Ottawa Senators Get ECHL Team, Kessel is A Golden Knight, History Made for EA Sports and More

The end of August is upon us which means training camp isn’t too far ahead! Soon enough we’ll be recapping games, mocking the Leafs for planning parades and making “middle of nowhere” jokes about our beloved Kanata arena. But for now we are still in offseason mode but not without some interesting tidbits to share with you this week.

• The Ottawa Senators have reached a one-year agreement with the Allen Americans to form an ECHL partnership. The Senators have been without an ECHL affiliate since the 2019/2020 season. The Senators’ former ECHL affiliate, the Brampton Beast, was a casualty of the COVID-19 disruptions and could not continue to operate.
• Phil Kessel was once the talk of the town, he saw his fair share of struggles but also redeemed himself with success. Lately, he has been on the quiet side and it seems the Coyotes haven’t helped him get back into the limelight. It was announced yesterday that Phil the Thrill will be joining the Las Vegas Golden Knights on a one-year contract.
• Being on the cover of EA Sports is always a big deal. It’s a source of accomplishment and pride for the player but also serves as bragging rights for fans of that player or team. Well, this year, all of Canada can brag about the new face of the game. Team Canada’s Sarah Nurse becomes the first female to grace the cover of EA Sports and will be joined by the Anaheim Ducks’ Trevor Zegras for the 2023 edition.
• Speaking of Women’s hockey, the IIHF World Women’s hockey tournament starts today in Denmark as Team Canada attempts to continue its dominance.
• After taking a leave of absence from the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, Alex Texier has announced he is not ready to come back to the NHL just yet. He has been granted an exemption to sign a one-year contract to play in Europe as he feels he needs to be closer to his family as he resolves some personal issues.
• Ken Dryden has a new book coming out and it speaks of the importance of the 1972 summit series that changed the way hockey was viewed. It’s bound to be an interesting read about a tournament that humbled the Canadians and showed them what playing at a top level really meant./