Chabot set to reach 500-game milestone with Senators poised to end playoff drought

OTTAWA - Defenceman Thomas Chabot will reach a major milestone Saturday night when he suits up for his 500th NHL game with the Ottawa Senators. 

The journey to this moment has required patience, growth and an unwavering belief in the team.

Chabot, who has five goals and 28 assists this season, says the number snuck up on him. 

"To be honest? No, not really," he said when asked if he had thought about the milestone. "You know how it goes — there’s a game every other day. Sometimes you lose track of how many you've played. But when it does come, it’s special."

It’s been quite a journey for the rearguard from Sainte-Marie, Que. Drafted 18th overall in 2015, Chabot arrived in Ottawa a shy, quiet player looking to gain his footing in the NHL. Now he is an alternate captain, strong voice and top defenceman for the Senators.

Chabot said it doesn’t feel like that long ago that he was a kid at home watching the Montreal Canadiens with his grandparents and telling them that, one day, they would be watching him on TV playing in the NHL. 

His NHL debut Oct. 18, 2016 against the Arizona Coyotes was memorable, but not for the best reasons.

"I think I was minus-two in about six minutes," he recalled with a laugh. "We won the game 7-5, but I still found a way to be minus-two. That’s always the joke I tell younger guys who have a tough first game — it could be worse." 

After that lone NHL game Chabot was returned to Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where they advanced to the Memorial Cup but lost in the semifinals.

Since then, Chabot has endured a number of highs and lows. From the early struggles of a rebuilding team, dealing with injury to becoming the heart of Ottawa’s defensive core and the Senators leadership group. But what has eluded him is the playoffs.

The Senators last playoff appearance was in 2016-17, falling in double overtime of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference final to Pittsburgh.

"My first year was that 2017 run, but I didn’t play a playoff game,” said Chabot. “Everyone loves to remind me of that.”

Despite some early struggles in 2019 Chabot chose to sign an eight-year, US$64-million contract extension.

"When I signed my contract, I knew what I was buying into,” Chabot said. “I always wanted to wear this jersey and be here in Ottawa and be part of things turning around and now to be on the cusp of things turning around, that’s what it’s all about.”

With 14 games remaining, the Senators (36-27-5) hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The improvement started during the off-season with the hiring of Travis Green as head coach and players buying into a new system.

Chabot, who ranks third among Senators defencemen in all-time scoring (67 goals, 225 assists), believes he’s playing some of his best hockey now.

“I think you have to give Chabby a lot of credit,” Green said. “You know, first and foremost, what his mindset has been, right from coming into training camp, being a player that you win with and a defenceman that you win with, and to his credit he’s defending better and putting emphasis on defending.”

The approaching milestone had Chabot looking back, but he’s much more excited about what lays ahead.

“I remember when we would get 9,000, maybe 10,000 fans and there wasn’t a lot going on,” said Chabot. “And now, I was on the blue line for one of our games, can’t remember which one, and I had chills when the crowd was going nuts. It’s just fun to see the whole city rally behind us."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2025.