Published October 24, 2023, 4:00 am ET
Craig Anderson (41) of the Ottawa Senators makes a save during the second NHL game against the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton on Sunday, October 30, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)
A former Sens goalie is getting a special sendoff today.
Craig Anderson, who holds the most wins of any Ottawa Senators goaltender, will sign a one-day contract with the team to officially retire as the Ottawa Senators.
A special announcement featuring Anderson and Ottawa Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion will take place today at 11:45 a.m. at the Canadian Tire Centre. CTV News Ottawa will broadcast the announcement live on this page.
Anderson spent ten seasons in Ottawa, helping the Sens to 202 wins in 435 games played, more than any other goaltender in franchise history.
The team will honor Anderson in a pregame ceremony tonight before the game against the Buffalo Sabres.
A 3-1 loss to the LA Kings on March 11, 2020, the same day the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, would prove to be Anderson’s final game with the Sens as the NHL suspended play due to the illness . Anderson was informed later that year that the Senators would not offer him a new contract.
He played four games for the Washington Capitals in the shortened 2020–21 season and later played two seasons for the Buffalo Sabres. He announced his retirement last April after a 4-3 overtime win against none other than his former team, the Ottawa Senators.
Amid the highs of his franchise records, there were also lows for Anderson. In 2016, he took a leave of absence from the team after his wife Nicholle was diagnosed with cancer. At her urging, he returned to the ice and posted a shutout in his first game back.
The Sens and Sabers meet at the Canadian Tire Center at 6:45 p.m. It’s the Sens’ fifth home game as they look to bounce back from a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
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