Senators by the Numbers: #24

Lonnie Loach L 1992-1993

Born in New Liskeard, Ontario in 1968, Loach was drafted 98^th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1986. After a successful junior career, Loach played one season with the Canadian National Team in 1989-90. He was claimed by the Ottawa Senators in the 1992 Expansion Draft. Despite being in both Chicago's and Detroit's system, Loach did not make his NHL debut until he joined the Senators. After just three games with the Senators, Loach was released and picked up by the LA Kings. Loach spent the majority of his career in the IHL and AHL. He finished his career in 2005-06 after several seasons with the Missouri River Otters of the UHL. Since retirement, Loach has run a successful hockey tournament in Northern Ontario and has been active in organizing fundraising hockey tournaments.

Robert Burakowsky R 1993-1994

Born in Malmö, Sweden in 1966, Burakowsky was drafted 217^th overall by the New York Rangers in 1985. That same year he began his professional career in SEL. He spent four seasons with Leksands, two with AIK Solna, and another two with Malmö. The Rangers traded his rights to the Senators in May, 1993 for future considerations. He played 23 NHL games with the Senators in 1993-94, before returning to Europe where he played in Austria, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Italy, Denmark, and Switzerland. He retired in 2012.

Steve Konroyd D 1993-1994

Born in Scarborough, Ontario in 1961, Konroyd was drafted 39^th overall by the Calgary Flames in 1980. He played 895 games in the NHL for six different teams. He was acquired by Ottawa in a trade with Detroit for Daniel Berthiaume on March 21, 1994. After finishing the season with the Senators, he would sign with his first team, the Calgary Flames, for the 1994-95 season but would only play one more game in the NHL. Konroyd is currently an intermission and post-game co-host for Comcast's Chicago Blackhawks broadcasts.

Daniel Laperrière D 1994-1995, 1995-1996

Born in Laval in 1969, Laperrière was drafted 93^rd overall by the St. Louis Blues in 1989. Son of Hall of Famer Jacques Lapierrière, Daniel spent four years at St. Lawrence University and was a Hobey Baker nominee in 1992. He was traded to Ottawa along with St. Louis' 9^th round choice (Erik Kaminski) for Ottawa's 9^th round choice (Libor Zabransky) on April 7, 1995. His stop in Ottawa was his last in the NHL: Laperrière moved to Germany to continue his career, spending three seasons with the SERC Wild Wings, two with Eisbären Berlin, and one with EV Duisburg Die Füchse. After two seasons in Switzerland, he returned to North America to play in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey and the Central Hockey League, retiring in 2008. Upon retirement, he was hired as an assistant coach with the Lake Erie Monsters.

Stan Neckar D 1997-1998, 1998-1999

Born in České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia in 1975, Neckar was drafted 29^th overall by the Senators in 1994. Neckar spent parts of five seasons with the Senators and wore #24 during his final two seasons. On November 27, 1998, he was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Bill Berg and New York's 2^nd round choice (later traded to Anaheim; Ducks selected Jordan Leopold). He played 10 seasons in the NHL with five different teams, winning a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and finished his career in Europe in 2005-06.

John Gruden D 1998-1999, 1999-2000

Born in Virginia, Minnesota in 1970, Gruden was drafted 168^th overall by the Boston Bruins in 1990. After a successful college hockey career at Ferris State University, he made his NHL debut with the Bruins in 1993-94. Gruden signed as a free agent with Ottawa in 1998. He played less than 100 games in the NHL and spent the majority of his career in the AHL and IHL. Since retiring, he has held several high school coaching positions.

Ivan Ciernik R 2001-2002

Born in Levice, Czechoslovakia in 1977, Ciernik was drafted 216^th overall by the Ottawa Senators in 1996. He played parts of three years with the Senators, wearing #24 during his last season with the club. Claimed by Washington on waivers in 2002, he returned to Europe during the lockout, after spending several years split between the NHL and the AHL. Ciernik spent six years in the DEL with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg and Kolner Haie and a season in the KHL as a member of Sibir Novosibirsk. A Slovak national, he has represented his country on six occasions. Ciernik currently plays for the Malmö Redhawks in Sweden.

Juha Ylonen C 2001-2002

Born in Helsinki in 1972, Ylonen was drafted 91^st overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1991. Ylonen played five more seasons in Finland with SM-liiga before making the move to North America and made his NHL debut with the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996-97. He was traded to the Senators on March 15, 2002 by the Tampa Bay Lightning for Andre Roy and Ottawa's 6^th round draft pick in 2002 (Paul Ranger). Despite playing just 27 total games in a Senators uniform, he wore two numbers - #24 was the first. While his regular season contributions were unremarkable, he did add 5 assists in 12 games during the playoffs in 2002. After the 2001-02 season, he returned to Europe and finished his playing career with Blues Espoo in Finland, retiring in 2004.

Anton Volchenkov D 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010

Born in Moscow in 1982, Volchenkov was drafted 21^st overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2000. The son of a former Red Army defenseman, Anton was enrolled in hockey school from the age of six. He scored the game-winning goal, securing a gold medal for Russia over Team Canada, at the 2001 World Junior Championships. He played for Krylya Sovetov in the Russian Super League before joining the Senators in 2002-03. While with Ottawa, he developed a well-earned reputation as a premier defensive player and elite body-checker. In the summer of 2010, he signed a six-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. Volchenkov made his second appearance with in the Stanley Cup Finals with the Devils in 2012, but again came up short.

Stephane Da Costa C 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013

Born in Paris in 1989, Da Costa was unable to speak English when he moved to the United States at 17 with hopes of advancing his hockey career. He spent two years in college with the Merrimack Warriors where he was an offensive sensation and won several awards, including Hockey East Rookie of the Year. A sought-after college free agent, Da Costa signed with the Sens in March, 2011 and played his first NHL game on April 2, 2011. In the process he became just the third French-born and trained NHL player (joining Philippe Bozon and Cristobal Huet). Since then, Da Costa has split time between the Ottawa Senators and the team's farm-club in Binghamton.

Best #24: Anton Volchenkov

Anton easily takes the honours. The longest-serving #24, he was an impact player during his time in Ottawa.

Worst #24: John Gruden

There were a few candidates but Gruden wins by virtue of making the least statistical impact of all candidates.

Who is Ottawa's best #24?