4:54 pm: Given that Sabourin was ultimately recalled with a potential Austin Watson suspension in mind, the Senators announced after their game today that they’ve returned Sabourin to the AHL. Watson had ended up with merely a fine and was able to play against he Minnesota Wild, and thus Sabourin was not needed.
9:15 am: The Ottawa Senators announced this morning that they have recalled forward Scott Sabourin from the Belleville Senators, their AHL affiliate. No other corresponding move was announced, however with $2.4MM in cap space and a roster spot to give, none was needed. This marks Sabourin’s first recall this season after clearing waivers and being assigned to Belleville back on October 10th.
The veteran has earned his trip up to the NHL though, recording 13 points through his first 24 games with Belleville this season, well on his way to a career year in the AHL. Always known for his gritty play-style that features plenty of penalty minutes, perhaps the most impressive part of Sabourin’s stat-line this year are his penalty minutes: 144. That’s not an error, the winger does in fact have 144 penalty minutes through his first 24 games. For reference, his previous career high in any season in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, or OHL was 147, set back in 2016-17 in 54 games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
Should Sabourin get into game action with Ottawa, it would mark his fourth season of NHL action. A late-bloomer, Sabourin made his debut at age 27 with Ottawa during the 2019-20 season, where he played in 35 games, a career-high. Since then, he’s featured largely in the AHL once again, but has seen time with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020-21 and Ottawa once against in 2021-22.