Civic milestone: Senators staffers recall a wild opening night 30 years later

It's 30 years since Ottawa Senators beat Montreal Canadiens 5-3 in their franchise opener. The team went on to win 21 games in a row and only one road game. Brian Orser performed a backflip before the game and the Montreal coach Jacques Demers wanted a flood to fix the ice. Cyril Leeder, the former president of the team, shared a story about the pre-game feature on the Senators. He was talking to the CBC TV. It was cancelled because of a last-minute snafu involving a figure skating exhibition. They wanted to cancel it because Jacquesdemers asked for a flooding.

The Ottawa Senators played their first game in October of 1992. The game was a celebration of the NHL returning to Ottawa after a 58-year hiatus. Alanis Morissette sang the national anthem. Brady broke the deadlock with a goal just 26 seconds into period two. The crowd went crazy when the team scored. Many people came to the game as Habs fans and left as Senators fans. Frank Finnigan's No. 8 was retired on opening night. He died less than a year before. His son Frank Jr. was there to observe the honour.

Boschman was captain of the 1992-93 Ottawa Senators. He believes the buzz from the community helped the players to win the game. The team was an expansion team. Boschmann's sons are Senators fans.

The Ottawa Senators were an expansion team 30 years ago. They beat the Montreal Canadiens in the opening game. The team is celebrating its 30th anniversary this season. They have been to one Stanley Cup Final, three conference finals and continue to pursue the elusive Cup.