SNAPSHOTS: Three Senators will suit up for U.S. team at world championship (2024)

Some Ottawa Senators have opted to dig for gold this spring.

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As they gathered for one final time Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre, at least four members of the Senators said they would extend their season by heading overseas next month to suit up the 2024 IIHF world hockey championship in Ostrava and Prague.

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The Senators will be well represented on the United States roster, with captain Brady Tkachuk, defenceman Jake Sanderson and centre Shane Pinto all suiting up for their country.

Tkachuk has never played in the world championship before, but general manager Bill Guerin will also be in charge of selections for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy and he’s been emphasizing to American players that, if they want to suit up at the Games, then the 2024 world championship will be a chance to impress.

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“I’m going to the worlds. I really didn’t want to touch on it during the season because I wanted to focus on playing and finishing off hard,” Tkachuk said. “I made a commitment to go there. We haven’t won gold (in a long time).

“To be able to play in May, and start learning how to handle the big games in May is something that’s important to me. I’m excited to represent my country.”

Pinto, 23, wanted the opportunity to extend his season.

He missed the first 41 regular-season games because he was suspended for breaking National Hockey League gambling rules. This is a chance to play more hockey, make up for some lost time and suit up for his country.

A restricted free agent as of July 1, Pinto doesn’t have a contract for next season, but confirmed that Steve Staios, the Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager, had held talks with his New York-based agent, Lewis Gross.

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Postmedia has reported the two sides are working on a five- or six-year deal.

“I want to be here. I love the boys, I love the community and the organization, so that’s between the agent and the organization. I’ll see what happens,” Pinto said. “It’s tough. You’ve just got to find a middle ground. Hopefully in the near future we figure something out.”

If Pinto doesn’t have a deal for next season signed, he’ll get insurance so he can play for the U.S. team. He says he has lots of gas left in his tank.

“That’s what I’m going to do, I definitely want to go to the worlds,” he said. “It’s good opportunity for me to just play more games since I only played 41 and that’s the plan.”

Winger Dominik Kubalik, a pending unrestricted free agent who isn’t expect to return to the Senators next season, is expected to suit up for Czechia.

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Centre Tim Stutzle was invited to play for Germany, but will take a pass. He was dealing with a wrist issue earlier in the season and then a shoulder ailment forced him to miss the final seven games.

“I got hit in Game 4 and that hurt my wrist, but I had (Claude Giroux), so he was able to take the faceoffs,” Stutzle said with a smile. “It’s been really frustrating, but, when your hands and brains are going, but your body doesn’t do the things you want, that’s really frustrating.”

NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE

The National Capital Commission updated its talks with the Senators on a new arena at LeBreton Flats during its board of directors meeting Thursday.

It was interesting to hear Tobi Nussbaum suggest there would be room for the Senators to build a district around the arena like the one surrounding Rogers Place Arena in Edmonton.

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“They’ve been very clear with us that their vision is for an arena district,” said Nussbaum, the CEO of the NCC. “We have set a fairly significant parcel of land aside in the (memorandum of understanding) for them to construct the buildings they want from a blank slate.

“I’ve said in the past that we have some flexibility from the initial parcel that was subject to the MOU in 2022 to build on is another reason why twice in the last decade they’ve focused on this site.”

The NCC is going to ignore the noise surrounding other sites and is focused on getting pen-to-paper with the Senators.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has continued to suggest there are options downtown for the Senators to play that would help revitalize Ottawa’s core.

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Along with suggesting that the possibility exists some vacant government buildings could come down, Sutcliffe mentioned several options. One of the top contenders is Bayview Yards, located just west of LeBreton Flats and north of Scott Street.

The site is approximately 13.5 acres, which would be close to double the size of LeBreton Flats. It’s well served by light-rail transit from the east and west, plus it’s a transfer station from the south.

Sutcliffe has suggested two other areas of town as well, including the baseball stadium on Coventry Road and another site near Hurdman Station.

Nussbaum noted the negotiations with the Senators were ongoing after new owner Michael Andlauer was granted a one-year extension to September 2024 to get a lease agreement in place at LeBreton.

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“The decision as to where to build an arena is up to the Senators,” Nussbaum said. “It’s their arena and it’s their decision on where they want to go. You really have to start from that point.

“Now, from the NCC’s perspective, we’ve had two processes over the last 10 years where the team has indicated a very strong interest in siting an arena at LeBreton Flats. My sense, from many discussions with the both the previous and current ownership group, is that they’re focused on that site for a number of really important reasons.”

Bi-weekly meetings between representatives of the Senators and those negotiating for the NCC have continued since Andlauer purchased the club mid-September.

That hasn’t stopped the Senators from looking at other options. That just makes good business sense.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

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