We are totally shocked by hearing that the ottawa senators all time player has officially announced his resignation.
While there won’t be much to be happy about this season, the Ottawa Senators will have one memorable event at least in 2019–20.
On February 18, 2020, Ottawa announced that Chris Phillips’ No. 4 will be retired in a ceremony that will take place before a game against the Buffalo Sabres.
After being chosen first overall in the 1996 NHL Draft, Phillips played his whole NHL career for the Senators, becoming a mainstay of the team during their heyday. The defenseman played 1,179 games for the Senators, scoring 71 goals and 288 points. He retired in May of 2016, having last worn a Senators uniform in the 2014–15 season.
As reported by Callum Fraser of NHL.com, Phillips stated, “That’s not even on the radar, for that to happen.” “Obviously, winning a Stanley Cup is what you dreamed of as a child. And that’s all that matters in the end. You’ve never considered retiring your jersey or doing anything similar. But as you get older and witness it happen with men you played with, like Daniel Alfredsson, it starts to seem like a “maybe,” “what if,” or “wouldn’t that be cool.” It feels really special to be in the same sentence as some of the greatest players to have ever played for our squad.
With Phillips’ assistance, the Senators made it to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, but the formidable Anaheim Ducks team defeated them in five games.
The Senators were a consistent playoff contender for significant portions of Phillips’ career, something he takes great pride in when he has the opportunity to think about it.
“I look at that entire run starting with my first year, and I think I made the playoffs every year for 12 or 13 years,” Phillips remarked. “I guess that speaks to how I felt as a player, that it was a team first.”
Although Phillips never had a spectacular game, he was the team’s defensive stalwart during its heyday, and that’s something to be proud of in difficult times. Phillips deserves this well-deserved honor.
