Ottawa Senators games are broadcast locally in both the English and French languages. As of the 2014–15 season, regional television rights to the Senators' regular season games not broadcast nationally by Sportsnet, TVA Sports, or Hockey Night in Canada are owned by Bell Media under a 12-year contract, with games airing in English on TSN5, and in French on RDS. Regional broadcasts are available within the team's designated region (shared with the Montreal Canadiens), which includes the Ottawa River valley, Eastern Ontario (portions are shared with the Toronto Maple Leafs), along with Quebec, the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador.[1][2][3]
Sportsnet East held English regional rights to the Sens prior to the 2014–15 season. In April 2014, Dean Brown, who had called play-by-play for Senators games since the team's inception, stated that it was "extremely unlikely" that he would move to TSN and continue his role. He noted that the network already had four commentators among its personalities – including Gord Miller, Chris Cuthbert, Rod Black, and Paul Romanuk (who was, however, picked up by Rogers for its national NHL coverage in June 2014), who were likely candidates to serve as the new voices of the Senators.[4][5] Brown ultimately moved to the Senators' radio broadcasts alongside Gord Wilson.[6]
During the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, several games were only available in video on pay-per-view or at local movie theatres in the Ottawa area.[7] The "Sens TV" service was suspended indefinitely as of September 24, 2008.[8] In 2010, Sportsnet launched a secondary channel for selected Senators games as part of its Sportsnet One service.[9] Selected broadcasts of Senators games in the French language were broadcast by RDS and TVA Sports. On the RDS network, Félix Séguin and former Senators goaltender Patrick Lalime[10] were the announcers from the 2011–12 season to the 2013–14 season, and Michel Y. Lacroix and Norman Flynn starting in the 2014–15 season. The TVA Sports broadcast team consisted of Michel Langevin, Yvon Pedneault and Enrico Ciccone.[11]
Years | Play-by-play | Color commentators |
1992–96 | Don Chevrier | Greg Millen |
1996–98, 2001-04 | Dean Brown | Greg Millen |
1998–01 | Rob Faulds[12] | Greg Millen |
2005–09 | Dean Brown | Garry Galley |
Gord Wilson (PPV) | ||
2009–10 | Dean Brown | Shaun Van Allen |
Gord Wilson (PPV) | ||
2011–14 | Dean Brown | Denis Potvin |
2014–2020 | Gord Miller (select games) Chris Cuthbert (select games) |
Ray Ferraro (select games) Jamie McLennan (select games) Mike Johnson (select games) |
2020–present | Gord Miller (primary) Jon Abbott (select games) |
Jamie McLennan (primary) Mike Johnson (select games) Dave Poulin (select games) |
On radio, all home and away games are broadcast on a five-station network stretching across Eastern Ontario, and including one American station, WQTK in Ogdensburg, New York.[13] The flagship radio station is CFGO "TSN Radio 1200" in Ottawa.[13] Radio broadcasts on CFGO began in 1997–98 (at first the Senators were on Ottawa's talk-radio station 580 CFRA); the contract has since been extended through the 2025–2026 as part of Bell Media's rights deal with the team.[2][14] The Senators are broadcast on radio in French through Intersport Production and CJFO Unique FM in Ottawa.[15] Nicolas St. Pierre provides play-by-play, with Alain Sanscartier as colour commentator.[16]
Years | Play-by-play | Color commentators |
1992–present | Dean Brown | Gord Wilson |