OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators announced today that former Senators alternate captain, fan favourite and community leader Chris Neil will have his number 25 retired by the Senators on Friday, Feb. 17, when Ottawa hosts the Chicago Blackhawks at Canadian Tire Centre.
Senators to retire Chris Neil's number 25
Legend on and off the ice, Neil played all 1,026 of his NHL games with Ottawa
"Chris Neil was and is everything that you would want an Ottawa Senator to be," said Ottawa Senators 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."
A native of Flesherton, Ont., Neil is one of only three players (Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Phillips) in Senators' history to dress in 1,000 games for the club. He sits 20th on the NHL's all-time penalty minutes list and is one of only two players in NHL history (Ken Daneyko) to compile over 1,000 games and 2,500 penalty minutes while playing the entirety of his career for a single franchise.
"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."
Neil made his debut with the Senators in 2001 as a 22-year-old and went on to play 15 seasons in a Senators uniform, scoring 112 goals and 138 assists for 250 points in 1,026 career regular season games. He also played in 95 playoff games, including all 20 games in the run to the Stanley Cup final in 2006-07. Neil became only the 46th player in league history to skate in 1,000 games for one team on Dec. 10, 2016, at Los Angeles.
For all his accolades on the ice, Chris, along with his wife Caitlin, made an even bigger impact on the local Ottawa community. On July 13, 2011, they were named as honorary co-chairs of Roger Neilson House, a pediatric palliative care centre facility. Through the strength of initiatives such as Returns for Roger Nielson House, Walk, Roll & Run and the Senators Community Foundation Telethon, they have helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars as ambassadors for the centre since arriving in Ottawa in 2001.
Chris has become a fixture and pillar in the local community and he and his wife have spent countless hours lending their voice and support by attending and hosting charitable and media events for dozens of philanthropic organizations in the community including the Ottawa Senators Foundation. They were recognized for their contributions to Canada when they received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Tickets for the Feb. 17 game when Neil's number will be retired will go on sale to the public on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m.
Chris Neil career profile
- Drafted 161st overall by the Senators in the 1998 NHL Draft
- Played his first NHL game on Oct. 3, 2001, at Toronto
- Recorded his first NHL point (an assist) on Oct. 4, 2001, vs. Montreal
- Scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 30, 2001, at Atlanta
- Became the 26th player in NHL history to reach 2,400 penalty minutes on Jan. 22 vs. N.Y. Islanders
- Neil was named alternate captain for the Senators on prior to the 2013-14 season, a title he kept for the remainder of his playing career
- Chris and his wife Caitlin reside in Ottawa with their three children: Hailey, Cole and Finn
Neil's jersey the fourth to be retired in franchise history
The retirement of Neil's jersey is the fourth in the history of the Senators franchise, joining Frank Arthur Finnigan's number 8, Daniel Alfredsson's number 11 and Chris Phillips' number 4.
About the Ottawa Senators Player Honouring Committee
Established in 2015, the Ottawa Senators Player Honouring Committee is a group of influential hockey executives, media, businesspersons and local hockey persons who have volunteered their time to discuss how, who and when to honour Senators' legacy players and builders.
Long-time general manager and former Senators coach Bryan Murray was inducted onto the Ring of Honour on Jan. 24, 2017, before his passing later that year.
The committee will continue to work together for future recommendations on honouring Senators' legacy players and builders in the weeks, months and years to come.
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