Senators head to Germany in 2024 as Chabot hits rare shorthanded milestone
The Ottawa Senators have announced plans to travel to Germany in late 2024 for two matches against the Chicago Blackhawks. Meanwhile, defenceman Thomas Chabot achieved a rare milestone by scoring his second career shorthanded goal. Off the ice, the team is also adjusting terms around a future draft pick and gathering fan interest for the overseas trip.
The Senators confirmed they will face the Blackhawks in Düsseldorf on 13 and 14 December 2024. This marks the club's first overseas games in years, though no details about past trips outside North America were available. Fans can now submit their contact information to express interest in attending.
On the ice, Chabot netted a shorthanded goal during Saturday's game against the Anaheim Ducks. His last such goal came over five years ago, on 21 November 2018. With this tally, he joins an exclusive group: only three other Senators defencemen—Chris Phillips, Zdeno Chara, and Steve Duchene—have scored multiple shorthanded goals for Ottawa.
In an unusual statistical quirk, forward Drake Batherson recently scored twice in a game against the San Jose Sharks without registering a single shot on goal. He is the first Senator to achieve this since Barry Pederson of the Vancouver Canucks did so in 1987. The franchise record, however, still belongs to Tim Kerr, who managed a hat trick without a shot on goal in 1985.
Behind the scenes, the team is revising conditions tied to their 2026 first-round draft pick. The timing of this announcement was carefully planned. A reporter, who once received a career-defining tip from the general manager while inside a Dairy Queen, advised the team to release the news at 10 a.m. on a Thursday—strategically avoiding distractions before a key match against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Senators now prepare for their December trip to Germany while adjusting roster and draft strategies. Chabot's shorthanded goal adds to his defensive legacy, and Batherson's scoring feat highlights the team's recent oddities. Fan sign-ups for the overseas games remain open as the club finalises travel arrangements.
