Game Day Build-Up: Senators welcome Rocket for weekend back-to-back

Belleville Senators Game Day Build-Up
Nov.8/24 vs Laval Rocket (NHL Affiliate: Laval Rocket)

The Set Up:

Through eight games this season, the Belleville Senators have continued to be productive in collecting points, earning at least one in every game except one to this point.

That run continued on Saturday night, when the Sens posted their best offensive output of the year in a hostile environment, ‘crunching’ the Syracuse Crunch 6-2 on Saturday.

The win helped Belleville leap ahead of the Crunch for third place in the North Division with 11 points.

Meantime, the Rocket have shot out to a blazing start, winning seven straight after splitting their opening weekend in Providence against the Bruins and at home against Springfield.

Their last victory was a 6-3 victory over the Bruins on Saturday to improve their record to a North Division-best 8-1 and their point total to 16, which is tied for second-most in the AHL.

Previous History:

This is the first of 10 meetings with the Rocket this season for the B-Sens.

The two clubs were involved in a dogfight for the Calder Cup playoffs in the North Division last season, with Belleville making it in with a dramatic 3-2 win in its final regular season home game last season, simultaneously knocking the Rocket out.

Overall in 2023-24, the Senators went 6-5-1-0 versus Laval in an extremely tight, well-played season series.

Roster Notes: 

There haven’t been any significant transactions over the past few days, meaning there likely won’t be much change from Belleville’s lineup in Syracuse last Saturday night. That said, forward Wyatt Bongiovanni was close to returning to action and could potentially be activated from the injured list this weekend, while goaltender Mads Sogaard, and forwards Hayden Hodgson and Jan Jenik remain out hurt. A full list of up-to-date transactions can be found by clicking here, with full lineup details available via the B-Sens social channels (@bellevillesens) before the game.

Who to Watch:

Cole Reinhardt has shot out to an outstanding start offensively amid a couple of recalls to Ottawa, posting a team-leading 10 points in five games between achieving his first NHL point on

The Irricana, AB native had four points in the win over Syracuse, a career-best for a single game in a B-Sens uniform and currently has a three-game goal and point streak going, racking up eight points in that span.

Matt Highmore, Jeremy Davies and Nikolas Matinpalo are other Belleville players to keep an eye on, as they have all recorded points in back-to-back games. 

The Rocket’s offensive output has been led by the strength of sophomore forward Joshua Roy (7-3-10), defenceman Logan Mailloux (nine points in just four games), veteran pivot Alex Barre-Boulet and Quinte Red Devils graduate Owen Beck (both 2-6-8).

Roy sits tied for second in AHL goals in the early stages of the season, while Beck, a Port Hope resident who is sure to have plenty of fan support this weekend, sits tied for fourth in league rookie scoring.

Goaltending has also been a strong point for the Rocket, with Jakub Dobes (4-0, 2.25 GAA/.910 SV%) and Connor Hughes (4-1, 1.87 GAA/.937 SV%) carrying the load for Pascal Vincent’s club.

At the Rink:

The B-Sens will welcome more than 500 Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans to CAA Arena and celebrate their commitment and dedication to serving our country during Military Appreciation Night.

Representatives from 8 Wing CFB Trenton will be on hand for the ceremonial puck drop and fans can check out various military-themed demonstrations and displays from organizations like the National Air Force Museum of Canada, Trenton Military Family Resource Centre and more.

Military Appreciation Merchandise Offer
• Discount: 15% off regular-priced items, including jerseys, until November 10
• Special Offer: 25% discount for Current SSM/Flex 40 holders
• Restrictions: Discount cannot be combined with other promotions; items already on sale are ineligible
• Redemption: Available in person or in-game with military ID. For shipping, email info@bellevillesens.com

Ticket Info:

Tickets for tonight’s matchup versus Laval and all games through the first half of the 2024-25 Belleville Sens season are now on sale via Ticketmaster, by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com. or the Belleville Sens Box Office at CAA Arena will be open from Noon until 7:30 p.m. today.

Fans looking to get a head start on locking up tickets for any game on the schedule can do so now by becoming a season seat member, purchasing a flex pack membership, or by putting down a deposit for a group experience.

More information on those ticket options, plus details on premium seating and Business Elite packages is available by visiting the Belleville Sens website or emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com.

Follow the Action:

Puck drop tonight is set for 7:00 p.m. from CAA Arena in Belleville, Ontario. Broadcast coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. with Brock Ormond and Tim Durkin, and can be seen on AHLTV on FloHockey, or heard free on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network.

Fans attending the game at CAA Arena can bring their portable FM radio receiver and tune in to 88.1 FM to hear the broadcast.

A limited number of FM receivers are available for sign-out at Guest Services (Gate 2), but fans are asked to bring their own headphones if possible.

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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