Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni and Ottawa Senators Alumni Teams are Facing off in Peterborough For “Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario” at the PMC
Friday November 6, 2026 at 7pm
The Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) and Peterborough Memorial Centre are excited to announce the first two NHL alumni who will be joining us for Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario on November 6th. These two players were a key part of the original playoff rivalry in the early 2000’s between Ottawa and Toronto and two names many fans will think of when talking about the Battle of Ontario. We are excited to announce that Darcy Tucker and Chris Neil will be playing on November 6th. Neil and Tucker were central figures in the early 2000’s Rivalry and we are very excited to have them join us. Tickets available now through www.memorialcentre.ca.
Darcy Tucker
Playing 16 seasons and over 1000 games in the NHL, with 8 seasons on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Darcy Tucker is one of many Leafs fans all-time favourites. Known for his tough and scrappy play, which was complimented by some strong offensive seasons, Tucker had his most successful seasons in the NHL while wearing the Blue and White. A key part of the Battle of Ontario playoff series in the early 2000’s with the Ottawa Senators, Tucker always seemed to be the centre of big moments. This includes quarreling with Chris Neil, and “The Hit” with Daniel Alfredsson, which was shortly followed by Alfredsson’s game winning goal.
Since retiring from the NHL, Tucker has remained very active within the Maple Leafs Alumni Association, doing many speaking and charity events. As both a fan favourite and one of names most synonymous with the rivalry, we are very excited to have Darcy Tucker join us for Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni team.
Chris Neil
Chris Neil was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 1998 and played his entire 16 year career, and over 1000 NHL games, within the Senators organization. His hard-nosed play endeared him to Senators fans, along with his work in the Ottawa community. This includes being named, along with his wife Caitlin, as honourary chairs of Rogers House, an Ottawa Pediatric Hospice.
As a player, Neil was called upon to take on many roles with the Senators, often acting as the team’s enforcer and primary physical presence on the ice, while also having the opportunity at times to take on a more offense role. Neil and Darcy Tucker were the centre of one of the most heated moments of the Battle of Ontario series, with Tucker, Neil and other Senators and Leafs players involved in a bench altercation in a March 2003. Many consider this to be the peak period of the early 2000’s rivalry.
Chris Neil is an Ottawa Senators legend and fan favourite, with his number being retired by the team in 2023. We are excited to have him join us as part of the Ottawa Senators Alumni team for Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario.
About the Battle of Ontario
Although Ottawa joined Toronto in the NHL in 1992, both teams played in separate conferences which meant the cross-province rivals rarely playing each other. That changed in 1998 when they were moved to the same conference and began playing each other at least 4 times per season. The rivalry took hold and solidified as The Battle of Ontario in the early 2000’s. Between 2000 and 2005. the Leafs and Senators played each other in the playoffs in 4 of the 5 seasons, producing some of the most memorable playoff moments in both franchises’ recent history. After these iconic playoff series, and to this day, Ottawa versus Toronto games remain some of the quickest to sell out and must watch TV for both franchises’ fans. The 2024/2025 season saw a revival of the Leafs and Senators playoff rivalry with the two franchises meeting each other in the first round. This series not only added new highlights to the rivalry but also brought back memories of the heated battles that started 25 years earlier.
Join us November 6th at the Peterborough Memorial Centre for Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario. Meet and greet packages are available to meet Darcy Tucker and the rest of the Maples Leafs Alumni, or meet Chris Neil and the rest of the Ottawa Senators Alumni. Get your tickets at www.memorialcentre.ca
Note that both teams’ lineups are subject to change. The full alumni rosters for both teams will be announced in the coming weeks.
About the Fundraiser
This game is a fundraiser to support concussion education and awareness in youth sport through the GPHSF Concussion Fund. GPHSF provides funding for concussion programming primarily through Peterborough Athletic Concussion Awareness (PACA) and the H.O.P.E. Bursary in honour of Steve Montador.
About PACA
Peterborough Athletic Concussion Awareness was formed in April 2019 with the goal to increase awareness while taking a community approach, setting a new standard for communities who aim to tackle concussions. PACA is a community led team working towards increasing concussion awareness by working under its four pillars: Recognize, Remove, Manage, Prevent. These 4 pillars were the inspiration for a local concussion docuseries which can be viewed here https://www.paca.health/education/.
PACA also leads the Sports Values Program. The goal of the program is to create a value system that can be adapted and integrated into a sport organization’s culture that prioritizes athletes’ health and safety. The program focuses on creating a renewed understanding of health in a sports environment, so our athletes are more equipped to handle potential negative life events such as injury or mental health complications. The program works to increase adherence to team values while showcasing tangible ways athletes can contribute to creating a positive, inclusive environment for all. Find out more at https://www.paca.health/education/sport-values-education-program/
About H.O.P.E. Bursary in Honour of Steve Montador
This bursary is named after Steve Montador in honour of a friend and teammate. Steve was an NHL defenseman, Peterborough Pete, and a H.O.P.E. board member and supporter. Steve suffered concussions playing hockey, with his last occurring while playing in the NHL for Chicago, effectively ending his career. He was very vocal about his struggles and depression following his concussion and vowed to be a voice and advocate. After passing away suddenly at the age of 35 at his home in Mississauga, his friends and fellow board members in H.O.P.E. established this bursary to support student athletes who are suffering the long-term effects of concussion related injury while trying to transition to College or University.
Steve Montador’s story is also the subject of the 2017 book by Ken Dryden titled “Game Change: The life and death of Steve Montador and the future of hockey.
For more information contact:
Vince Bierworth
Executive Director
Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF)
Vince@GPHSF.ca | 705-740-8074 ext. 101
Jose Garcia-Perez
Operations Manager, Events and Tourism | Recreation, Parks & Culture Division
City of Peterborough
jgarcia-perez@peterborough.ca | 705-742-0050 ext. 2504