The 50 Greatest Ottawa Senators of All Time: #40 – #31
By Jack Leiper
This is the second part of a series looking at the 50 greatest Ottawa Senators of All-Time.
Here are links to all the other parts:
Part One: #50 – #51
Part Two: #40 – #31
Part Three: #30 – #21
Part Four: #20 – #11
Part Five: #10 – #1
Now, kicking off the second part of the list:
40. Ron Tugnutt/Damian Rhodes
Rhodes:
Stats: 181GP
Height/Weight: 6foot0, 180lbs
Acquired: Trade with New York Islanders (w. Wade Redden for Don Beaupre, Martin Straka, Bryan Berard)
Tugnutt:
Stats: 166GP
Height/Weight: 5foot11, 155lbs
I guess this is technically the 51 greatest Ottawa Senators of all-time, as I’ve paired Ron Tugnutt and Damian Rhodes together. These two were a Senators tandem for four years and were both dubbed as starting goaltenders.
Although Tugnutt would ultimately win the battle, and was probably the more impactful player the Rhodes/Tugnutt era lasted from 1995-2000 with each goaltender making a case as starter. Tugnutt would take the reigns during the 1998-99 season with incredible play that garnered a 5th place nod in the Vezina race as he posted a 1.79 GAA and .925sv%.
Rhodes would be shipped that off-season and Tugnutt the year after. Both for minimal returns. This era saw the Senators’ first playoff birth and the transition into what became a legitimate NHL contender. It would be when Patrick Lalime took over that the contender status really became true.
Rhodes/Tugnutt was always a back and forth battle. Each of them played a similar number of games (181 vs 166) and held similar numbers during their time in Ottawa. For that, they both receive a nod on this list in the same spot.
Next: #39 One Of Vancouver's All-Time Defenders