UPDATE 12/15 - Ottawa owner talks moving Senators: ‘If it becomes a disaster, yes’

[KevFu]

May be in the past the Leafs would ask for a lot of money to give it's so called territory but now seeing that they are a multi billion dollar juggernaut they might just waive the territory fee as a good PR. move because if they ask for a boat load cash up front they would have PR nightmare on there hands since they just signed that huge naming rights deal with Scotiabank & asking for money for a Hamilton (Southern Ontario) regional franchise would be deemed greedy & huge backlash will ensue against MLSE. Buffalo on the other hand I could see getting small but fair territory fee somewhere in between $50 - 80 million dollars that is it

The way to do it is a small sliver percentage cut. Because the owner of the Sabres when the Hamilton team arrives would get paid, but that doesn't protect the franchise long term.

It's beneficial for Hamilton, because the biggest hurdle for landing a team is the massive startup costs. If it costs $750 for an expansion team, $400 for an arena, and MLSE and BUF both want massive territorial fees in the $300 range... no one wants to be the FIRST owner of Hamilton, you want to be the SECOND owner of Hamilton. Because then it costs you $800 to buy the team, not $1.75 billion to buy your way into the league.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

May be in the past the Leafs would ask for a lot of money to give it's so called territory but now seeing that they are a multi billion dollar juggernaut they might just waive the territory fee as a good PR. move because if they ask for a boat load cash up front they would have PR nightmare on there hands since they just signed that huge naming rights deal with Scotiabank & asking for money for a Hamilton (Southern Ontario) regional franchise would be deemed greedy & huge backlash will ensue against MLSE. Buffalo on the other hand I could see getting small but fair territory fee somewhere in between $50 - 80 million dollars that is it

Yea, I am sure MLSE is so worried about PR nightmare they are willing to give up hundreds of millions of dollars in exchange for potentially giving up chunk of their fan base.

 

[coladin]

It doesn't? Are you going to games and watching the in house entertainment? Are you watching them play some garbage recycled version of their entrance song (that sounds like it was recorded by a 6th grade music class) instead of the classic one () that got myself and a whole other generation of Sens fans hooked during the late 90's early 2000's? Are you seeing them roll out random anthem singers instead of Lyndon Slewidge, who everyone in Sens nation (and the hockey world) loves? Are you seeing them sporting some of the most bland, plain jerseys in the league, while our alumni teams wear what is widely considered one of the nicest, most respected crests/jerseys league wide? These are things that brand your product and make people connect with it, and the organization is doing so little of it now.

I'm a 29 y/o working class male with disposable income, and I haven't bought a jersey in years, yet I'd be lining up for a EK 2D black alumni style jersey. Why hasn't the jersey been changed in almost 10 years? Why hasn't the organization done anything to target my demographic? You can't even buy season seats online FFS, you have to chase and hunt them down via phone just to give them your money.

You may not care about these kinds of things, but I do. I work for a startup, and I know first hand how negatively the company can be affected by a toxic attitude from ownership. I still go to games, but it's really, really, hard for me to fork over cash to go and watch all of my favourite things I used to see at games not happen, while having to listen to the owner threaten relocation, and watch us get bent over in all of our trades because they are motivated by real $$ in/out, instead of by cap hit or real hockey value.

We can agree to disagree. Stripping the organization down to nothing affects me, as a fan. I love this team, but the organization is stale and pathetic. It's disappointing to me as a fan to see what was once such a great and proud organization be reduced to what it is now.

One thing we can agree on is we are Sens fans, and that is a good start!

The in-game entertainment, Lyndon Slewidge are not things that motivate me to go to CTC on a -30 day. I go to watch the product on the ice. I like the mix of new singers, that McGowan kid gets a better response than Slewidge ever did.

Jerseys have been changed over the years, yes. And I actually bought my first jersey last year, Stone, because I was super motivated by the team. The product on the ice. The nuances of background noise, like what you've described, for me is window dressing. I think fans that go with that angle are looking for a way out. I know, you go to games, and that is not directed to you, but many will not go for reasons such as you have described.

Would I like improvements? Sure, who wouldn't!

I don't pay much attention to what Eugene says, as stupid as he was to say it. I know he isn't talking about me or you. WE go to the games. Fact of the matter is it was an ideal stage for him to come out with some negotiating through the media, contrived as it all was, really. He would rather piss some fans off if it gets him a better deal on moving his franchise downtown. I don't blame the trades on Melnyk, I think Dorion and Boucher were good last year and this year things just aren't in the cards.

Attendance is terrible. There are no freebies and what you see now is paid attendance. And my concern is it will cost us players because revenues are down. Like it or not, he is spending more than revenues, and he stated that it will not continue if the fans don't come out. That is the only meaningful thing I took out of his act. Fans gloss over that, but they better pay attention if you want your 65 and 61 jerseys to be relevant, because they are going to get paid, if not by Ottawa the someone else. And it won't hurt the valuation of the franchise.

 

[Fenway]

One thing we can agree on is we are Sens fans, and that is a good start!

The in-game entertainment, Lyndon Slewidge are not things that motivate me to go to CTC on a -30 day. I go to watch the product on the ice. I like the mix of new singers, that McGowan kid gets a better response than Slewidge ever did.

Jerseys have been changed over the years, yes. And I actually bought my first jersey last year, Stone, because I was super motivated by the team. The product on the ice. The nuances of background noise, like what you've described, for me is window dressing. I think fans that go with that angle are looking for a way out. I know, you go to games, and that is not directed to you, but many will not go for reasons such as you have described.

Would I like improvements? Sure, who wouldn't!

I don't pay much attention to what Eugene says, as stupid as he was to say it. I know he isn't talking about me or you. WE go to the games. Fact of the matter is it was an ideal stage for him to come out with some negotiating through the media, contrived as it all was, really. He would rather piss some fans off if it gets him a better deal on moving his franchise downtown. I don't blame the trades on Melnyk, I think Dorion and Boucher were good last year and this year things just aren't in the cards.

Attendance is terrible. There are no freebies and what you see now is paid attendance. And my concern is it will cost us players because revenues are down. Like it or not, he is spending more than revenues, and he stated that it will not continue if the fans don't come out. That is the only meaningful thing I took out of his act. Fans gloss over that, but they better pay attention if you want your 65 and 61 jerseys to be relevant, because they are going to get paid, if not by Ottawa the someone else. And it won't hurt the valuation of the franchise.

After the game in Boston tonight I mingled with some Ottawa media folks and they expressed concern over the long term future of the franchise. Attendance is going to be an issue for the next 3 months as right now the Sens playoff chances look bleak.

Eugene Melnyk is a loose cannon. The NHL BOG has now settled on a Seattle franchise being worth $650M US - and any future sale of a NHL franchise will be in the 500M-650M USD range Realistically is there anybody in Ottawa that will pay that to keep the team there?

A major part of this is the regional TV deal that the Sens signed with TSN/RDS and from what I have been told the deal continues IF the Sens stay in the TSN5 zone which includes Quebec City. That of course would not sit well with Quebecor who owns TVAS but they would sign off on it.

 

[madhi19]

A major part of this is the regional TV deal that the Sens signed with TSN/RDS and from what I have been told the deal continues IF the Sens stay in the TSN5 zone which includes Quebec City. That of course would not sit well with Quebecor who owns TVAS but they would sign off on it.

Popcorn time indeed if this goes down that way. You got to think Quebecor would rather the Sens stay put. It does not make you look good in the ROC, it create a TV mess. Not to mention the Desmarais/Laliberté rumour.
Could Quebecor be the third partner in that deal? Or will they be privately encouraged to walk away from the Arena deal... Either scenario sure as hell does not look as good as moving a US team to add a new team in Canada.

 

[Ernie]

With the way things are going with the Senators, ratings can't be great for TSN. They may be able to be bought out of the deal.

 

[Mightygoose]

The TV deal is for 12 years so still 6 years left after this season. I doubt a bad year on the ice with a related ratings drop is justification for TSN to consider leaving. Especially, the Sens seem to have a good year followed by bad year for a while now so they wouldn't want Sportsnet to jump to take on the good times as well.

 

[JMROWE]

The territory fee would not be in the hundreds millions of dollars to the sabers\leafs it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 million dollars tops each & if they ask for 300 million each they would be laughed out of the room & be told see you in anti trust court because in any other business what the Leafs & Sabers have been doing to Hamilton & the rest of us in the western part of southern Ontario would be violating both Canadian & American anti trust laws & Gary Betman should know this after all he is a lawyer right just not a good one .

Let me remind you people here I am advocating for a 2nd regional team in southern Ontario west of the GTA. which includes Hamilton so I am fine with an arena being built places like a Cambridge , Aldershot , Waterdown , Ancaster , Hamilton ect. as long is it 's not in Toronto (GTA.) they deserve there lovable losers & only them .

 

[powerstuck]

Yea, I am sure MLSE is so worried about PR nightmare they are willing to give up hundreds of millions of dollars in exchange for potentially giving up chunk of their fan base.

I know it sound dumb, but rivarly games are a good 25%-30% increase in revenues and in some cases even bigger, compared to a normal game. Teams already flag those as ''premium'' games. Chicago and Detroit do it as well, but since they are now in two different conferences, they have less of those games per year (max 2), but imagine what Habs and Leafs do when they play each other, then Habs-Bruins, and so on.

Imagine being Toronto and you can jack up your prices by at least 30 if not 50% every time you play Hamilton and you play Hamilton 4 times a year.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

besides that, what division would A POTENTIAL Hamilton/SO be placed in, if the East already has 2 8 team divisions?