game day Share this Game Day Build-Up: Senators officially begin second half of the season with stop in Rochester February 7, 2025 Belleville Senators Game Day Build-Up Feb.7/25 @ Rochester Americans (NHL Affiliate: Buffalo Sabres) The Set Up: The American Hockey League’s All-Star Break has officially ended, and players are, for the most part, rested and ready to attack the campaign’s second half. For the Belleville Senators, the push up the North Division Standings continues, as they begin a stretch of 13 games in 21 days through February. The Senators headed into the break strong, winning three of their last five games, including a pair of overtime comeback victories on home ice at CAA Arena. Tonight, the Senators face their rivals from Rochester, who have won four games in a row and are battling for the North’s top spot, just one point behind the Laval Rocket. A win tonight would be huge for Belleville to not just help them close the five-point gap to the playoffs, but also serve as a reminder that the standings don’t always reflect how competitive the North Division is. Previous History: Tonight marks the midway point in the eight-game season series between Belleville and Rochester this season, with the Senators holding a 1-2-0-0 record against the Amerks in 2024-25. Belleville picked up a win at Blue Cross Arena on opening night back in October, but it was Rochester who were victorious over a pair of games at CAA Arena in mid-December. Lifetime against the Americans, the Senators are 25-14-5-1, with a 15-6-1-0 mark at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. The season series continues later this month, when the Senators make another visit as part of a four-game, seven-day road trip that also includes stops in Utica and Cleveland. They’ll wrap the season series with a trio of games in April. Roster Notes: There are four roster moves to report with players coming and going from Belleville over the all-star break. Forward Cole Reinhardt was recalled to Ottawa again, after playing his franchise-leading 241st game for Belleville last weekend, while at the same time, goaltender Leevi Merilainen was returned from the National Hockey League. The young, Finnish, netminder has turned heads during his 12 appearances with Ottawa, collecting eight wins and three shutouts, with a 1.99 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. With Merilainen returning, goaltender Mark Sinclair was released from his professional tryout, and forward Jake Chiasson was returned to the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL). There have been no updates to the Senators’ injured list as of this morning, but updates will be provided on tonight’s Belleville Sens Entertainment Network broadcast. You can click here for a full list of up-to-date transactions, with lineup details available via the B-Sens social channels (@bellevillesens), ahead of game time. Who to Watch: Senators’ rookie forward Stephen Halliday carries an eight-point (three goals, five assists) five-game point streak into tonight’s contest. He extended that streak by picking up three assists in the last game before the break, including a helper on Wyatt Bongiovanni’s overtime winning goal. That game-winner for Bongiovanni was his fifth of the season, putting him among the league leaders in that category. Captain Garrett Pilon had two goals last weekend against the Comets, while defender Jeremy Davies had a goal and an assist, before heading to California to represent Belleville at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic. Fans will likely be keeping an eye on Leevi Merilainen tonight as well, should he start in goal, to see how he responds to being returned to the AHL after an impressive NHL stint. Due to NHL recalls, the Amerks will be without a couple of key pieces tonight. Both forward Isak Rosen, and goaltender Felix Sandstrom were recalled to their NHL parent club in Buffalo. Rosen was on a four-game point streak (seven goals, one assist) and has six points (three goals, three assists) against Belleville this season. That said, the Senators will need to watch out for all-star forward Brett Murray, who has points in back-to-back games (one goal, two assists) and four goals in three contests against Belleville this season. Rookie forward Noah Ostlund also has points in back-to-back games (one goal, two assists). Follow the Action: Puck drop today is set for 7:05 p.m. ET from Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. Broadcast coverage begins at 6:55 p.m. ET with David Foot, and can be seen on AHLTV on FloHockey or heard free on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network. Ticket Info: Tickets for all Belleville Sens home games through the 2024-25 season are now on sale via Ticketmaster, or by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com. Hours for the Belleville Sens Box Office at CAA Arena are available here. Fans can click the following links for more information on becoming a season seat member, purchasing a flex pack membership, or putting down a deposit for a group experience. For more details on those ticket options, plus details on premium seating and Business Elite packages, visit the Belleville Sens website or email tickets@bellevillesens.com. The full Belleville Sens 2024-25 regular season schedule is available here. About the Belleville Senators The Belleville Senators are the American Hockey League affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators and have been operating in the AHL since the 2017-18 season. The Senators play their home games out of the CAA Arena at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre and have graduated more than 60 players to the NHL since moving from Binghamton, New York. — Visit the Belleville Sens website: www.bellevillesens.com Engage with the Belleville Sens on Twitter: @BellevilleSens Like the Belleville Sens on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BellevilleSens Follow the Belleville Sens on Instagram: @BellevilleSens Listen to the Belleville Sens on Mixlr: www.bellevillesens.mixlr.com Watch the Belleville Sens on AHLTV on FloHockey: www.watchtheahl.com
