Gabriel’s Pizza Gameday Build-Up: Sens wrap home opener weekend with visit from Crunch

Sunday, October 19, 2025 vs Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate: Tampa Bay Lightning)

The set-up:

The Belleville Senators have another opportunity to collect their first win of the season this afternoon when they wrap up their home-opening weekend against the Syracuse Crunch. Belleville earned its first point of the 2025-26 season on Saturday night after a high-tempo, back-and-forth affair with the Toronto Marlies (AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs) that ended in a 2-1 overtime loss. Oskar Pettersson had Belleville’s only goal, while Mads Sogaard was named the game’s first star, making 23 saves on 25 shots. The Crunch, meanwhile, have had no problem picking up points over their first three games, bringing an undefeated record into CAA Arena this afternoon. They’ve outscored their opponents 11-4 so far this season, including a 3-0 win at home to Rochester on Saturday.

Previous History:

Today’s meeting is the first of eight between the Sens and Crunch as they renew their North Division rivalry. Like Toronto, the Senators have had a tight lifetime series with the Crunch, skating an overall record of 22-21-2-3. However, the home and away splits for the Sens are much more decisive over Belleville’s eight-year history, with a 7-12-2-3 record on the road in Syracuse and a mark of 15-9-0-0 against the Crunch on home ice. Last season, Belleville was 2-5-0-1 against their rivals from just across the border.

Roster Notes:

Another quick back-to-back means the odds are Head Coach Dave Bell will make a goaltending change and give two-time Calder Cup winner Hunter Shepard his first home start. The Sens will again be without Jan Jenik and Jamieson Rees due to injury, but no other lineup information was made available this morning. Full lineup details will be available via the Senators social media feeds (@BellevilleSens) at the start of warm-up, about half an hour before puck drop.

Who to Watch:

Oskar Pettersson had Belleville’s only goal on Saturday night against Toronto and is looking to separate himself from the crowd of prospects this season. The 21-year-old from Halmstad, Sweden began his second full professional season by being named the hardest working player at Ottawa Senators development camp and has continued that effort through Belleville training camp and the first handful of regular season games.

The Crunch have been led offensively early by a former first round NHL draft pick in Jakob Pelletier. The 24-year-old from Quebec was selected 26th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2019 and has bounced between the Flames and their AHL affiliate for the past four seasons. He also played 25 games with the Philadelphia Flyers last season, after a trade, then signed a three-year contract with Tampa by this past summer. He has five points (three goals, two assists) in three games so far this season.

At the Rink:

Home opener weekend continues with first afternoon home game for the Sens this season. CAA Arena gates will open at 2:00 p.m. Fans can still snag one of a limited amount of exclusive Belleville Sens x Rien À Dire ball caps, which will be available for purchase, plus new Ottawa Senators red third jerseys in stock! And, fans can grab a “613 Country” t-shirt for just $20.

Follow the Action:

Puck drop this afternoon is set for 3:00 p.m. ET from CAA Arena in Belleville, Ontario. Broadcast coverage begins at 2:50 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 the all Belleville Sens home games in 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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