The NHL has announced the return of the NHL Global Series – Sweden for the 2023 season. The four-day, round-robin series will feature the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and will take place at Avicii Arena in Stockholm. Fans can expect a full roster of global events, including presale tickets from April 19-23, general ticket sales on April 25, global fan tours and viewing parties, a concert, and business summit. Live Nation Sweden will promote the event, with official partners CCM, Fastenal, SAP, and Upper Deck. Aftonbladet and Viaplay will serve as the official media partners. This will mark the 10th season in which the NHL has gone to Europe for regular-season games, and of the 38 NHL regular-season games played outside of North America, 12 have been in Stockholm. Fans in Europe can enjoy live NHL games on international broadcasters and media partners, as well as the NHL’s streaming service, NHL.TV. Stay tuned to LiveNation.se/NHL for tickets and fan travel packages, as they go on sale May 3 at 10 AM CET.
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators may miss the playoffs, leaving fans hoping for a chance at landing top prospect Connor Bedard in the draft lottery. The team’s revolving door of goaltenders has also been an issue, and recent comments about the team’s debt have raised eyebrows.
The Ottawa Senators were unable to find success this past weekend as they suffered two disappointing losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets, respectively. These disastrous outcomes add fuel to the speculation surrounding the team’s future and the potential for a shake-up in ownership. Furthermore, the team’s chances of securing the top pick in the upcoming NHL draft, courtesy of the Bedard lottery, appear to be dwindling. This weekend’s events have left many fans questioning the state of the franchise and what the future holds.
For Ottawa Senators fans under 30, this weekend likely brought a familiar feeling: watching the Toronto Maple Leafs eliminate the team’s playoff hopes in April. The Senators had multiple scoring opportunities but couldn’t capitalize on them, and the Leafs managed to score three goals with only 20 shots on goal. The weekend ended disastrously for the Senators, gaining just one point against Toronto and Columbus. The team is now six points away from a playoff spot with only five games left in the season. While mathematically the playoffs remain possible, it is unlikely to happen. This raises the question of whether the Senators have a chance at a Bedard lottery ticket. If they finish with one of the 11 worst records in the NHL, they would have a shot at the COVID-delayed draft in July to land a potential superstar in Connor Bedard. Currently sitting 21st overall, the Senators would need at least one of four other teams to pass them in the standings. In the meantime, Ottawa’s revolving door of goalies has made for great human interest stories, but the situation requires a long-term solution. Additionally, fans have been speculating on the Senators’ finances, with Ron MacLean suggesting the team is carrying roughly $450 million in debt.
Despite a rough start to the season with some major losses, the Ottawa Senators are still fighting hard and looking to improve their game. However, it’s clear that they have some tough challenges ahead, from the tough Bedard lottery odds to changes in ownership. This weekend’s notebook highlights just some of the obstacles this team is facing. But while it might be a difficult road ahead, there’s no doubt that the Senators are committed to giving it their all and coming out on top. So as we look ahead to what the future holds for this beloved team, we can be sure that they will continue to fight, persevere, and never give up hope.
According to the GM, the growth of Senators is prioritized over a playoff spot this season.
As the NHL regular season enters its final stretch, some teams are focused solely on securing a spot in the playoffs. However, for the Ottawa Senators, their general manager Pierre Dorion is emphasizing the importance of growth over a playoff berth this season. Despite facing some challenges and setbacks, Dorion has confidence in his team’s potential and believes that their progress will be more valuable in the long run. In this article, we’ll explore the reasons behind Dorion’s stance and how it could shape the Senators’ strategy in the coming weeks.
The Ottawa Senators’ general manager, Pierre Dorion, has stated that he will not complain if the team does not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. Dorion emphasized that he prioritized the growth of the team this year and that getting into the playoffs would just be a bonus. The Senators have lost four of their last five games and are eight points adrift of the New York Islanders in the race for the second wild card spot from the Eastern Conference.
Speaking from the NHL general managers meeting, Dorion addressed several subjects, including the Senators’ growth this year, the arrival of defenseman Jakob Chychrun, and the performance of forward Claude Giroux. He also discussed how finding a new owner could affect his work and whether the potential buyer, Ryan Reynolds, could be the new owner.
Dorion emphasized how obtaining young players except for Josh Norris, who is currently injured, is working towards the team’s growth. He believes that this is the most extensive development that the team could have this year. For Dorion, at the end of the season, the team will look back and say that they’ve learned everything about being a consistent and winning team regardless of whether or not they make the playoffs.
Dorion expressed his happiness about Chychrun’s addition to the team. He believes that Chychrun complements the group of players within two or three years of each other, including Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, Josh, and Drake Batherson. Claude Giroux is not within that age bracket but has fit in well with the team, delivering even more than what was expected of him.
Dorion said that the sale of the Senators did not affect his job whatsoever. He runs the hockey side of things and focuses on planning for the next season. Dorion stated that potential new owners would assess the team’s plans before buying it. He also said that people are more excited about the trades they made, the team rolling, and the team getting better, asserting that people only ask about Ryan Reynolds occasionally.
Dorion confirmed that he has met Reynolds and that he was pleased to get to know him better. Overall, he sounded optimistic and determined about the Senators’ growth and performance.
In conclusion, it’s clear that the Senators are focused on long-term growth rather than short-term success. While making the playoffs would be a nice bonus, the team’s priority is to continue developing their young talent and building a sustainable winning culture. Fans can expect to see some exciting progress throughout the rest of this season and beyond, even if it doesn’t lead to a playoff berth. As the GM stated, success is a process and the Senators are committed to taking the necessary steps to achieve it. So let’s embrace the journey and trust in the process. Go Sens Go!
Tomáš Tatar will be the “X-factor” for New Jersey in the playoffs
Tomáš Tatar (photo: Instagram/New Jersey Devils)
The New Jersey Devils will return to the playoffs this season. It’s not official yet, but few doubt that it won’t be like that. And one of the valuable players for the young team in this part of the year will be a veteran Tomas Tatar.
The Slovak attacker has experience from 40 games of fighting for the Stanley Cup, which is not the only reason why he could be a difference maker for New Jersey in the playoffs. As Dan Rice of Puck and Pitchforks points out, opponents will focus on neutralizing top players like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. This means that the other players will have to step up, including the player with number 90.
“Besides the aforementioned trio and defender Dougie Hamilton, the team’s other most productive players this season are Dawson Mercer and Tomáš Tatar. Both have had different moments this season, whether it was the winning goal, the equalizer or the goal or pass that started the turnaround.” Rice noted.
“At some point in April, they’re going to have to make big plays in close games that could swing the series in the Devils’ favor. If, and that’s a big if, the Devils could survive the first round, the sky would be the limit. I truly believe that. The first round is always the most intense, and this young group could have even more confidence if they find a way to win the organization’s first series in nearly a decade.”
Rice points to how the team has bonded this season. He does not know for sure if the club will make any acquisitions before the transfer deadline, but he is confident that Mercer and Tatar will not be replaced.
“Mercer and Tatar will be here at the end of April and will be the X-factor that will have a big impact on whether the Devils advance past the opening round of the playoffs.” he added.


Senators assistant coach Bob Jones has been diagnosed with ALS
Ottawa Senators assistant coach Bob Jones has been diagnosed with the neurological condition ALS. “Bob and his family are taking the bold steps of publicizing his condition to raise awareness of ALS as he battles this disease,” said Senators general manager Pierre Dorion on Tuesday.
Jones will continue his coaching duties and “he has the full support of the organization to take any time away from the club during the season that he needs to focus on his health and family,” said Dorion.
“The thoughts and wishes of the entire National Hockey League family are with Ottawa Senators assistant coach Bob Jones and his family,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “We admire the courage to go public with his battle with ALS and we will support him and his family in this fight.”
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to loss of muscle control.
DJ Smith informed the squad about the coach’s illness two weeks ago. “The guys were very emotional, especially the young guys that were with him all the time, Timmy, Brady, Drake, Chabby, Norris. All those guys were with him from the start,” Smith explains. “There’s a different bond between assistant coaches and players than there is between head coaches and players. He has a bond with every single one of these guys. They’ve been working together for four years. When you hear news like this about someone like him, it’s worrying. “
Brady Tkachukthe Ottawa winger, says: “We often think that a loss or a bad game is the end of the world. But there are people in life who go through much tougher things. The fact that he’s here every step of the way wants to be and wants to work with the team to achieve our goals and dreams says a lot about who he is and how much he cares about this team and the players in the dressing room.”
Jones is not the first NHL protagonist to be affected by ALS. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Borje Salming died on November 24, 2022 at the age of 71 after a brief battle with ALS. He played 17 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, recording 787 points (150 goals, 637 assists) in 1,148 regular season games and 49 points (12 goals, 37 assists) in 81 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Chris Snow, assistant general manager of the Calgary Flames, has been battling ALS for three years. He and his family created the Weak Side Strong Challenge to raise money for ALS research and treatment. Snow, along with his family, presented the Norris Trophy, awarded to the best NHL defenseman, at the 2022 NHL Awards to raise awareness of the progressive neuromuscular disease.
Jones is in his fourth season as the Senators’ assistant coach after joining DJ Smith’s coaching staff on July 5, 2019. The 53-year-old also coached for more than 20 years in the American Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League. He worked with Smith under coach Bob Boughner as Windsor won back-to-back OHL championships and the Memorial Cup in 2009 and 2010.
As a player, Jones was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the 9th round (#179) of the 1989 NHL Draft. As a defenseman, he played for over six years with Adirondack of the AHL, San Diego and Fort Wayne of the International Hockey League, and Muskegon and Saginaw of the Colonial Hockey League.