GARRIOCH: Chris Neil’s No. 25 jersey will be retired by the Ottawa Senators in February
Chris Neil #ChrisNeil
Chris Neil gave everything he had every time he put on the No. 25 for the Ottawa Senators.
The next time you see that jersey it will be raised to the rafters of the Canadian Tire Centre.
As part of the celebration to mark the 30th-anniversary season, the Senators announced during the first period of the club’s game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night at home that the 43-year-old Neil will have his number retired by the organization.
The ceremony will take place Feb. 17 prior to the puck-drop against the Chicago Blackhawks at 7 p.m. The fans gave Neil a standing ovation when the announcement was made during the second television timeout.
“I’m really excited,” said Neil. “Now, that I’m done playing and I’ve lived in Ottawa for this long and I’m part of this community, this is home. I was very shocked and very surprised. Being able to go up there with guys like Alfie and Philly, that’s three guys who played over 1,000 games.
“It truly is an honour to be up there with those two.”
Neil is only the third player in the modern-day history of the franchise to have his number retired by the Senators. He joins former captain Daniel Alfredsson, who had his No. 11 retired in 2016, and former alternate captain Chris Phillips, who had his No. 4 raised in 2020.
Born in Flesherton, Ont., Neil has made his home in this community with his wife Caitlin and the couple’s two children. He’s widely respected by everybody in the organization and retiring his number is the right way to show appreciation for the contribution he made during his career.
“Chris was a team-first player, a physical presence who never backed down from a challenge,” said Senators general manager Pierre Dorion. “He earned his place every single day through hard work and dedication; he was the ultimate character player and wore the Senators sweater with as much or more pride than any other player in this team’s history.”
Drafted in the sixth-round, No. 161 overall in the 1998 NHL draft, Neil suited up for 1,026 games in 16 seasons with the Senators. He finished with 112 goals and 250 points in that span but his game was never about being an offensive player, he had an an even bigger role.
Neil’s job was to serve and protect his teammates. He did it with every ounce of blood he had in his body. He holds the franchise-record for penalty minutes in his career with 2,522 and he was never afraid to do whatever was necessary to make sure there were no shenanigans from opposing players.
Neil ranks 20th all-time in the NHL in penalty minutes. If the Senators do move to a new rink at LeBreton Flats down the road, it might make sense for the organization to give Neil the penalty box at the Canadian Tire Centre for his backyard rink at home.
Nobody will ever forget the club’s playoff run in 2017 when the players asked former coach Guy Boucher to dress Neil in Game 5 of Round 2 against the New York Rangers. Kyle Turris scored the winner in overtime in a 5-4 victory to give the club a 3-2 series led and credited Neil’s presence.
The two teams had combined for 78 penalty minutes in Game 4 and the Senators didn’t like the perception they had been pushed around by the Rangers. Neil only played 2:26 in Game 5 and had five shifts, but he dropped the gloves with New York’s Tanner Glass to make his impact felt. Glass had attacked Turris in Game 4 and nobody addressed it.
It was Neil’s debut in the post-season that spring and he brought valuable experience after being part of so many playoff runs in the past. He hung up his skates after that season and had a chance to play elsewhere but didn’t want to put on the jersey of another team.
Neil has settled into his role as VP of community development in the club’s front office and he’s playing a role by representing the Senators locally. If you’ve ever met Neil, he’s a great person to chat with and he’s got a quick wit that can bring a smile to anybody’s face.
People like to debate jersey retirements but there shouldn’t be any regarding Neil. For full disclosure, as a member of the ‘Player Honouring Committee’ this decision made sense from the minute the presentation was made on Neil’s behalf in June.
Neil suited up for his 1,000th game against the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 14, 2016.
“Chris Neil was and is everything that you would want an Ottawa Senator to be,” said president of business operations Anthony LeBlanc. “While his success on the ice made him one of this franchise’s most valued players, his work in the community, both as a player and following his career, have created a unique legacy.
“His impact on this city is a model for players across the National Hockey League.”
Alfredsson will also be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night in Toronto and Neil will be on hand at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday to take part in the Legends Game along with former teammates Jason Spezza, Rob Ray and Phillips.
bgarrioch@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/sungarrioch