Your All Star Weekend Partying Guide

The All Star weekend is way more than just a game. In fact, the game is practically the least improtant thing of the whole event when you think about it. One of the main things many are interested in are the NHL All Star parties taking place this Thursday-Sunday in Ottawa. Rest assured alcoholics, fan boys, puck bunnies, out of towners, bar stars and groupies. I've got you covered for all your weekend debauchery needs.

Thursday January 26th:

Things get underway Thursday with a pair of competing welcome parties. One is at Tila Tequila and one is at Studio/Sky Bar. First off, let's all agree that all three have horrible names. I mean really bad. Ok, now that that's out of the way let's compare the 2 opening night bashes.

Both are in the market so that's no advantage. The Tila one has a generic hockey player on its flyer, while Studio/Skybar has former Gatineau Olympiques Claude Giroux, who is likely to be a finalist for league MVP. On the surface it's massive advantage to Studio/Skybar, but it doesn't mention anything about him actually being there, though I'd find it hard to believe they'd use his face and not have him show.

Tila mentions players coming by as well but no mention of whom. I talked to a girl who works at Tila and she said they are execting at least 10 NHLers there so if you want quantity Tila is your spot. Either one you pick will be fun if you're into that kind of clubbing scene. Think Ottawa's Jersey Shore type. If that's ok with you you'll be fine and rub elbows with some NHLers.

 Friday January 27th:

Friday night seems to be the big party night with 5 big one's all on at once. Here's the first 2: one is a concert from someone I had never heard about until a few days ago and one is a party that's trying too hard but will fall flat on its face. The Sheepdogs will play a show at The Great Canadian Cabin in the market for charity. Tickets were only $10 in advance but I guess this person didn't get the memo.

The 2nd party is at Lobby and says it will feature celebrities and UMM models (gloirified club girls). How fabulous. The celebs will be D-list (at best) and the UMM girls will have fake D's, but if you're into that I highly recommend it. Be wary of any party that advertises celebrity guests but doesn't say who. Be ready to be disappointed and be prepared to pop overpriced bottles and deal with pretentious clientele. Sort of like dealing with Leaf fans. Victory in this round goes to the Sheepdogs and I don't even know one song they play.

Here are parties #3 and #4 on Friday night and there's no question which one I'm in favor of for obvious reasons. The Sens own and NHL leading vote getter Erik Karlsson hosts at party at Junxion Public House in the market. The 2 things I noticed on the flyer right away were that they didn't want to pay to use the logo so they made it blank and added a cheesy shoulder patch and that it said Karlsson and friends. Friends, really? What friends are we talking about? Hey man did you get to chill with Karlsson at that party or what? No man, was too busy around him but his video game buddy and me had a nice chat. I even got his autograph. His name was Kumar.

I realize that Marc Methot is from Ottawa and does play in the NHL and all, but let's be real. He lacks at certain star power. 90% of hockey fans wouldn't know him and neither does your average person, so plastering him on a flyer is hardly convincing. Also Union Station is out of the way of all the other parties since it's on Elgin and they used the same flyer for Fri and Sat. What's worse than thinking Marc Methot will draw patrons to your party? Thinking he will do it on back to back nights. I'd pass on that one unless you're trapped on Elgin.


Saturday January 28th:

This one is for 2 bars and is good for 2 nights. For both the 27th and 28th there will be a combined party going on at Industry and Liqour Store in the market as well. It seems that Eric Condra will be there for one night at least according to his twitter. I will tell you one thing that made me crack up though. Joey "Vendetta" Scoleri. Really!!! Really? He looks truly like a man to be reckoned with smh. By the way check this guys timeline out. Could he be a bigger star fucker?

After seeing that and the lamely named Hollywood North I just couldn't possibly give this party a chance, especially when the 2 bars are for 16-just turned 19 year olds but hey that's just me. If you're from out of town or just don't get care, hit it up. Sometimes you just need a place that serves drinks and is easy to get into. I won't judge you. We've all been there. Just joking, I've never been there. Yes I have.

For all you Frenchies or underagers, there's a "party" on the Hull side as well at Le Volt. Love the gangsta "Rep your city" with the unathorized Karlsson draft picture, coupled with the $2 beers WITH a jersey on. Because you know, everyone knows wearing a jersey is proper clubbing wear. Just kidding, I know no one you will go over to that side unless you're 16 or going to a strip club. Le Volt is neither. Please don't go.

Also don't forget that international superstar Marc Method is hosting night 2 at the Union Station on Elgin. If you're lucky you might be able to bride your way in and get a glimpse at him in person.


Sunday January 29th:

80's Sunday nights at Barrymore's is practically an Ottawa institution at this point. If you want to hit up an old style theatre for some synthesizer's bumping and have a good old school time, this might be for you. As it says at the top of the flyer, some NHL players are scheduled to attend but it doesn't say who. Considering you can catch Sens players here fairly regularly I would expect to see some of your home town boys there. It's a bit out of the way on Bank but it's definitely a solid choice. I can vouch. If you're from ot of town come check out the legendary spot on your trip.

And the last party is the big winner of All Star weekend. While many are claiming to have celebs and girls or god knows what else, Studio/Skybar came through with the real deal landing one of the biggest music stars in the world with Drake. He has millions of followers on twitter, a Grammy, 2 platinum albums and a worldwide fanbase, so getting him to host an All Star party is pretty major. The only draw back is the price ($50) and the fact that it will be a complete zoo to get in and have a good time. If that doesn't bother you, come check out the A-list star on Sunday night to wrap on the All Star weekend, if you can make it to Sunday night alive that is.

If none of these catch your fancy then just do your own thing. There's about a million Irish pubs in Ottawa and several Starbucks (1 even stays up til 10pm I hear, does this city ever sleep?), tons of restaurants, martini lounges and a bunch of late night eateries to cater to everyone's taste. In the end, it's who you're with that will determine how much fun you have, not where you're at. If you're somewhere that sucks, it's on you to make it the place to be people. Enjoy the weekend and be safe everyone.

Send in your pictures from the weekend of all the crazyness to senstown@gmail.com and follow me on twitter @SensTown

Alfie ASG Jersey First Look

The other day I let you know first when and where you could get your Alfie All Star Game jerseys before everyone else. Today I give you the first glance at what they look like. Thankfully reader Chris Kardaras was very eager to get one and sent in these photos of the new jersey.

I was on the fence about them before, but after seeing a finished product with Alfredsson and 11 on the back, my opinion has greatly improved. This is the replica version and if you are a season ticket holder, make sure to get it before Tuesday because during the All Star week the 20% discount won't apply. They are also now available at Sports Experts locations as well. Detailed pics after the jump.

Here is the front of the 2012 Alfie All Star jersey with the C of course. It also features the #11 on the side, as well as a small one on the chest, plus the Sens logo and All Star Game logo on the shoulder patches.

The up close captain's C for the Team Alfredsson jersey

The left side of the jersey with the #11, the Senators patch, the stars and the Reebok logo.

The up close view of the small #11 on the chest and the NHL shield.

And the right side of the jersey with the #11 again and the very nice and classic 2012 All Star Game logo.

And finally the back view with the nameplate, numbers and all the other little details that make up the jersey.

So there's your first view of the final product. I have to say, seeing it all together sure looks a lot better than I anticipated and it is definitely a nice piece if Sens history to have for your basement or Sens collection if you have the room and the extra cash to drop on it. Plus you know a lot of people will want to wear it for the All Star weekend too. So if you have an extra $249.99+tax laying around, might be a good way to get rid of it.

So will you buying it or passing on it?

The Gratchev Show: Entry #6

Pretty long week here for me.  We had practice in Binghamton Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday I was told to report to the Elmira Jackals. I packed up my stuff all day Thursday and made the drive down to Elmira. I moved right into a house with Louis Caporusso, Timo Peilmeirt, and Artem Demkov  It was nice to see some of the guys here and got right into the swing of things with games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 

It was a great atmosphere to come to as the team had won 9 games in a row. Friday we lost in overtime to the Reading Royals and Saturday night was a loss to South Carolina. Sunday was a 4pm game and we beat Trenton 3-1. Right now there's two days off so I'm just enjoying getting to know some new guys on the team and catching up with the players I knew. 

Personally I want to be playing at the highest level possible and that's what I strive for so it wasn't too pleasant hearing that but you work hard and eventually things will work themselves out.  

I'll check in next week and let everybody know how the week went.

Your 2012 All Star Tickets

Here are your what your 2012 skills competition and all star game tickets look like. I have to say it's pretty plain and boring. I was hoping for more. They could have been more creative and not played it so safe, or at least included a hologram or something interesting.

Your thoughts on the ASG tickets?

All Star Doppelganger's Confirmed

It was a week ago where I exclusively let everyone know that the 2012 All Star Game jerseys in Ottawa would be a copy of last season's in Carolina. Several hockey site's like Puck Daddy and Icethetics picked up on it, but were careful not to definitively say it was true, which I can understand for obvious reasons. Well today it has been confirmed that what I had up is indeed true, as this was spotted at The Sens Store at Scotiabank Place on Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins. More pics and proof after the jump.

This is from the Reebok Store upstairs at Scotiabank Place. As you can see all the Sens jerseys, plus jerseys from all the other NHL teams with the 2012 All Star Game jerseys featured in the middle. Although only the blue one is visible in this picture, the white one's were behind them and available for sale.

Here's an up close picture of both jerseys, so you can see that it was indeed this years version, complete with 2012 Ottawa All Star Game patches, and not leftover's from last season. This is also from The Sens Store at SBP, as you can see by the Senators home jersey to the left of the blue jersey.

And one more final shot to put it all together. In the shot you can see these were for sale at The Sens Store inside the arena, the jerseys themselves, and the 2012 Ottawa All Star Game patches on the jerseys that confirm the NHL is going with the same jerseys from last years game in Carolina.

Thoughts?

Sens Town Exclusive Book Offer

On the eve of the start of the Senators season, Sens Town is proud to bring the readers an exclusive offer to celebrate their 20th season. In conjuction with Penumbra Press and author Paul Kitchen, I would like to offer Sens fans with the opportunity to buy the definitive history of the original Ottawa Senators at 40% off, exclusively for Sens Town readers. As an added bonus for those of you who visit ST, the author will personally sign every book ordered through this offer.

Win, Tie, or Wrangle chronicles the early history of the Ottawa Senators and is a must read for any true Sens fan. I personally have read it after receiving it as a Christmas present a few years ago and found it very compelling and interesting. It's very well researched and extremely informative. It makes a great present for that hard to shop for Sens fan.

It also features a preface from Brian McFarlane and foreword from Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. Author Paul Kitchen also helped design the new Sens heritage jersey and is the most knowledgeable historian on the original Senators there is.

The book usually retails for $45, but through this offer, it is yours for only $27, plus it will be personally signed by author Paul Kitchen. You can't get a better deal than that ladies and gentleman. The best part is your supporting a local author and Sens Town at the same time. Do not miss out, order yours today.

To get in on this amazing special offer click here to order.


Look for Paul doing a Sens Town interview in the very near future as well.

Original Senators Player Tickets




With the 20th anniversary season in full swing, everything for the upcoming year is trickling in, including the release of the tickets. This years batch features a mix of current players, original Senators players and important past players from the modern Sens as well. Over the next week I will be showing you all the different eras featured on the duckets. Today we begin with the original Senators.

First on the menu is Alex Connell. He is an Ottawa native, nicknamed "The Ottawa Fireman" and played goal for the Sens in the 1920's, becoming a 30 game winner in a single season. He won 1 Stanley Cup and was even named Captain of the team in 1932-33. Take that Roberto Luongo! Connell entered the hall of fame in 1958.

Another goalie and another Ottawa native is up next. Clint Benedict won a whopping 4 Stanley Cups with the Senators and is credited with wearing facial protection 30 years before Jacques Plante did. He was also credited with several new techniques that revolutionalized the goalie position. He too is also a member of the hall of fame.

This one features easily one of the most prominent of the older Senators players. The one and only Cyclone Taylor. If you're wondering why that name sounds familiar, a street is named in his honor by Scotiabank Place. He was a Vancouver native and was at one point the highest paid athlete in Canada. He is also a hall of famer and has a sports store named after him.

Another fairly famous alumn. Cy Denneny was a member of 5 Stanley Cup winning teams, including 4 with Ottawa. He even had a very short spell as the Sens head coach, ultimately being let go after a last place finish in his first season. He is also a member of the hall of fame.

Eddie Gerard is a far less known memeber of the original Sens franchise, but definitely not because he isn't as worthy as the rest. Gerard won multiple Stanley Cups and is one of the 12 first inductees ever in the hall of fame. He is an Ottawa native to boot and also had a very successful coaching career, winning a Stanley Cup as coach of the Montreal Maroons.

This is an easy one. Frank Finnigan is by far the most known and recognizable of the past Senator greats. He jersey number is retired at Scotiabank Place, a restaurant bears his name, and was the longest living (made it to 88 years old). He was nicknamed "The Shawville Express" and was a key member of the 1926-27 Stanley Cup champion team. He also played for the Leafs but let's just ignore that part. Oddly enough, our best known former player did not make the hall of fame.

Frank McGee is one interesting guy. He lost an eye while playing hockey when he was just 18 and retired from the game. Three years later he missed it so much he returned to action and was so good he was an original inductee into the hall of fame. He has 63 goals in just 22 career playoff games and was an Ottawa native.

Another Ottawa native and another hall of famer, seeing a pattern? Jack Darragh was born in Ottawa and died in Ottawa, but in between won 4 Stanley Cups for the Sens. Unlike the ohers on here, Darragh played his entire 13 year career with Ottawa. Unfortunately his life was cut short and he died at only 33 years of age due to abdominal problem.

If you follow hockey at all, then you know the name King Clancy. He is easily one of the most recognizable names in hockey history and of course an Ottawa native. Real name Francis played 9 seasons for Ottawa and has an award named after him for the NHL player that is outstanding in the community. And oh ya, HOFer.

Yes you read that right, it's Rat. His real name was Harry, but the nickname was Rat and it stuck. They sure don't make em like that anymore do they? It reminded me of this guy. Westwick was different though, as he got his startbeing a championship lacrosse player before being a part of the Silver Seven dynasty that won 4 cups. Once again, the Rat is an Ottawa native and a member of the Hall.

Shoutout to the Sens organization for doing such a good job and showing everyone our proud history. The one thing I will say is the names from back in the day are awesome and hilarious. How come we don't have names like that anymore? We could definitely use some more characters like that in the league. A very cool tribute to important members of Sens history.

Thoughts?

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20th Anniversary Tickets First Look

The 20th season is upon us, so you know what that means, new tickets. They aren't scheduled to be picked up until Sunday for season ticket holder's but you know I always give you guys the first look before everyone else. So here is the front, pretty clean and simple, but I like it. Nice touch of showing the first version of the Senators, the original captain in Boschman and of course the franchise in Alfie.  Notable tickets/games after the jump.

Here are the tickets for the very first game of the year, a pre-season tilt with the defending champion Boston Bruins on Wednesday. I guess this is making a statement for the rebuild/future of youth. Similar to past tickets however but still I like em.

The first captain for the modern day Senators gets the honor to adorn the opening night tickets for the 20th anniversary season vs Dany Heatley and the Minnesota Wild. It seems like a nice sentimental choice and brings back good memories for me when I was with my dad at the Civic Centre on October 8th, 1992.

Ah yes, the night many in Ottawa and surrounding areas have been waiting for. February 9th will be a hot ticket, as local legend and Mr he can't ever do anything wrong returns for the first time. Ol' blue eyes will take the ice at SBP for the first time in a jersey other than one with a Sens logo on the front. Look for Mike to get a standing O and cheered all night, a far cry from the treatment most ex Sens receive upon their return.

Robin Lehner is on the Binghamton/Hamilton game tickets, which has the nice touch of adding the Calder Cup trophy and saying the BSens were 2010-11 AHL Champs as well. It would also seem that they expect Mr Lehner to be in Bingo all year barring some crazy injury. Sorry Robin, we'll have to wait until next year to see the REAL you.

As far as some of the other tickets included, there are 4 or 5 that feature original Senators from the early 1900's which I thought was pretty cool, as well past players like Norm MacIver and Shawn McEachern, and current one's like Alfie and Spezza. I was kind of surprised they didn't include Alexandre Daigle, who was a big part of our franchise and is a huge part of our history however.

All in all, it was fairly well done, though the template of the tickets is quite similar to in years past. Then again, the real value of the ticket is entrance into SBP to watch, not how they look aesthetically right?

Thoughts?

Heritage Jersey To Release October 1st?

Given the popularity of the widely circulated Senators Heritage Jersey over the summer, many are dying to get their hands on one, but as of yet, we don't have a date when they will be available for purchase. This is what season ticket holders have received, a card good for one free heritage jersey that they say will be ready for October 1st.

No word on if this is just for people with seasons or for the general public too (though I've been told it will be) as of yet, but one thing is for certain, they will be available for everyone to buy in a month or so at the latest. Still waiting on an official unveil from the Sens and I am particularly curious to see the font and colors they will use for the letters and numbers.

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Perhaps There Is Such A Thing As Being Too Big Of A Fan After All

pic sent to Sens Town via @Shanada78

I love a passionate fan as much as the next person, but this is just overboard. It is however still significantly better than those pretentious my kid is on the honor roll bumper stickers or the jesus fish though. Happy Friday!

Thoughts?

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New Scoreboard Leaked

Fans have been asking for a new scoreboard at SBP for years, and it appears that their prayers have been answered, with the new scoreboard having been leaked by Anthony James Partners, a company who design scoreboards for pro and college teams. They have designed scoreboards for other well known pro teams like the Green Bay Packers, the Buffalo Bills and the Charlotte Bobcats. The new scoreboard brings us up to speed with most of the other arenas and appears to be quite similar to the one at the Bell Centre.

Here's a closer view of the supposed new scoreboard, which makes me laugh because they felt a picture of Matt Carkner skating backwards was the best way to show off the new screen, and secondly that this game is clearly on the road and not at Scotiabank Place. Details people, it's all in the details.

As far as the screen goes, I can't really complain. It's without a doubt a significant upgrade to what we currently have, and directly contradicts what we were told last September in regards to a new scoreboard for the 2012 ASG in the Capital.

If you're interested in the more technical aspect, here is a basic blueprint of the different areas of the new scoreboard. Either way, I'm excited that we will have something a lot better to watch replays on and it should add quite a bit to the game experience at SBP.

Many of us have been campaigning to have this and hopefully this will be installed for the new season, or at least for the ASG. It seems the organization is going through a lot of changes in every area at the moment, and most appear to be for the better, including this move.

Thoughts on the new scoreboard?

UPDATE @ 1pm Friday July 29th:

Interesting to note that someone from the Sens orgnaization clearly made a call to Anthony James this morning due to this post, as the scoreboard post for the Senators is no longer on their website and has been removed. It now only says coming soon with our logo. Busted! Seems like conclusive proof to me that they didn't want us to know about it and that it is indeed coming. Here's a screengrab of what it looks like now.

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Traveling In Style

A bonus pic from awhile ago, showing the Calder Cup traveling in style on the airplane on the flight from Houston after the B-Sens won the AHL championship. Nice to see that it's all strapped in and secure. Congrats again to the Binghamton Senators.

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The Final Whistle

Did Anyone Else Notice.......

So I'm watching game 5 of the Calder Cup Final last night and during the 3rd period, the B-Sens take the lead, 3-2 and everyone is going nuts as you can imagine. Then the broadcast cuts to some random fan in the stands, who proceeds to do his best D-Generation X  impression and do the famous crotch chop from the WWE  crew, and then for good measure, adds a big FU gesture just in case you didn't already think he was a douchebag yet. I thought it was funny in a lame way, so I ask the question....was I the only one who noticed this?

Rideau Centre Sens Store Closes

The Sens Store at Rideau Centre is now closed

The Sens Store at Rideau has now gone out of business, errr I mean is moving locations, which is code for we're not doing well and we need to cut costs and/or losses. Either way, the Rideau Centre Sens Store is no more, but a new location will be opening somewhere in the city in the next few months, which I have heard will likely be at Bayshore Shopping Centre. That of course makes zero sense, which means it's probably true.

Kind of an embarassing moment for the Sens organiation if you ask me. I doubt anywhere in Ottawa gets more traffic than a store near the Rideau food court, so obviously the market wasn't responding to their store.

Also interesting to note that the real Spartacat has a twitter and took the time of his busy schedule to send me a message. What a day!

Thoughts on the store closing?