Game Day Build-Up: Sens and Pens to tangle twice this weekend at CAA Arena

Belleville Senators Game Day Build-Up
Jan.10/25 vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL Affiliate: Pittsburgh Penguins)

The Set Up:

About a week after one of their most emphatic victories of the season, a 7-2 rout of the Utica Comets to snap a four-game losing skid, the Belleville Senators will play their first home game of 2025 tonight as they welcome the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to CAA Arena. It’s the first of seven consecutive games against Pennsylvania-based opponents and eight straight against teams outside the North Division. The Senators have had a strong record against the Atlantic this season and will need to continue that trend as they try to climb back into the thick of things in their own division, sitting five points back of the playoff cut line with 42 games to play, after tonight.

Previous History:

This is the first of four meetings between Belleville and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season and the first of three this week. The Sens and Pens will clash tonight and Sunday at CAA Arena before Belleville hits the road for three games in Pennsylvania next week, culminating with the third game of the season series in Wilkes-Barre. This is only the ninth-lifetime meeting Between Belleville and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since 2017-18, with the season series even at 4-4-0-0. The visiting team has had the edge in the lifetime series, with the Senators holding a 1-3-0-0 record at CAA Arena and a 3-1-0-0 record on the road.

Roster Notes:

With Belleville’s NHL parent club in Ottawa continuing to deal with a rash of injuries, the AHL Senators transaction page has been busy this week. Since New Year’s Eve, defenders Nikolas Matinpalo and Max Guenette and forwards Matt Highmore and Zack MacEwen have been called up to Ottawa. They join forwards Zack Ostapchuk and Cole Reinhardt, and goaltender Leevi Merilainen, who have been with the Ottawa since before the calendar turned. In corresponding moves, Belleville has recalled defenceman Djibril Toure and forward Jake Chiasson from the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL). Goaltenders Mark Sinclair and Alexis Gravel were also recently released from their professional tryouts. Before the game, you can click here for a full list of up-to-date transactions, with lineup details available via the B-Sens social channels (@bellevillesens).

Who to Watch: 

This week, Belleville defender Jeremy Davies was selected to represent Belleville at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Spotlight 29 Casino. The 28-year-old from Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, is playing in his first year with the Senators after signing a one-year, two-way deal during the offseason and is tied for the Belleville Sens team points lead at 23 (four goals, 19 assists). He also sits tied for fourth in points among AHL defencemen and tied for fourth in assists by defencemen. Meanwhile, forward Wyatt Bongiovanni had four points, including a hat trick, in Belleville’s 7-2 win at Utica last Saturday. Defenceman Donovan Sebrango had three assists last Saturday.

Like Bongiovanni for Belleville, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Ville Koivunen had a hat-trick and an assist in the Penguins’ last game, a 6-3 win in Toronto this past Wednesday. The 21-year-old Finnish rookie has the second most points among first-year players (10 goals, 17 assists) after developing with Karpat in Finland. The Penguins first visit also brings the return of former Belleville fan-favourite Boko Imama, who suited up for 53 regular season games and seven playoff contests with the Senators, amassing 10 points in the regular sesaon (three goals, seven assists) and three points in the playoffs (one goal, two assists).

At the Rink:

Its Bell Let’s Talk Night at CAA Arena, and the Senators and Bell are teaming up again to continue the conversation about mental health stigma and awareness. Sens players and staff will share messages on how they prioritize mental health and encourage fans to get involved by sharing their stories, continuing the conversation with friends and family at home, work or school, or donating to local mental health organizations. With an increased focus on youth mental health in 2025, the representatives from Bell will be on hand to present a $20,000 cheque to the Hastings-Prince Edward Learning Foundation to support their student programs and services giveaways and mental health awareness messaging throughout the night. Additionally, fans will be able to take advantage of some deals at The Locker Room Store, in-store, in-arena, or online, leading into Sunday’s Family Fun Day game. Fans can get 25% off souvenirs like Smashcots, foam fingers, light sticks, pucks, flags, mini sticks and more.

Follow the Action:

Puck drop tonight is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from CAA Arena in Belleville, Ontario. Broadcast coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. ET with David Foot and Brock Ormond 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