Mmmmm I wear 25 so Iād say no. I want to have it as an option just in case I get drafted by the senators, ya know?
And no, I donāt think the fact that Iām 34 and play a brand of hockey best described as āmaybe heās a leftyā is relevant
GLFR_59
He was a huge part of Ottawaās few successful years. He was feared by every teamās tough guy and he could play.
Considering Ottawaās history, he qualifies as an impact player for over a decade:
StPatrick174
Sometimes players have a certain impact on franchises and fanbases that don’t show up on the Stat sheet.
pizzaline
1000 games as an enforcer.
He’s an Ottawa all time legend, from the outside he isn’t the typical jersey retirement.
He’s loved by all who grew up watching the peak sens so far
Squancher_2442
He meant a lot to the Ottawa fanbase. So in ok with it. Itās not like heās going to hall of fame. Itās what a local market can do to honour their guys.
Throwawayaway23848
Yeah sometimes itās what they mean to the fan base. As an Leaf fan, I remember the frustration of his grit and also that he wasnāt one of those grinders that you couldnāt leave alone on the ice or theyāll put one in the back of the net. Man played almost 13 years with one team and some of my friends/ppl I know who are Sens fans love him for what heās done for the team on and off the ice.
I think itās totally fine. I mean as a Leaf fan, if people were fine with putting Wendell Clarkās number up in our rafters, whoās best contribution to the team was probably getting traded away to net us Sundin, then we should have nothing to say about this one š
Edit: Ooh almost forgot that reacquiring him cost us the pick that became Roberto Luongoā¦ BRB casually heading to the acc with scissors
OlTommyBombadil
Not in the traditional sense, but Iām not a Sens fan and defer to them for this. If theyāre cool with it, we should be too. Itās their team.
closetpole
Terry OāReilly has his number retired with the Bruins so this isnāt crazy to me. While he was more effective on offense than Neil his number wasnāt retired for that reason, his biggest contributions didnāt show up on the scoresheet (except PIM) and he was a very important piece on those Bruins teams
DummyThlck
As a kid one of the main players I remember hating on the sens was Neil. So yeah, Iād say so.
emeraldraf
In Ottawa sure. He means a lot to the organization.
Proof-Bid-8621
No, but he was a huge part of the franchise, the city, never left. The guy would stand up for anyone. I’ve met him in a casual environment, had some beers with him, he is an amazing person.
tritongamez
Thus question is always asked, and the answer always is that “Numbers are never retired ONLY because of the numbers, and more so the impact that player had on that specific team”.
sc083127
I donāt follow senators but maybe heās similar to devilsā Daneyko who was lifetime devil
Fatcats2011
As someone who grew up in ottawa, This guy was a city legend he was unbelievably active in the community, beloved by the fans, played his whole career here, bled for this team.
I understand he was a career 3rd liner but his impact on this team and city ran much deeper then sport. As a sens fan id say he is well deserving of this honor.
Hiph0p0p0tamusttv
Neil’s retirement is a Litmus test for how long you have watched hockey. If you don’t think a player like Neil deserves it, you’re under 30 and don’t know the era he played in.
Ok_Tooth1831
Cmon lol
Super_Pomegranate_13
For Ottawa it is.
nicholasccc95
I remember when I was like 12 at my first wings game I sat right next to the penalty box, and when he was in it I remember looking at him and he looked real scary, slamming his stick on the glass behind him at some fans talking shit. As a little boy I was just looking at him like, š³
Tuques
On the sens I’d say yup. But not for the rest of the league. Outside of Ottawa, no one ever really cared and he didn’t have a huge league-wide impact
CrazyRacey
He will always be my all time favourite player. We still yell put in Neil when a bad call or play happens. Still feels like heās on his way on the ice to drop to gloves for the team ā¤ļø GO Neiler!!
interactivemark
That’s up to the Sens. Teams can retire a jersey for whatever reason they choose but usually because the fans want them to. For example, when the Rangers finally respond to my petition to have Nick Fotiu’s #22 raised to the rafters at MSG it won’t be any other fanbase’s concern.
myrand920
Absolutely
moderatesoul
The Ottawa Senators think so, so any other opinions are irrelevant.
grayjedi31
What does it matter if the team wants to do it and the fans are happy about it? Then what does it matter
sheldonOrange
Good? No. Beloved by sens fans enough for it? Seems so
TeamScience79
I just want to point out the Sens seem to be setting somewhat of a standard for retiring numbers.
​
It’s:
​
A) Drafted by Sens
B) 1,000 games for the Sens (at least for skaters…wonder what they’d do for a goalie)
C) Captain or Assistant Captain (probably for multiple years)
D) Their efforts to engage with the community (e.g. charity work)
​
I really don’t think points matter at all. And in this day and age fulfilling all these requirements actually is significant.
Kuranator
What he did for the Sens, Yes!!!
Fancy_Ability_3359
If youre not a sens fan why do you care lol. You drop the gloves that many times and fist fight for your teammates you deserve respect not to mention he always played hard. Its not all about points this guy was a fantastic teammate and always played hard not to mention he was great off the ice. Heās absolutely earned it. People just hate on the sens without any knowledge of the team
buddachickentml
For the Sens? Yes, he was good enough and more importantly bled enough for that franchise
Sko-isles
Yes. Sens legend
PalleMeister
That guy meant so much to that team, just look a Methotās Twitter. The impact he had on the team and the city canāt be seen on a regular stat sheet.
JugularJack7
No. But it’s about what he meant to the organization and fans
ZachMorrisT1000
For an NHL team? No. For the Sens? Yes
Infamous-Driver12
Ya know what? Chris was a good play maker, consistent while on the ice. Keep other team accountable. Extremely hard working every practice and game. Maybe not a marquee player, but great all round player. He stood out because of his skills. Iāve seen many others in the league who couldnāt hold a candle to him. So ya, I believe his contribution on the team and within the community was exemplary. Those other comments here may not have been fans of the Ottawa Senators and may live in other cities, so I canāt blame them for not appreciating him. But for those of us who watched him closely, he deserves this honour. Thank and good night š
DishRelative5853
Any team can retire any number they want. There are no rules about that stuff.
Rycan420
I donāt think talent alone should be the only factor here. Itās not the hall of fame.
36 Comments
Mmmmm I wear 25 so Iād say no. I want to have it as an option just in case I get drafted by the senators, ya know?
And no, I donāt think the fact that Iām 34 and play a brand of hockey best described as āmaybe heās a leftyā is relevant
He was a huge part of Ottawaās few successful years. He was feared by every teamās tough guy and he could play.
Considering Ottawaās history, he qualifies as an impact player for over a decade:
Sometimes players have a certain impact on franchises and fanbases that don’t show up on the Stat sheet.
1000 games as an enforcer.
He’s an Ottawa all time legend, from the outside he isn’t the typical jersey retirement.
He’s loved by all who grew up watching the peak sens so far
He meant a lot to the Ottawa fanbase. So in ok with it. Itās not like heās going to hall of fame. Itās what a local market can do to honour their guys.
Yeah sometimes itās what they mean to the fan base. As an Leaf fan, I remember the frustration of his grit and also that he wasnāt one of those grinders that you couldnāt leave alone on the ice or theyāll put one in the back of the net. Man played almost 13 years with one team and some of my friends/ppl I know who are Sens fans love him for what heās done for the team on and off the ice.
I think itās totally fine. I mean as a Leaf fan, if people were fine with putting Wendell Clarkās number up in our rafters, whoās best contribution to the team was probably getting traded away to net us Sundin, then we should have nothing to say about this one š
Edit: Ooh almost forgot that reacquiring him cost us the pick that became Roberto Luongoā¦ BRB casually heading to the acc with scissors
Not in the traditional sense, but Iām not a Sens fan and defer to them for this. If theyāre cool with it, we should be too. Itās their team.
Terry OāReilly has his number retired with the Bruins so this isnāt crazy to me. While he was more effective on offense than Neil his number wasnāt retired for that reason, his biggest contributions didnāt show up on the scoresheet (except PIM) and he was a very important piece on those Bruins teams
As a kid one of the main players I remember hating on the sens was Neil. So yeah, Iād say so.
In Ottawa sure. He means a lot to the organization.
No, but he was a huge part of the franchise, the city, never left. The guy would stand up for anyone. I’ve met him in a casual environment, had some beers with him, he is an amazing person.
Thus question is always asked, and the answer always is that “Numbers are never retired ONLY because of the numbers, and more so the impact that player had on that specific team”.
I donāt follow senators but maybe heās similar to devilsā Daneyko who was lifetime devil
As someone who grew up in ottawa, This guy was a city legend he was unbelievably active in the community, beloved by the fans, played his whole career here, bled for this team.
I understand he was a career 3rd liner but his impact on this team and city ran much deeper then sport. As a sens fan id say he is well deserving of this honor.
Neil’s retirement is a Litmus test for how long you have watched hockey. If you don’t think a player like Neil deserves it, you’re under 30 and don’t know the era he played in.
Cmon lol
For Ottawa it is.
I remember when I was like 12 at my first wings game I sat right next to the penalty box, and when he was in it I remember looking at him and he looked real scary, slamming his stick on the glass behind him at some fans talking shit. As a little boy I was just looking at him like, š³
On the sens I’d say yup. But not for the rest of the league. Outside of Ottawa, no one ever really cared and he didn’t have a huge league-wide impact
He will always be my all time favourite player. We still yell put in Neil when a bad call or play happens. Still feels like heās on his way on the ice to drop to gloves for the team ā¤ļø GO Neiler!!
That’s up to the Sens. Teams can retire a jersey for whatever reason they choose but usually because the fans want them to. For example, when the Rangers finally respond to my petition to have Nick Fotiu’s #22 raised to the rafters at MSG it won’t be any other fanbase’s concern.
Absolutely
The Ottawa Senators think so, so any other opinions are irrelevant.
What does it matter if the team wants to do it and the fans are happy about it? Then what does it matter
Good? No. Beloved by sens fans enough for it? Seems so
I just want to point out the Sens seem to be setting somewhat of a standard for retiring numbers.
​
It’s:
​
A) Drafted by Sens
B) 1,000 games for the Sens (at least for skaters…wonder what they’d do for a goalie)
C) Captain or Assistant Captain (probably for multiple years)
D) Their efforts to engage with the community (e.g. charity work)
​
I really don’t think points matter at all. And in this day and age fulfilling all these requirements actually is significant.
What he did for the Sens, Yes!!!
If youre not a sens fan why do you care lol. You drop the gloves that many times and fist fight for your teammates you deserve respect not to mention he always played hard. Its not all about points this guy was a fantastic teammate and always played hard not to mention he was great off the ice. Heās absolutely earned it. People just hate on the sens without any knowledge of the team
For the Sens? Yes, he was good enough and more importantly bled enough for that franchise
Yes. Sens legend
That guy meant so much to that team, just look a Methotās Twitter. The impact he had on the team and the city canāt be seen on a regular stat sheet.
No. But it’s about what he meant to the organization and fans
For an NHL team? No. For the Sens? Yes
Ya know what? Chris was a good play maker, consistent while on the ice. Keep other team accountable. Extremely hard working every practice and game. Maybe not a marquee player, but great all round player. He stood out because of his skills. Iāve seen many others in the league who couldnāt hold a candle to him. So ya, I believe his contribution on the team and within the community was exemplary. Those other comments here may not have been fans of the Ottawa Senators and may live in other cities, so I canāt blame them for not appreciating him. But for those of us who watched him closely, he deserves this honour. Thank and good night š
Any team can retire any number they want. There are no rules about that stuff.
I donāt think talent alone should be the only factor here. Itās not the hall of fame.
Edit: Clarified ambiguous wording.