Chris Phillips

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Phillips' journey to the NHL began in Fort McMurray, Alberta, where he played for the Junior A Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League from 1993–95. He then joined the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL for the 1995-96 season, registering 10 goals and 30 assists in 61 games as a rookie. After being drafted first overall by Ottawa in 1996, he was reassigned to the Raiders for 1996-97 before being traded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. With Lethbridge, Phillips helped the club win the President's Cup and earn a berth at the 1997 Memorial Cup, where he was selected to the Memorial Cup all-star team and won the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL's top defenseman. Phillips made his NHL debut in 1997–98, appearing in 72 games and helping the Senators finish above .500 for the first time in team history. Over his career, he scored memorable playoff goals, including an overtime winner in game six of the 2003 Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils and another overtime winner in game four of the 2004 first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. During the 2006-07 season, Phillips had a +36 rating and served as an alternate captain as the Senators reached the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals. On February 5, 2015, Phillips played his 1,179th game for Ottawa, breaking Daniel Alfredsson's franchise record for most games played.

In Their Own Story

The arena hums with tension as the clock winds down in game six of the 2003 Eastern Conference finals. Chris Phillips skates back into position, breath visible in the cold air of the rink. The Senators are facing elimination against the New Jersey Devils. With a calm demeanor, Phillips intercepts a pass near the blue line and joins the rush. In overtime, he scores the winning goal, forcing a seventh game. The crowd erupts as his teammates rally around him, grateful for another shift where the defense held firm against the pressure of the moment. Though the Senators lost game seven, Phillips' goal remains one of the most memorable in franchise history.

Reader's Guide

Chris Phillips stands as a cornerstone of the Ottawa Senators franchise, embodying defensive integrity during his entire NHL career from 1997–98 through 2015–16. Drafted first overall in 1996, he evolved from a WHL standout—winning the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL's top defenseman in 1996-97—into a stay-at-home defenceman who anchored the blue line for nearly two decades. Phillips played 1,179 regular-season games and 114 playoff games with Ottawa, making him the longest-serving player in franchise history. He served as an alternate captain starting in the 2006-07 season, when he helped the Senators reach the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals. His career was marked by consistency: he played all 82 games in 2003–04, 2006-07, 2008–09, and 2009–10. Phillips scored memorable playoff overtime winners against the Devils in 2003 and the Maple Leafs in 2004. On February 5, 2015, he set the franchise record for most games played, surpassing Daniel Alfredsson. After suffering a crack in a disc in his back in the summer of 2015, Phillips missed the entire 2015–16 season and announced his retirement on May 26, 2016. His jersey number (#4) was retired by the Senators on February 18, 2020, making him the second player in franchise history to receive that honor, after Daniel Alfredsson.

Did You Know?

• Phillips was drafted first overall in the 1996 NHL entry draft by the Ottawa Senators.
• He played 1,179 regular-season games with Ottawa, the most in Senators franchise history.
• Phillips scored an overtime winner in game six of the 2003 Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils.
• He won the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL's top defenseman in 1996-97.
• Phillips' jersey number (#4) was retired by the Senators on February 18, 2020, making him the second player in franchise history to receive that honor.