Game Day Build-Up: Belleville Sens aim for strong finish to February against Manitoba on Women in Sports Night

Belleville Senators Game Day Build-Up
Feb.28/25 vs Manitoba Moose (AHL affiliate: Winnipeg Jets)

The Set Up:

A little progress is better than none at all, and while the Belleville Senators may not be leaping up the American Hockey League’s North Division standings, they’ve spent the month of February steadily gathering points, setting themselves up for a strong push through the final month and a half of the regular season. The Senators extended their current point streak to three and their home point streak to six with an overtime loss to the Manitoba Moose on Wednesday. They’ll get another crack at the Moose at CAA Arena tonight in their final meeting with Manitoba this season and their last home game before they set off on another week-long road trip that will see them stop in Laval, Wilkes-Barre, Hershey, and Hartford. The Moose, meanwhile, are getting to the end of a six-game Canadian swing, which wraps up in Toronto tomorrow afternoon.

Previous History: 

The Senators have earned at least a point in all three games against the Moose this season, winning twice in Winnipeg back in December and then earning a single point in the overtime defeat on Wednesday. Belleville is 2-0-1-0 against Manitoba this season and 18-14-5-0 lifetime, with a 8-9-2-0 record at CAA Arena. Though he left the game on Wednesday, former Moose Wyatt Bongiovanni has been the most productive Belleville player against Manitoba in 2024-25, registering four points (two goals, two assists) in three games.

Roster Notes: 

It’s been a bit of a rare situation for Belleville to have as many bodies as they do on the roster at the moment but as we know, anything can change. Forwards Jan Jenik and Angus Crookshank were returned from the NHL Senators yesterday, so Belleville’s roster currently sits at 27 players, though four are on the injured list at the moment. Forward Wyatt Bongiovanni took a big hit away from the puck on Wednesday and will be out tonight, at least, along with Xavier Bourgault, Tyler Boucher, and Mads Sogaard, who all remain on the IR. Defenceman Donovan Sebrango will serve game five of his six-game suspension from February 17 against Utica, while forward Hadyen Hodgson will sit out game three of his four game suspension from last Sunday in Cleveland. Full lineup details will be available before the game via the Belleville Sens social channels (@BellevilleSens). You can click here for a full list of up-to-date transactions, with full lineup details ahead of game time via the Belleville Sens social channels (@BellevilleSens).

Who to Watch:

Senators Captain Garrett Pilon was a force on Wednesday, scoring in the second period to help keep momentum in Belleville’s favour and registering four shots on goal. The 26-year-old sits third on Belleville’s team scoring list this season with 35 points (eight goals, 27 assists). Rookie forward Stephen Halliday picked up another assist and added five shots on net Wednesday. He’s also just five points back of tying Logan brown for fifth in the Belleville record book for points in a season by a rookie.

Manitoba rookie Elias Salamonsson has not only been good against the Senators this season, with three assists on Wednesday and a total of five in two games against Belleville, but he’s also turned heads across the AHL. The 20-year-old Swede has 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) over 30 games in North America, since coming over from the Swedish pro league, and was named to his first AHL All-Star Classic back in February. He was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

At the Rink:

It’s Women in Sports Night as the Sens celebrate the accomplishments of women in sports, both locally and beyond. CAA Arena gates will open at 4:30 p.m. ahead of the free pregame speakers’ panel, hosted by Kay and Katie from the Babes of Quinte Podcast and featuring special guests including Shelley Kettles (Ottawa/Belleville Senators Skating Consultant), Kati Parrot (Ottawa Senators Director of Marketing), Rebecca Leslie (Ottawa Charge PWHL Player), and Meghan Chayka (Hockey Analytics Specialist and co-founder of Stathletes) 

Any fan with a ticket to tomorrow’s game can attend the pregame panel, which runs from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will feature free light snacks and refreshments. Rebecca Leslie will also participate in the team’s game night signing station, greeting fans and signing autographs during the first intermission. 

The Senators are also excited to welcome some special guests to the game production and broadcast teams for the evening. Quinte News anchor/reporter Alana Cameron will serve as public address announcer. Ottawa Senators and former Kingston Frontenacs in-game host and national radio personality Sam McDaid will also perform those duties at CAA Arena. Plus, a Belleville native, former international player and current director of fitness and training for the National Hockey League officials, Jackie Jarrell, will join the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network as an analyst. 

Follow the Action:

Puck drop tonight 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 Jackie Jarrell, 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.

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