Felix Potvin shooting a puck into his own net during pre-game warmups, Teemu Selanne switching his jersey number from 13 to 8 after an injury and Mike Modano insisting Van Halen music be played at the start of each home game.…

THE INSTIGATOR