The Senators face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena on TSN 5.

The game will feature the debut of Kenzie Lalonde on Canadian Tire Senators Hockey on TSN. Lalonde is part of a trio of broadcasters – including Gord Miller and Matt Cullen – who will handle play-by-play duties for Ottawa games on TSN 5 this season.

Ahead of Tuesday’s game, Sens 360 took some time with Lalonde to discuss the path to this moment and her childhood passion for the Ottawa Senators.

You’ll call your first Ottawa Senators game on Tuesday night in Toronto. How are you feeling heading into this broadcast?

I was lucky because last year I was calling some Montreal Canadiens radio games. Mind you, I wasn’t on site for that, I was calling those remotely – so this will be my first NHL game that’s live in person and working with our TSN team. So I’m really excited for that because working alongside Jamie McLennan will be so much fun. And this will be a full circle moment for me because I grew up watching and cheering for the Ottawa Senators. So to match my voice with the current team, this is a ‘pinch me’ moment. I’ll have a moment before the puck drops where I’ll think to myself, ‘Oh my goodness. It’s not only my first Ottawa Senators game, but it’s the Battle of Ontario. And those were the games I couldn’t wait to race home from school and watch.’

You mentioned you grew up cheering for the Sens. What are your favourite memories of being a fan of this team?

When I would drive to school in the mornings with my dad, I knew we would be listening to TGOR on TSN 1200 – with JR, Steve and Jungle Jim. We would always get recap of the Sens game from the night before.

For me, some of my core memories are those early 2000s years and always going against the Leafs in the first round. And that rivalry is something that sticks with me. Ottawa is where I learned to play hockey. I learned to skate at the Johnny Leroux arena in Stittsville. I used to skate on the canal with my Sens jersey on. My favourite player was Brian McGrattan and I wore No. 16 because of him. He had that mohawk and the was always getting in fights. Guys who had an edge and chip on their shoulder when they put on a Sens jersey, seem to always catch my eye and I would cheer for them. As much as I loved the Pizza Line, I’ll always be a McGrattan fan.

And one of my favourite memories was the fact you could see Sens players just out in the community. And I remember being at Bayshore Shopping Centre and being inside a changeroom and overhearing a really familiar voice. I peeked outside and I saw Chris Neil with his whole family. I shut the dressing room door and thought, ‘That’s Chris Neil! Do I go and say hello? Do I ask for an autograph?’ And instead, I just sat there frozen for like 20 minutes until I could hear they had left. I finally came out because I was way too starstruck. And I’ll be thinking of those moments on Tuesday.

You also played competitive hockey growing up and had a chance to wear the Sens logo. What was that like for you?

Having an opportunity to play for the Ottawa Lady Senators program was amazing. Having a chance to put on a replica jersey was so cool. There was just an extra piece for making that team because you got to wear a Senators track suit and Sens jersey. That was so special to take our team picture inside the Canadian Tire Centre in the same spot as the Sens took their photo. It feels like the Sens organization has been with me every step of the way for forming my core memories in hockey.

So when it comes to play-by-play, who were the voices that influenced you when you were growing up?

There’s one answer to that and it’s Dean Brown. He was the voice of the Ottawa Senators. Think about when Dean says, ‘Winds, fires, scores.’ It’s an iconic three-word phrase that resonates with fans in Ottawa. His voice is like velvet and any time I hear his voice, I get chills. It takes me back to when I would have an evening hockey practice and we’d be in the car listening to Dean and Gord Wilson. So now to be able to work alongside him is so cool. And in TV, Gord Miller will always be a big voice for me and he’s been so helpful . And same with Bryan Mudryk who does Montreal games. I’m lucky to have them as mentors.

What do you recall about your first game of play-by-play?

My first game was a Maritime junior hockey league and it was a game between Amherst Ramblers and the Truro Bearcats. That would have been around 2019 and I was working that game for Eastlink TV in the Maritimes. I remember trying to find my vocabulary that night. You think you know the game, but the pace and the volume happens so quickly. I remember being super excited to call my first fight. The thought of calling a left hook excited me, but it didn’t happen. And I think the score ended 6-3 and I wasn’t sure how to play the whole lopsided score thing. So I recall saying on the air, ‘The Ramblers are up 6-3, but there are eight minutes left and you just never know.’ Afterwards my producer came to me and said, ‘The Ramblers ran away with that game. You don’t need to play Mr. Nice Guy.’ So I learned to just match the pace and energy of the game as it unfolds.

You’ve called lots of big games and moments, so do you still get nervous for these big moments?

There are still nerves, absolutely. I think the PWHL and the first Walter Cup Final ever. It came down to a deciding Game 5. That was such a unique experience because the game was such a uniting moment for the whole sport. That was a big moment in the landscape and there was an immense responsibility to cover that game honestly. And as a broadcaster, you need to match the energy and passion of the players on the ice. And I’ve called Canada-USA games and those games the best rivalry in sports in my opinion. And when I look ahead to Tuesday night, I’ll be nervous and excited because I want to do it justice.

You will be the first woman to do play-by-play of an Ottawa Senators game. What’s the message you’d like to share with younger fans who might be tuning in on Tuesday night?

I want them to know that anything is possible. That’s all I would say. It’s cliché, but when you see yourself in something, it’s quite exciting. There was nobody who looked like me or sounded like me doing this job when I was growing up. I didn’t even think this was possible. I only thought a role for a women in sports broadcasting was to be a reporter or to be a host. So when people ask me if this is a dream come true, I can’t really say that it is because I never thought this was not possible. I always dreamed of working as a host for Ottawa Senators broadcasts, but never in the capacity of play-by-play. So I do hope there are young female fans who watch this game and think, ‘No way. I can do this too.’ So I hope there are lots of young hockey fans who are watching and want to follow suit.