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Travis Hamonic made his presence felt.
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Making his debut with the Ottawa Senators after being dealt here Sunday by the Vancouver Canucks, the 31-year-old Hamonic played 18 minutes and 39 seconds in the club’s 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night on the road and helped stabilize the blueline.
Suiting up for his 700th career game, Hamonic played the role he was expected alongside veteran blueliner Michael DelZotto.
“The addition of Hamonic made us really steady back there,” coach DJ Smith said Thursday night. “You can just see how you know how to make the right play or where to stand. He’s just really calming for our back end.”
The Senators don’t need Hamonic to be a miracle worker, they just want him to be steady and reliable. It’s fair to say that’s exactly what he did against the Jets, especially with the score tied 1-1 going to the third.
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Hamonic also had three hits and the club needs physicality back there.
“I thought he did a great job,” said veteran blueliner Nick Holden. “It’s never easy getting traded mid-season. He dealt with some stuff getting his family from him all sorted out, he was able to come and play really well.
“He knows his game, I thought he brought it and played it. If he can continue to do that for us that would be good.”
Hamonic will make his home debut with the Senators Saturday night against the Florida Panthers at the Canadian Tire Center. There may have to be a change on the blueline because Nikita Zaitsev may not be able to suit up.
He took a puck in the face in the third period in Winnipeg, needed 15 stitches and likely had an appointment with the club’s dentist Friday.
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NO MASKS REQUIRED
The visit by the Panthers will be the first game this season patrons won’t be required to wear masks.
While the province of Ontario has lifted the mandatory mask policy in most public settings, the Senators are still mindful that we’re not completely of this pandemic yet and are suggesting people still wear face coverings.
All of the club’s employees and the third-party vendors at the concession stands in the rink are still required to wear masks.
“Throughout this process we’ve continued to consult with Ottawa Public Health and provincial health authorities,” Anthony LeBlanc, the club’s president of business operations, said Friday. “Both the province and OPH feel comfortable removing masks as necessary.
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“Having said that, we realize we’re in a large building and we encourage people to wear a mask if that’s what they feel they should do. As for the Senators, we’re still going to require staff to wear masks in the building.”
THE LAST WORDS
ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk have tied Jason Spezza as the third-fastest player in franchise history to reach 82 goals in their first four seasons in the NHL. Senators’ captain Alexei Yashin leads the list with 101 goals in four years while Martin Havlat is second with 96 goals. Tkachuk had a two-goal effort against the Jets. Tkachuk broke a six-game goal scoring drought with the effort in Winnipeg … The NHL’s Mobile Black History Month museum will be at the Canadian Tire Center Saturday from 4 pm to 7 pm Saturday. The display is described as showing “today’s stars while also looking back at the pioneers and trailblazers who helped shape NHL history.” Admission is free and this is the 20th stop for the display on a 28-city tour. It will be located at the front of the building … Del Zotto, called up from Belleville Monday, played 19:19 against the Jets and was plus-two with two assists. He has two goals and six assists for eight points in 12 games with the club this season … Center Tim Stuetzle has four points in his last four games with a goal and three assists.
