Three decades after Jacques Martin coached his first game for the Ottawa Senators, the franchise will honour him at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Senators announced Thursday that the former bench boss will be added to the organization's Ring of Honour on Jan. 24, 2026, ahead of their game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Martin's first game as Ottawa’s head coach was Jan. 24, 1996, one week after the Canadian Tire Centre first opened.
"I have been privileged to coach outstanding players and not only great players, but great people. That was the reason I was able to get there," Martin said in a video posted to social media.
Martin coached the Senators from 1996 to 2004, helping the club qualify for the playoffs in each of his eight full seasons. He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1999 and led the Senators to their only Presidents' Trophy in the 2002-03 season.
He is also the franchise's all-time leader in games (748), wins (367) and playoff wins (31).
Martin, 73, returned for a second stint with Ottawa during the 2023-24 season, serving as interim head coach after the firing of D.J. Smith. He remains in the organization still as a senior advisor, a position he has held since December 2023.
A native of Saint-Pascal, Ont., Martin joins former general manager Bryan Murray, former player Wade Redden and team doctor Dr. Don Chow as the fourth inductee to the Senators' Ring of Honour.
