Sens implode

On the ice, the Ottawa Senators have one of the worst win-loss records in the NHL over the calendar year. Off the ice, it's hard to think of another team with more distractions and controversies swirling around it.

The team traded captain Erik Karlsson after a summer that saw his wife filed a court order against the girlfriend of one of the team's leading scorers, who was also sent packing.

That was before the team's top centre and five other players were caught in a leaked Uber video criticizing a coach — one of those players would also be traded — and before plans for a new downtown arena collapsed spectacularly when team owner Eugene Melnyk ​sued his partners in the venture.

For Sens fans, a glimmer of hope remains: the play of youngsters Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk, who have helped Ottawa set a pace in the standings well above last year's 67 points.

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch, right, celebrates after scoring against Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson (41) during overtime of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, in Las Vegas. (John Locher/The Associated Press)

Brooke brings it home

A year after falling short at a course a little under an hour's drive from her hometown of Smiths Falls, golfer Brooke Henderson triumphed at the CP Women's Open in Saskatchewan in late August.

Henderson finished at 21 under par, four shots clear of the runner-up, to become the first Canadian to win the tournament in 45 years.

Her next tournament win will tie Mike Weir for the most PGA or LPGA tournament wins for any Canadian golfer.

Overall, Henderson finished fourth in the LPGA's money list this year.

The Canadian paced the field, finishing 21-under par to win the CP Women's Open. She became just the 2nd Canadian women to win the tournament, snapping a 45-year drought. 1:58

Long-awaited wins

The Carleton Ravens women's basketball team didn't lose a single game in their 2017-18 season, winning their first ever national championship against the University of Saskatchewan — in Saskatchewan.

Carleton's Catherine Traer went on to represent Canada at the Commonwealth Games, while the Ravens' all-time leading scorer, Heather Lindsay, signed with a team in Germany.

This season the team is 8-2, ranked seventh in the country.

A pretty similar storyline played out in the fall for the University of Ottawa women's soccer team, who lost just one game all season and were the successful hosts of the national championship.

It was their first national title since 1996.

The University of Ottawa women's soccer team lost one game all season en route to a national championship on their home field on Nov. 11. (Kim Vallière/Radio-Canada)

Redblacks score settled

2016: Ottawa beats Calgary 39-33 in the 104th Grey Cup.

2018: Calgary beats Ottawa 27-16 in the 106th Grey Cup.

The Stampeders are ahead in the almost entirely meaningless combined score category, 60 to 55, ahead of a potential Grey Cup rematch in Calgary Nov. 24, 2019.

It's yet to be seen whether free agents Trevor Harris or Bo Levi Mitchell will be back as starting quarterback of their respective teams.

Ottawa Redblacks' Julian Feoli-Gudino sits in the dressing room after losing to the Calgary Stampeders during the 106th Grey Cup in Edmonton, Alta. Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

Gabriela Dabrowski triumphs

Gabriela Dabrowski, who's just had the tennis courts at Ottawa's Russell Boyd Park named after her, followed up a French Open mixed doubles win in 2017 with an Australian Open mixed doubles win in 2018.

She and partner Mate Pavic fell just short of a repeat at this year's French Open, losing in the final.

Dabrowski peaked at seventh in the WTA's doubles rankings this year, and currently sits in 10th place.

Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski, left, makes a forehand return as partner Croatia's Mate Pavic watches against Hungary's Timea Babos and India's Rohan Bopanna in the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championships. (Dita Alangkara/The Associated Press)

Highs and lows in Pyeongchang

Ottawa-raised John Morris earned the first-ever Olympic gold medal in mixed doubles curling with partner Kaitlyn Lawes.

Curling mixed doubles gold medalists Kaitlyn Lawes, left, and John Morris, of Canada, smile during their medals ceremony at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press)

Rachel Homan's Ottawa rink were considered strong contenders for the podium, but didn't make the medal round.

Speed skater Ivanie Blondin and freestyle skier Olivier Rochon​ earned top-five finishes, while bobsledder Seyi Smith and alpine skier Dustin Cook both finished in the top 10.

67's blast off

The Ottawa 67's entered the OHL's Christmas break with 25 wins, within spitting distance of the 30 wins they earned by the end of last season.

They have the most points in the league and are one of the top junior hockey teams in the country, with new acquisition Michael DiPietro playing just a single game between the pipes before leaving to represent Canada at the World Juniors.

They'll try to make it deep into the OHL playoffs for the first time since 2012, and are in good shape to book their ticket to May's Memorial Cup in Halifax.

After that, DiPietro and Sasha Chmelevski may go pro, while Graeme Clarke and Nikita Okhotyuk are ranked as top 100 NHL draft prospects in June.

Ottawa 67 Sasha Chmelevski, 22, celebrates the game winning goal against Team Canada during third period game action at a summer showcase. Chmelevski is one of the leaders for a 67's team pushing for a deep run into the OHL playoffs for the first time in several seasons. (Jeff Bassett/The Canadian Press)

Fury burned — twice

Ottawa Fury FC's fiery-headed mascot, Sparky, certainly symbolized the squad's fortunes this year — and not in a good way.

First. a group visiting Toronto FC supporters lit things up when they tossed flares onto the pitch and into the stands during a match.

Nobody was injured, but the game was interrupted. Members of the Inebriatti supporters group who smuggled the pyrotechnics into the stadium later apologized, several people were banned from TFC's own stadium.

A security guard picks up a flare that was thrown onto the field in Ottawa during a game between the Ottawa Fury FC and the Toronto FC in July. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)

Then in December, CONCACAF, the group managing soccer in North and Central America, told the team it wouldn't be allowed to play in the United Soccer League now that Canada has its own professional league.

The Fury called foul and were prepared to appeal that decision to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, CONCACAF made a sudden about-face late in the month, allowing the club to remain in the USL for 2019 after all.