The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

Ok, the NFL started tonight. Woo-hoo. Go Steelers!

But my Ottawa Senators have some potential legal troubles, so I have no choice but to write about it. Former GM Marshall Johnston, who left the Senators in 2002, says he was owed money from the final year of his contract and hadn't been paid. Of course, this was all during the time when the Senators filed for bankruptcy and Eugene Melnyk entered the fray and bought them. With that being said, Johnston has tried to get the NHL (aka head honcho Gary Bettman) to settle the claim, the Senators objected and no money was coming to Johnston. However, this December the case will be heard in Ontario civil court as he has decided to sue them himself.

What makes this interesting is that this has never happened before. Commissioner Bettman is appointed to settle these problems internally. So if Johnston succeeds in his suit, we may see all sorts of cases being heard in court rather than being dealt with the NHL.

Johnston was an ok GM. He made the trade that brought Spezza, Chara and Muckalt for Alexei Yashin which is probably the best trade in Ottawa's history, and almost landed Vincent Lecavalier in a deal that would have sent Bonk and Salo to Tampa.

I can't imagine Johnston being owed that much, so I don't see why they just don't pay him. But I guess the bankruptcy may have voided that, and if you open that door maybe other creditors should be paid, too. We'll see what happens when the case is heard December 5th.