While it may not have the three-ring circus appeal — or hype — of LeBron James returning to Cleveland, Dany Heatley will be playing his first game in Ottawa on Thursday night since demanding a trade over a year ago. The saga was, if nothing else, bizarre, as he not only requested the trade, he then used his no-trade clause to veto a potential deal to Edmonton — reportedly for Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid — before finally being sent to San Jose last September.
The deal brought the Senators forwards Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo, as well as a swap of second-round draft picks.
Surprisingly, though, the Senators were able to rebound from the loss of their two-time 50-goal scorer and make a return trip to the postseason after missing the playoffs the year before, losing in six games to Pittsburgh. And now, Heatley returns for the first time wearing a different uniform. What should he be expecting? More than a few boos seems like a logical guess, while Ottawa’s Team 1200 has put together this little jingle to help welcome him back to town (via Sensshot).
As he approaches his 40th birthday on Nov. 9, even an all-star, U.S. Olympian, former captain and two-time Stanley Cup champion like Bill Guerin understood he might have to take the road less traveled.
Five years ago Jonathan Cheechoo led the NHL with 56 goals as a member of the San Jose Sharks. Injuries have helped to derail his career in the years since, as he’s seen his production fall off in a stunningly consistent decline, going from 56 goals to 37, to 23, to 12 and all the way down to the five he tallied in 61 games with the Ottawa Senators last season.
After a two-week break for the best hockey tournament you’ll ever see, the National Hockey League returns to action Monday night, when Detroit battles Colorado in Denver.
