Gotta See It: Sens’ Phaneuf goes out of his way

Easily the NHL’s most surprising team in 2016-17, the Ottawa Senators persevered and overachieved the entire season before ultimately falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. Still, despite the incredible success the team achieved this past season, the disappointment was clear to see during the team’s locker room clean up yesterday.

But one Senator, Dion Phaneuf, was alone in his approach to media availability on the last day of the 2016-17 Sens seasons. While his teammates mumbled through stories about disappointment, Phaneuf circled the room and thanked every member of the assembled media. 

Phaneuf, now a 32 year-old cagey veteran, spent years as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs so he understands well the impact that the media can have on a team. After thanking as many reporters as he could, Phaneuf then took the time to thank the entire group as a whole. Pretty classy stuff from a classy player.