Crotty, Harrington, Washkurak, Jenik, Hodgson join Pilon in Belleville Sens 2025-26 leadership group

Belleville Senators Head Coach Dave Bell has announced his leadership group for the 2025-26 season. They include returning captain Garrett Pilon and alternates Cameron Crotty, Scott Harrington, Keean Washkurak, Jan Jenik, and Hayden Hodgson.“They all have a lot of winning qualities; some come in as former captains, but the biggest one is how good people they are,” said Bell. “It wasn’t an easy decision, and that’s part of why we waited a week. We wanted to see how the new guys interacted with their teammates, but after that, when you see how they talk to guys, and how they treat people, it was a no-brainer.”

Garrett Pilon, 27, returns for his second season as captain and third as a Senator, also serving as an alternate in his first year in Belleville in 2023-24. The Mineola, New York-born forward has accumulated 252 points (89 goals, 163 assists) over a 391-game career, which includes a Calder Cup championship with the Hershey Bears in 2022-23.

“I think these guys help set the tone by how they act at the rink and away from the rink. I think they’re good hockey players, good teammates, and at the end of the day, good people,” said Pilon. “Everybody in this room has an opportunity to be a leader, but these are the guys that are going to set the example, and I couldn’t be more proud to play alongside them this season.”

Cameron Crotty, 26, signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Senators in the summer of 2025. The Ottawa native was selected in the third round (82nd overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2017 NHL Draft and has spent the last five seasons playing professionally. Last winter, he played his second career NHL game with the Minnesota Wild. He spent most of the season with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Iowa Wild, where he served as captain.

Harrington, 32, signed a two-year American Hockey League contract this past summer. The Kingston, Ontario native was drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2011 NHL Draft. He has dressed in 255 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Toronto, Columbus, San Jose and Anaheim, as well as 247 career AHL games. Before turning pro, the Kingston, Ontario, native won an OJHL championship with the Kingston Voyageurs, and a pair of OHL titles with the London Knights, who he captained in 2012-13.

Keean Washkurak, 24, returns to the Bay of Quinte on a one-year AHL deal and appeared in 71 games, collecting 19 points (10 goals, nine assists), plus 55 penalty minutes in his first season with the Sens in 2024-25. He was also named the team’s 2025 Coaches’ Choice Award winner.  Selected by the St. Louis Blues in the fifth round (155th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, Washkurak has skated in 246 career AHL games, with the Utica Comets, Springfield Thunderbirds, and Senators, racking up 65 points (37 goals, 28 assists).  

Jan Jenik, 25, is also back for a second season with the Senators in 2025-26, after signing a one-year extension over the summer. The Czech forward, acquired in a trade with the Utah Mammoth in July 2024, spent most of last season with the AHL Senators. His 29 points (12 goals and 17 assists) in 52 games earned him seventh place in the team’s scoring rankings. He also played two games in the NHL. Jenik was an alternate captain for Czechia at the World Junior Hockey Championship in the 2019-20 season.

Hayden Hodgson, 29, signed a two-year, two-way NHL contract and returns for a second season with the Senators. He appeared in 43 games in Belleville in 2024-25, and registered 11 points (five goals, six assists), plus a team-leading 156 penalty minutes. Hodgson also skated in two NHL games for Ottawa last season. An undrafted player, Hodgson has dressed in 223 AHL games with the Cleveland Monsters, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Ontario Reign, and Senators, collecting 72 points (36 goals, 36 assists). He’s also played in nine career NHL games with the Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, picking up a goal and two assists. 

Coach Bell also announced that, while they won’t wear letters, sophomore defenceman Jorian Donovan and veteran goaltender Hunter Shepard will also take on leadership roles.

“Jorian is a voice in the dressing room for the young guys, and Shep’s resume speaks for itself. So, when we meet as a leadership group, we want them to be involved in the conversations,” said Bell.

Single-game tickets for the first half of the 2025-26 season are now on sale via Ticketmaster or at the Belleville Sens Box Office located inside the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre. Details on season seat memberships, flex packs, premium seating, the Business Edge program, and more can be found by visiting the Belleville Sens Website.

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