‘I’m loving it:’ Playoff fever sweeps Ottawa ahead of battle of Ontario

The Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs will face off in the first round of the NHL playoffs. CTV’s Austin Lee looks at the excitement building.

The last time the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs met in the post-season, Facebook had just been invented, Bluetooth technology was being introduced to the world and Shrek 2 was just weeks away from cleaning up at the box office.

A lot has changed since 2004, but the rivalry between the Senators and the Maple Leafs remains.

The provincial feud has died down over the past few years, but once the puck drops for the 2025 NHL playoffs, the competitive spirit that has pitted the two fan bases against one another for decades will come roaring back to life.

“I don’t mean to get cocky, but Sens in seven. Guaranteed second round. The Leafs choke it all the time,” said lifelong Senators fan Arash Samani.

“I’m expecting some heart and character. We’ve got heart guys. We’ve got Ridly Greig in there, Dylan Cozens has come over and fit in, Tkachuk is a heck of a leader.”

City councillors and Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe joined Senators’ owner Michael Andlauer, team president and CEO Cyril Leeder, and Sens alumni Chris Neil outside city hall Wednesday afternoon for a flag raising ceremony.

The city also officially reopened the Sens Mile on Elgin Street.

“Making the playoffs has exceeded my expectations from a fans perspective. The fan reaction that is. The excitement and the fever in the city, I’m loving it,” said Andlauer.

“Making the playoffs was certainly the goal and it didn’t really matter who we were going to play, but certainly from a fans perspective, in the battle of Ontario, we’re 0-4 and now we have the chance to have one.”

The chance to take on the Maple Leafs in the quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup is something that has fans bursting at the seams with excitement.

Tiana Richer and Aimee Wilson are two of the biggest fans in the city.

They have owned season tickets for years, and just moments after they got married Wednesday afternoon, the couple made their way down to the Sens store in the ByWard Market to gear up for what they hope will be a deep playoff run for Ottawa.

“We’ve been together for a really long time, so we thought what better time to do it. Cheer everyone up on a Wednesday and be ready for the playoffs. We had to get it out of the way to get ready for the playoffs,” Richer said jokingly.

“To make ourselves feel better, we even went down to the airport at like three in the morning the last time [the Sens] were kicked out of the playoffs. It was so important to greet them, they had such a great performance in that playoff, and this year, it’s such a special team.”

Richer and Wilson were two of the several Senators fans who came out to the flag raising ceremony.

They were joined by a lone Maple Leafs fan who crashed the party, embedding himself behind enemy lines.

“The mayor had tweeted out that there was a gathering today for the Sens flag raising, so I said, ‘Oh! What better opportunity to start the series today?’” said Sandy Gendron donning his blue Maple Leafs jersey in a sea of red and black.

“If you’re going to go to a game, don’t fight. There is nothing to gain. You won’t get a plaque in the dressing room of either team. Let’s have fun and enjoy this, and Leafs in four!”

On top of the buzz stemming from both fan bases, local business owners are looking forward to a flurry of sales.

“Sens in the playoffs is unbelievable. I can’t stress it. If people don’t call in, they won’t be able to come to Hometown to see it. That’s how crazy it is,” said Tasso Vasilas, owner of Hometown Sports Grill on Bank Street.

Vasilas says Senators playoff games are by far the most popular sporting events at his restaurant.

“Let’s say, if the Sens were playing in the playoffs against Toronto on the same day as the Super Bowl, it would probably be five to eight times the sales of that day,” he said.

“I have been waiting like a dog on a bone for this and now that they’re in, I can’t wipe the smile off my face. I just can’t wait and if they can take it further than four games, that’s a bonus.”

The last time Ottawa and Toronto met in the playoffs, Ed Belfour and the Leafs edged out Patrick Lalime and the Sens in seven games.

The Senators say single-game tickets go on sale Thursday at noon.