Community Partner • Key to the Cabin • 2026
Prepared by: Ashley Foley, Foley Communications & Consulting
There is a moment at a Belleville Senators game that does not make the highlight reel. It happens before the puck drops, or after the final buzzer, or somewhere in the middle of a school visit on a Tuesday morning. A player crouches down to eye level with a kid who has never been to a professional hockey game before, to fist-pump a kid, wide-eyed and smiling. And something shifts, quietly and without fanfare, in the way that kid will feel about this city for a long time.
That is the culture of the Belleville Senators Hockey Club. It’s not just about what happens on the ice, but what happens because of the ice. It’s the people behind it who have decided that being part of this community means being genuinely, visibly, and consistently present in it.
The Belleville Senators arrived in 2017, relocating from Binghamton, New York, to become the American Hockey League affiliate of the Ottawa Senators. The Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre became their home. Belleville became their community.
Entering their 10th season, the Senators have graduated more than 45 players to the NHL, including current Ottawa Senators Drake Batherson, Ridly Greig, Lassi Thomson, Tyler Kleven, and Stephen Halliday. They reached the Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time in 2022. In 2023–24, the B-Sens earned their first-ever playoff series win, eliminating the rival Toronto Marlies with a thrilling 4–3 overtime victory on the road.
But the story that matters most to the Belleville Chamber of Commerce, and to the community that fills those seats, is not measured in wins and losses. It’s measured in the ways the B-Sens gives back to its community, and people who live here.
In the 2025–26 season alone, the Belleville Senators Hockey Club generated approximately $305,000 in community impact. That number is made up of donated tickets, event sponsorships, fundraising proceeds, and direct organizational support. It includes $128,000 in donated tickets that put families and kids in seats they might not otherwise have been in, $65,000 raised through the 50/50 draw, $35,000 raised through Chuck-A-Puck fundraisers, and $18,437 directed to Belleville General Hospital through the Hockey Fights Cancer program.
The Senators made 263 community appearances this season. Their Sens in School and Adopt-A-School programs brought players into 18 schools across the Bay of Quinte Region. This past season, for the first time, the organization hosted a school-day game, filling the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre with over 4,000 students from across the region, who cheered their team to a win over the Toronto Marlies. That’s the kind of memory that follows a kid into adulthood.
The Senators’ community philosophy is straightforward and, in practice, genuine: being part of Belleville and the Bay of Quinte means being more than just a hockey team. It means showing up for the organizations, the causes, and the people who show up for them.
The team supported the Belleville General Hospital gala and continues to invest in all Quinte Health hospitals. Players and business operations staff participate in community visits throughout the year, supporting local groups and organizations through quarterly outreach, contributing to their own personal causes across the region.
Captain Garrett Pilon, a forward who wears number 22, put it simply when asked what the community means to him and his wife.
“My wife and I have made this our home. We’re foodies, so I think we do a good job of getting out in the community and trying out the smaller, local restaurants and businesses. It’s a great area, and I think for players, this might be a small market, but once you get to know the people, it’s a great place to play hockey, with a great fan base.”
— Garrett Pilon, Captain, #22
Defenceman Jorian Donovan, number 11, describes what the school visits mean to him in a way that cuts right to the heart of it.
“When I was a kid, you’d look up to different players. And when I’m flying around to all of these schools and meeting kids, it’s probably the same feeling that they have. So I just try to make sure to always make them smile.”
— Jorian Donovan, Defence, #11
In April 2026, the Belleville Chamber of Commerce held its Mega Mingle at CAA Arena, hosted by the Belleville Senators. It was a community collaborative evening with the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce and the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce that drew more than 200 registered attendees from across the region.
It was not a typical mingle. Guests had the rare opportunity to go behind the scenes: locker rooms, equipment repair areas, medical facilities, the gym, the hall of fame, lounges, and box suites. The B-Sens opened their private and VIP spaces, usually reserved for players and staff, for an evening that left a real impression.
The Senators’ off-ice team, led by Vice President of Business Operations John Mathers, along with Corey McNeil, Jeremy Coulter, Ben Cochrane, Alex Pickford, and Alex Siragusa, delivered an experience that went well beyond networking. Door prizes included a signed hockey stick, a signed puck, and game tickets. But the real prize was the evening itself.
It was the clearest possible demonstration of why this recognition exists. The transformation in the Senators’ approach to community engagement focuses on connecting. And it is being felt.
“Being part of the Belleville and greater Bay of Quinte community is something we take great pride in. Our players and staff understand the importance of giving back, and with the support of our fans and partners, we’ve made a meaningful impact across the Quinte region. We’re committed to continuing to grow those connections and support the community that supports us.”
— John Mathers, Vice President, Business Operations
The Belleville Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the Belleville Senators Hockey Club with the 2026 Community Partner Award — the Key to the Cabin.
In past years, the BCC Key to the Cabin has been presented to the Rotary Club of Belleville, the Kiwanis Club, YourTV, Connie Carson, and Aspira Quinte Gardens. Each recipient has earned it through a consistent, genuine commitment to the people and organizations that make Belleville a community worth belonging to.
The Belleville Senators Hockey Club belongs in that company. Though their roster may change from year to year, their commitment to showing up, giving back, and making Belleville better is a steadfast constant. This Friendly City is better because of it.
Story prepared by Ashley Foley, Foley Communications & Consulting.
