Chychrun prepared for 'cool' homecoming in front of family with Senators

OTTAWA -- It will be a homecoming of sorts for Jakob Chychrun when the Ottawa Senators host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, CITY, TVAS, BSOH, ESPN+).

The defenseman was traded to the Senators by the Arizona Coyotes for a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, a conditional second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on Wednesday.
"This jersey's really cool, really special to me," Chychrun said Saturday after the morning skate. "I watched a bunch of games here growing up. I remember the Stanley Cup series here versus Anaheim (in 2007). I was at a few of those games. Just a lot of memories in this rink. It's going to be really cool to go out there tonight. I'm sure there will be a lot of emotions."
Originally from Boca Raton, Florida, where his family settled following his father Jeff's eight seasons in the NHL, Chychrun's second home is in Ottawa. He spent summers at a family cottage in White Lake, an hour west of the city, when he played for the Coyotes during his first seven NHL seasons. His father is from Ottawa, and his grandfather, John, and sister, Taylor, live there.
RELATED: [Chychrun traded to Senators by Coyotes]
"I was with him all day yesterday," Chychrun said of his grandfather. "I think he was getting more calls than I was. He was on the radio and the newspaper called. He's loving it. We were joking that we need to get him a press secretary to manage his schedule. It's awesome. It's going to be really cool to see him in the stands here, hopefully every practice. He lives just down the road. It's just really special."
John was in the stands for practice and in the locker room watching his grandson chat with the media Saturday.
"I told him, 'Bring your grandfather every day, I don't care,'" Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "'Eat breakfast, hang out in the lounge.' For me, it's about feeling comfortable. And when your parents come into town, your brother, sister, whatever it is, I want everyone to feel a part of it. You don't get to see them enough. It's a chance of a lifetime for his grandfather to have his grandson in his hometown watching NHL games."

The game against the Blue Jackets will be the first home game for Chychrun since the trade. The 24-year-old had one shot and five blocks in 19:16 of ice time in his Senators debut Thursday, a 5-3 road win against the New York Rangers.
Settling in will take some time, but it's a welcome change for Chychrun, who was put on the trading block about 18 months ago when the Coyotes decided to rebuild. The Senators (31-26-4) have won four straight games and are four points behind the New York Islanders for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
"It was obviously a long process there," Chychrun said. "Definitely just excited to have a clean slate here with the boys and kind of a new beginning for me. I obviously really enjoyed my time in Arizona. I really loved it there. It was home for a long period of time for me and my family. Now, it's a new chapter. For sure, I'm thrilled. Just really excited to see what the future holds here for this group."