Is Ottawa ready for the return of former Senators winger Dany Heatley?

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This is not the return of the prodigal son for fans of the Ottawa Senators, it’s the return of the problematic son.

One of the last times we saw Dany Heatley at the Canadian Tire Centre, fans threw his jersey on the ice, screaming that he “sucks” and one fan held up a sign saying “Even (Alexei) Yashin thinks you’re a jerk.”

That was on Dec. 2, 2010, nearly 15 months after the two-time 50-goal scorer with the Senators had demanded a trade elsewhere and was moved to the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 12, 2009.

Heatley may have gone, but he wasn’t forgotten.

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However, the 43-year-old Heatley will return to the rink he once called home on Thursday night for a game against the Detroit Red Wings as part of a ‘Pizza Line Reunion” with former Ottawa teammates Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza.

Time heals all wounds and, in this case, the reaction to the Senators bringing back Heatley to be part of a night to honour one of the most prolific lines in franchise history has been positive. Still, his departure and the way it unfolded left a sour taste in a lot of people’s mouths.

Internally, this was a sensitive matter in the club’s front office because Heatley’s departure left many with mixed feelings.

Alfredsson bolted as an unrestricted free agent for Detroit in 2013, but was still beloved by the city and the franchise. Spezza asked for a trade because he didn’t like the pressure attached to being the captain after Alfredsson left and was dealt to Dallas on July 1, 2014.

Heatley’s departure was different in a lot of ways.

A FRESH START IN OTTAWA

Heatley was traded to the Senators from the Atlanta Thrashers on Aug. 23, 2005, along with defenceman Greg de Vries in exchange for winger Marian Hossa.

Hossa had just signed a three-year, $18-million deal to avoid arbitration and only hours later general manager John Muckler sent him packing in exchange for Heatley.

Two years after a tragic car accident that took the life of Atlanta teammate Dan Snyder with Heatley at the wheel, the goal-scoring winger had asked then Thrashers GM Don Waddell for a fresh start and Hossa was an established player coming back from Ottawa.

Heatley had never made the playoffs in Atlanta, but he set up shop with a Senators team trying to make the next step after advancing to the Eastern Conference final in 2003.

In four seasons in Ottawa, Heatley, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2000 National Hockey League entry draft, posted 180 goals, 182 assists and 362 points in 317 games with the franchise.

He was the first 50-goal scorer in franchise history in the 2005-06 campaign and, just for good measure, he completed the feat again in 2006-07 when the Senators advanced to the Stanley Cup final against Anaheim.

The Senators didn’t make the playoffs in Heatley’s final year in Ottawa in 2008-09 under coach Cory Clouston and word leaked during the Stanley Cup final the star forward wanted out.

Heatley felt his role “diminished” under Clouston and wanted to move on, but the request came less than a year after signing a six-year extension with the team and committing to the city.

Hossa went on to become a Hall of Fame player and Heatley finished his career as a journeyman in the minors.

A DRAMATIC SUMMER

The situation made for a rocky summer when Heatley decided not to speak about his request. However, general manager Bryan Murray confirmed the club was trying to move one of its alternate captains and highest scorers.

Heatley had a $4 million US bonus payable on July 1, 2009, and the Senators were hoping to have him off the books by midnight on Canada Day before late owner Eugene Melnyk had to cut the cheque.

Murray had a deal in place with the Oilers on July 1, 2009, but Heatley refused to waive his “no-move” clause to accept it. The deal would have sent Heatley to Edmonton in exchange for Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid.

Instead, Heatley and his agent J.P. Barry told the Senators they wanted “more options” despite a visit to his Kelowna home from Oilers owner Daryl Katz, president Kevin Lowe and GM Steve Tambellini begging him to make the move to Edmonton.

Heatley opted to go into hiding in Kelowna, but that didn’t stop reporters from trying to get him to speak. The Ottawa Sun hired a freelance photographer who used to work for the newspaper but had relocated to British Columbia to take pictures of Heatley at his place on the lake.

On July 25, 2009, Spezza married Ottawa native Jennifer Snell at the Notre Dame Basilica downtown and the reception was held across the street at the National Art Gallery. The Ottawa Citizen had a handful of photographers in various places around the church along with a videographer in case Heatley was on hand.

Heatley was a no-show. It was later reported that Spezza requested Heatley stay away because he didn’t want the wedding to turn into a media circus.

Heatley didn’t speak to the press until a disastrous conference call in late August, during which he confirmed he wanted out of Ottawa but refused to divulge exactly why.

“When I signed in Ottawa two years ago, I felt it was to be an integral part of the team,” Heatley said that day. “Over the last two years and more recently over the past year, I feel my role was diminished. This past season, it diminished a lot more.

“I’m a player who can play in a lot of different situations. I don’t feel I was given that role on the team.”

TIME TO MOVE ON

When Heatley refused the trade to Edmonton, management felt he was trying to engineer a deal to San Jose. Wayne Thomas, the Sharks assistant GM, was a family friend and former roommate of Heatley’s father in college.

Though Heatley reported to camp in September, a breakfast meeting with Alfredsson and former alternate captain Chris Phillips the day before camp got underway sealed his fate.

Alfredsson and Phillips both relayed to Murray that the best resolution for the Senators and the dressing room was to get Heatley out of there.

Less than 24 hours later, Murray dealt Heatley to the Sharks along with a fifth-round pick in 2010 in exchange for Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Michalek and a second-round pick in 2010.

Murray had to take what he could get.

“It’s a deal that we talked about throughout the summer, although Michalek came in late,” Murray said. “I talked to Dany and he was adamant that he wanted to be moved. And we felt based on that, more than anything, that we should get the value that we could get for him and move on.

“What we care about are the guys in our room and we feel that this makes the core group know where they are going forward.”

ONE LAST SHOT

But Melnyk wasn’t about to Heatley walk away without taking one last stab at trying to get the bonus back.

Melnyk launched a grievance with the NHL’s head office in Nov. 2009 because Heatley refused to go to the Oilers. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly felt the Senators had a case and supported the decision by the Senators to pursue compensation from Heatley’s camp.

The matter wasn’t settled until the two sides came to an agreement in 2013 to close the books on it.

Heatley had since been dealt to the Minnesota Wild by the Sharks.

The decision by Melnyk to file a grievance was unprecedented. Though Heatley’s camp was trying to get the case dismissed, Melnyk had been steadfast in his pursuit of trying to get some compensation.

Melnyk contended in the paperwork that Heatley’s camp permitted the Senators to speak with the Oilers and the two-time, 50-goal scorer should have accepted the deal to Edmonton when it was made.

It’s believed Melnyk not only claimed the decision by Heatley to kill the deal cost him $4 million, but it also hurt the club’s ability to sell season tickets because of the uncertainty in the Senators camp.

NOW, HEATLEY RETURNS

The settlement closed the chapter on Heatley and the Senators.

Heatley is working as a part-time professional scout on the West Coast for the Philadelphia Flyers.

He has a good relationship with Philly GM Daniel Briere and Heatley is based out of his Los Angeles home. He isn’t in the rink 30 days a month but follows the Kings, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose, Vegas Golden Knights and the American Hockey League teams based in California.

The biggest question being asked internally in the club’s office and externally among the fans is: Why now?

Owner Michael Andlauer is big on having alumni involved with the organization. One of his moves when he was part of the ownership group with the Montreal Canadiens was to make sure that star Guy Lafleur was guaranteed a job for life.

Heatley isn’t being brought back to be installed in the Ring of Honour and there are questions as to whether that will ever be the case, and Spezza deserves to be in there first.

This isn’t a case of mending fences with a player because Heatley made his own bed. Bringing him back with Alfredsson and Spezza will help dull any negative reaction and Heatley tried to soften the blow of his return by speaking to the club’s website last week.

This is a first step by the Senators, but it’s hard to say that this is long overdue. The club has opted to extend an olive branch to Heatley, he accepted and everybody will be able to smile for the cameras on Thursday.

If Vince Carter can return to the National Basketball Association’s Toronto Raptors to have his number retired after everything that went on there, then it’s time for the Senators and Heatley to bury the hatchet.

Still, he left behind a complicated legacy.

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