Senators’ Batherson playing way into Team Canada conversation

OTTAWA — The Canadian men’s Olympic roster will be announced in less than two weeks, on Dec. 31.

One name that deserves to enter the hotly contested conversation is Drake Batherson.

The 27-year-old Batherson is big, uber-skilled and averaging over a point per game. He’s also close friends with three fellow Nova Scotians and Team Canada mainstays: Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand.

It helps to have friends among the greatest Canadian hockey players of their generation.

“I think you’re always thinking about it,” Batherson told Sportsnet.ca about his Team Canada hopes. “You want to play as well as you can, to make a name for yourself, but I don’t go into every day thinking like I should be on that team.”

We aren’t saying it would be a mistake if Batherson didn’t make the team; we’re just saying he’s been one of the best Canadian players this season and deserves to be in the conversation. Batherson has more points and goals than a raft of forwards who were on the 4 Nations Face-Off roster, including Brayden Point, Sam Bennett, Anthony Cirelli, Travis Konecny and Seth Jarvis. And having chemistry with Crosby, MacKinnon and Marchand doesn’t hurt.

Batherson outdueled his idol Crosby on Thursday, when the Senators hosted the Penguins. Batherson tallied two assists, including a silky smooth no-look spin-around backhand pass to Brady Tkachuk to open the scoring, while Crosby went pointless in a 4-0 Senators win.

“He’s just a great person,” Crosby told Sportsnet.ca earlier. “He’s someone who treats people really well. He has a lot of pride from being from Nova Scotia, and he’s always quick to tell people about that. That’s something with Drake — anyone that knows him, they see that right away. I’m just really happy for him and the success he’s having.”

Every summer since he was 18, Batherson has lived and trained with the trio of Nova Scotian stars, following their example.

“I just want to try to match their play and not screw up, like the drills and stuff when I go with them,” Batherson joked about training with the three future Hall-of-Famers.

The off-season work has shown. Every season since he’s entered the NHL, he’s increased his points total.

“It’s great to see how much he’s improved, and how much he’s put into it,” Crosby said.

“His scoring ability or his playmaking ability, I think he’s really continuing to grow, really, in every area of the game.”

Batherson has been there when his Nova Scotian buddies bring up playing for Canada.

“I’ve been around when they talked about it, but I just gotta sit there and listen, because I got nothing (to add) on it, right?” Batherson laughed.

In a short Olympic tournament, Batherson could provide Team Canada with instant chemistry. And he’s no scoring slouch, on pace for 36 goals and 87 points this season

“I think he’s a hell of a player. I told you guys that many times,” said Tim Stutzle, who will compete for Germany in Milan. “I think he’s one of the most underrated players, one of the best playmakers in the game, in my opinion.”

Until recently, the biggest flaw in Batherson’s game was his defensive aptitude. This season, he’s shown marked improvements. He ranks 127th out of 700 skaters this season with 2.32 expected goals allowed when on the ice at five-on-five, according to Evolving Hockey. 

Another aspect of the right-winger’s game is his physicality.

“The hardness of his game, the stiffness in his game, the willingness to get to hard places, more consistent play like a power forward,” head coach Travis Green said. “Quite honestly, he’s got enough size, he’s strong in the puck, but he’s grown a little bit in that area.”

Amazingly, Batherson was just five-foot-seven when he was drafted into the QMJHL, but grew to six-foot-three by the time the Ottawa Senators drafted him in the fourth round, 121st overall, in 2017.

“(I) was always the smallest kid until probably my first year (in) junior,” Batherson said. “I’ve played both styles, where I went from not throwing hits at all to learning that I can do more with my body. I think there’s a time and place — I don’t want to run around and waste energy, but when I have to (I can) use my body to protect the puck or get in on the forecheck.”

Since the start of the 2024-25 season, Batherson is second on the Senators in hits behind only Tkachuk.

Hockey Canada always loves a combination of high skill and physical power — that’s why Tom Wilson seems to have cemented his spot for the flight to Milan.

Regardless of whether he finally makes the team, until New Year’s Eve, when the team is announced, it’s time to include Drake Batherson in our water cooler conversations.

Adams’ Apples

Jacques Martin in the Senators Ring of Honour

On Thursday, the Senators announced that Jacques Martin will be added to the Senators’ Ring of Honour on Jan. 24.

“Ottawa has been probably the one place where it’s the closest to me,” said Martin. “And the fact that I’m originally from this area. So it has been a real privilege (to coach the Senators).”

Martin was an assistant in Colorado in 1996 and was busy hanging up posters for his hockey camp in Ottawa when he got the call from the Senators. Martin, an Ottawa native, guided the Senators to eight consecutive playoff appearances from 1997 to 2004, and he never missed the playoffs in any of his full seasons behind the bench. He was also one of the first coaches in the NHL to put an emphasis on conditioning.

Former Senators great Jason Spezza, now an assistant general manager in Pittsburgh, credited Martin with moulding his own career.

“A man of few words and very to the point with things — so different from this era of coaching,” said Spezza. “There was less, I would say. The relationships now probably between players and coaches have changed. He was a little more authoritative. As a young player, though, he was very clear with what he wanted, and that’s all you asked for.

“I was never going to be a guy who was going to win a Selke just the way I played, but my habits definitely got off to a better start (thanks to Jacques).”

Martin returned to the Senators bench more recently as interim coach in 2023-24 and is now a senior adviser with the organization. When Martin took over the Senators in 2023, they were a mess, especially defensively. Martin helped lay the much-needed foundation of the defensive principles that this current iteration of the Senators plays with today.

Green says he still relies on Martin’s input.

“He’s got a lot of subtle things that he says that I take to heart and really put a lot of thought into some of the things that he brings up.”

Where would the franchise be if it weren’t for Jacques Martin?

It’s a richly deserved honour for Martin, a pillar of the Ottawa Senators.

David Bell dismissed

The Belleville Senators relieved head coach David Bell of his duties on Wednesday, replacing him on an interim basis with Andrew Campbell. Belleville had lost five of their last six.

Stephen Halliday — who played for Bell for three seasons before joining the NHL squad recently — had glowing words for his former head coach.

“He’s a guy that helped me a lot through my first season, especially (when I) didn’t have the greatest start, and he really gave me a lot of confidence. And I certainly wouldn’t be in this dressing room (in Ottawa) without David Bell,” said Halliday.

The Senators have said they are determined to make Belleville a better team. Unfortunately, a hangover of the Pierre Dorion regime was that draft capital was traded away, leading to draft misses and fewer prospects. General manager Steve Staios has tried to rebuild the farm, but the Senators passed on Zeev Buium, Sam Dickinson and Zayne Parekh in the 2024 draft — all of whom have now played in the NHL. Meanwhile, Carter Yakemchuk, picked by Ottawa that year, is still finding his way in the AHL. The Senators are starved for promising prospects at the moment. Belleville’s struggles have been as much due to a lack of talent as coaching. 

More from Sportsnet

Ullmark’s shutout lifts Senators to win over Penguins

Senators set to induct Jacques Martin into Ring of Honour