[1] After failing to make the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Senators replaced their management and coaching staff, promoting Pierre Dorion to general manager, and hiring Guy Boucher and Marc Crawford and assistants to coach the team.
As of 2024, this is the only time in the post-Daniel Alfredsson era where the Senators have come close to playing in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The team also replaced its president, co-founder Cyril Leeder, with Tom Anselmi in January 2017.
The ceremony took place on December 29, prior to the Senators' home game against the Detroit Red Wings.
[11] The Senators opened the regular season at home on Wednesday, October 12 against their provincial rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Their last regular season game will take place a day later in Brooklyn, New York against the Islanders.
[12] On December 29, 2016, before a game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Senators retired the #11 jersey of former player Daniel Alfredsson.
On March 17, 2017, the NHL announced that an outdoor game would be played at the TD Place Stadium in Ottawa on December 16, 2017.
According to NHL president Gary Bettman: "To launch our next 100 years, we believe it is only right to bring the Canadiens and the Senators back together.
[16] On April 6, the Ottawa Senators qualified for the 2017 playoffs with a 2–1 shootout win over Boston Bruins.
On April 8, the Ottawa Senators clinched home-ice advantage in the first round for the first time since 2007 after a 3–1 victory over the New York Rangers.
This marked the fourth time that the two teams met in a postseason series, with the Penguins taking three out of the four matchups.
The Ottawa Senators are the only Canadian team to advance to the Conference Final in three different seasons in the last 20 years.
Below are the Ottawa Senators' selections at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, held on June 24–25, 2016, at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York.