Nov 25, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; View of a Ottawa Senators logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the second period at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Senators Deploy Unusual Interview Tactic for NHL Draft

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Ottawa Senators are coming off a notable step forward for their organization. Fighting their way to the playoffs, they showed that they have the chance to become a contender in the near future. Part of taking that next step is continuing to add talent to the organizational depth chart, and they have a key opportunity to do so in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft.

With the Senators and the rest of the NHL teams getting the opportunity to formally meet with some of the top prospects at the 2025 NHL Draft Combine, Ottawa is reportedly deploying an interesting line of questioning in their pre-draft interviews.

According to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers, the Senators put several of their interviewees on the spot by requesting them to tell a joke. Some couldn’t even muster up a quick knock knock joke or limerick, and failed to impress with their responses.

“Ottawa asked some prospects to tell them a joke with no notice,” he wrote via his X account. “Some weren’t able to do it.”

Ottawa asked some prospects to tell them a joke with no notice. Some weren't able to do it. #NHLCombine
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) June 7, 2025

It may seem like an arbitrary or peculiar question, but there are many possible reasons a team may ask a young player this. The first is the obvious one in that it’s unusual. Scheig reports that it was unexpected enough to throw several prospects completely off and fail to answer altogether. That’s precisely what Ottawa was testing. Hockey is a game of milliseconds, and being quick on your feet and with your decision making is as important as the skill set you bring.

Another possible reason is to see if they can align with the locker room culture and goal. A joke or euphemism at the ready can highlight a prospective player’s sense of humor and communication style. It may seem trivial, but the Senators may have deployed a sneaky, yet excellent line of questioning to better assess future players.

It goes to show you that it always pays to have a joke in your back pocket. Those 2025 NHL Draft prospects learned that the hard way.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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