Senators Defenseman Defends Mascot Amid Controversy
Sports fans can be a very reactionary bunch, and the situation surrounding the Ottawa Senators is just the latest in a long line of examples.
On Monday, Senators owner Michael Andlauer announced that the team would play two preseason games at Videotron Centre and Quebec City, with hopes of playing regular-season games there in the future. There was some mild trepidation among fans, understandable considering the wealth of relocation rumors under previous owner Eugene Melnyk, but most seemed OK with the news.
“If we can play in Sweden, we can play in Quebec City,” Andlauer said. “But that’s a decision for the NHL to make.”
No, what really set people off happened a few hours later. The team posted an image on social media of their mascot, Sparatacat, wearing a split jersey with both Senators and Quebec Nordiques branding. The Nordiques, of course, left Canada to become the Colorado Avalanche in 1995, and Quebec City has been longing for a new team ever since.
As fans went into a frenzy thinking the team was teasing an eventual move to Quebec, team president and CEO Cyril Leeder posted an apology to fans, clarifying that Ottawa is the long-term home.
"Putting our beloved Sparty in a Sens/Nords jersey was wrong," Leeder wrote on X. "Today was a good reminder that our logo is sacred. As CEO, I own this one."
It seems not everyone in the organization had an issue with the photo, though. When asked for his thoughts, star defenseman and alternate captain Thomas Chabot defended the beloved mascot for
“Sparty was just there doing his job and doing his day," Chabot told reporters. "There’s nothing behind it for him thinking about the Nordiques."
The Senators are still looking to build a new arena in downtown Ottawa, LeBrenton Flats specifically, but no deal has been agreed to yet. However, Andlauer and co. remain confident that the deal will be completed soon.