Game Day Build-Up: Belleville Sens ready to defend home ice as they begin back-to-back with Bridgeport

Belleville Senators Game Day Build-Up
Mar.14/25 vs Bridgeport Islanders (NHL Affiliate: New York Islanders)

The Set Up:

As the old saying goes, “There’s no place like home,” and the Belleville Senators hope that rings true as they settle in to play 10 of their next 11 games at CAA Arena, beginning tonight against the Bridgeport Islanders. After five games and more than a week on the road, the Senators return to the Friendly City outside of the playoff cutline again, sitting two points back of the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) for the North Division’s final playoff spot. However, Belleville once again holds a game in hand on the Crunch. The Islanders, meanwhile, are well out of the playoff picture but are intent on finishing their season strong and attempting to spoil the playoff dreams of those opponents they still have to face that are on the bubble. Proof of that determination can be found in their last result, a victory over the North-leading Rocket in Laval earlier this week.

Previous History:

This is the 15th all-time meeting between the Sens and Isles, who will tangle twice on consecutive nights at CAA Arena to round out their four-game season series. Belleville took both games against Bridgeport at Total Mortgage Arena back in late 2024, picking up a 2-0 win on November 30 and then a 3-2 victory the following night. Those two wins evened Belleville’s lifetime record against Bridgeport to 7-7-0-0, 4-4-0-0 on the road and 3-3-0-0 at CAA Arena.

Roster Notes: 

Today is the American Hockey League Trade Deadline, meaning it’s the last opportunity that teams have to swap players, who will not be eligible to compete in the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last season, the Senators acquired forward Wyatt Bongiovanni from the Winnipeg Jets and Jamieson Rees from the Carolina Hurricanes at the AHL deadline, with both players returning to Belleville this season. No other roster information has been released yet today, but  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:

Power forward Hayden Hodgson was the only Senators player to score in their last matchup, last Sunday in Hartford. It was his second goal of the road trip after he also counted in Wilkes-Barre earlier in the week. Fellow rugged forward Zack MacEwan had four shots on net last Sunday, but no points, after putting up four points over his previous two games. Fans will also likely be keeping an eye on Belleville’s new #14, forward Tristen Robins, who makes his home debut for the Senators tonight, should he be in the lineup.

Veteran Chris Terry will be the one to watch out for on the Bridgeport side of things tonight. The 35-year-old from Brampton is a veteran of close to 875 AHL games, and a four-time AHL All-Star, and is on a point-per-game pace for the Islanders this season (57 points) despite the team’s struggles. Terry has five points over an ongoing three-game point streak, including a pair of goals and an assist on Wednesday in Laval. He’s notched at least two points in each of the games on this current streak. Though, he didn’t have any points against Belleville in their two matchups earlier this season.

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 Tim Durkin, 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