Ottawa Senators: A Prince Awaits His Kingdom

With the 61st pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators selected Shane Prince. However, there was no point in introducing the player to the city, nor the city to the player. After all, Prince has laced up his skates in the city since the middle of the 2009-2010 OHL season. He shockingly produced 25 goals and 63 assists for 88 points for the Ottawa 67's in the 2010-2011 season. So while a new dawn awaits, the transition should be painless. Hard work got him to where he is, yet it is has only just begun.

If there was an internal motor that got players going, Prince would never get tired. He didn't get the same opportunities as a Kitchener Ranger that he did as a 67. He was among the league leaders in scoring, but was an afterthought in the CHL Top Prospects Game. He got screwed over by the USA junior hockey team, but learned that politics run the game. However, the adversity is setting Prince up for success in the professional game.

Prince should bring a unique skill set to the city's big time club. The days of Daniel Alfredsson are numbered in Ottawa. The Senators know that, making the acquisition of a goal scorer essential in the 2011 draft. Prince is young and has potential. A great training camp left coaches feeling as if they stole Prince at number 61. However, making an impression on a team is not the same as contributing to a team day, after day, after day.

The Senators know that Prince can play in the OHL; he has proven that. Prince has the advantage of his proximity to the franchise. If a scout or coach wants to see if Prince plays a certain way or with a certain characteristic, a matter of minutes can take them into the Ottawa Civic Center. While size may hinder him, the NHL has a handful of smaller players agile enough to avoid the bruising hits of Zdeno Chara. The difference between the speed of the junior and pro game is night and day. Fortunately for Prince, he has proven that he is a step ahead of the opposition in the OHL.

What Ottawa needs is a playmaker. Somebody who is not afraid to put their body on the line to score a goal. Somebody who is not afraid of being a hero. Since the Senators rejoined the NHL in 1992, they have not won the Stanley Cup. Can Prince, an unproven player, be expected to be the difference? Can he hoist the trophy for the city that has basically adopted him? Prince sure seems ready.

While nothing is guaranteed in sports, Shane Prince figures to be staying in Ottawa for quite some time. First, he needs to prove that he is an NHL player, not a junior star or a superb AHL player. His goal was to make an NHL roster and he must prove he is worthy. Once that happens, his career is what he makes of it.

The American, yes American, can restore greatness to the franchise that came up just short of the championship in 2007. So while he skates for one team today, he represents the fate of another. Can Prince be expected to bring glory to the Senators? Can he even make the team and compete for time on the ice? No need to contemplate what we can't control. All we know is that when Prince comes out of the Scotiabank Place locker room next summer, it's all about business.