WARREN: In appreciation for finally having fans back at the Canadian Tire Center

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Little by little, piece by piece, record by record, we return to the places and situations with which we were once so familiar.

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Which brings us to the Canadian Tire Center, which was perhaps a quarter full of spectators for Wednesday’s preseason change between the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Given what we’ve been through in the last 18 months, that can’t be considered anything other than a glass half-full development.

Here, walking from the parking lot to the arena, Senators fans wore jerseys with pride, the names on the back ranged from Brady Tkachuk to Thomas Chabot, Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza.

There, it was a parade of blue and white (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and yes, Jason Spezza) in support of the Maple Leafs. None of the above were in the lineup, as Toronto’s roster was sorely lacking in NHL experience.

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Meanwhile, the Senators effectively dressed a lineup that included half of the team that could be in attendance on the opening night of the regular season.

There was a sneak peek of what a Michael Del Zotto-Nikita Zaitsev pair off would look like and what a Nick Paul-Colin White-Zach Sanford or Tim Stuetzle-Chris Tierney-Connor Brown line would look like.

Naturally, with the Maple Leafs faithful well represented, there was once again cheers and boos for the senators.

On the whole, as preseason games go, it almost seemed, dare we say it? – normal.

There were no preseason adjustments before the start of last season, but this time almost everyone is following the standard warm-up pattern on the way to the games that matter in October.

Almost. Until Tkachuk re-signs, the uncertainty surrounding contract negotiations will continue to be the hottest topic here, an exercise that continues to create anxiety for fans.

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However, outside of his absence, Wednesday certainly felt like another positive step into the past hockey experience we used to take for granted.

There have been a handful of fans for a rookie game and an within-team game in the past two weeks, but the Senators-Maple Leafs tilt brought a stir to the arena again.

The last time the CTC had that many people in the seats was on March 5, 2020, when former Senators star Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned with the New York Islanders.

It is certainly different now, as fans entering the building must show that they are doubly vaccinated. Their voices are also somewhat muffled behind the masks.

Still, there was spontaneous applause for the action on the ice. Gone is that fake, pumped-up noise that internal teams used to celebrate goals, saves and hits on fanless Canadian courts during the 2020-21 season.

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Fans can see the players again in person. And vice versa.

“We have some exciting and good young players and we want the fans to grow up with us,” Senators coach DJ Smith said before the game. “And without going to the games, it is difficult. Last year was tough. You are watching it on television. It is the experience (they were missing) ”.

Smith told a story about his own five-year-old son who wanted to see a game in person. He also talked about going to games, presumably his childhood favorite Detroit Red Wings, with his father.

“Those are things that happen to boys and girls who go to their first game and can see the team. And that’s what it’s all about. And then they grow up and cheer you on throughout their childhood. “

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Last season, players had no choice but to go about their business within a bubble that did not include those fans. They did the best they could, but it was a sterile environment.

Rookie Tim Stuetzle played 52 games last season, but even the most passionate Senators fan didn’t get to see him live even once.

You may remember the words of Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice as the compressed regular season wrapped up.

“The biggest challenge is that there are no fans in the building,” he said at the time. “When fatigue sets in, it’s not even the pressure to perform, it’s the thrill of performance.”

Maurice said the “wired” fans create energy that is transported to the ice.

“I’m just talking about the juice you get when you get on the bench and the players get going. And sometimes, even on the road, it’s better, because you have everyone yelling at you. And there is none of that (this season). He’s dead out there. “

However, five months later, there is some life in the sands. It seems like it will be a while before health and safety concerns allow for something like a full house, but a small crowd is a welcome change from no crowd.

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