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Ottawa Senators All-Time National Teams

By Jack Baines

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 28: Daniel Alfredsson #11 of the Ottawa Senators and Jason Spezza #19 of the Ottawa Senators and Team Alfredsson react after a play against Team Chara during the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition at Scotiabank Place on January 28, 2012 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 28: Daniel Alfredsson #11 of the Ottawa Senators and Jason Spezza #19 of the Ottawa Senators and Team Alfredsson react after a play against Team Chara during the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition at Scotiabank Place on January 28, 2012 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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UNIONDALE, NY – NOVEMBER 25: Goaltender Dominik Hasek #39 of the Ottawa Senators looks to play the puck against the New York Islanders during their game on November 25, 2005 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The Sens defeated the Isles 6-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NY – NOVEMBER 25: Goaltender Dominik Hasek #39 of the Ottawa Senators looks to play the puck against the New York Islanders during their game on November 25, 2005 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The Sens defeated the Isles 6-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Czech Republic

Milan Michalek – Radek Bonk – Martin Havlat

Filip Kuba – Karel Rachunek

Dominik Hasek

If there’s a team that could challenge Canada or Sweden, it would probably be the Czechs, thanks in large part to the early 2000s with some help from the early 2010s. This team may not be good enough to beat either of the big two, but given the Czechs traditional position at the bottom of the Big 6, a shot at bronze is quite an accomplishment.

Upfront we have Bonk and Havlat, two key members of Ottawa’s early successes as well as Milan Michalek, who had his best years in the league with Ottawa after coming over from San Jose in the Dany Heatley trade. Both Havlat and Michalek have a thirty goal season with Ottawa while Bonk was consistently in the 20 goal range.  While it may not be a line of stars, all three forwards are definite offensive threats that defences need to be wary of.

The blueline is solid, if unremarkable, as it consists of two defensive defencemen in Kuba and Rachunek. Both defenders topped 200 games for Ottawa and while Rachunek had minimal success away from the team, Kuba came to Ottawa after nearly a decade in the league and was able to provide experience and a steady presence on the back end. Kuba and Rachunek’s consistent defensive ability could provide a nice balance to the high-flying offence of the forward unit.

Even though he only played 43 games for the team, Dominik Hasek was a force to be reckoned with in his short time in Ottawa, posting a .925 save percentage and a 2.09 GAA, as well as five shutouts. That quality of goaltending has seldom been seen in Ottawa, except for occasional stretches by Lalime and Anderson. While his Senators’ tenure didn’t go the way either side hoped, Hasek is still an easy choice and gives the Czechs a well-rounded unit.

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