Ottawa Senators show off talents in skills competition

Tim Stutzle, seen during warmups before the game against Montreal on Saturday night, scored the overtime winner in the final skills competition event on Sunday.

Ottawa Charge captain Brianne Jenner, Rebecca Leslie, Emily Clark and Danielle Serdachny from the Professional Women’s Hockey League were invited to participate.

Published Feb 23, 2025 • 3 minute read

Tim Stutzle, seen during warmups before the game against Montreal on Saturday night, scored the overtime winner in the final skills competition event on Sunday. Photo by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photo /Getty Images

This Sunday was about skills and thrills.

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The Ottawa Senators took a step back from the National Hockey League’s playoff race on Sunday afternoon for the club’s annual skills competition at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Teams drafted by captain Brady Tkachuk and alternate captain Thomas Chabot took part in team and individual competitions that included the fastest skater, hardest shot and target shooting.

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Ottawa Charge captain Brianne Jenner, Rebecca Leslie, Emily Clark and Danielle Serdachny from the Professional Women’s Hockey League were invited to participate.

The Senators were coming off a 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at home on Saturday night, but there was nobody in the crowd disappointed as they left the rink on this day.

Centre Tim Stutzle scored the overtime winner in the final event, which was a 3-on-3 challenge, to secure a comeback victory for Tkachuk’s Team White over Chabot’s Team Black.

Injured playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Tkachuk wasn’t able to participate in the competition. He played the role of ambassador while captaining his team from the bench.

You have to give Tkachuk credit because he spent time signing autographs for fans who went down to visit him behind the bench.

Defencemen Nick Jensen and Jake Sanderson, along with forwards Shane Pinto and Josh Norris, didn’t participate, either.

There was good news because defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker, who is getting ready to return from a high-ankle sprain, participated in several events, including the fastest skater.

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Winger Noah Gregor, who suited up for his first game in over two months against the Habs, set the franchise record for the fastest skater.

He covered the track in 13.285 seconds, which beat the old mark of 13.665 seconds set by former Senators winger Colin Greening in 2011.

“You just hope you can make your corners without losing an edge,” said Gregor. “I knew I’d be pretty good (on the) straightaways.”

Winger Drake Batherson won the always entertaining hardest shot competition at 104.4 m.ph. Defenceman Tyler Kleven gave Batherson a run for his money, but Batherson was tough to beat.

The record of 109.5 m.p.h., held by former defenceman Jared Cowen in 2015, was safe. Batherson said he registered a shot last year that was just over 103 m.p.h. and was confident he could get the title back.

“Last year, (Jakob) Chychrun and (Zack) MacEwen smoked me so I had to come back with some revenge,” Batherson said with a smile.

Chychrun registered a shot of 107.1 m.p.h. and MacEwen blasted the puck at 106.6 m.p.h. last year.

The players enjoyed the event and spent a lot of time signing autographs before leaving the ice. Most of them made their way around the glass and signed items thrown to them by the fans.

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“It’s always a fun day to be out there and you just have to enjoy yourself,” Batherson said. “There are not many times during the season where you can get on the ice and have fun for a couple of hours. We really enjoyed it and tried to make the most of it.”

Having the PWHL players accompany the Senators on the ice was special because Batherson’s sister, Mae, plays defence for the Minnesota Frost.

Clark finished fourth in the fastest skater competition and Jenner went 4-for-4 in the accuracy shooting event with a time of 9.429 seconds.

“I know how amazing those players are and how fun it’s to watch their games,” Batherson said. “It’s pretty cool. It just goes to show you how good they are.”

Here are some of the results of the notable competitions:

Team White: Tkachuk

Team Black: Chabot