Defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Travis Hamonic each spent part of their hockey career with the Ottawa Senators. Bernard-Docker was a former first-round draft pick in 2018 while Hamonic was acquired by the Senators in a trade during the 2021-22 season.
Bernard-Docker had to fight to get NHL playing time. Bernard-Docker played in 25 games in the 2024-25 season with the Senators before suffering an injury. This past March, Bernard-Docker was traded by the Senators to the Buffalo Sabres in part of the Dylan Cozens-Josh Norris trade.
For Hamonic, he went unsigned after a struggling 2024-25 season with the Senators. Today, Hamonic's wait for a new team came to an end, and now he will be joining forces with Bernard-Docker, and both of them will be eager to prove the Senators wrong by not bringing both of them back.
Hamonic and Bernard-Docker are now teammates in Detroit
Although he made some progress in Buffalo after being traded, the Sabres didn't give a qualifying offer to Bernard-Docker after the season, which made him an unrestricted free agent. Bernard-Docker then would sign a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
When the Senators re-signed Nikolas Matinpalo and traded for Jordan Spence, the chances the Senators would re-sign Hamonic were low. After 1.5 months after going unsigned when free agency frenzy began, Hamonic signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings today.
Now, both Bernard-Docker and Hamonic will be eager to prove the Senators wrong with a fresh start in Detroit.
Bernard-Docker found early consistency when he was inserted into the lineup after an October injury to Artem Zub, but then had struggles and an injury happened before being traded. Bernard-Docker finished with recording four points in Ottawa before being traded.
Hamonic needs a deep bounce back season in Detroit. Hamonic recorded seven points in 56 games, but his -16 rating was the worst on the Senators roster in 2024-25. Hamonic didn't play in the 2025 playoffs for the Senators, but still spoke highly about the city of Ottawa and the team after the season concluded.
The Senators and Red Wings had four tremendous games last season with every game being determined by one goal. Now, the two teams have more to look forward to with the Red Wings having two former Senators from the 2024-25 season. The Senators and Red Wings have four games scheduled against each other for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Two games each are played in Canada's capital and the Motor City.
If Bernard-Docker and Hamonic are in the lineup for Detroit, their return to Ottawa as members of the Red Wings is scheduled for Jan. 5 at Canadian Tire Centre.