Season seat members hear from Staios and business executives at annual summit

The Ottawa Senators hosted their third annual Season Seat Member Summit presented by Canadian Tire on Wednesday night, featuring Q&A sessions hosted by TSN1200’s Dean Brown and Gord Wilson in conversation with team executives Steve Staios, Cyril Leeder, Brendan Du Vall, and Peter Shier.

Speaking in front of a crowd of nearly 2,500 fans who were treated to complimentary food, drinks, and snacks, Staios answered pre-submitted questions, revealing more details about the Brady Tkachuk trade and the ensuing trades the team made — or didn’t make.

“When the conversation happened, I went into a strategic plan on how this was going to work,” said Staios of his exit interview with Tkachuk, who requested a trade a couple of weeks after the season.

“The player had control, as much control as the team did. So we entered into negotiations with four separate teams, and as the negotiations went on, it must have been probably five or six weeks until we came up with a deal. Nearing the end of it, a few days before, I felt that I had a sense that it was going to be only one team, and that team had the ninth overall pick.”

But weeks prior to the conclusion of the saga, Staios had already begun talking to other teams about roster players that could have been a part of a new deal with assets acquired from the trade of his captain.

“The plan started two or three weeks in advance of when they got the deal,” said Staios. “The goal was to continue to keep the team as competitive as they are. I wasn’t done. The 25th pick was in play as well.”

Staios said that he liked the makeup, continuity, and familiarity with the roster he had though, opting instead to keep the pick and select Swedish sniper Jonas Lagerberg Hoen.

“I know, I can feel it from you guys because I felt it too, there’s some pretty good players out there and you guys are saying, ‘Come on Staios, go get this guy,’ right… But certainly, I wasn’t done after the Brady deal, and certainly not done now. We’re determined to bring a championship here.”

Leeder: This season will be different from a fan perspective

Senators president and CEO Cyril Leeder said that the 2026–27 season will feel much different from a fan’s perspective. He started by mentioning the differences in the schedule fans will feel.

First of all, the 84-game schedule will balance out divisional play, so that every team plays each team in their division twice at home and twice on the road each season. Previously, each team had played one divisional rival once at home and twice on the road and another twice at home and once on the road each season.

On Dec. 12, the Senators will play Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at home on a Saturday night for the first time since the 2022–23 season. Leeder said that the organization petitioned the league for that date.

Two days later, the Senators will host the Buffalo Sabres on an extremely rare weekday afternoon game. The game is scheduled to be televised on primetime television in Europe, just days before the Senators and Blackhawks travel to Germany for a two-game set. Leeder thinks that will be an annual game for the Senators but hopes to have it on a holiday such as Family Day Monday in February in the future.

Leeder said that the organization has confirmed over 200 Senators fans will be travelling to Düsseldorf for that two-game set on the Senators’ organized tour group. He knows of another 100 outside of that group. 

“It’s really Tim’s homecoming. That’s why it’s Düsseldorf, and not Berlin or Munich,” said Leeder. “When Daniel Alfredsson got a chance to go back to Gothenburg and play, he said every NHL player should get a chance to play an NHL game in his hometown, and this is Tim's chance. So we're looking forward to giving that chance.”

In terms of the fan experience inside and outside of the arena, Leeder revealed that the 200-level seats had been replaced, and that Bert’s Bar would be undergoing a full facelift, including a name change. Throughout September, the organization will be revealing additional changes.

“I think the biggest change you’ll see as a fan, as a season seat member, is our fan experience. That’s what happens at our games, that’s also what you hear from our staff, what you see from our front lines, I think that will be enhanced as well… I can tell you, it’s our most ambitious offseason plan we’ve ever had.”

For the team’s home opener against Philadelphia on Oct. 8, Leeder promises a “very different and distinct-looking” experience. “It won’t be like a game in January… you have our guarantee on that,” said Leeder.

In terms of other games he was looking forward to on the schedule, Leeder was treated to a chorus of boos when he mentioned Oct. 21’s meeting with the Florida Panthers, when Tkachuk will return to Ottawa.

“Typically when I get a schedule, it's often the game you don't think of as the game you're talking about 10 years later or something, something memorable from that game,” said Leeder. 

“But I think on Oct. 21, the hype will live up to the game, the game will live up to the hype itself. I expect that that's going to be a special day here at Canadian Tire Centre.”

Du Vall: Record number of season seat member referrals last season

Senators Vice-President Ticket Sales & Service Brendan Du Vall told season seat members that the 2025–26 season saw the largest number of season seat member referrals resulting  in new season seat members to date.

As far as new initiatives, Du Vall echoed Leeder’s sentiment that the organization has been taking the last few months to truly listen and respond to the feedback that season seat members have provided over the past season.

Game night VIP experiences will return this season. Season seat members will be able to log into a portal and pick from a handful of “unique behind-the-scenes” choices throughout the course of the season.

Du Vall said that a more “robust” season seat member events calendar will be introduced this season. “I think we’ve got to make sure we’re providing enough notice of when the events are going to take place,” said Du Vall.

Regarding the ticket trade program, Du Vall said that he heard fans’ feedback “loud and clear” that there were not enough game options to transfer tickets to. There will be a 30 per cent increase in that bank of games for next season.

Late last season, the organization began rolling out a season seat member rivalry program which allowed season seat members to purchase tickets for key games at a significantly reduced price. That will continue to be ramped up next season, with an exclusive window for season seat members to purchase discounted tickets with transfers and resales disabled.

Shier: We are doubling down on behind-the-scenes content

Senator Vice-President Marketing Peter Shier arrived at the stage with some hardware. 

In July, business staff from the team travelled to Denver for the league’s annual club business meetings. One event at the meetings which every team looks forward to is the Stanley Awards.

The Stanleys recognize club excellence, great innovation and creativity for fan engagement, as embodied through the best execution of programs by NHL teams during the 2025-26 season.

The Senators came home with the Stanley in the category of Best Social Impact & Growth Initiative for their Heated Rivalry Jersey promotion, the only unanimous winner in any of the eight categories. It was also the organization’s first-ever Stanley.

“As I just said to Steve [Staios], no pressure, but we got our Stanley, wouldn’t it be great if you get two Stanleys in one year?” joked Shier.

“We ended up selling 900 jerseys with the Heated Rivalry character names on the back. We had 17 countries buy jerseys. Our website was visited by 130 different countries, and the best part of all was we were able to provide a very substantial donation to Ottawa Pride Hockey after it was all said and done… that was the best part,” said Shier. 

“That will help grow the league. It'll introduce hockey to a whole bunch of new people, which is fantastic.”

Shier said that this season, the content team is doubling down on behind-the-scenes content, an initiative that was pushed by league commissioner Gary Bettman at those same business meetings.

“People want to see behind the scenes. Pull back the curtain. We're going to double down on that this year. We're creating a series of behind-the-scenes activities, so you'll see more about players on the road, in the dressing rooms, on the ice, in their own lives,” said Shier.

“They're going to let us in a little more than they have probably in the past, which is great. Steve has been terrific about allowing us access. We'll probably use the whole year this year to film it and put it all together, and then it'll be launched in the offseason, probably next year. But it'll be great. It'll be terrific.”

As far as promotions, Shier confirmed the return of country and western night and Star Wars night, both favourites each season. There will be a bobblehead giveaway during the first half of the season and the second half of the season, the second a style that he says has never been done before in the league.

And in terms of getting to the rink, Shier announced that the team will be rolling out a free-of-charge bus program. Eight buses will depart downtown Ottawa ahead of the game and return following the game.

“We think that will obviously alleviate some traffic, but it's obviously going to also alleviate a lot of stress from people. Our team’s worked hard to put that together. There'll be more details coming shortly on where the busses are going to stop and how we're going to do it. But we're committed, and we're going to do that for every home game this year.”

The Senators will hit the ice for training camp in the middle of September and begin preseason action on Sept. 23. You can purchase preseason or regular season tickets here.

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