For just the second time since the COVID-era, the Belleville Senators will play at Canadian Tire Centre.
Since the B-Sens spent 18 games at the big rink during the 2020–21 season, they have played just once. Last February, current Senators goalie Leevi Meriläinen shut out the then-first place Laval Rocket 5-0.
This time, Senators call-ups like Xavier Bourgault, Stephen Halliday, Olle Lycksell, Arthur Kaliyev, Dennis Gilbert, and Hayden Hodgson will make the trip up the 416 when Belleville hosts the Utica Comets at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
This weekend could also spell the return of top prospect Carter Yakemchuk for the first time since the defenceman was injured on Dec. 14. Belleville interim head coach Andrew Campbell anticipates that he could make his way back to the lineup this weekend.
“We play three times this week, I anticipate that he’ll make his return at some point,” Campbell told TSN 1200 Mornings on Tuesday. “I don’t know which day yet, but he’s getting close.”
Drafted seventh overall in 2024, Yakemchuk had scored three goals and added 15 assists in 27 games before being injured during his rookie pro season. Those 18 points had him tied with Seattle prospect and Coachella Valley defenceman Tyson Jugnauth for first in rookie defencemen scoring in the AHL.
“He’s so gifted offensively, he just does so many things well. You know, it’s an adjustment for him with the schedule, and the rigors of the American League, playing against men,” said Campbell.
“He’s been getting better and better every game. It’s unfortunate he got hurt when he did, because his game had really elevated right before that, and he was doing a lot of things well. We look forward to having him back soon, and I’m sure you guys will see him up in Ottawa at some point with how well he’s played.”
Halliday (18 games), Hodgson (nine games), Lycksell (seven games), Kaliyev (two games), headline the Belleville players who have seen time with the big club already. Bourgault and Gilbert along with goalies Hunter Shepard and Mads Søgaard, have played a game apiece.
Since the Senators organization purchased the Binghamton Senators and moved them across the border for the 2017–18 season, it has served as an important stop on the team’s development pipeline.
“Huge, yeah, I forget the percentage in the NHL, but a huge percentage of guys play in the minors. I think it’s an unbelievable league, very underrated. It [was] great for me as a young guy coming in, had to learn a lot, living on my own and stuff like that,” current Senators forward Drake Batherson told Sens360 about the importance of his time spent in the AHL.
Batherson is the most prominent example of a success story from Belleville. Drafted in the fourth round in 2017, he joined the B-Sens for their second season and Belleville and led the team with 62 points as a rookie. Though he played just 103 games over parts of two seasons (2018–19 and 2019–20), his 116 points still rank tied for fourth in franchise history.
“I think it’s one of the most underrated leagues out there, it doesn’t get as much credit as it should, it’s very hard and I think it’s a great league to develop your game and get ready to come up here,” added Batherson.
As a first-round pick, Ridly Greig didn’t spend quite as much time in the AHL as Batherson — 46 regular season games and one playoff game over parts of three seasons — but enjoyed similar success and development with the team.
“It was huge, a lot of young players go through years in the American League. I enjoyed it a lot, it was a lot of fun. A lot of development there, I learned how to be a pro,” said Greig. “There’s a lot of time with the guys, I lived with three or four guys, so it was a lot of fun just to spend time with the guys down there.”
After Greig joined the big club full-time in 2023–23, it was time for a pair of current Sens to join Belleville. Defenders Nikolas Matinpalo and Tyler Kleven were rookie defenders on Belleville’s blueline in 2023–24.
“Yeah, I thought it was good to be down there and get some extra reps. There’s a lot more practice time down there, you get a lot more puck touches, you get to play a little bit more,” described Kleven.
“I think that the AHL is a great development league. My time down there was very beneficial, everyone wants to play in the NHL but sometimes it takes a little bit more time. I thought that my time down there was helpful… I think it was one of my most fun years and I’m thankful for my time down there.”
Like Greig, Kleven, Matinpalo, and Batherson did in call-ups before him, Stephen Halliday has already impressed during his short time in the NHL. But with the Senators now fully healthy, Halliday is back with Belleville after recording six assists in his first 18 NHL games.
“Yeah, it’s been really good, I’ve had a lot of great coaches down there,” said Halliday, noting in particular Senators director of player development and former NHL centre Sam Gagner. “I think it’s a really good spot to just grow your game.”
Sunday will mark the third game of the week for Belleville. They enter the second of those, a home game against Rochester, 15-18-6, but are 4-4-3 since promoting Campbell to interim head coach on Dec. 17.
