The Ottawa Senators flag has been raised and Sens Mile street signs installed downtown as the city prepares to cheer on its home team in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe raised the flag and officially opened Sens Mile at City Hall on Wednesday and was joined by Senators owner Michael Andlauer, president and CEO Cyril Leeder, former Senator player Chris Neil, president of the Senators Community Foundation Jacqueline Belsito, SpartaCat, Elgin Street businesses, councillors, and the Senators Hockey Club.
“What’s good for the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club is great for Ottawa — for our local businesses, our economy, and our community,” Sutcliffe said in a social media post.
The Sens Mile reaches all along Elgin Street, and bright red signs will be installed at every intersection between Laurier and Gladstone Avenues; that includes corners at Gloucester Street, Nepean Street, Cooper Street, Somerset Street, McLaren Street, Gilmour Street, Lewis Street, Waverly Street and Frank Street.
The tradition is said to have begun in 2007 when the Senators defeated the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference final and local fans poured out of bars and restaurants along Elgin Street where they had been watching.
Fans then embarked on an impromptu march to Parliament Hill to celebrate. Since then, the stretch on Elgin Street has been called the “Sens Mile”, and the tradition has continued every time the Senators are in the playoffs.
