OTTAWA--Lunch hour in the nation’s capital went into overtime on Thursday when hundreds of Ottawa Senators fans gathered for a lively rally to celebrate the team’s quest for the Stanley Cup.

Fans are anxiously awaiting game number one on Monday, when the Senators take on the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and are spreading the playoff fever.

The noontime celebration at Ottawa’s city hall featured a barbecue, live music, and special guests including the three founders of the modern-day Ottawa Senators team and former players. Under a scorching sun, the crowd was a sea of red, with people wearing painted faces and the team colours and waving Senators flags and homemade signs and tinfoil Stanley Cups. The party kicked off at 11:30 a.m. and is scheduled to last well into the afternoon.
 
“Let’s bring Stanley home,” Ottawa’s mayor, Larry O’Brien, shouted to the jubilant crowd. He then proclaimed May 24 “duck-free zone day” in Ottawa and a massive Senators flag was unfurled over the wall of city hall. “We’re representing Canada in the Stanley Cup playoffs,” Mr. O’Brien said. “Each and every one of us in this city has another 33 million people that are hoping that we are going to have the biggest party ever in about two weeks.”
 
When the Senators beat the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, thousands of fans poured out of the bars and restaurants on the downtown’s Elgin Street—now known as “Sens Mile”--where they had been watching the game, and kicked off an impromptu street party. Many of the fans then made their way through the downtown streets and ended up on Parliament Hill where they kept the party going for hours. With the blessing of city hall, the street parties will be a regular feature throughout the playoffs. The municipality has agreed to close off “Sens Mile” to traffic during each of the games.
 
Playoff fever has gripped the capital and fans have been showing their pride in different and creative ways.  A local hip hop artist named Belly produced a song called “Go Sens Go” that has been dominating the airwaves of a popular radio station. He performed it live at Thursday’s rally. Readers of the Ottawa Citizen have also been voting for their player with the best playoff beard.