Sens army HQ

[daud]

Adam: Eugene Melnyk is right — the city of Ottawa isn't being fair
Municipal politicians leave little doubt that they’d be happy to see the back of the Senators' owner.

Mohammed Adam

Eugene Melnyk’s frustration with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and city hall boiled over in a recent interview and you can’t really blame him.

One of the more baffling things in Ottawa municipal politics is Watson and council’s hostility towards Melnyk, the owner of the city’s biggest sports franchise and significant economic engine. Where other Canadian cities with hockey franchises celebrate team owners and help the teams as best they can, Ottawa seems to revel in antagonizing and thwarting Melnyk at every turn.

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/adam-e...Ebf1gmTnmr66sP6JRvyyU#Echobox=1622724432

City politicians leave little doubt that they’d be happy to see the back of him. Remember when former Senators’ captain Daniel Alfredsson let it slip that he and Watson had discussed getting rid of Melnyk? “We’ve talked a lot, we’ve talked about the future of the Senators and its ownership and we agree,” Alfredsson said to blogger and former Ottawa Sun columnist Susan Sherring. “We hope to get a new owner.” That was telling.

It’s not unusual in team sports for supporters who pour their hearts and souls in to clubs to sour on an owner and demand changes. But it’s virtually unheard of for a politician, no less a mayor who has refused to lift a finger to help the club, to be involved in plotting an owner’s removal.

So, when Melnyk told podcaster Bob McCown and co-host John Shannon that he wants to build a new arena in Kanata, but would move it to Gatineau if Watson and council stand in his way, he was telling them his patience had run out. If they don’t want him here, he’ll go somewhere else.

“I’ve not had the easiest time in the city of Ottawa. Not with the fans, believe it or not, there’s a hierarchy in that city, and it’s political, yes,” Melnyk said. It sure is.

Here’s a man whose team, according to a University of Ottawa study, contributes $200 million a year to the city’s economy, half of which is in direct spending. All told, according to the study, the Senators have pumped more than $3 billion into the Ottawa-area economy since it’s return to the NHL in 1992. The club’s foundation has invested more than $70 million in local charities and causes. The Senators have certainly been good for Ottawa and you’d think the mayor and his council would appreciate Melnyk. But no.

Over the years, the city has bent over backwards to support several sports and entertainment enterprises, but not the Senators. Council backed a bid by the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) to redevelop Lansdowne Park, and bailed it out with public funds when it lost money during the pandemic. Council also supported the Rideau Carleton Raceway’s bid to land a casino, giving short shrift to a proposal by the Senators’ organization. Watson even made clear the casino would be at the Raceway or nowhere.

It is the same mayor who vowed that Melnyk wouldn’t get a cent of help to build a new arena. And when the LeBreton Flats redevelopment plan collapsed in mutual recrimination, Watson didn’t waste time taking sides, blaming Melnyk while ignoring his concerns about the feasibility of the project. Only recently, the city gave a Porsche dealership a $2.9-million tax break to relocate from one part of Vanier to another. In Ottawa, it seems everyone gets a piece of the public pie except if you are called the Senators. No wonder Melnyk is fuming.

“I’m dying out here. I’ve got no fans and I’m still trying to put on a show for everybody. My point is, it’s about the fairness, and it’s not even the money, it’s the fairness,” Melnyk said. “Here I am paying through the nose in taxes out there and they just gave the Porsche dealership $2.6 million tax-free… I just don’t think I’m treated fairly.” No doubt about that.

For a long time, our city government has done precious little to suggest it appreciates having the Senators in Ottawa. There’s only so much hostility one can take. If Melnyk can find welcome and success elsewhere, he should take the chance.


https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/adam-e...Ebf1gmTnmr66sP6JRvyyU#Echobox=1622724432

[daud]

my opinion...I have long disliked Melnyk and won't rehash all of that.

I do think however there has been some regrettable actions and decisions on both sides. I also wonder aloud that maybe Melnyk was partially correct that the lebreton deal wasn't nearly as good as it looked in a newspaper article. Maybe Ruddy and others were grabbing too much of the pie through direct and indirect means. Maybe there was a push to squeeze melnyk out. If watson's actions favoured one party over another in terms of policy, that would be a big no no.

I still think Melnyk is not an ideal owner for the Ottawa Senators, and I have wondered about his mental stability, but I do think there is a lot more to that lebreton deal going south than what we have seen and been told.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by daud

I still think Melnyk is not an ideal owner for the Ottawa Senators, and I have wondered about his mental stability, but I do think there is a lot more to that lebreton deal going south than what we have seen and been told.

Well, we have a pretty good idea of why the Lebreton deal went south, as each side's complaints have all been set out in public court documents. And Melnyk's claims are dubious at best.

There is something to the complaint that the City has not been a good partner to Melnyk. In a smaller market, it is a bit of a head-scratcher.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by phil235

Well, we have a pretty good idea of why the Lebreton deal went south, as each side's complaints have all been set out in public court documents. And Melnyk's claims are dubious at best.

There is something to the complaint that the City has not been a good partner to Melnyk. In a smaller market, it is a bit of a head-scratcher.

The whole situation is just sad TBH. Ottawa would benefit from a downtown arena/events centre, Melnyk would benefit greatly as well, the majority of Ottawans want the same thing, and there is land available in a prime spot along our rapid transit line. Any other city and NHL owner would find a way to get things done but there just doesn't seem to be the political/financial will. This all seems like a bit of a nightmare fueled by unreasonable people.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by daud

my opinion...I have long disliked Melnyk and won't rehash all of that.

I do think however there has been some regrettable actions and decisions on both sides. I also wonder aloud that maybe Melnyk was partially correct that the lebreton deal wasn't nearly as good as it looked in a newspaper article. Maybe Ruddy and others were grabbing too much of the pie through direct and indirect means. Maybe there was a push to squeeze melnyk out. If watson's actions favoured one party over another in terms of policy, that would be a big no no.

I still think Melnyk is not an ideal owner for the Ottawa Senators, and I have wondered about his mental stability, but I do think there is a lot more to that lebreton deal going south than what we have seen and been told.

I agree. I'm no fan of Melnyk. I think he has a rash personality and seems very hard to work with. That said, the City's attitude towards him has always been problematic. The way the City handled the casino and stadium files, giving clear preferential treatment to RCR and OSEG respectively, was appalling.

Melnyk has done a lot of good for the City. Though the last 10 years were rough with the team, in part due to his controlling ways and penny pinching, he and the organization have done a lot for the community.

Apparently he sent out ice cream trucks to CHEO, the General and QCH for his birthday to thank front line workers. He apparently did not want anyone to know it was him, but it got out. Whenever there's a negative story on Melnyk, it's all over the news. When it's something positive like this, we don't hear about it as much.

https://ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/...s-a-treat-to-help-celebrate-his-birthday

Things are never black or white. We have to look at all the facts and form a balanced opinion. When it comes to the City vs. Melnyk, I feel like the City fired the first shots. Ruddy vs Melnyk, that's a tougher call, but again, Melnyk is likely not 100% to blame.

[daud]

Originally Posted by phil235

Well, we have a pretty good idea of why the Lebreton deal went south, as each side's complaints have all been set out in public court documents. And Melnyk's claims are dubious at best.

There is something to the complaint that the City has not been a good partner to Melnyk. In a smaller market, it is a bit of a head-scratcher.

I think like Auxtown, generally its a sad situation. A deal should have been done and from the outside looking in, I see too much greed on both sides.

Hyptothetical:

The development side of Rendezvous could be 100% legally and financially in the right on all of this, but it still could be a less than great deal for Melnyk, who was not really front and centre for the start of negitiations. He's looking at the real estate piece and saying, I should get some. I don't 100% disagree. Their response is, you get your land, be happy. That's not a partner. In this scenario they are simply using him to increase the value of the land they are getting for the price of remediation.

I'm not saying that is what happened but if something along those lines did, I would lean to the idea that both sides are responsible for the failure of this project.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I think he has a rash personality and seems very hard to work with.

I mean, this has been shown over and over again and it's why I don't buy that the a lot of the fault rests with the city. (Though I do agree that the casino process was suspect and I would have been OK with a casino in Kanata).

But the LeBreton partnership imploded internally. I think Jim Watson tried to mediate and was obviously unsuccessful.

The Porsche complaint is interesting. Certainly a lot of us don't think the dealership should have received a $2M+ tax break. But the reason for it is that they are building something.

As I understand it, if Melnyk had built an arena at LeBreton, he would have been eligible for tens of millions of dollars in brownfield grants. He might be eligible somewhere else as well. But he has to build something to be eligible.

[stolenottawa]

The no love for Melnyk is all self inflicted. If he just kept his mouth shut, he would have such an easier time.

[J.OT13]

From my understanding, the RVL deal was that Melnyk built his arena and he would get 50% of the profits from the development. Maybe he wanted/needed money up-front? Pinning his entire case on 900 Albert is an interesting tactic. No doubt there was much more to it we don't know about.

I would be fine with the City and Sens striking a deal similar to what Edmonton or Calgary have done/are working on with their NHL teams. Considering the importance of the Sens to this City, 50/50 seems fair. In terms of location, it would have to be at LeBreton (or Hurdman could be a stretch).

It's not like we'd be fully funding an arena for a team that does not exist (Québec).

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

From my understanding, the RVL deal was that Melnyk built his arena and he would get 50% of the profits from the development. Maybe he wanted/needed money up-front? Pinning his entire case on 900 Albert is an interesting tactic. No doubt there was much more to it we don't know about.

I would be fine with the City and Sens striking a deal similar to what Edmonton or Calgary have done/are working on with their NHL teams. Considering the importance of the Sens to this City, 50/50 seems fair. In terms of location, it would have to be at LeBreton (or Hurdman could be a stretch).

It's not like we'd be fully funding an arena for a team that does not exist (Québec).

I'm also good with a split of that nature. The Sens/arena are important enough to the City to warrant a contribution to get them downtown. As mentioned, it would be a big loss for the city if something can't get done on a new, centrally located arena.

As for Melnyk, perhaps there is more to the issues he had with Ruddy, but I kind of doubt it. He has to lay out the basis for his suit in his statement of claim, and that seems to be all there is to it. I think it's more likely that

a) his people negotiated a deal while he was incapacitated and he decided that he didn't like it (which is irrelevant from a legal perspective)
b) he wanted out of the deal
c) he took the approach of commencing litigation as a pressure tactic (which seems to be his go-to move based on his history).

I think that the long history of Melnyk falling out with and often suing business partners, service providers etc. is pretty indicative of who is at fault. There is one common denominator in all of these situations.

[rocketphish]

Senators Community Foundation undergoes change with departure of Chris Phillips

Bruce Garrioch, Postmedia
Publishing date: Jun 23, 2021 • 3 hours ago • 1 minute read

The Senators Community Foundation will have a new look next season.

Former defenceman Chris Phillips, the franchise record-holder in games played with 1,179 in his career, has handed in his resignation after being the named the face of the charitable organization last August.

The Senators had no comment on the decision by 43-year-old Phillips to leave the executive director position. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Wednesday that Phillips left after the organization let senior director Brad Weir go last week.

The Senators Community Foundation was formed last season after the Ottawa Senators Foundation decided to end its relationship with the organization.

Anthony LeBlanc, the club’s president of business operations, said the board of directors of the old foundation wanted an automatic one-year extension, but the Senators didn’t want to go that route without a business plan in place. The club offered to extend the agreement for four months, but the board opted to go in another direction without the club’s brand.

It’s been a difficult year because raising money for the charitable arm hasn’t been easy with no fans in the Canadian Tire Centre and having to rely on online sales for the 50/50 draws held on a nightly basis.

The Senators are waiting for word from the province on what next season will look like and what the capacity will be. In the past, the foundation has focused its efforts on having a strong relationship with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Roger Neilson House and the Boys and Girls Club.

[email protected]
Twitter: @sungarrioch

https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/hockey/...-change-with-departure-of-chris-phillips

[daud]

Question:

What is brady tkachuk really worth? It is rumoured he was offered 8 million per year for 8 years.

Holding out on a contract like that with his point production seems crazy but some people think he's worth more. Setting aside signing bonuses and terms, does anyone think he's worth more than 8x8?

I'm thinking he isn't, that holding out at this juncture is not a good look and his family is just playing hardball.

They say the devil is in the details, but strictly on the salary, does anyone feel he's worth more than the rumoured offer?

[JHikka]

Anything over $8M is a definite overpay IMO. Sure seems like the Tkachuks are playing hardball for an early RFA so they can all end up in St. Louis together.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by daud

Question:

What is brady tkachuk really worth? It is rumoured he was offered 8 million per year for 8 years.

Holding out on a contract like that with his point production seems crazy but some people think he's worth more. Setting aside signing bonuses and terms, does anyone think he's worth more than 8x8?

I'm thinking he isn't, that holding out at this juncture is not a good look and his family is just playing hardball.

They say the devil is in the details, but strictly on the salary, does anyone feel he's worth more than the rumoured offer?

Completely agree. I'd put him more in the $7.5 range. $8 million assumes a trajectory to first line winger, and that he stays there for a bunch of years. That's probably the way he will go, but his production needs to go up quite a bit for him to get there, so it's not guaranteed. He's never really scored much at any level.

Not sure if St. Louis is the Tkachuk end game or not, but it is definitely a family trait to hold out for every cent you can get (even when you have a signed contract in the dad's case). I get negotiating hard to get fair value, but to me he still has a lot to prove, and 8x8 is at least fair value. Him holding out for a few hundred thousand makes me question whether he really is a heart and soul guy who puts team first. I get the optics, but is he really that critical to the team that they can't rebuild without him?

I don't mind the Sens approach. If he is this intransigent, let him sit a while and see what you've got without him. Worst case they lose a lot and get another high pick.

[daud]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Anything over $8M is a definite overpay IMO. Sure seems like the Tkachuks are playing hardball for an early RFA so they can all end up in St. Louis together.

I've heard that too.

As a possible comparable. Andrei Svechnikov signed in August for 8 year 62 million vs the 64 million offer to brady. So the whole Melnyk is being cheap thing doesn't wash with me here. (though I still dislike the guy!)

Svechnikov was drafted #2 ahead of brady. Svechnikov has also got better stats, great potential but they are different styles.

[daud]

Originally Posted by phil235

Completely agree. I'd put him more in the $7.5 range. $8 million assumes a trajectory to first line winger, and that he stays there for a bunch of years. That's probably the way he will go, but his production needs to go up quite a bit for him to get there, so it's not guaranteed. He's never really scored much at any level.

Not sure if St. Louis is the Tkachuk end game or not, but it is definitely a family trait to hold out for every cent you can get (even when you have a signed contract in the dad's case). I get negotiating hard to get fair value, but to me he still has a lot to prove, and 8x8 is at least fair value. Him holding out for a few hundred thousand makes me question whether he really is a heart and soul guy who puts team first. I get the optics, but is he really that critical to the team that they can't rebuild without him?

I don't mind the Sens approach. If he is this intransigent, let him sit a while and see what you've got without him. Worst case they lose a lot and get another high pick.

totally agree

[acottawa]

A lot of players have been looking for shorter RFA deals. It might not be a money issue.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by acottawa

A lot of players have been looking for shorter RFA deals. It might not be a money issue.

If Melnyk owns the team then it's absolutely a money issue.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by JHikka

If Melnyk owns the team then it's absolutely a money issue.

Indirectly I guess, because he doesn’t want to pay a big UFA contract, but few top RFAs are signing 8 year deals anymore. I think Svechnikov is the only one this year.

[J.OT13]

Brady's good by Sens standards, but he's no superstar by NHL standards. I'd say he's worth $6 mil. to $6.5 mil.

I wish NHL contracts could be tied purely on performance. $1 mil. for every 10 goals, $500 k for every 10 assists. No more lazy players calling it a day (or eight years) after signing a big contract.