Pitre suffered from epidermolysis bullosa, a painful disease that affects most of the body.
The Senators met him in a Minnesota hospital and were so impressed with his courage that in 2017 he was signed to a one-day contract as a team scout.
Pitre made such an impact on the organization that the award for the hardest working player at development camp was renamed the Johnathan Pitre Memorial Trophy.
On Thursday, prior to the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators held a moment of silence before playing the touching tribute.
Pitre's mother, Tina Boileau, dropped the ceremonial first puck.
Just before she did so, a clip of one of Pitre's many inspirational talks played on the scoreboard. In it he said, "Now I challenge each and every one of you. Start chasing your dreams. If I can do it, so can you."
