Can the NHL STOP Melnyk from moving to Quebec City ( or anywhere else )?

[Fenway]

Back in Boston after working Sunday night's game in Ottawa and THREE different Sens gameday employees told me the same thing - Sunday was possibly the last time the Bruins will play in Ottawa.

They all believe that Melnyk will bolt for Quebec City and the NHL can not stop him. Then once the team has relocated he can then sell part or all of the team to people based from QC.

Keep in mind that the BoG was powerless to stop the North Stars from moving to Dallas in 1993



All I can report firsthand is there in genuine apathy in Ottawa concerning the Sens right now - mostly because of Melnyk. The owner of a popular diner on Elgin St told us the damage he has caused can not be repaired. The attendance for a late Sunday afternoon game with a divisional rival says it all

This is a toxic situation and Melnyk avoiding the BoG meeting in Georgia last week didn't help.

Click to read more...

 

[Centrum Hockey]

If Melnyk moves to Quebec city what happens to the B-Sens any thing Senators whould be toxic in Ontario would the AHL team take Vancouver's Place in utica.

 

[Noldo]

It is fairly well established that the League cannot prohibit an owner from moving. A new owner may be obliged to commit to stay in the location for a certain period, the League is rumored to request seven years’ commitment.

However, as well established in Coyotes/Basillie saga, the League has the right to approve or reject a new owner and thus Melnyk would not be able to sell Senators after the move without the League’s consent.

 

[Fenway]

If Melnyk moves to Quebec city what happens to the B-Sens any thing Senators whould be toxic in Ontario would the AHL team take Vancouver's Place in utica.

I didn't realize how bad things were in Ottawa until I was working the game and saw acquaintances who work every home game and they were the ones saying it is over.

Melnyk does have a long term TV deal with Bell (TSN/RDS) but that would not be an issue as Bell would be overjoyed putting Nords 2.0 on RDS2 and TSN in the Maritimes and preventing TVAS (Quebecor) to get stronger in the Francophone TV market.

What we noticed of the announced crowd of 13,000 were close to half were Bruins fans - listen to the crowd



The Sens have tried to appeal to the francophone suburbs of Ottawa but they are too far away from Kanata.

I believe if Melnyk works out a deal with Bell that would prevent Quebecor from getting TV rights for Nords 2.0 - Bettman would be happy.

 

[Mightygoose]

So the thinking is Melnyk moves the team first and accepts a bad lease in QC? Then sells afterwards?

That may be the only way around it but as others have said, the even if the BoG is powerless in preventing the move but says no to Quebecor, all of the sudden Melnyk is stuck in a position of paying rent, losing even more money than he his right now since the Sens own CTC.

This would be quite the precedence as anyone without a lease can just pick up, move and sell later. I can't see why Quebecor would agree to this and hurt their standing with the league. Plus why would Quebec agree to a situation where they can't broadcast games on TVA?

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Some valid points in here, but I've seen this before in St. Louis. As the Blues are still a team I am optimistic that the Sens will stay in Ottawa and a new ownership group will rise from somewhere. It may even take Melnyk publicly talking about a move in order to get a civic nationalist to step up to the plate, but I think the market is still viable with a different ownership group.

The Sens are not that bad off, they keep exceeding expectations on a shoestring budget (just like the Checkerdome-Era Blues). Somebody will buy them and at least string them along until things get better and an owner with deeper pockets steps in.

Hell, if I won the PowerBall I'd buy the damn team just to keep them there and try my hand at micromanaging a sports franchise (I'd bench all the stars for the games against the Wings though).

Fans don't like seeing teams move, and with yet another lockout around the corner I don't think the league would allow the Sens to move. It's a different world than in '93 and Bettman and the NHL have shown that they will bend/break their own rules in order to get what they want. I could even see the league acquiring the team until a new owner is found, just like they did the Penguins (granted Ottawa technically does not have any championships even though their namesakes won the cup).

 

[Fenway]

It is fairly well established that the League cannot prohibit an owner from moving. A new owner may be obliged to commit to stay in the location for a certain period, the League is rumored to request seven years’ commitment.

However, as well established in Coyotes/Basillie saga, the League has the right to approve or reject a new owner and thus Melnyk would not be able to sell Senators after the move without the League’s consent.

If Melnyk calls the Mayor of Quebec looking to move the team to Centre Videotron, isn't it safe to assume he would get a favorable lease?

 

[Centrum Hockey]

So the thinking is Melnyk moves the team first and accepts a bad lease in QC? Then sells afterwards?

That may be the only way around it but as others have said, the even if the BoG is powerless in preventing the move but says no to Quebecor, all of the sudden Melnyk is stuck in a position of paying rent, losing even more money than he his right now since the Sens own CTC.

This would be quite the precedence as anyone without a lease can just pick up, move and sell later. I can't see why Quebecor would agree to this and hurt their standing with the league. Plus why would Quebec agree to a situation where they can't broadcast games on TVA?

How good is the real estate market in Kanata would the Canadian tire center land be completely worthless if the sens leave or is it good enough to sell

 

[Mightygoose]

If Melnyk calls the Mayor of Quebec looking to move the team to Centre Videotron, isn't it safe to assume he would get a favorable lease?

Quebecor operates the arena, then Sens would be a Tennant through then. So if they are playing nice with the league behind the scenes, even though they want a team not having broadcast rights alone would be a reason for them to work with Melnyk never mind their damaged standing with the league.

Yes the situation is that bad right now but ironically, Quebecor is more likely to stop this rather than the league itself.

 

[Fenway]

So the thinking is Melnyk moves the team first and accepts a bad lease in QC? Then sells afterwards?

That may be the only way around it but as others have said, the even if the BoG is powerless in preventing the move but says no to Quebecor, all of the sudden Melnyk is stuck in a position of paying rent, losing even more money than he his right now since the Sens own CTC.

This would be quite the precedence as anyone without a lease can just pick up, move and sell later. I can't see why Quebecor would agree to this and hurt their standing with the league. Plus why would Quebec agree to a situation where they can't broadcast games on TVA?

Melnyk would get a very favorable lease as he has the asset, an NHL team, Quebecor's leverage with the City of Quebec was only we can get a NHL team.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

I didn't realize how bad things were in Ottawa until I was working the game and saw acquaintances who work every home game and they were the ones saying it is over.

Melnyk does have a long term TV deal with Bell (TSN/RDS) but that would not be an issue as Bell would be overjoyed putting Nords 2.0 on RDS2 and TSN in the Maritimes and preventing TVAS (Quebecor) to get stronger in the Francophone TV market.

What we noticed of the announced crowd of 13,000 were close to half were Bruins fans - listen to the crowd



The Sens have tried to appeal to the francophone suburbs of Ottawa but they are too far away from Kanata.

View attachment 163677

I believe if Melnyk works out a deal with Bell that would prevent Quebecor from getting TV rights for Nords 2.0 - Bettman would be happy.

Whoudn't Montreal push back with bell and try to push the senators toward Houston instead the predators are on the borderline of the east https://i.redd.it/4o5ak6cjdls11.jpg

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Whoudn't Montreal push back with bell and try to push the senators toward Houston instead the predators are on the borderline of the east https://i.redd.it/4o5ak6cjdls11.jpg

They could and then the sewers of Quebec City would be full of Molson beer.

They have to thread VERY lightly.

 

[gstommylee]

It is fairly well established that the League cannot prohibit an owner from moving. A new owner may be obliged to commit to stay in the location for a certain period, the League is rumored to request seven years’ commitment.

However, as well established in Coyotes/Basillie saga, the League has the right to approve or reject a new owner and thus Melnyk would not be able to sell Senators after the move without the League’s consent.

And the NHL can't just say no for the sale for the sake of saying no if MeInyk moves the team then decides he wants to sell. NHL will have to approve the sale unless the buyer doesn't have the financials or a questionable background. The NHL can't also force the team back after the move happens and Meinyk sells.

The NHL does not have any governmental authority to regulate the NHL neither in canada or in the US. They can not regulate what a Owner does with the asset (in this case a hockey franchise) as long as there is nothing criminally illegal.

The only legal way MeInyk can't move the team if there is a legal binding lease with Ottawa's arena.

 

[Mightygoose]

Melnyk would get a very favorable lease as he has the asset, an NHL team, Quebecor's leverage with the City of Quebec was only we can get a NHL team.

Quebecor still has a contract with the city in the form of the operating rights.

For Melnyk to move in, he would have to share the building's revenues with Quebecor and this is where I think this move falls flat.

Melnyk can't afford to work with Ottawa area developers for LeBreton so I can't see it working in QC for Melnyk

 

[gstommylee]

Quebecor still has a contract with the city in the form of the operating rights.

For Melnyk to move in, he would have to share the building's revenues with Quebecor and this is where I think this move falls flat.

Melnyk can't afford to work with Ottawa area developers for LeBreton so I can't see it working in QC for Melnyk

Agreed. The NHL can say no on those grounds to a relocation if MeInyk refuses to want to deal with Quebecor over building revenue.

 

[MNNumbers]

Quebecor still has a contract with the city in the form of the operating rights.

For Melnyk to move in, he would have to share the building's revenues with Quebecor and this is where I think this move falls flat.

Melnyk can't afford to work with Ottawa area developers for LeBreton so I can't see it working in QC for Melnyk

However, Quebecor is losing money operating the place. And having the team there would greatly increase their media business because if the attention the Nordiques would draw. So, Quebecor might actually like that.

It's hard to know.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Agreed. The NHL can say no on those grounds to a relocation if MeInyk refuses to want to deal with Quebecor over building revenue.

Most likely either the kroenkes or the league owns the nords trademarks either chould refuse to give them to melinyk

 

[SunDancer]

Melnyk has butted heads with Bettman a few times in the past, so it wouldn't exactly be out of character for him to try to make a move against the league's wishes. Although if he does decide to go rogue, wouldn't it be more profitable for him in the long run to relocate to Hamilton or somewhere else southern Ontario? He is after all a Toronto boy.

 

[GuelphStormer]

would the league really want to use its best turnkey landing spot right now? ottawa is certainly not the only struggling eastern franchise, notwithstanding certain restrictive leases elsewhere.

 

[gstommylee]

Melnyk has butted heads with Bettman a few times in the past, so it wouldn't exactly be out of character for him to try to make a move against the league's wishes. Although if he does decide to go rogue, wouldn't it be more profitable for him in the long run to relocate to Hamilton or somewhere else southern Ontario? He is after all a Toronto boy.

You think MeInyk wants to go a city where he has to pay for the arena himself? Btw NHL can also no if the relocation plan is pretty terrible for the NHL. Only way such relocation idea happen with MeInyk it would have to be to current up to date arena that already exists.

 

[SunDancer]

would the league really want to use its best turnkey landing spot right now? ottawa is certainly not the only struggling eastern franchise, notwithstanding certain restrictive leases elsewhere.

Of course not. The league would prefer to avoid any relocation whatsoever but the question is what happens if Melnyk makes a move without the league's approval?

 

[Hoverhand]

If Melnyk moves to Quebec city what happens to the B-Sens any thing Senators whould be toxic in Ontario would the AHL team take Vancouver's Place in utica.

Most Bellvillians wouldn't much care, the city just wants a hockey team.

Hell half the season ticket holders are Leaf fans who just want a good time.

 

[SunDancer]

You think MeInyk wants to go a city where he has to pay for the arena himself? Btw NHL can also no if the relocation plan is pretty terrible for the NHL. Only way such relocation idea happen with MeInyk it would have to be to current up to date arena that already exists.

Melnyk doesn't have the deepest pockets so anything he does would require another party getting involved. Finding an investor for the NHL in the Golden Horseshoe wouldn't be difficult.

 

[gstommylee]

Of course not. The league would prefer to avoid any relocation whatsoever but the question is what happens if Melnyk makes a move without the league's approval?

If he can make an deal with the operators of the arena he goes to then i don't see how legally the NHL can stop it.

Most likely either the kroenkes or the league owns the nords trademarks either chould refuse to give them to melinyk

And that would be pretty stupid for the NHL to do that. At most it'll probably require a little $$$ exchange for the Nordiques brand. It is important for the NHL have a healthy franchise in Quebec regardless of who the owner is of the franchise.

The last thing the NHL wants is to have Quebec fans boycott the league cause of a refusal to allow the franchise the right to use the Nordiques brand sets it up for long term disaster.

Melnyk doesn't have the deepest pockets so anything he does would require another party getting involved. Finding an investor for the NHL in the Golden Horseshoe wouldn't be difficult.

MeIynk probably would want someone else to pay for the arena and not out of his own pocket.

 

[SunDancer]

If he can make an deal with the operators of the arena he goes to then i don't see how legally the NHL can stop it.

Right. So wouldn't it make more sense for him to make a deal with an operator of an arena in the GTHA where in the long term the value of the franchise would be much greater? Moving from Ottawa to Quebec doesn't really make a lot of sense for Melnyk or for the league. It's a lateral move at best for everyone involved.