Ian Mendes
Verified- Columnist, The Sports Network (TSN)
- Host, CFGO-AM (Ottawa, ON)
- Senior Writer, The Athletic
- Co-host, The Athletic NHL Podcast
Ottawa
VP comms @Senators. Former journalist. Current ringette enthusiast. Proud @Jschool_CU alum.
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Articles by Ian Mendes
Mendes Monday Musings
In our previous trips to Carolina, the media lift has never been heavy. Raleigh is one of those cities that doesn’t have a huge contingent of hockey writers, which means our post-game media sessions for regular season games at Lenovo Center usually just include our team reporter Jackson Starr. And that’s what made Sunday’s media availability at our team hotel so unique. We had a dozen reporters show up to speak with Tim Stützle, Thomas Chabot and Travis Green.
Mendes Monday Musings
Can we all admit that was a weird sensation watching Sunday’s overtime loss against the New Jersey Devils? After weeks of nerve-wracking, intense games that frayed our collective emotions, Sunday’s contest at the Prudential Center was infused with a bizarre measure of calmness. Overtime losses have stung on multiple occasions this season, but dropping Sunday’s 4-3 decision didn’t come with any tension or heaviness attached.
Mendes Monday Musings
Greetings from south Florida. Looking at the weather back home, we’re quite fortunate to have spent the past couple of days soaking in the sunshine and temperatures close to 30 degrees. But one thing we’ve realized over the past week is that not all Sens fans are dealing with the disappointing and inconsistent weather in Ottawa. We launched our Senators app last Monday, giving us access to a whole new range of data.
Mendes Monday Musings
Behind-the-scenes look at the Senators communications department March 23, 2026 Let’s start this week’s column with a public service announcement for Senators fans. The actual puck drop time for Monday’s game against the New York Rangers will be 7:51 p.m. ET. The official schedule will say it’s a 7:30 p.m. ET start, but there are a couple of reasons why tonight’s game is pushed back slightly.
Mendes Monday Musings
I’ve been in some unique places when big Ottawa Senators news has broken in the past. I was in the waiting room at the doctor’s office when the Marian Hossa-for-Dany Heatley trade broke in the summer of 2005. When Kyle Turris was traded to the Senators in December of 2011, we were about to take our kids on a Ferris wheel inside Rogers Centre as part of a Sportsnet Christmas party in Toronto.
Mendes Monday Musings
When the trade deadline passes, you can probably hear a collective exhale from 32 PR departments across the NHL. The days leading into the trade deadline are some of the most intense, stressful and exhausting ones on the job. Case in point: I had to set an alarm for 5:45 a.m. on Friday morning in Seattle, after getting to my hotel around 12:30 a.m. from Calgary. Being in the Pacific Time Zone for trade deadline is not a lot of fun – especially when it comes off the heels of a game the night before.
Mendes Monday Musings
There are roughly 10 days in a calendar year when I think to myself, “Why do we live in Ottawa?” And to be honest, Sunday was one of them, as we had the rare convergence of minus-20 degree weather with a major blizzard. Coming off the heels of a disappointing result against the Hurricanes on Saturday night, it felt like everything was stacked against us. Bad luck on the ice. Terrible weather outside. And everybody in a foul mood.
Thirty years of memories, part 3
This week, we revisit the most memorable moments at Canadian Tire Centre By Ian Mendes & Sylvain St. Laurent January 17, 2026 A lot can happen in 30 years. As the Senators organization celebrates the 30th anniversary of Canadian Tire Centre, we had fun digging through our memories to find the most memorable sporting and cultural moments from the largest arena in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. Today, we present the events ranked 20th to 11th on our list.
Thirty years of memories, part 2
This week, we revisit the most memorable moments at Canadian Tire Centre By Ian Mendes & Sylvain St. Laurent January 16, 2026 A lot can happen in 30 years. As the Senators organization celebrates the 30th anniversary of Canadian Tire Centre, we had fun digging through our memories to find the most memorable sporting and cultural moments from the largest arena in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. Today, we present the events ranked 20th to 11th on our list.
Thirty years of memories, part 1
This week, we revisit the most memorable moments at Canadian Tire Centre By Ian Mendes & Sylvain St. Laurent January 15, 2026 A lot can happen in 30 years. As the Senators organization celebrates the 30th anniversary of Canadian Tire Centre, we had fun digging through our memories to find the most memorable sporting and cultural moments from the largest arena in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. Today, we present the events ranked 30th to 21st on our list.
Mendes Monday Musings
Behind-the-scenes look at the Senators communications department January 12, 2026 Well, that was quite a year. Oh wait, has it only been a week since I wrote a column? Damn. My apologies. I guess that was quite a week. Any time you’re worked into a meme on social media, you know it’s been a week to remember. And I was on the receiving end of some haymakers from longtime colleagues in the industry like Greg Wyshynski, Sid Seixeiro and Mike Harrington.
Mendes Monday Musings
After taking a brief holiday hiatus, I’m back to start pumping out this column on a weekly basis in 2026. Considering the objective of this column is to provide some transparency around our communications department, it’s perfect timing that we kick of the new year by analyzing our midseason press conference with Steve Staios from this past weekend. We had a number of interview requests from the media to speak with Steve over the past week or two.
Mendes Monday Musings
Behind-the-scenes look as the Senators prepare for holiday break December 22, 2025 Part of the rationale for launching this column at the start of the season was to deliver some behind-the-scenes anecdotes and stories from the world around the Senators. And after our win last week in Winnipeg, I experienced something that has to be shared to a wider audience.
Mendes Monday Musings
Greetings from frigid Winnipeg, where the temperature dipped to minus-26 at one point on Sunday. We spent most of the day avoiding the bitter cold, traversing Winnipeg’s indoor walkway to get from place to place. And it got me thinking: Calgary has the Skywalk, Toronto has the PATH system and Montreal has a pretty good pedestrian setup with the Underground city, so why don’t we have any sort of heated walkway system to avoid the cold in downtown Ottawa?
Mendes Monday Musings
Behind-the-scenes look as the Senators prepare for annual Ignite Hope Telethon December 08, 2025 You’ll have to excuse me if I am a touch emotional in the moments leading up to Tuesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils. The ceremonial puck drop from Gabby and Katie Bellinger is likely going to leave me in a puddle of tears. Their father Dean was a massive Senators fan. He never missed a game, often instructing his girls to put on Senators pajamas just before puck drop.
Mendes Monday Musings
Greetings Sens fans, I hope your body clock is prepared for some strange start times this week. For our fans in the Eastern Time Zone, our next four games will roll out as follows: Monday in Los Angeles – 9 p.m. Wednesday in Vegas – 10 p.m. Friday in St. Louis – 4 p.m. Sunday in Dallas – 6 p.m. That’s a six-hour range in start times, which will likely leave you feeling a tad discombobulated.
Mendes Monday Musings
Behind-the-scenes look at the Pinto signing and more November 17, 2025 I’m often asked about the biggest differences between my current job and my old ones. In my time at Sportsnet, TSN 1200 and The Athletic, my job was to share information quickly and as widely as possible. But in my position within the communications department of the Ottawa Senators, I’m usually at the opposite end of the spectrum, where I’m trying to guard information and prevent it from leaking publicly. Case in point?
Mendes Monday Musings
Get ready for a couple of quirky start times to kick off your week with the Ottawa Senators. Let’s start with Monday’s game, which will feature a 7:45 p.m. local time puck-drop at Canadian Tire Centre for our game against the Boston Bruins. This is our first Prime Monday Night Hockey broadcast of the season and since it’s a national game, the start time gets pushed back slightly.
Mendes Monday Musings
It was not difficult to choose my favourite moment from the past seven days. Watching Gavin Giroux selling his homemade calendars on the concourse ahead of Saturday’s game was the type of wholesome content we love around here. In case you missed the backstory, Gavin decided to make an entire Senators 2025-26 season calendar as an art project.
Mendes Monday Musings
We welcome you back from your gravy-induced coma to another home opener at Canadian Tire Centre. I’ve missed only one home opener in my 25 years around the team and it was to attend the birth of our youngest daughter. My wife had the audacity to go into labour shortly after the morning skate on October 4, 2007, preventing me from attending the Senators-Maple Leafs game that night. Daniel Alfredsson scored the game winner late in the third that evening, as Ottawa edged Toronto 3-2.
Mendes Monday Musings | Ottawa Senators
Weekly look at the Sens through the unique lens of the comms department September 22, 2025 I have been around every Ottawa Senators training camp – in some capacity – since the 2001-02 season. This is training camp No. 24 for me, which means I’ve spent exactly half my life around this. And it’s all been sprinkled through various roles. Three different seasons in the Senators communications department. Eleven training camps as a Sportsnet reporter.
Cover Story: All Fun and Games | Ottawa Senators
Brady Tkachuk opens up about being on EA Sports NHL ’26 cover. “It’s so cool.” August 07, 2025 East Alton, Illinois – The Tkachuk brothers had a simple house rule when they were playing EA Sports NHL games growing up. Even though Matthew was two years older than Brady, his younger sibling was the more dominant video game player. And so, one crucial gameplay rule was altered accordingly. “He was always better than me and so he would have to go the bad way,” laughs Matthew.
Top 25 Moments of the Last 25 Years - Sylvain St-Laurent
Sylvain St-Laurent Recounts His Top 25 Moments of the Sens Last 25 Years February 21, 2025 I followed the Senators for 20 years as a journalist. During those 20 years, there was never a boring day. There's ALWAYS something going on at the Canadian Tire Centre. My friend (and boss) Ian Mendes had this wonderful idea of putting together a ranking of the best moments of the last 25 years and he challenged me to do the same.
Top 25 Moments of the Last 25 Years - Ian Mendes
Ian Mendes Recounts His Top 25 Moments of the Sens Last 25 Years February 20, 2025 Last month, we unveiled the Senators Quarter Century Team, as selected by a panel of local media and alumni. I did not participate in this exercise, because I am no longer a member of the local media.
Pizza Line Memories
The 2005-06 season was the year my training wheels came off as a reporter. Prior to that, I spent two seasons covering the Senators on television for Sportsnet, but my role was somewhat limited. Whenever the network would broadcast a Senators game, they would bring either Darren Dreger or Christine Simpson in from Toronto to serve as the rink side reporter. I was stapled to the role of news reporter.
Dany Heatley Opens Up About Pizza Line Reunion | Ottawa Senators
Former Sens star discusses his time with Senators and his return to Ottawa November 28, 2024 The picture is simple, but it holds an iconic place in Senators history. Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza – the trio that formed Ottawa’s ‘Pizza Line’ – are standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the blue line during the national anthem. They are lined up in numerical order in their crisp white jerseys, with each player holding a helmet in his hands.
Staios family opens up about cancer journey
On Hockey Fights Cancer Night, the Staios family shares their story. November 19, 2024 When Steve Staios was given a chance to speak during his introductory press conference with the Ottawa Senators last fall, he opened the session by acknowledging his wife Susannah’s absence. “I’d like to first take some time to thank my family. My wife Susannah is not here today. She’s going through some health issues and struggles, but on the mend,” Staios said on September 29, 2023.
Where Perron, Jensen and Ullmark fit
Projecting an opening-night roster in the middle of July can be a dangerous game. Last year, for example, we could not have envisioned a couple of late-summer plot twists for the Ottawa Senators. They signed Vladimir Tarasenko on July 27, while they opened the regular season without both Josh Norris and Shane Pinto in their lineup. Our initial sketch of the lineup also featured Dominik Kubalik having a sizeable role on the club too.
'Ottawa believed in me'
OTTAWA - The friendly family wager occurred more than a decade ago, but Stephen Halliday still remembers the terms precisely. In the spring of 2013, a 10-year-old Halliday wanted to purchase a $25 New York Rangers ball cap from Dick's Sporting Goods. The price tag was a little steep, so his father, James - a die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan - came up with a fun bet. If the Boston Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their playoff series, James would pay for the hat for his son.
Shane Pinto feels 'no ill will' toward Senators over contract negotiations
You would have probably expected Shane Pinto to indulge in a celebratory dinner a few hours after signing his new contract on Tuesday evening. Instead, the Ottawa Senators centreman had one of the staple meals that he learned to cook himself when he lived with Jake Sanderson during the 2022-23 NHL season. Pinto prepared a simple dish of grilled chicken, rice and kale - hardly a dinner commensurate with his new two-year, $7.5 million contract.
A shy, reserved Carter Yakemchuk opens up about Jake Sanderson and being drafted by Ottawa
When the Senators made the defenceman the seventh overall selection in the 2024 NHL draft on Friday night in Las Vegas, it was clear the 18-year-old was uncomfortable with the bright lights of television cameras. And he was suddenly thrust into a line of questioning from reporters whose faces and voices he did not recognize. What does it feel like to be drafted? How would you describe yourself as a defenceman? Who are you thinking of on a day like today?
Steve Staios discusses 'disciplined' free agency, Shane Pinto, David Perron and more
OTTAWA - Last Monday, Steve Staios hit a home run by landing Linus Ullmark. And when free agency opened on Monday, the Ottawa Senators general manager pretty much checked off all the boxes on his to-do list. He traded for a right-shot defenceman. He signed a Stanley Cup-winning veteran to play inside his top six. And he also added some depth to help his bottom two lines.
Travis Green opens up about vision for Senators, building relationships with players
LAS VEGAS - Travis Green stood on the draft floor on Friday night with nothing on his agenda. Head coaches rarely have any responsibilities on draft weekend, often showing up to the event to simply network with others in the industry. They rarely chime into the heated discussions with amateur scouts at the draft table, unless they have a personal connection to a prospect. "Obviously coaches don't have a lot going on," said Green. "But just being down on the draft floor, you grow up watching this.
Why the Senators chose Carter Yakemchuk with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft
LAS VEGAS - In the days leading into Friday's draft, members of the Ottawa Senators were adamant they had no clue how the six picks would unfold ahead of them. There was a level of mystery and intrigue that forced Ottawa's amateur scouting staff to be prepared for even the most unlikely scenario to play out. And sure enough, when it was Ottawa's turn to draft at No. 7, a surprising number of elite defencemen were still on the board.
Q&A with Don Boyd as he prepares to run the Ottawa Senators draft table on Friday
LAS VEGAS - On Friday evening Don Boyd will be leading the draft table for the Ottawa Senators. It's the first time in more than a decade that the 71-year-old will be in charge of a draft for an NHL franchise. It was a responsibility he held for several seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets when they first launched in 2000. One of Boyd's most memorable drafts came in 2005, when he adamantly pushed for the Blue Jackets to select Anze Kopitar with the sixth overall pick.
Linus Ullmark opportunity, trading No. 7 pick and more
LAS VEGAS - Far away from the sweltering heat and the constant pinging of slot machines in the lobby, the Ottawa Senators are occupying two rooms on the convention centre level of their luxury hotel on the Vegas Strip. The staff has neatly divided itself into two groups - the amateur scouts and pro scouts - with general manager Steve Staios and his key staff bouncing between the rooms as needed.
The legend of Taro Tsujimoto
Josh Tsujimoto usually wears a No. 74 Sabres jersey sporting his last name if he attends a Buffalo home game at KeyBank Center. It was a gift from his father, Paul, a few years ago and meant to serve as a tangible souvenir of a family legend that spans five decades. But there are nights when Josh isn't the only one wearing a No. 74 sweater at a Sabres game. From time to time, you'll see the odd Tsujimoto jersey sprinkled amongst the crowd in Buffalo.
What a perfect week would look like for Senators GM Steve Staios
Before embarking on a crucial week for the Ottawa Senators, we need a very quick history lesson to serve as a cautionary tale. It was just two summers ago that Ottawa had what many experts perceived to be the best offseason of any NHL club. The Senators landed Alex DeBrincat in a splashy pre-draft trade. They enticed Claude Giroux, one of the most sought-after free agents on the market, to sign a three-year contract.
Should the Senators consider drafting Tij Iginla at No. 7?
Drafting players with NHL bloodlines has been a theme with the Ottawa Senators in recent years. And while there will be a completely new regime sitting at the draft table in Las Vegas for the Senators this month, it's worth highlighting the genetic connection because there is a high probability a prominent Hall of Famer's son will be on the board when Ottawa is drafting with the No. 7 selection.
Draft pick, new arena and more
The concept for hosting the inaugural "Spring Members Summit" was rather simple for Ottawa Senators executives. The club invited roughly 1,500 of their fans - many of whom are season ticket holders and key business partners - to an event inside the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday. "One of the ways to get better is to listen to your fans," team president Cyril Leeder said in his opening remarks.
Utah Hockey Club reveals temporary name, colors and jerseys
On Thursday, they gave hockey fans the first glimpse of what colors they will sport when they take the ice for the first time this fall. The team unveiled it will play with black, white and blue jerseys - adorned with the word "Utah" on the front - during its inaugural 2024-25 season.
Trial date for charged Canada 2018 world junior players remains unclear
The exact dates for a jury trial for five members of Team Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team charged with sexual assault remain unclear after another court appearance Tuesday morning. Justice Alissa Mitchell conducted a brief virtual hearing Tuesday in a London, Ontario, courtroom, where defense lawyers for the charged appeared by teleconference. Mitchell was told another judicial pre-trial hearing - held on camera and behind closed doors - will take place on July 3.
Senators prospect Tyler Boucher on latest injuries
Tyler Boucher has every reason to be cynical and jaded. It would be easy to understand if he spoke with a hardened, bitter edge. After all, the Ottawa Senators prospect has been saddled with so many injuries and unfortunate twists that he's only been able to suit up for a grand total of 83 games - in three leagues - since Ottawa made him the 10th selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.
How PWHL Ottawa managed to lead the league in attendance
OTTAWA - When you step inside the offices of PWHL Ottawa, there is nothing to suggest you're entering a workspace that houses the league's most successful franchise. The silhouette of a logo from a local real estate company - the previous tenant of this office space - still lingers in the main entrance. The boardroom walls are so barren that staff decided to create a collage of players' security passes from the 2024 season to decorate one side of the room.
Why the Oilers are not 'Canada's team' in the Stanley Cup Final
In the aftermath of the Edmonton Oilers clinching their spot in the Stanley Cup Final, the question to Connor McDavid on the podium was predictable. Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto also had Stanley Cup aspirations this spring, but Edmonton is the last Canadian team standing. And so the question to the Oilers superstar was somewhat inevitable, as Edmonton is on the precipice of wiping out a Canadian Stanley Cup drought that has lasted more than three decades.
What could the next TV deal look like? Which prospects are ready?
I have often stated that offseason mailbag columns are my favourite things to write with The Athletic. We always receive such a wide range of questions to tackle. Earlier this week, we looked at some potential UFA targets for Ottawa, when shovels might be in the ground for a new arena and who deserves to be in the Ring of Honour. There are so many quality questions that, inevitably, we have to break this up into multiple columns.
Why the Oilers are not 'Canada's team' in the Stanley Cup Final
In the aftermath of the Edmonton Oilers clinching their spot in the Stanley Cup Final, the question to Connor McDavid on the podium was predictable. Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto also had Stanley Cup aspirations this spring, but Edmonton is the last Canadian team standing. And so the question to the Oilers superstar was somewhat inevitable, as Edmonton is on the precipice of wiping out a Canadian Stanley Cup drought that has lasted more than three decades.
NHL Utah surpasses 34,000 season ticket deposits
Utah's NHL team might be playing its inaugural season without a nickname, but the startup hockey club has already made quite a name for itself in the market. The team's chief commercial officer Chris Barney told reporters on a Zoom call this week that more than 34,000 people have now placed a deposit for season tickets for the team's inaugural season.
Daniel Alfredsson returning to Senators bench as part of Travis Green's coaching staff
Hall of Famer Daniel Alfredsson is returning as an assistant coach with the Ottawa Senators for the 2024-25 season. Alfredsson was named as part of Travis Green's bench staff on Tuesday, alongside new assistant coaches Mike Yeo and Nolan Baumgartner. The Senators also announced that Justin Peters, Ben Sexton and video coach Mike King would be returning to their respective roles.
Senators mailbag, Part 1
This is officially the calm before the storm, as we're about to be hit with a tidal wave of Sens-related news in the weeks ahead. The club has a pair of first-round picks at the draft later this month in Vegas. We're less than a month away from the opening of free agency and Ottawa certainly has some roster spots to fill. Plus Steve Staios likely has some trade chips to play, which could make him one of the most active general managers this summer.
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