What to know before attending Sens Skills this February
6 Minute Read
Who is Ottawa's fast skater? Who has the most accurate shot? It is time to find out.
Mark your calendars, Sens Skills is coming up on February 22, 2026.
Presented by CAA North & East Ontario (CAANEO), Sens Skills is the perfect event that brings men’s and women’s professional hockey and the community together.
If you are just discovering a love of Canada's national winter sport, Sens Skills is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the game and the talent Ottawa has to offer. Whether it’s an NHL All-Star Skills event or each NHL team hosting their own skills competitions, the driving force behind skills match-ups is to support kids in sport by providing them an opportunity to see the best players on the planet in more relaxed and fun-filled environment. The Ottawa skills competition is unique in that, along with Ottawa Senators stars, players from the Ottawa Charge and four local junior hockey stars who make up our CAA 2026 Junior Draft are also part of the action.
Whether this year is your first time attending Sens Skills or you are a seasoned fan of the event, here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Sens Skills taking place on February 22 at 1 p.m. at Canadian Tire Centre.
What is Sens Skills?
For the 2026 Sens Skills event, the Ottawa Senators will be split into two teams to test their on-ice skills. Each team will also feature two Ottawa Charge players and two junior hockey players.
Held annually since 2010, Sens Skills allows the community to see their favourite players in a whole new light, for a day of hockey fun. Tickets start at just $10 per person for a family four-pack, or $12.50 for single tickets, making this event a fun and affordable day for the whole family.
What do the players love about Sens Skills?
Sens Skills is for families, but it turns out that the players get a lot out of the event, too. CAA Magazine caught up with some of the Ottawa Charge players who have participated in Sens Skills to chat about their favourite parts of the event.
In 2025, Gabbie Hughes, forward for the Ottawa Charge, took part in her first Sens Skills. Gabbie got to take the ice with one of her favourite players, Claude Giroux.
"I watched a special on him when I was younger, and I have looked up to him ever since," Gabbie says. "I got a photo with him, and I could not stop smiling."
For Gabbie's teammate and fellow forward Emily Clark, the best part about Sens Skills is connecting with the community. "It is such a fun event," Emily shares. But her favourite part is the swag toss at the end of the event.
"Just being able to interact with the Sens and being on the same ice as them is really awesome for the hockey community in Ottawa," Emily says.
This year, Rebecca Leslie will return to Sens Skills for the first time as an Ottawa Charge player after an injury kept her from competing last year.
"It's not something you get to do every day," Rebecca says. She also enjoys highlighting the time and effort the PWHL players put into developing their games. "It is fun to see how you stack up to an NHL player."
The Sens and Charge players are joined by four local minor hockey players who are excited to show off their skills alongside the pros. This year's CAA Junior Draft class includes Aidan McCoy from the U14AA Ottawa Valley Silver Seven, Emily Harrison from the U15A Ottawa Ice, Reagan Keck from the U13AA Kanata Rangers and Tucker Scheuneman, representing the U14AA Ottawa Valley Aces.
What to expect
Due to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Sens Skills will look a little different this year. While some of your favourite Sens players will be representing their home countries at the Olympics, the day will still celebrate our team’s hockey talent.
After the success of last year’s event, four Ottawa Charger players will return to join the Senators for Sens Skills alongside the four CAA Junior Draft Players.
Each team will feature an honorary guest coach, including Ottawa Rapid FC defender and co-captain Olivia Scott.
CAA North & East Ontario’s events team will also be there with free swag and games. Head to the CAA Kiosk for swag or to play a round of corn hole. And don't forget to stick around at the end of the event for the swag toss.
There will also be special prizes throughout the event, with prize packs including an Ingenium Museum Family Pass and an Ottawa Senators scarf. You can also enter our Senators Away Game contest. The winner will receive two tickets to see the Ottawa Senators play the Vancouver Canuks in Vancouver on March 9, 2026. The prize also includes two flights with Air Canada, a hotel booking and a $500 Visa gift card.
The skills
Sens Skills divides the Ottawa Senators into two teams, putting them head-to-head to see who is the best. This year, the Sens will go through seven skills with the opportunity to win points for their team.
The first skill is a team puck control relay. Five players from each team, featuring three Sens, two Charge and the Junior Draft players, will be tasked with controlling the puck as they weave through cones on the ice. The team with the fastest combined time will be awarded a point.
The next skill tests the fastest skaters. Players will complete one lap of the ice, going behind the nets. The fastest skater will receive three points for their team, the second fastest is awarded two points, and the third fastest gets one point.
For the hardest shot skill, players will take a slap shot, with the shot radar recording the speed. The player with the hardest shot in a head-to-herad matchup will be given a point. Then, the players with the hardest shots from each head-to-head matchup will compete in the final round. One point will be awarded to the winner of the final head-to-head competition.
The fourth skill will test each player's accuracy. The shooters will be passed pucks to attempt to hit all four targets in the net. The winner with the fastest time to hit all four targets will win one point for their team.
Skill number five comes straight from the NHL All-Star Weekend. The individual obstacle course will have players go down the ice to the stickhandling obstacle. Here, players will stickhandle the puck through 10 bridges. Players will then move on to the saucer station, where they will sauce three pucks into three mini nets over a barrier. Next, players will pick up a puck on the opposite face-off dot and weave through cones towards the net. Once through the cones, players will shoot the puck at a target in the net, which will stop the clock once hit. Three points will be given to the fastest timed skater, with two points going to the second and one point going to the third fastest skater.
The sixth skill is a five-puck one-on-one. Five pucks will be lined up from the top of the circles to the blue line, giving one player a chance to score as many goals as they can. One point will be awarded for each goal.
The final skill is a three-on-three Mini game with one point being awarded for each goal scored.
Community impact
The best part of Sens Skills? It's all for a good cause!
On behalf of CAA NEO, all proceeds from Sens Skills will be donated by the Senators to the Senators Community Foundation. [SW1] [SW2] The Senators Community Foundation focuses on removing the barriers to sports and education for children and teens in Ottawa and western Quebec.
"We're proud to have CAA NEO as a valued partner of the Senators," says Cyril Leeder, President and CEO of the Ottawa Senators. "They share our commitment to bringing fans together, and Sen Skills is always one of the most fun, family-friendly events on our calendar."
Over the years, over $800,000 has been raised, with more than150,000 fans in attendance since 2010. This year, free tickets will be donated to community groups and hockey teams across the region.
"Our players love taking part, and it's a great way for fans of all ages to connect with the team in a unique and exciting way," Cyril says.
The event is all about bringing our community together and celebrating hockey in a way that is accessible to all Ottawans.
Get your tickets now
Tickets for Sens Skills are available from Ticketmaster.ca, starting at just $12.50 a person. Plus, families of four can purchase a Family 4 pack for $10 per ticket in select sections. Best of all...parking is free!
Love the Ottawa Senators? CAA Members save big on regular season tickets and get $13 off parking with online purchases.
