While the Ottawa Senators had their 2025-26 season opener this past Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning with winning 5-4, it was time for their AHL affiliate to have their season opener.
The Belleville Senators headed to the Keystone State to begin their 2025-26 season against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Last season, Belleville missed the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. With a new finally season arriving for Belleville, it was a long and miserable first game.
Lehigh Valley defeated Belleville 5-2 at PPL Center in the season ope.
The game immediately started rough for Belleville when Devin Kaplan beat Mads Sogaard for two goals in a span of 2:40 to give Lehigh Valley a quick 2-0 lead less than nine minutes into the game. Sogaard's first 20 minutes went rough with allowing in two goals on five shots on goal.
The second period saw more of the same with Lehigh Valley scoring two goals in the period. Four goals were allowed in by Sogaard on nine shots on goal in the opening 29:12 of the game. Even with struggles, Belleville head coach David Bell never considered pulling Soogard from the game.
I spoke with head coach David Bell after Belleville's season opening loss. Bell talked about powerplay struggles and said he "never" thought about pulling Sogaard pic.twitter.com/zatQDgoyF1
— Jake Ferraro (@18Jxxx18) October 12, 2025
In the third period, Keenan Washkurak and Xavier Bourgault each scored a goal to cut Belleville's deficit to 4-2, but it would be too little too late. Lehigh Valley got an empty-net goal to put the game on ice.
Hype was around tonight's season opener with Carter Yakemchuk making his AHL debut. In his AHL debut, Yakemchuk recorded zero points. Yakemchuk admitted to first game nerves for his AHL debut.
An area that was a concern one game into the season for Belleville is the team went 0/7 on the powerplay. Yakemchuk was quarterbacking the powerplay and helped Belleville generate chances, but no goals happened. Yakemchuk also said he feels more of an offensive defenseman.
I spoke to Carter Yakemchuk following his AHL debut. Admitted to first game AHL nerves, talked about being the quarterback on the powerplay and his defenseman role pic.twitter.com/99R4yqBmqm
— Jake Ferraro (@18Jxxx18) October 12, 2025
Belleville has a quick turnaround in under 24 hours when they travel to Total Mortgage Arena to face the Bridgeport Islanders. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. An afternoon game after an evening game is a tough way to begin a new season with both games being on the road, but it's a challenge that Belleville has to taake on.