Confirmed with Link: Melnyk talks about new coach, new arena, etc

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Ehrhoff wasn't a risky trade, it was just a really expensive one. His contract is ridiculous. Which is exactly my point. We could have gotten a great player, but the $$ prevented us from getting him.

He may not have even been available for trade considering it was financially better for Buffalo to buy him out.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

At the end of the day, in regards to the budget, he's absolutely right

Our UFA acquisitions have been mostly great (Gonchar, MacArthur and Legwand) and there isn't much to spend money on right now in terms of availability

More players should be available later on, with the CDN dollar, oil prices and all affecting the cap everybody is playing it safe

 

[MiscBrah]

He may not have even been available for trade considering it was financially better for Buffalo to buy him out.

Ya that's true. I wonder if we made a pitch for him?

Erhrhoff - EK
Methot - Ceci

god damn.

 

[BonkTastic]

Melnyk says that the current building wasn't built to last 30 years...

That is unequivocally horse ****.

When I worked for the team, we'd always hear Cy (Leeder) talking about future upgrades to the arena, because "we're so lucky to have a building that was built right", and "we feel comfortable investing in the building because we can reap the benefits for the next 25+ years". I can't even begin to get into all the arena upgrades the team had in line until money issues sidelined them.

Now that a new arena site may be available, Melnyk's tune CONVENIENTLY changes? Eff that. I want a new arena as much as he next guy, but be honest about the process. Lying about this stuff is the kind of thing that will sour NCC & the city on working with you on a new arena deal, you frigging pathalogical liar.

 

[TeamRenzo]

That is unequivocally horse ****.

When I worked for the team, we'd always hear Cy (Leeder) talking about future upgrades to the arena, because "we're so lucky to have a building that was built right", and "we feel comfortable investing in the building because we can reap the benefits for the next 25+ years". I can't even begin to get into all the arena upgrades the team had in line until money issues sidelined them.

Now that a new arena site may be available, Melnyk's tune CONVENIENTLY changes? Eff that. I want a new arena as much as he next guy, but be honest about the process. Lying about this stuff is the kind of thing that will sour NCC & the city on working with you on a new arena deal, you frigging pathalogical liar.

You should probably take a few minutes to yourself and relax...

Melnyk is bang on when it comes to the budget, everyone wants him to spend money but who are the FA they are going to sign. There are existing players on the team (Zib, Lehner, Stone, Hoffman) that will be getting decent raises in the next few years and we need cap space in order to keep them.

Spend when the time is right.

 

[BonkTastic]

You should probably take a few minutes to yourself and relax...

Melnyk is bang on when it comes to the budget, everyone wants him to spend money but who are the FA they are going to sign. There are existing players on the team (Zib, Lehner, Stone, Hoffman) that will be getting decent raises in the next few years and we need cap space in order to keep them.

Spend when the time is right.

You should probably take a few minutes to read my post. I literally said nothing about the cap/budget. I made absolutely zero references to players, or free agency, or any of that. Not even an iota of time was spent talking about hockey ops in any capacity whatsoever.

Seriously. Not a single thing. I was talking entirely about his quote on the life expectancy of the current arena, from a structural standpoint.

 

[operasen]

You should probably take a few minutes to read my post. I literally said nothing about the cap/budget.

Seriously. Not a single thing. I was talking entirely about his quote on the life expectancy of the current arena, from a structural standpoint.

And if he does want to move - what use is the CYC to anyone. He can't sell that - there is no buyer.

 

[StefanW]

You should probably take a few minutes to yourself and relax...

Melnyk is bang on when it comes to the budget, everyone wants him to spend money but who are the FA they are going to sign. There are existing players on the team (Zib, Lehner, Stone, Hoffman) that will be getting decent raises in the next few years and we need cap space in order to keep them.

Spend when the time is right.

Maybe you should take a minute and actually read what you are supposedly responding to. Bonk said nothing about team budget and player salaries. Instead, he was talking about Melnyk's comment re: lifespan of current building (CTC).

 

[Micklebot]

That is unequivocally horse ****.

When I worked for the team, we'd always hear Cy (Leeder) talking about future upgrades to the arena, because "we're so lucky to have a building that was built right", and "we feel comfortable investing in the building because we can reap the benefits for the next 25+ years". I can't even begin to get into all the arena upgrades the team had in line until money issues sidelined them.

Now that a new arena site may be available, Melnyk's tune CONVENIENTLY changes? Eff that. I want a new arena as much as he next guy, but be honest about the process. Lying about this stuff is the kind of thing that will sour NCC & the city on working with you on a new arena deal, you frigging pathalogical liar.

Did he maybe mean 30 more years? I have a hard time undertanding whay he means by the building wasnt built to last 30 years; that seems like the standard lifespan for that kind of building. Really confusing why Melnyk would say that...

And if he does want to move - what use is the CYC to anyone. He can't sell that - there is no buyer.

It's been suggested that the building is a prime candidate to be retrofited as a mall. My guess is if that were to happen, they'd include a movie theatre of something in the mall too.

 

[Busboy]

That is unequivocally horse ****.

When I worked for the team, we'd always hear Cy (Leeder) talking about future upgrades to the arena, because "we're so lucky to have a building that was built right", and "we feel comfortable investing in the building because we can reap the benefits for the next 25+ years". I can't even begin to get into all the arena upgrades the team had in line until money issues sidelined them.

Now that a new arena site may be available, Melnyk's tune CONVENIENTLY changes? Eff that. I want a new arena as much as he next guy, but be honest about the process. Lying about this stuff is the kind of thing that will sour NCC & the city on working with you on a new arena deal, you frigging pathalogical liar.

I think the problem is reading way far into a single line quote. It's very possible that he meant the stadium wasn't built to last 30 years + without millions in upgrades.

But at this point, Melnyk could fly to Africa, end hunger on the continent, fly back to Canada and **** out a rainbow that drops gold from the sky and you'd spin it into a budget issue and make him into a villain.

Give it a rest.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

I've gotta admit, Melynk is quite the snake oil salesman.

 

[BonkTastic]

Did he maybe mean 30 more year? I have a hard time undertanding whay he means by the building wasnt built to last 30 years; that seems like the standard lifespan for that kind of building. Really confusing why Melnyk would say that...

When I worked in the building, which is within the last 5 years, the team lauded the fact that the arena still had at least 25 years left as an NHL arena and premium events venue.

Either we (staff) were lied to back then, or we're (the city) being lied to now. Either way, they can't both be true.

 

[BonkTastic]

Give it a rest.

I don't think I'm asking for a lot here. "Don't lie to me." Seems easy enough.

That being said, there's not much more I can add to this, so I suppose I'll "give it a rest" due to not really having anything else to add to this particular discussion?

 

[StefanW]

I think the problem is reading way far into a single line quote. It's very possible that he meant the stadium wasn't built to last 30 years + without millions in upgrades.

But at this point, Melnyk could fly to Africa, end hunger on the continent, fly back to Canada and **** out a rainbow that drops gold from the sky and you'd spin it into a budget issue and make him into a villain.

Give it a rest.

That is now two people who misquote Bonk and spin it into a budget comment.

Do the Melnyk flunkies simply interpret any and all criticism as "budget talk" and stop reading? It is not as though it was a long post, so that is the only thing that comes to mind when I try to figure out why some people seem to have had such a hard time actually reading it.

Again, the comment was about the lifespan of the CTC. The building was supposedly good enough to last for a couple more decades, but now that some land is available the building is all of a sudden at the end of its lifespan. That seems like two stories to me.

 

[BonkTastic]

Again, the comment was about the lifespan of the CTC. The building was supposedly good enough to last for a couple more decades, but now that some land is available the building is all of a sudden at the end of its lifespan. That seems like two stories to me.

Thanks for the backup. I didn't think it was a terribly complicated argument either.

"These are my personal experiences about Thing A, which contradict a recent claim about Thing A. I am skeptical that both can be true, seeing as how they contradict each other. I am not making a single claim about Thing B (in this case - hockey ops in any context whatsoever) either directly, or in passing reference."

I am not asking anyone to believe me at face value, even - I'm just a guy on the internet. Choose whatever you want to believe. If you don't think I'm credible, I won't be offended or anything.

 

[Micklebot]

When I worked in the building, which is within the last 5 years, the team lauded the fact that the arena still had at least 25 years left as an NHL arena and premium events venue.

Either we (staff) were lied to back then, or we're (the city) being lied to now. Either way, they can't both be true.

Ok, so the only way I can rationalize his statement is that it can't last that long without significant revovations costs (beyond what would be considered regular maintenance). FWIW, in my experience, the info fed to employee's (particularly those not in decision making positions) is always sugar coated and best case scenario. So while it may have been true that the building had 25 more years, that was providing major upkeep costs were done (ie the venue's life could be extended to up to 25 more years).

I think Melnyk could probably stand to be more transparent on the matter; if he came out and said the arena would need significant upgrades to last 35-40 years, and was not built to do so without those upgrades, everyone would be happy. As is, he's staying within a message box that best suits his desired outcome, and I can see how that rubs people the wrong way.

 

[StefanW]

I finally got around to listening to the interview. It really did not change my perception in terms of the proposal for a new arena. In my opinion, as a taxpayer I do not want to see my tax dollars poured into a new building if the current one is still fine.

The location in Kanata is less than ideal unless you live that area, so I can see why the team would want to relocate, and why a lot of fans would want an arena that is more central. IMO, the land should be made available to the team if they pay for building a new arena without taxpayer dollars.

If the current arena is fine then a new one is a luxury item and, quite frankly, I can come up with 100 places where I would rather see the three levels of government spending my tax dollars.

 

[Busboy]

That is now two people who misquote Bonk and spin it into a budget comment.

Do the Melnyk flunkies simply interpret any and all criticism as "budget talk" and stop reading? It is not as though it was a long post, so that is the only thing that comes to mind when I try to figure out why some people seem to have had such a hard time actually reading it.

Again, the comment was about the lifespan of the CTC. The building was supposedly good enough to last for a couple more decades, but now that some land is available the building is all of a sudden at the end of its lifespan. That seems like two stories to me.

I think you're simply arguing semantics. The narrative of financial troubles is attached to everything related to the Sens by a certain crowd on these boards.

Read over my post and you'll see I directly addressed what Bonk said and took issue with the fact that he was spinning one sentence to fit into this narrative.

The story has always been that the arena will need costly renovations to keep it going and it's unclear if Melnyk is saying the arena won't last or the arena won't last without millions in upgrades.

WTF is a Melnyk Flunkie?

EDIT: what is the specific quote from Melnyk that Bonk is referring to? The one he feels qualifies Melnyk as an "effing liar."

 

[BonkTastic]

EDIT: what is the specific quote from Melnyk that Bonk is referring to? The one he feels qualifies Melnyk as an "effing liar."

Melnyk's quote that the current building wasn't built to last 30-40 years.

 

[Busboy]

Melnyk's quote that the current building wasn't built to last 30-40 years.

I wasn't asking for you to paraphrase. I'd like the actual quote.

 

[BonkTastic]

Ok, so the only way I can rationalize his statement is that it can't last that long without significant revovations costs (beyond what would be considered regular maintenance). FWIW, in my experience, the info fed to employee's (particularly those not in decision making positions) is always sugar coated and best case scenario. So while it may have been true that the building had 25 more years, that was providing major upkeep costs were done (ie the venue's life could be extended to up to 25 more years).

Entirely possible.

Either way, you can imagine how my impression of the team's credibility in this matter is compromised.

I'm not asking anyone here to feel this way - I'm just explaining why I personally feel this way.

 

[BonkTastic]

I wasn't asking for you to paraphrase. I'd like the actual quote.

The interview link is in the OP. Feel free to watch as many times as you'd like.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

I'm not sure why we're putting so much stock in a sell job

We all know arenas generally last 30-35 years

Melnyk softening up the ground on the radio in regards to a arena in Lebreton shouldn't be such a contentious issue I think

 

[Busboy]

The interview link is in the OP. Feel free to watch as many times as you'd like.

I could, but I'm not the one trying to sell a narrative on here. Only asking for claims to be substantiated and given context.

You're claiming Melnyk is an "effing liar," yet you won't even provide the quote that shows he is lying? That's cool.

 

[StefanW]

I think you're simply arguing semantics. The narrative of financial troubles is attached to everything related to the Sens by a certain crowd on these boards.

Read over my post and you'll see I directly addressed what Bonk said and took issue with the fact that he was spinning one sentence to fit into this narrative.

The story has always been that the arena will need costly renovations to keep it going and it's unclear if Melnyk is saying the arena won't last or the arena won't last without millions in upgrades.

WTF is a Melnyk Flunkie?

EDIT: what is the specific quote from Melnyk that Bonk is referring to? The one he feels qualifies Melnyk as an "effing liar."

What posters say and do not say in their posts is not semantics. It is actually easy to figure out what a poster says.

Step 1: actually read the post.
Step 2: debate the points in that post.
Step 3: hmm, that appears to actually be it.

To address your other point, all arenas need renovations. Paying for upkeep is a part of owning something, whether that something is a car, a house, or on a larger scale an arena. The amount the team is currently spending on arena upgrades and maintenance is not out of line. Google stories about how the Jets have a long term plan to spend millions per season, which they account for in projected operating expenses, until the end of this decade if you want an illustration of how this works.