Panthers, Senators receive warm welcome in Sydney for Hockeyville

SYDNEY, Nova Scotia -- Chris Baker and his family were among the first arrivals to Centre 200 at 5:28 a.m. It wasn't daybreak and fans were behind barricades forming a line of at least 50 yards. The adrenaline was already flowing. Then a police escort guided the first of two buses carrying the Ottawa Senators and the players stepped off to an energized vibe.

Baker said there's not a lot going on in Sydney, a small waterfront community nestled in Nova Scotia, so the Senators playing a preseason game against the Florida Panthers (4 p.m. ET; NHLN, YouTube.com/NHL) is a big deal. Kids had no trouble waking up in darkness to see the NHL in person, many for the first time.

Watch Live: Florida Panthers vs. Ottawa Senators | Kraft Hockeyville

"I was one of those kids a long time ago but never got the opportunity to do something like this for an NHL game to be coming to Cape Breton," Senators forward Drake Batherson said. "I know how special it is for those kids today and I tried to sign as many autographs as I could. We're excited for the game tonight, and I know they're going to be fired up."

Batherson played for Cape Breton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2015-18 before ending his junior career in Blainville-Boisbriand. He estimated he had around 15 guests at J.K Irving Centre in Bouctouche, New Brunswick, last Oct. 8, when he scored in overtime to give Ottawa a 3-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens at Hockeyville 2021 honoring Elsipogtog First Nation. He'll have about 40 inside Centre 200 Sunday and 50 for when the Senators play the Pittsburgh Penguins in Halifax on Monday.

"If it wasn't for these guys, who knows where I'd be," Batherson said. "I have a lot to give back to this community, this team, the Eagles and Sydney itself."

Batherson is one of a few Senators on the trip assured a place on the opening-night roster. Goalie Spencer Knight and forwards Anton Lundell, Nick Cousins and Zac Dalpe are among the notable Panthers players here.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice explained that under the Hockeyville spectacle there are those fighting to break camp with them.

"For the Florida Panthers, we may not be the names that the fans would recognize, but for these guys, this is a huge game because everybody knows the big cuts are coming and we're going get down to one manageable group," Maurice said. "So, most of these guys have played our last two exhibition games. This is their last chance to kind of fight their way [in]."

Residents blew off sleep to get autographs, take pictures and say hello to them. Steve Deveaux, coach of the Cape Breton Sledgehammers Sledge Hockey Team, was at the red carpet with his son and captain, Kurtis, and shared inspiring stories that came out of the program. The team is open to men and women, one player as old as 74. Another played a full season not knowing he had ALS and still performed to the best of his ability. Kim Turner proudly boasted she started played hockey at age 50 and the Sledgehammers took her under their wing. She's scored two goals in five years and her objective is scoring 10 by age 65.

Senators captain Brady Tkachuk joyfully spent one hour meeting every fan, signing every poster, and taking one selfie after another. One fan was a young girl, Jaylee Spence. Her mother Joannie Spence, the self-proclaimed "Sleepy Hockey Mom," gave her tickets to her parents to take their granddaughter and see the NHL in person for the first time.

Joannie was later gifted two more tickets to take her 2-year-old. The spirit of gratitude was overpowering.

"There is a special feeling when you come into an event like that, and there's an appreciation because the people that are going line up four or five in the morning are me and my family when I was 5 years old," Maurice said. "(The players) were a little shy, I thought, when they first came off the bus, but we had three or four guys stay out there quite a while to make sure that they signed for everybody that asked, so that was very nice."

Batherson is back here with the Senators, remembering the hospitality like it was before, unbelievable. Ottawa coach D.J. Smith admired the commitment it took Sydney to win Hockeyville and plan the whole event not for the money but for the love of the game. The experience was brand-new to Evan Nause, a 20-year-old Panthers defenseman prospect coming off a Memorial Cup championship with Quebec of the QMJHL.

"It's great to see a ton of Panthers fans this morning," Nause said. "A little bit of a full-circle moment for me. For us to be out here and share our love for the game is pretty special."