Thomas Chabot

01/28/2025 12:22 PM

One day after what turned out to be an eventful trip to Quebec City to help the Ottawa Senators announce plans for a couple of pre-season games, defenceman Thomas Chabot was back in the spotlight on Tuesday.

The Senators faced plenty of criticism from local fans after having team mascot Spartacat dressed in a half-Senators, half-Quebec Nordiques uniform on a social-media post. The team removed the post and team president Cyril Leeder acknowledged it was a bad decision after the online firestorm.

"I completely understand, like I said, where the fans are coming from. I totally get it,” Chabot, a native of Sainte-Marie, Que., less than an hour from Quebec City, said Tuesday.

Chabot also went to bat for Spartacat, who also attended the press conference.

"I mean, Sparty was just there doing his job,” he said.

Quebec City has long been rumoured as a potential moving spot for an NHL team.

New Senators owner Michael Andlauer, a Quebec native, made a point of saying at the press conference he had no interest in moving his team, but added he felt it would be a good idea to play two or three regular-season games in the city.

With the Senators still looking to make a deal with the National Capital Commission for a rink closer to the city core, some fans see Quebec as a potential threat.

Eugene Melnyk, who owned the team from 2003 to 2022, made various vague references to moving — most famously prior to the Outdoor Game extravaganza in 2017. 

When La Presse reported that the Senators, NHL and Quebecor had held talks about moving five regular season games to Quebec City during the 2023-24 season, people in Ottawa reacted negatively — so much so that the Senators completely backed down on the notion, saying that talks with Quebec centred around a joint bid to host the world junior championship.