Senators Staff and Alumni Honoured at Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame and RGA Ascension Gala

The Senators have had a busy week of honours with Jacques Martin being named the Personality of the Year at the RGA Ascension Gala Wednesday night, while long time Senators Team Physician Dr. Mark Aubry and Senators alumni Luke Richardson were two of the five inductees into the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame Tuesday night.

The Ascension Gala has been organized by the RGA for over 40 years, with an initiative to "Celebrate innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurial successes of our local entrepreneurs." Jacques Martin, the winningest coach in Ottawa Senators history, was named this years Personality of the Year following his return to the Senators and taking over the head coaching duties on an interim basis.

Prior to Dr. Aubry and Luke Richardson's induction the evening kicked off with even more Sens representation with Executive Vice-President and COO Erin Crowe delivering the Keynote speech.

Erin spoke about what it means to be a female leader in what is a predominantly male environment and the recent asecnt of women's professional sports, most notably the emergence and success of the PWHL and the importance of their success.

"Decades ago, professional sports really was a mans world. Opportunities for females were limited but times have changes and we find ourselves in an era where females are not just participants, they're champions, leaders, and inspirations."

Erin grew up as a soccer player in Ottawa playing for one of the first girls competitive soccer teams and at the time never thought career as a professional athlete was possible. In the last six months we have seen the successful launch of the PWHL across six markets in Canada and the United States, the WNBA expanding to their first Canadian team in Toronto, and the announcement of the announcement of the Northern Super League, a first ever Canadian Women's Professional soccer league kicking off in Spring 2025. 

As a leader in the sports landscape herself, the message that Crowe delivered could not have been more fitting.

Practically synonymous with sports and health in Ottawa Dr. Aubry was inducted as a builder. Having acted as Ottawa Gee-Gees' team physician following his own time playing hockey for the Gee-Gees kicked off his more than 40-year career. After establishing his family medicine practice in Gatineau in 1981, Dr. Aubry continued to be a mainstay in the Ottawa sport landscape ranging from grassroots level to the top of major organizations.

Since 2002 Dr. Aubry has been a team physician with the Senators while also putting his stamp pretty much every professional sports team in Ottawa acting as the team physician for the Red Blacks, Lynx, and 67's as well. On the global stage Dr. Aubry has been the Chief Medical Officer for the IIHF since 1998 and for Hockey Canada since 2004 as well.

While the titles he has held surely is a big factor, it is perhaps the work he has done off the ice that most contributed to his induction into the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame. Dr. Aubry has been a leader in reducing spinal injuries and concussions in sport. Introducing practices such as mandatory concussion training for team trainers, return-to-play protocols. Some of his larger projects have been the implementation of Hockey Canada’s Safety Program and Concussion Toolbox.

In 40+ years Dr. Aubry has his finger prints all over the sport landscape in Ottawa and far beyond with his closing his remarks highlighting the improvements in the safety of sport over the course of his career.

"We have reduced the number of spinal injuries to now occur very rarely. We now deal with concussions with proper ways. We now are onto our seventh symposium with the leading specialists around the world coming for evaluation treatment and trying to make their games as safe as we can. Hockey Canada has increased the age of body checking to reduce injuries and reduce concussions. Finally, following the tragic death of a hockey player in Great Britain

Read more about Dr. Aubry's induction here

Surely needing no introduction, Senators alumni Luke Richardson was inducted as an athlete Tuesday night. Richardson built a reputation as a lock down stay at home defenceman across his 21-season NHL career playing in 1417 career games ranking 36th in NHL history. Playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tampa Bay Lightning before concluding his career back home for two seasons with the Senators.

Following his playing career, Richardson joined the Senators bench as an Assistant Coach in the 2009-10 NHL season where he stayed for three seasons before beginning his Head Coaching career with the Binghampton Senators, Ottawa's then AHL affiliate. Since then he has been an assistant with the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens before taking over as the Head Coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022.

Off the ice, Richardson has been an active advocate for sports and mental health after establishing the "Do it for Daron" initiative with his wife Stephanie after the tragic loss of their daughter Daron.

Read more about Luke Richardson's induction here