2014–15 Ottawa Senators season
The 2014–15 Ottawa Senators season was the 23rd season of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). After an eventful regular season, the team returned to the NHL playoffs after not qualifying in the 2013–14 NHL season. Since 1996, the team has not missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
| 2014–15 Ottawa Senators | |
|---|---|
| Division | 4th Atlantic |
| Conference | 7th Eastern |
| 2014–15 record | 43–26–13 |
| Home record | 23–13–5 |
| Road record | 20–13–8 |
| Goals for | 238 |
| Goals against | 215 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Bryan Murray |
| Coach | Paul MacLean Dave Cameron |
| Captain | Erik Karlsson |
| Alternate captains | Chris Neil Chris Phillips |
| Arena | Canadian Tire Centre |
| Average attendance | 18,246 (95.3%) |
| Minor league affiliate(s) | Binghamton Senators (AHL) Wichita Thunder (ECHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Mike Hoffman (27) |
| Assists | Erik Karlsson (45) |
| Points | Erik Karlsson (66) |
| Penalty minutes | Mark Borowiecki (105) |
| Plus/minus | Marc Methot (+22) |
| Wins | Andrew Hammond (20) |
| Goals against average | Andrew Hammond (1.86) |
With the team at .500 in early December, general manager Bryan Murray fired head coach Paul MacLean, replacing him with assistant coach Dave Cameron. After being 14 points out of a playoff spot at the start of February, the Senators rallied behind the outstanding play of call-up goaltender Andrew Hammond down the stretch and qualified for the playoffs in the last game of the regular season. For his play, Hammond, nicknamed the "Hamburglar", gained league-wide attention, being named as an NHL Star of the Month and Week. Two rookies had outstanding seasons. Mark Stone who was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy, tied for the lead in points among rookies and Mike Hoffman led all rookies in goal scoring. First-year captain Erik Karlsson led the team in scoring with 66 points and won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenceman.
In the playoffs, the Senators played the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs. It was a rematch of the 2013 series which the Senators won. The Senators fell behind 3–0 in the series before rallying back with two wins. However, the comeback fell short and the Senators were eliminated in six games. Hammond started the series but was replaced in the third game by the Senators' number one goalie Craig Anderson, who was outstanding in his return to play.
Before the season, it was learned that Murray had cancer, for which he underwent treatment weekly during the season, although he continued in his duties as general manager. In March 2015, it was learned that assistant coach Mark Reeds also had cancer. Reeds died on the eve of the playoffs, and the team dedicated their play to Reeds. Owner Eugene Melnyk was too ill to attend the playoffs and received a liver transplant in May 2015 after a public appeal for donors.