NEWS RELEASE
MUNICIPALITY OF GREY HIGHLANDS
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Flesherton’s own Chris Neil was honoured Friday evening when his number was retired by the Ottawa Senators.
During a ceremony at the Canadian Tire Centre, before the Senators’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks, jersey No. 25 was hoisted to the rafters.
Neil’s career is an impressive one, with 1,026 games played, 250 points, and 2,522 penalty minutes, all with the Ottawa Senators. Chris played 15 seasons with the team, was named alternate captain before the 2013-14 season and kept this title for the remainder of his playing career.
In attendance at the ceremony were Chris’s wife, Caitlin, and children, Hailey, Cole, and Finn, his brothers, Dan, Jeff, and Jason, his father, Barry, and over 200 local fans from Flesherton and area.
Only three other numbers have been retired in Senators history. Neil joins the ranks of Frank Arthur Finnigan’s No. 8, Daniel Alfredsson’s No. 11, and Chris Phillips’s No. 4.
Chris and his wife, Caitlin, have been tremendous ambassadors for the community, contributing countless hours of volunteer work to help numerous charitable organizations. As part of this dedication, they were named honorary co-chairs of Roger Neilson House, a pediatric palliative care facility that provides care and support for children facing terminal illnesses.
In 2016, the Municipality of Grey Highlands declared Dec. 17 as Chris Neil Day in honour of his 1,000th NHL game. Few NHL players get to play 1,000 games, even fewer do so with the same team, and still, fewer have a reputation for never taking a night off.
“We’re proud of Chris’s accomplishments and have supported him throughout his hockey career. He is a tremendous leader on and off the ice, and we are proud to have him represent Grey Highlands. The Neil family have been longtime supporters of the community,” said Mayor Paul McQueen.
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