NHL free agency in 2009 nearly turned the Battle of Ontario on its head.
The 43-year-old Neil was given the ultimate honour by the Senators organization Friday night, when he had his No. 25 jersey retired before the National Hockey League club faced the Chicago Blackhawks at Canadian Tire Centre.“I remember when Brian Burke and assistant GM Dave Nonis called at 12:01 p.m., when free agency opened,” Todd Reynolds, Neil’s longtime agent and family friend, told this newspaper this week from his Toronto home.
The Leafs had seen enough of Neil that they wanted him to switch sides. Burke has always liked players with “truculence” and Neil brought that every time he put on the jersey. He had been a thorn in the Leafs’ side for years.Article content Know the Leafs were in the mix, Sather had Rangers coach John Tortorella pick up the phone to try to convince Neil to come to Broadway instead of Southern Ontario. The two had a history from a 2006 playoff series against Tortorella’s Tampa Bay Lightning, when Neil was a giant pain in butt.Article contentThe reality was Neil didn’t want to leave Ottawa.
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Senators legend Chris Neil’s No. 25 being raised to the rafters in OttawaFormer Ottawa Senators tough guy Chris Neil to have his No. 25 jersey lifted to rafters
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Senators legend Chris Neil's No. 25 being raised to the rafters in OttawaOTTAWA — Chris Neil used to love saying he didn’t play for the name on the back of the jersey, but the logo on the front.
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Senators to retire Neil's number 25 jerseyThe Ottawa Senators will retire Chris Neil's number 25 during a pre-game ceremony before the Senators face the Chicago Blackhawks.
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Mike Fisher is thrilled his old buddy Chris Neil's No. 25 will be retired FridayMike Fisher will be watching from the Music City when Chris Neil has his No. 25 pulled to the rafters at the Canadian Tire Centre.
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Former Senators' centre Mike Fisher is thrilled his old buddy Chris Neil's No. 25 will be retired FridayMike Fisher will be watching from the Music City when Chris Neil has his No. 25 pulled to the rafters at the Canadian Tire Centre.
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SNAPSHOTS: Back-to-back wins give the Senators a boost of confidence\u0022I feel like ever since a couple of games ago, when we started focusing on playing fast, I feel like that has changed the complexion of our team.\u0022
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