| First meeting | October 20, 1992[1] |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | May 1, 2025 |
| Next meeting | December 27, 2025 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 177 |
| All-time series | 88–73–3–13 (TOR) |
| Regular season series | 76–55–3–13 (OTT)[2] |
| Postseason results | 20–10 (TOR) |
| Largest victory | OTT 8–0 TOR October 29, 2005 |
| Longest win streak | OTT W7 |
| Current win streak | OTT W5 |
| Postseason history | |
| |
TheBattle of Ontario (French:Bataille de l'Ontario) is aNational Hockey League (NHL)rivalry between theOttawa Senators and theToronto Maple Leafs. Both teams compete in theAtlantic Division and with current NHL scheduling, they meet three to four times per season. Games between the teams are often televised nationally onHockey Night in Canada. The rivalry has been described as one of the NHL's top rivalries due to the two teams meeting each other in the postseason throughout the early 2000s.[3][4]
Games between Toronto and Ottawa ice hockey teams date back before the founding of the NHL. In 1891, theoriginal Senators defeated the Toronto St. George's to win the Ontario ice hockey title. In February 1904, the original Ottawa Senators, aka the 'Silver Seven', defeated theToronto Marlboros in a Stanley Cup challenge. The Senators were founding members of theNational Hockey Association (NHA) in 1910 and Toronto teams joined the NHA two years later. In 1917, the Toronto NHA franchise was turned over to the NHL and joined the Senators as one of the founding teams of the NHL. After the original Ottawa NHL franchise relocated toSt. Louis, as theEagles in 1934,[5][6] and with the coming of television broadcasting of NHL games in the 1950s, Ottawa-area NHL fans became fans of other NHL teams. A Toronto–Ottawa sports rivalry continued between theArgonauts and theRough Riders of theCanadian Football League (CFL).
The current Senators entered the NHL in1992, but the rivalry with the Maple Leafs did not begin to emerge until the late 1990s. From 1992 to 1998, Toronto was in theWestern Conference and Ottawa was in theEastern Conference, which meant that the two teams rarely played each other. However, before the1998–99 season, the conferences and divisions were re-aligned, and Toronto was moved into the Eastern Conference'sNortheast Division with the Senators,Montreal Canadiens,Boston Bruins, andBuffalo Sabres.
The Maple Leafs and Senators met for the first time in the playoffs in2000, with the Maple Leafs dispatching the Senators in six games. Some Maple Leafs fans saw this as revenge, since the Senators'Marian Hossa accidentally clipped the Maple Leafs'Bryan Berard in the eye on March 11, ending the young defenceman's season and almost his career.[7][8]
Thenext season, Toronto and Ottawa met again in thefirst round, as the Senators entered the playoffs ranked second in the conference and the Maple Leafs seventh.[9] While the Senators were expected to defeat the Maple Leafs, especially since they had swept the regular season series against them, the Maple Leafs instead swept the series in a major upset; Ottawa did not score its first goal of the series until 16:51 of the third period in the third game.[10][11]
In2001–02, the teams met in theplayoffs for the third straight year. The two teams were evenly matched, and the Maple Leafs managed to win the second-round series in the full seven games and advance to the conference finals. One notable incident occurred late in game five, when Senators captainDaniel Alfredsson hit Maple Leafs' forwardDarcy Tucker in a questionable hit-from-behind, which did not draw a penalty. Seconds after hitting Tucker, Alfredsson scored the game-winning goal.[12]
In2002–03, the rivalry hit an all-time high during a regular season game on March 4, when Darcy Tucker attacked the Senators'Chris Neil, who was sitting on the bench. This resulted in numerous players exchanging punches before order was restored. Tucker, Neil, and Ottawa'sShane Hnidy all received fighting majors and game misconducts for the same incident. After the game, Tucker claimed Neilspit on him, an allegation which Neil denied. The NHL board looked into this claim and concluded that Tucker's allegation was false. Tempers remained frayed, especially with 1:23 to play, when Toronto'sTie Domi went after the Senators'Magnus Arvedson, throwing several punches at him. Video evidence showed Arvedson spearing Domi just prior, awaiting the faceoff. Domi received a roughing minor, instigator minor, fighting major, misconduct and game misconduct. Arvedson did not get a penalty on the play. Suspensions were announced a few hours after Tucker and Domi appeared at NHL head offices in Toronto for a hearing. Tucker was suspended for five games, without pay, after it was determined that Neil did not spit at Toronto's bench. Domi was suspended for three games, also without pay. A total of 163 minutes in penalties were called in the game.[13]
On January 6, 2004, during a game against theNashville Predators, Toronto captainMats Sundin's stick broke on an attempted shot at the blue line and he threw it away in disgust. Instead of hitting the glass, the stick accidentally went over the boards and into the crowd, and the NHL reacted by giving Sundin a one-game suspension.[14] The game he was suspended for was a game against the Senators in Toronto; during the game, Daniel Alfredsson's stick broke, and he immediately faked a toss of his stick into the stands. This caused an uproar with the Maple Leafs, in part because they also lost the game 7–1. Alfredsson dismissed the Maple Leafs' reaction, calling it an overreaction. This incident added to the rivalry, and Maple Leafs fans booed Alfredsson at every opportunity for the remainder of his career.[15]
Ottawa and Toronto matched up in theplayoffs for the fourth time in five years in2003–04. After the Maple Leafs took game five to lead the series 3–2, Alfredsson guaranteed a Senators victory in game six. He delivered on his promise, but Ottawa goaltenderPatrick Lalime turned in a lacklustre performance in the series-deciding game seven, allowing two soft goals toJoe Nieuwendyk, and the Maple Leafs won the series.[16][17]
In2005–06, the two teams nearly met again in the playoffs, but the Maple Leafs missed qualifying by two points. As the Senators clinched the top spot in the Eastern Conference, the Maple Leafs claiming eighth position would have ensured a first-round match-up.[18] The Senators largely dominated the season series by winning seven of the eight games (including three routs of 8–0, 8–2 and 7–0).[19]
In2006–07, the Maple Leafs failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing in ninth position and missing for a second consecutive year.[20] Meanwhile, the Senators made it to theStanley Cup Final and became the first Ontario-based team to reach the NHL's championship series since the Maple Leafs'most recent title four decades prior.[21] The Senators won the season series 5–1–2.[22]
The2007–08 season was characterized by a share of lopsided victories by the two teams against each other, for example, wins of 5–0 and 8–2.[23] The Maple Leafs failed to make the playoffs for the third-straight season, this time by 11 points. Ottawa finished in seventh place in the conference after a 15–2 start and leading the league at one point, barely making it into the playoffs.[23] The Senators were swept 4–0 in the first round by thePittsburgh Penguins in a rematch of the previous year's series.[24]
The2008–09 season was a poor one for both teams, with the Senators finishing eleventh and the Maple Leafs twelfth in the Eastern Conference. This marked the first time that both Ontario teams failed to qualify for theStanley Cup playoffs since the Senators joined the NHL in 1992.
The2009–10 season saw the Senators finish fifth in the conference and face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs, while the Maple Leafs finished last in the conference and failed to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. The Maple Leafs won the season series, however, 4–2.[25]
The2010–11 season was a poor one for both the Ontario teams. Despite the Maple Leafs posting its best regular season record since the 2006–07 season, the team missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Meanwhile, the Senators finished with a record of 32–40–10 and missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The 74 points put up by the Senators was the lowest total put up since the1995–96 season. The season series was tied 3–3.[26]
The2011–12 season saw Ottawa hosting the59th NHL All-Star Game. A franchise-high five Senators were elected to the team – Daniel Alfredsson,Milan Michalek,Erik Karlsson,Jason Spezza andColin Greening represented the Senators. Meanwhile,Phil Kessel,Joffrey Lupul andDion Phaneuf represented the Maple Leafs. Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson ended the season with 78 points and won theNorris Trophy. The Senators finished eighth in the Eastern Conference and qualified for the playoffs, while the Maple Leafs once again failed to qualify for the seventh consecutive season. The season series was again tied 3–3.[27]
The2012–13 season was cut short by thelockout, which delayed opening day until January 19, 2013. The Maple Leafs and Senators met five times in the 48-game season, with the Maple Leafs taking the season series 4–1. Toronto finished the shortened season in fifth place in the conference and clinched their first playoff spot since 2004, while Ottawa finished seventh. The Senators matched up against theMontreal Canadiens in the first round. They took the series in five games before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round. The Maple Leafs lost in game seven against theBoston Bruins and failed to pass the first round.[28]
The2013–14 season saw both Ontario teams miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2010–11 season. The Maple Leafs and Senators met four times in the 82-game season, two of which were decided in shootouts. The Maple Leafs took the season series 3–1. The Senators would finish 11th with 88 points, and the Maple Leafs finished in 12th place with 84 points.[29]
The2014–15 season saw the Senators finish seventh in the Eastern Conference with 99 points, securing the first wildcard playoff position. The Maple Leafs failed to make the playoffs finishing last in with 68 points. On October 22, 2014, the game between the Maple Leafs and Senators was postponed due to the2014 Ottawa shootings. It was rescheduled for November 9, in which the Maple Leafs won 5–3. The Maple Leafs took the season series 3–2, two games were settled in overtime or shootout.[30]
The2015–16 season ended with the Senators sweeping the season series 4–0 over the Maple Leafs. The Senators finished fifth in the Atlantic Division and eight points out of playoff contention. The Maple Leafs had a season finishing last in the league. On February 9, 2016, there was a rare trade between the two division rivals. The trade saw Maple Leaf's captainDion Phaneuf,Matt Frattin,Casey Bailey, Ryan Rupert, and Cody Donaghey traded to Ottawa forJared Cowen, Milan Michalek, Colin Greening,Tobias Lindberg, and a second-round pick in the2017 NHL entry draft.[31]
The2016–17 season proved to be a successful season for both teams. The Maple Leafs came into the season loaded with rookies, while the Senators were a mix of young and veteran players. In the season opener, Ottawa and Toronto faced each other. The Maple Leafs' rookie centreAuston Matthews scored four goals in his NHL debut, but the Senators prevailed 5–4 in overtime. Ottawa won 3–1 in the season series. The Senators and Maple Leafs surprised many, as Ottawa finished second in the Atlantic, while Toronto grabbed the second wild card spot in the playoffs. Toronto fell short to theWashington Capitals in game six of the first round. Ottawa continued their postseason run to the second overtime of game seven of the Eastern Conference finals against thePittsburgh Penguins (beating theBoston Bruins andNew York Rangers).[32]
After the2018–19 season, the Maple Leafs and Senators made another major trade. The Maple Leafs tradedNikita Zaitsev,Connor Brown, and prospectMichael Carcone to the Ottawa Senators forCody Ceci,Ben Harpur, prospect Aaron Luchuck, and a third-round pick in the2020 NHL entry draft.[33]
For the shortened2020–21 season, the two teams played each other nine times in theNorth Division as the NHL temporarily realigned the divisions due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[34][35] On February 15, 2021, Toronto blow a 5–1 lead against Ottawa, losing 6–5 in overtime.Nick Paul of the Senators started the comeback with a shorthanded goal. In the third period,Artyom Zub scored his first NHL goal on a breakaway after exiting the penalty box.Connor Brown later scored just after a power play, andEvgenii Dadonov tied the game with two minutes to play with Ottawa goalieMarcus Hogberg on the bench for an extra attacker. In the overtime, the Maple Leafs nearly scored, however, Dadonov made a save while in the crease, and then was set up on a breakaway. Dadonov scored to win the game 6–5.[36] This comeback marked the first win by Ottawa after trailing by four goals at any point in a game.[37]
On February 10, 2024, during the2023–24 season, at the end of a 5–3 Senators win over the Maple Leafs, Senators forwardRidly Greig took a slap shot to score an empty net breakaway goal. Maple Leafs defencemanMorgan Rielly responded by cross-checking Greig in the head, leading to a brawl between both teams. In the aftermath, Morgan Rielly received a five-minute major and a game misconduct, and would later be suspended for five games.[38]
The Maple Leafs and Senators met once again in the first round of the2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, the first playoff meeting for both teams since 2004.[39] Toronto won the series in six games.[40]
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