Gabriel Pizza Gameday Build-Up: On the road again, Sens kick off Canadian trip in Laval

Friday, November 21, 2025 @ Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)

The set-up:

After a brief stop at home to shut out the Toronto Marlies in front of 4,000+ local school kids on Wednesday, the Belleville Senators are on the road again, kicking off a four-game, week-long Canadian trip to Laval and Winnipeg. Belleville will play twice against the Rocket in Laval this weekend, and then twice against the Manitoba Moose next week, with an opportunity to take over the early-season North Division lead if they continue their solid run of play. The Senators are on a season-high four-game winning streak heading into Place Bell tonight and have outscored opponents 18-8 over that span, putting them just one point behind Syracuse, Rochester, and the Rocket, who are in a three-way tie atop the division with 20 points. Like the Senators, Laval is 7-3-0-0 over its last 10 games but fell 3-2 at home to Syracuse on Wednesday night, just their second home defeat of the season.

Previous History:

Tonight marks Belleville’s first visit to Place Bell in Laval this season, though the teams have already played twice, splitting two matchups at CAA Arena earlier in the season. Belleville was a 6-2 winner on October 22, and Laval got some payback with a tight 3-2 victory in their last meeting on November 9. Heading into this third of 10 meetings between the Sens and Rocket this season, Belleville’s record over the first 93 games of the lifetime series is 49-37-3-4, and 23-22-1-0 at Place Bell. Xavier Bourgault is Belleville’s best offensive threat against Laval early in the season with three points (two goals, one assist), while Laurent Dauphin has the same stats against the Sens for Laval.

Roster Notes:

The transaction wire has been quiet since Wednesday, with five players who have played in Belleville this season on recall to Ottawa. Along with goaltender Leevi Merilainen and forward Olle Lycksell, who have been up for some time, forwards Hayden Hodgson and Stephen Halliday, and defenceman Lassi Thomson are also with Ottawa on their lengthy road trip. Halliday made his NHL debut last night and picked up an assist. In terms of call-ups from the Allen Americans (ECHL) to Belleville, forwards Danny Katic and Mark Duarte are still with the AHL Senators and on the trip. On the injury front, Senators Captain Garrett Pilon is nearing a return, while rookie defenceman Matt Andonovski is out week-to-week, along with goaltender Hunter Shepard and forward Tyler Boucher. Full lineup details will be available via the Sens social media channels (@BellevilleSens) about half an hour ahead of puck drop.  

Who to Watch:

The Senators have two players among the top point scorers in the American Hockey League with 16 points, including the called-up Halliday (one goal, 15 assists) and Phil Daoust (three goals, 13 assists), who are tied for third. Daoust is also now tied  with Halliday for the Belleville points lead and is on a four-game points streak heading into tonight’s game (one goal, seven assists). Forward Arthur Kaliyev is now on a franchise-record six-game goal-scoring streak and has a total of seven goals and an assist over that stretch. Rookie defender Carter Yakemchuk has points in back-to-back games (one goal, two assists).

For the Rocket, Laurent Dauphin is tied for second in points (17) and is on a three-game point streak (one goal, two assists). He had a goal, an assist, and five shots on net in Laval’s last game on Wednesday against Syracuse. Defenceman William Trudeau has points in back-to-back games (one goal, one assist), scoring on Wednesday against the Crunch.

Follow the Action:

Puck drop this evening is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. Broadcast coverage begins at 6:50 a.m. ET with David Foot and Zach McGibbon, available on AHLTV on FloHockey or free to listen on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network.

Ticket Info:

Tickets for all Belleville Sens 2025-26 home games 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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