Andlauer celebrates whirlwind first year as Senators owner with long-awaited arena deal
Wayne Scanlan, SportsNet
September 21, 2024
His smile was as big as all Outaouais outdoors.
And who could blame him?
Michael Andlauer, the first fully bilingual owner of the Ottawa Senators, was in Gatineau celebrating the first anniversary of his majority ownership with a new arena deal for the LeBreton Flats, west of Parliament Hill, in his back pocket.
That the Senators' very public Saturday scrimmage in Quebec for a mostly francophone audience should coincide with his one-year anniversary, plus the arena deal, was a rather wondrous confluence of events not lost on Andlauer. A kind of Trois Rivieres.
“What a great present to get yesterday, with the signing of an agreement with the NCC,” Andlauer said.
The NHL team owner was speaking to reporters from a conference room at the Slush Puppie Centre, home of the QMJHL Gatineau Olympiques. As he spoke, Senators players were finishing up a first practice, before a black vs white jersey scrimmage, followed by another practice session in front of a nice crowd at the Slush.
Andlauer must have felt he could finally draw a breath, following a sometimes tense, year-long negotiation with the National Capital Commission. At the first meeting, Andlauer thought this deal on this land was not going to happen. Here were the Lords of LeBreton, also known as the NCC, or the Crown corporation that oversees federal lands, talking about “zero carbon” and zero parking at any new rink for LeBreton.
That was a non-starter for Andlauer and the Senators. As much as the new arena will rely on Light Rail Transit service, the Senators insisted on a venue to accommodate some car traffic, as well as not being handcuffed by severe carbon restrictions for themselves and visiting NHL teams.
In time, the Senators learned to bend on some environmental concerns, and the NCC showed flexibility, which we haven’t always seen, while this precious chunk of land has sat mostly empty since the early 1960s.
“It took a whole year to do it,” Andlauer says. “When I looked at this, I knew the potential was there. I heard it. I’ve heard it everywhere, even here in Gatineau, the desire to have an arena downtown.”
Asked about a timeline for moving out of their current Kanata digs to a new home in LeBreton, 24 kilometres east, Andlauer got a little rosy with his forecast.
“Honestly, if I could, I would drop the puck tomorrow,” Andlauer beamed. “I’m going to be diligent, I’m going to be transparent when you ask me what the status is and where the hurdles are.
“The sooner the better.”
“I would love to say in five years, we’re dropping the puck”
Andlauer has seen comments on social media from area fans in their 40s wondering if they’ll be 50 by the time they’re watching NHL hockey at LeBreton.
“It takes time,” he says. “I would love to say that in five years we’re dropping the puck. I think that’s certainly possible. Once the process gets started, we’ll probably have a better idea. I’d like to under promise and over deliver.”
In passing, Andlauer mentioned receiving a congratulatory phone call from Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe, a pretty classy gesture considering Sutcliffe preferred that the new arena go in the heart of the city, not the outskirts of downtown.
That phone conversation is a nice ice-breaker for what Andlauer says is a lot of negotiating among the NCC, the Senators and the city.
“I’ve told them, the three of us have to work closely,” Andlauer said. “We have to sit down and collaborate and do what’s in the best interest of the people of Ottawa.”
Andlauer echoed club president Cyril Leeder when the owner said the arena project “shouldn’t cost taxpayers money.”
Both Andlauer and Leeder mentioned the so-called P3 agreements the team and city have with a couple of Sensplex recreational arenas in the region. In these public-private partnerships, the private entity initiates the financing while the city guarantees the debt. The city waives property and development charges on the site while purchasing and reselling hundreds of hours of ice. Both sides have seen benefits over the years.
Look for the parties to try to work on similar, creative avenues toward funding at LeBreton, as well as what might be negotiated with the provincial and federal governments.
Fan costs will be taken into account.
“I don’t want our fans to be paying $200 for a ticket, $30 for beer and $50 for parking,” he said. “I want everybody to feel optimistic that we’re going to do this together.”
Senators management, including Andlauer, has toured numerous NHL venues to find out what could work on the 10-plus acres of land they are buying from the NCC.
“I’m a big R and D guy, I like to rip off and duplicate where I see it’s best,” Andlauer said. “And we want this to be something that the capital of this country can be proud of when people come in and see shows and watch hockey.”
Ironically, Andlauer was most recently impressed with a visit to perhaps the most famous Non-NHL rink, the one in Quebec City that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman fails to see as a future (and once storied in the past) NHL franchise.
“I was actually in awe of that building,” Andlauer says. “The Videotron, with the light coming in and in the top section you can overlook the city. It was magnificent. I wish I could just pick it up and bring it over here.”
Andlauer feels it’s just as important that the NCC is held accountable for delivering the goods on the larger parcel of land being developed around the arena, as a proper complement. The rink itself will serve more than just NHL hockey on the menu.
“We’re going to be playing 40 home games and hopefully a dozen playoff games every year,” Andlauer said. “And that’s only one-third of the events we’re going to have. So, this is an event centre for the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau and I’m excited about that.”
He’s not kidding about the Gatineau aspect of the equation.
Andlauer, who grew up in Montreal, was in his element standing in this Quebec rink, speaking in both Official Languages about a bright future for the National Capital Region.
“I mean, it’s – shame on me, you know, not realizing how connected Gatineau and Ottawa are,” Andlauer said. “It’s 15 minutes to get here (Slush Puppie Centre) from my house on Dow’s Lake. It’s so close. They’re connected. We’re connected.
“I play golf at the Royal Ottawa and it’s in Gatineau. People I speak to either work in Gatineau and live in Ottawa or vice-versa. As I came in here and talked to fans in the concourse, I couldn’t believe how excited they are to have a venue at LeBreton Flats, and how close it is.
“That should answer, you know, why I’m excited and why it makes so much sense.”
Gatineau mayor on board
Gatineau’s young mayor, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, was at Saturday’s festivities dressed in a Senators jersey.
Marquis-Bissonnette, who holds a PhD from Carleton University, imagines a great future for Gatineau and Ottawa given the recent bridge connections and future links and tramways planned between the two cities – now with a pending shared attraction of a LeBreton arena.
The Senators haven’t been able to penetrate the Gatineau market – still a Montreal Canadiens stronghold – but that could change under Andlauer and the new rink planned.
“Michael Andlauer has been head of the Senators for one year, today, and I think he’s been a game-changer,” Marquis-Bissonnette said. “We’re still looking at all the options but we certainly want to see how we can benefit from the investment of the Senators. The economic development could benefit our downtown area.”
Perron is right at home
Sherbrooke’s David Perron was in his element playing a scrimmage for his new Senators team on this outreach into Gatineau. The day started with an 8 a.m. red carpet entrance by players and staff for fans.
“It was really fun to come here this morning and see the fans on the Quebec side,” Perron said. “And obviously with the news that came out that there’s going to be a rink down here, something the city’s been waiting for for a long time, is super special.”
The veteran winger is new to Ottawa but says he is learning how to get around by his young kids, who have hockey games and dance classes to attend.
He calls this time for the franchise “a moment where the team is heading in the right direction.”
And why not bring in more fans, more kids from Ottawa and Gatineau along for the ride, Perron says.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...ed-arena-deal/
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