NHL: Calgary Flames at Ottawa Senators - Source: Imagn — Ottawa Senators will face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs (Source: Imagn)

Senators' playoffs tickets sale strategy has owner "not concerned" about Maple Leafs fans filling up home arena

Modified Apr 16, 2025 06:08 GMT

Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer shared his thoughts on the team's upcoming playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Andlauer spoke with Claire Hanna about the team’s playoff return and the excitement of facing their rival. He also discussed the issue of Toronto fans filling up the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.

Andlauer said he isn't worried and that the team has made plans to ensure loyal Senators fans will be in attendance.

"I'm not concerned," Andlauer said. "The way we approached is we gave our most loyal fans—our season ticket holders—the opportunity to get two extra tickets before we released them on sale to the public. And it's been a great reception. I think we’ve got 12,000 seats already sold. So those are die-hard fans. They're going to bring their friends—Ottawa Senators fans.

"Our season ticket base has actually grown over the last couple of weeks, which is helping. So by the time it comes out to the public, it's probably going to be 25,000–30,000 seats. We can handle that for sure."

Senators are set to play the Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference First Round. Toronto finished first in the Atlantic Division with a 51-26-4 record. The Leafs will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series. Ottawa secured the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 44-30-7 record. This matchup has fans excited, as the teams are long-time rivals.

The Leafs have qualified for the playoffs every year for the past nine seasons. However, they’ve won only one series in that span. Last season, they lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games. The Sens, on the other hand, last made the playoffs in 2017 but lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the conference final. This year, they are hoping to make a deep playoff run.

Ottawa Senators forward TIm Stutzle on playing the Leafs

Ottawa Senators are led by Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk in offense this season. Tkachuk has 55 points but has been out with an injury since March 30, whereas, Stutzle is leading the team with 53 assists and 76 points

"They're a really good team," Stutzle said, via NHL.com. "I mean, they have a lot of really, really good players. They're going to be a hard team to play against. And like I said, I think if we play our game, we have a chance."

The Sens have performed well against the Leafs this season, winning all three matchups. The Leafs have struggled, with a 0-3 record against Ottawa in the season series.

About the author

Abhilasha is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda. Holding a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, her interest in writing hockey was piqued after watching an NHL skills video on YouTube. The 2023 Stanley Cup Finale series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers was among the most iconic games she has seen and it left an impact on her.

Her reporting strengths include covering news stories and following stars like McDavid, Matthews and Alex Ovechkin, among others.

Abhilasha is a huge fan of the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche because of their skilled forwards, while her favorite players include Wayne Gretzky, Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Connor Bedard. For her, John Tortorella is the greatest coach ever.

Abhilasha has over 3 years of experience writing content for different products and websites, along with handling social media content for various brands. She values using credible sources when writing and likes to identify fake and false narratives.

Abhilasha’s hobbies include spiritual reading, staying updated on the latest makeup trends, fitness and exploring new destinations through travel.

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