Throughout franchise history, the Ottawa Senators have had players play for the franchise that people may have forgotten about. One of those players is Stephane Da Costa.
If people may have forgotten, Da Costa is a native from Paris, France. After going undrafted, Da Costa played for the Senators from 2011-2014. During that period, Da Costa recorded 11 points in 47 career games.
Da Costa last played an NHL game on Feb. 6, 2014. In his final NHL game, Da Costa recorded an assist. Since the 2014-15 season, Da Costa has spent all but one season of his hockey career playing in the KHL in Russia. Today at 35 years old, Da Costa has turned into one of the better passers in the KHL.
Da Costa is now shining in Russia after post NHL career since 2014
This season with the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, Da Costa has turned into a solid player for the team for the third fourth consecutive season. In 32 games this season, Da Costa has 34 points, but 27 of his points are assists.
Since the 2020-21 season, Da Costa has recorded three 50-point seasons. Over the past two seasons, Da Costa has recorded back-to-back 36-assist seasons.
With Da Costa's success today in the KHL, it can make the Senators wonder how different his NHL career could've turned out. Da Costa made his NHL debut on April 2, 2011, and would go on to play three more games in April of that year to begin his NHL career.
In his sixth NHL game on Oct. 8, 2011, Da Costa scored his first NHL goal in just the second game of the 2011-12 season. Signs of potential showed for Da Costa, but he would only record four more points the rest of the season and play a total of 22 games for the 2011-12 season. Da Costa's last game of the 2011-12 season came in November 2011.
Da Costa would only play nine games in the lockout 48-game season in 2012-13. In the 2013-14 season, Da Costa played in 12 games.
Da Costa would only score two points in a game twice in his career. Da Costa's final two-point game of his career came on Jan. 28, 2014, when he scored two goals in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.