‘Sens Mile’ will return to Elgin Street for Ottawa Senators playoff drive

Excitement is high as the Ottawa Senators are officially in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. CTV’s Dylan Dyson reports.

‘Sens Mile’ will return to Elgin Street for the first time since 2017, as the Ottawa Senators play playoff hockey.

The Senators clinched a playoff spot Tuesday night when the Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe told TSN 1200 playoff hockey is great for the city.

“This is a great moment for our city. There’s so much excitement for this,” Sutcliffe told TSN Mornings with John Rodenburg and Steve Lloyd.

“To have playoff hockey in Ottawa once again for the first time in eight years is going to be fantastic for our city.”

• Ottawa Senators clinch playoff spot for first time since 2017. Tickets to go on sale next week

Sutcliffe says the ‘Sens Mile’ signs will return to Elgin Street ahead of the first round of the playoffs, which will begin the weekend of April 19.

“We have a few things planned. We’ve been talking with the Senators and we’re going to relaunch the ‘Sens Mile’ on Elgin Street,” Sutcliffe said.

“We’ll raise the Senators flag at City Hall, we’ll do a couple of other things to mark this very special occasion and make it easy for Senators fans to cheer the team on in the playoffs.”

Signs will be installed along Elgin Street, between Gladstone Avenue and Laurier Avenue, to mark ‘Sens Mile.’

“The City of Ottawa shares in the excitement across the city and will be installing ‘Sens Mile’ street signs along Elgin Street to celebrate the Ottawa Senators making it to the NHL playoffs,” Stuart Edison, manager of Traffic Operations at the City of Ottawa, said in a statement.

The City of Ottawa has called Elgin Street ‘Sens Mile’ since the Senators run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2007. Elgin Street is a popular spot for Senators fans to gather and watch games.

Sutcliffe is encouraging fans to fly Senators flags and celebrate the team’s return to the playoffs. The Ottawa sign in the ByWard Market will be illuminated in Senators colours, according to the mayor.

“Let’s really get behind this because this is huge for our city. There has been a lot of really troubling news lately, and it’s been a bit of a tense year so far and this is a chance for residents in our city to have some fun with the fact that we’re back in the playoffs.”

Sutcliffe says the Senators in the playoffs is “huge” for the economy and “civic pride.”

The NHL playoffs will begin on April 19. The Senators first round playoff opponent and dates for the series have not been confirmed.

The Senators say single-game playoff tickets should be on sale between April 15 and 18.

The Senators say the franchise is currently working through allocating playoff tickets to season seat members and new season seat members. When the process is completed, the remaining tickets will be released to Sens Insiders and to the general public.

“We know there is a lot of interest in single-game tickets and when will those go on sale to the public. Our top priority is taking care of our Season Seat Members and adding new Season Seat Members,” Cyril Leeder, Senators President and CEO, said in a statement Tuesday night. “We have seen a significant uptake in playoff tickets from our Season Seat Members and we have been adding new Season Seat Members daily at a pace we haven’t seen since the last time we were in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”

Sutcliffe says the City of Ottawa will unveil plans over the next week for the Senators playoff games.

No Mayor Bet

Sutcliffe says he’s hoping to avoid the traditional mayor bets with the opposing team’s mayor during the Senators playoff drive.

“I hate them; I hate them,” Sutcliffe said. “I think they’re so cringy and lame. I’m hoping to avoid them.”