Tuesday, January 09, 2018
An Open Letter to Gary Bettman
While I might have neglected my blog, I certainly haven't neglected my Ottawa Senators. 2017 was a memorable one, at first for good reasons (an unexpected, emotional final four finish in the Stanley Cup playoffs) but now, for bad ones (currently 29th out of 31 teams in the league). And while even in this disappointing season there was still some memorable games, including their participation in the Global Series in Stockholm and the outdoor NHL 100 Classic against Montreal where they triumphed 3-0 in freezing weather, the stench of unstable ownership reeked havoc on the Senators fan base and became the top story of 2017. Yes, the never-shy-to-comment Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk couldn't help but open his mouth on the weekend where the NHL was supposed to celebrate 100 years of existence of professional ice hockey. Instead, he decided to blame fans for attendance issues that became noticeable since last season, even threatening to move the team if things don't get better. Everyone is to blame, it seems, except for the guy writing the cheques, Eugene Melnyk.
It's hard to candy-coat the attendance issues going on at Canadian Tire Centre, especially when they took the step of tarping off some sections in the upper levels of the arena. And while Sens fans aren't happy they're up, it was an attempt to perhaps increase demand by restricting supply, a move they felt they had to make. In the end though, this is a type of band-aid solution. Eventually, attendance does need to improve and the owner threatening relocation or tarping off seats can only do so much. But when it comes to threatening to relocate, it will not have the results Eugene is looking for.
First off, Melnyk likes to come across as a saviour, who bought the team for approximately $93 million US back in 2003 when the previous owners sought bankruptcy protection. It was all for the community, you see. He had journalists spew unverified nonsense about how he has lost $10 million or so each season to operate the team. But why would you hold on to a franchise that's losing so much money? Wouldn't you sell? No, he hasn't and has declared on numerous occasions that he won't. And there's good reason for it: The asset of the Ottawa Senators franchise is valuable. Over $400 million, according to Forbes. Not a bad return for something he bought about 15 years ago. So even if you believe his "losses" at face value, he still comes out ahead...like most old, rich white guys involved in major sports ownership.
In the last few years, Melnyk started to really turn off the fans whenever he'd go on the radio or TV to discuss the state of the team. Kept on using words like "budget" over and over again. And now it's an open secret that the Senators hockey operations is running at one of the lowest budgets in the league. Rumours have surfaced that he failed to meet staff (not players) payroll during December, which Melnyk flatly denied. But when you look at all of this, what we seem to have here is an owner who, on paper, has a valuable asset, but doesn't have cash on hand to run the team properly. In other words, it's nice that you own a luxurious mansion, but you still need to cough up the dough for maintenance and repair. And it seems Melnyk is struggling on this end of the equation.
And Mr. Bettman, this is where you come into the picture. From the very little that I know about sports franchise ownership, my understanding is that you can't arbitrarily force an owner to sell their team just because you ask them to. But perhaps you can look at his books, look at his cash flow statement, and say, "Look, Eugene, you simply don't have the financial health to run the team properly", and find an owner that will pay fair market value, or even more, to assume ownership of the Ottawa Senators. Apply the pressure. Because as long as he's running the show, Melnyk will hurt the team, from staff to management to players and as we can see now, the fans. While the Senators struggle on the ice, fingers are getting pointed on who to blame: Players? Sure. Coaches? Sure. And then the finger gets pointed at General Manager Pierre Dorion. But here I actually feel for the guy, as I believe he cannot run the team and make the transactions he feels are necessary to make the team better as long as Melnyk is looking over his shoulder, reminding him of cost constraints that need to be imposed. While a lot of fans were excited at the prospect of Canadian Olympian Matt Duchene joining the Senators, not many thought it would be at the cost of losing a solid player and community guy Kyle Turris. All things seem to point to Turris wanting to stay, but had no interest to do so under current ownership. Plus his wife openly mocked a quote from GM Dorion on Twitter, claiming he's in charge and doesn't have to run to the owner on every decision. Fans have started to come out to say that as long as Melnyk is in charge, they will not buy tickets. There have been issues unique to the city that many say are causing the attendance issues, such as the Phoenix pay system affecting thousands of government employees for example, or the commute to the suburbs to reach the arena in the first place. While they are a concern, I am also of the opinion that should Eugene Melnyk sell the team to an owner who has the proper resources to run the team properly, fans will respond accordingly at the box office and buy up tickets.
As long as Eugene Melnyk is in charge, who is still carrying a liver donated to him by an anonymous Sens fans who just asked he do all he can to bring a Stanley Cup to Ottawa, his ungratefulness he has demonstrated to the community and fans cannot be overstated. His threat to move the team was uncalled for. And he has to go.
There are a couple of things Sens fans have to look forward to in the next little while. An announcement regarding a move to Lebreton Flats, where an arena located downtown would FINALLY solve the nightmare of driving to Kanata to attend a game, should come soon. And I'm also looking forward to next season's re-branding, where it has been said the centurion logo would be abandoned as the primary logo in favour of the heritage "O", which in my view has been long overdue. I look forward to a new jersey purchase when it looks nice.
But, there are other things that have Sens fans terrified. Mainly, will their franchise defenceman Erik Karlsson stay with the Senators when he's eligible for a new contract this summer? It's one thing when a player believes the team is no longer competitive (their current place in the standings is terrible) but on top of that, if Melnyk is still in charge, would a player of his caliber really want to play for an owner like that? I wouldn't. Again, another situation where the on-ice product could potentially suffer because Eugene Melnyk is the owner.
2018 will be quite the defining year for the team. Some good, but a lot has the potential to be disastrous for the Senators. Much can be rectified though, by a change at the top. And Gary Bettman, I implore to do something, anything, to get Melnyk out of there. The team, the league and the fans will definitely be better off for it, and who knows, maybe if you can pull this off, there will be one city in the NHL that won't boo you while you're handing over a Stanley Cup.
It's hard to candy-coat the attendance issues going on at Canadian Tire Centre, especially when they took the step of tarping off some sections in the upper levels of the arena. And while Sens fans aren't happy they're up, it was an attempt to perhaps increase demand by restricting supply, a move they felt they had to make. In the end though, this is a type of band-aid solution. Eventually, attendance does need to improve and the owner threatening relocation or tarping off seats can only do so much. But when it comes to threatening to relocate, it will not have the results Eugene is looking for.
First off, Melnyk likes to come across as a saviour, who bought the team for approximately $93 million US back in 2003 when the previous owners sought bankruptcy protection. It was all for the community, you see. He had journalists spew unverified nonsense about how he has lost $10 million or so each season to operate the team. But why would you hold on to a franchise that's losing so much money? Wouldn't you sell? No, he hasn't and has declared on numerous occasions that he won't. And there's good reason for it: The asset of the Ottawa Senators franchise is valuable. Over $400 million, according to Forbes. Not a bad return for something he bought about 15 years ago. So even if you believe his "losses" at face value, he still comes out ahead...like most old, rich white guys involved in major sports ownership.
In the last few years, Melnyk started to really turn off the fans whenever he'd go on the radio or TV to discuss the state of the team. Kept on using words like "budget" over and over again. And now it's an open secret that the Senators hockey operations is running at one of the lowest budgets in the league. Rumours have surfaced that he failed to meet staff (not players) payroll during December, which Melnyk flatly denied. But when you look at all of this, what we seem to have here is an owner who, on paper, has a valuable asset, but doesn't have cash on hand to run the team properly. In other words, it's nice that you own a luxurious mansion, but you still need to cough up the dough for maintenance and repair. And it seems Melnyk is struggling on this end of the equation.
And Mr. Bettman, this is where you come into the picture. From the very little that I know about sports franchise ownership, my understanding is that you can't arbitrarily force an owner to sell their team just because you ask them to. But perhaps you can look at his books, look at his cash flow statement, and say, "Look, Eugene, you simply don't have the financial health to run the team properly", and find an owner that will pay fair market value, or even more, to assume ownership of the Ottawa Senators. Apply the pressure. Because as long as he's running the show, Melnyk will hurt the team, from staff to management to players and as we can see now, the fans. While the Senators struggle on the ice, fingers are getting pointed on who to blame: Players? Sure. Coaches? Sure. And then the finger gets pointed at General Manager Pierre Dorion. But here I actually feel for the guy, as I believe he cannot run the team and make the transactions he feels are necessary to make the team better as long as Melnyk is looking over his shoulder, reminding him of cost constraints that need to be imposed. While a lot of fans were excited at the prospect of Canadian Olympian Matt Duchene joining the Senators, not many thought it would be at the cost of losing a solid player and community guy Kyle Turris. All things seem to point to Turris wanting to stay, but had no interest to do so under current ownership. Plus his wife openly mocked a quote from GM Dorion on Twitter, claiming he's in charge and doesn't have to run to the owner on every decision. Fans have started to come out to say that as long as Melnyk is in charge, they will not buy tickets. There have been issues unique to the city that many say are causing the attendance issues, such as the Phoenix pay system affecting thousands of government employees for example, or the commute to the suburbs to reach the arena in the first place. While they are a concern, I am also of the opinion that should Eugene Melnyk sell the team to an owner who has the proper resources to run the team properly, fans will respond accordingly at the box office and buy up tickets.
As long as Eugene Melnyk is in charge, who is still carrying a liver donated to him by an anonymous Sens fans who just asked he do all he can to bring a Stanley Cup to Ottawa, his ungratefulness he has demonstrated to the community and fans cannot be overstated. His threat to move the team was uncalled for. And he has to go.
There are a couple of things Sens fans have to look forward to in the next little while. An announcement regarding a move to Lebreton Flats, where an arena located downtown would FINALLY solve the nightmare of driving to Kanata to attend a game, should come soon. And I'm also looking forward to next season's re-branding, where it has been said the centurion logo would be abandoned as the primary logo in favour of the heritage "O", which in my view has been long overdue. I look forward to a new jersey purchase when it looks nice.
But, there are other things that have Sens fans terrified. Mainly, will their franchise defenceman Erik Karlsson stay with the Senators when he's eligible for a new contract this summer? It's one thing when a player believes the team is no longer competitive (their current place in the standings is terrible) but on top of that, if Melnyk is still in charge, would a player of his caliber really want to play for an owner like that? I wouldn't. Again, another situation where the on-ice product could potentially suffer because Eugene Melnyk is the owner.
2018 will be quite the defining year for the team. Some good, but a lot has the potential to be disastrous for the Senators. Much can be rectified though, by a change at the top. And Gary Bettman, I implore to do something, anything, to get Melnyk out of there. The team, the league and the fans will definitely be better off for it, and who knows, maybe if you can pull this off, there will be one city in the NHL that won't boo you while you're handing over a Stanley Cup.
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