Rumor: Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Phillips in discussions to buy Senators

[Tuna99]

What would Alfie’s title even be?

God of Hockey Operations
President of God
General Godager
Senior God Advisor

?

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

I am sure potential buyers will do their due dilligence on why the current product is pulling in meager numbers.

And dislike of the owner would be far down that list. A vocal minority is not the major reason the team is not drawing fans.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

If you can’t sell hockey in Ottawa you probably shouldn’t but into the NHL. If you can’t sell ice cream on the beach in California you also should buy into an ice cream stand in California

If the fan base will only fill the rink, when the team is in contention for the Cup, it’s not the owner who is to blame…. How are the Redblacks drawing now that they too are cellar dwellers?

 

[Loach]

Yeah, at best Senators fans are fair weather fans. When they use every excuse other than being a cellar dweller team, to rationalize not going to games.

When the leafs sucked, they played to sellouts…. The Ottawa fan base is NOT rabid, anyone with the other half of the brain can see that.

What are you going to say when we get new owners and management. That they aren't as good as EM and PD? I can't wait.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Sooooooo, you don’t like the owner and apparently the “ Uber rich “ players as welll …. So basically you’re not a Senators fan…. Then why are you wasting your time posting in this forum?

Are you a Senators fan? Have you ever posted anything here that was actually hockey related and not Melnyk/Fan shaming related? Seems you're wasting your time as much as or more than anyone else here.

The team will be sold, or it won't and he'll leave it to his kids in the next few years, but we'll only ever find out the truth to the possibility of things turning around under a different owner if and when that happens.

Until that expriment takes place, if it ever does, its an unwinnable argument.

 

[Tuna99]

If the fan base will only fill the rink, when the team is in contention for the Cup, it’s not the owner who is to blame…. How are the Redblacks drawing now that they too are cellar dwellers?

i don’t think owning a hockey team you can expect to every year be competing for a Cup.

The customers are there, one call to the Sens ticketing office and you’ll know by the tone of the ticket salespeople that the owner does not make selling tickets easy on them. In fact, he makes it harder then it ever has to be

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Aww, so nice of you to show up to spew the same pro-ownership, anti-fan BS you’ve been saying for the last decade. Really missed it!

It does not matter who the owner is, and that a tiny minority of fans, who use dislike of the owner as their excuse to not support the franchise, and have deluded themselves into thinking the vast majority of the fan base share their reason for staying home.


These minority of boycotters, want ownership to use their personal money to subsidize the team, so that the team can compete for the Cup and perhaps then they’ll buy a ticket or two.


But you, and others who can’t get past who owns the team at this time are a tiny minority, and when anyone points this out, you lash out a label them pro owner or whatever…. All NHL owners run their franchises based on their market conditions, that’s how business works. Boycotters want the Ottawa franchise run as the Leafs franchise is… as if market conditions did not matter.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

What are you going to say when we get new owners and management. That they aren't as good as EM and PD? I can't wait.

If I live long enough to see an ownership change, I will express my opinion at that time….

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

It does not matter who the owner is, and that a tiny minority of fans, who use dislike of the owner as their excuse to not support the franchise, and have deluded themselves into thinking the vast majority of the fan base share their reason for staying home.


These minority of boycotters, want ownership to use their personal money to subsidize the team, so that the team can compete for the Cup and perhaps then they’ll buy a ticket or two.


But you, and others who can’t get past who owns the team at this time are a tiny minority, and when anyone points this out, you lash out a label them pro owner or whatever…. All NHL owners run their franchises based on their market conditions, that’s how business works. Boycotters want the Ottawa franchise run as the Leafs franchise is… as if market conditions did not matter.

Your comments are subjective and a matter of perception. They're proof of nothing no matter how many times you try to lay down the law.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

It does not matter who the owner is, and that a tiny minority of fans, who use dislike of the owner as their excuse to not support the franchise, and have deluded themselves into thinking the vast majority of the fan base share their reason for staying home.


These minority of boycotters, want ownership to use their personal money to subsidize the team, so that the team can compete for the Cup and perhaps then they’ll buy a ticket or two.


But you, and others who can’t get past who owns the team at this time are a tiny minority, and when anyone points this out, you lash out a label them pro owner or whatever…. All NHL owners run their franchises based on their market conditions, that’s how business works. Boycotters want the Ottawa franchise run as the Leafs franchise is… as if market conditions did not matter.

 

[topshelf15]

Since the team was brought back its had the lowest budget,because of ownership...Bryden was broke as is EM...27 years of always icing the cheapest possible ,is the problem period...

 

[BloodRedArmy]

Sooooooo, you don’t like the owner and apparently the “ Uber rich “ players as welll …. So basically you’re not a Senators fan…. Then why are you wasting your time posting in this forum?

The owner is scum, the players don't need my very hard earned and limited money. How is it every single point made on this board goes right over your head?

Yeah, at best Senators fans are fair weather fans. When they use every excuse other than being a cellar dweller team, to rationalize not going to games.

When the leafs sucked, they played to sellouts…. The Ottawa fan base is NOT rabid, anyone with the other half of the brain can see that.

How many people live in Toronto? How many RICH people live in Toronto? How many corporate sponsors? The math is so simple you have to be intentionally dense to use this argument.

I love the Sens, I love the players. Especially the ones who are around for more than 2 or 3 seasons, that we fans feel a rapport with. The scummy owner and his goofy side kick don't give a care in the world about that, and that ABSOLUTELY affects fan support and attendance. When I was younger you had legacy players and bourgeoning legacy players. There were VERY few suitcases... the occasional deadline pickup for a cup run. And guess what? Games sold out regularly. Every April the streets were FULL of cars with window flags. The support was massive.

It does not matter who the owner is, and that a tiny minority of fans, who use dislike of the owner as their excuse to not support the franchise, and have deluded themselves into thinking the vast majority of the fan base share their reason for staying home.


These minority of boycotters, want ownership to use their personal money to subsidize the team, so that the team can compete for the Cup and perhaps then they’ll buy a ticket or two.


But you, and others who can’t get past who owns the team at this time are a tiny minority, and when anyone points this out, you lash out a label them pro owner or whatever…. All NHL owners run their franchises based on their market conditions, that’s how business works. Boycotters want the Ottawa franchise run as the Leafs franchise is… as if market conditions did not matter.

Disagree. No problem with a budget team. But I won't support a scummy man at the top who treats his employees like garbage and lashes out at the fans. That's just me.

If you want to run a budget team, at least invest your limited funds soundly. Invest in your people, your front office, your braintrust. Don't just buy up dead capspace so you can barely ice a team and then whine that no one shows up. It's gross.

 

[Bileur]

If the fan base will only fill the rink, when the team is in contention for the Cup, it’s not the owner who is to blame…. How are the Redblacks drawing now that they too are cellar dwellers?

Last game was 18k+ plus. Not bad at all for a 3-11 team.

Crazy what bad seasons will do.

Interestingly, the other 3-11 team also had attendance issues.

ELKS NOTES: Dwindling attendance a result of poor on-field product | Edmonton Sun

Is Edmonton a bad CFL city too?

Now consider that Ottawa also only had 3 wins in 2019.

 

[coladin]

1. in case you’ve not heard, there has been a 50/50 split between the owner(s) and the players for quite a long time now, so you would not be giving your money to a discussing person, only 50%

2. the Senators are not about to be sold… the current owner “bought low” and if he ever sells, he will “sell high”…. Plus has said several times he intends to pass on to his daughter… for what that is worth.

Daughters want no part of it, are actually horrified by it. And he knows this. So he may as well look after selling it while in failing health, and taking care of his affairs instead of heaping that on his daughters

 

[coladin]

EVERYONE knows that this city has a rabid fanbase. Anyone with half a brain can see why attendance has dwindled. There are tons of parties that want to own NHL teams.

Everyone knows this is one of the most fickle fans in the world, not just this league.

And new ownership, even your precisou Alfie and Philly combo, will hardly move the needle.

Because it still requires money to go to games.

Bruce Firestone came to buy the Rough Riders and was laughed out of town. At the end of the day, it alwys boils down to money

 

[HSF]

I can't see Euge selling the team when the painful rebuild is so close to paying off. Say what you want about him, he's passionate about hockey and loves to win. Anyone in the Sens organization that has heard him speak confirms that about his attitude.

this rebuild is so close to paying off? So far we have sucked enough to just draft we haven't done much more than that

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Yaaay the same argument with the same talking point for the 50th time derailing the 30th thread with the same people. wooooooo this is fun.

 

[HSF]

makes a lot of sense for Melnyk to sell especially before salaries explode

is the time now? we will see

 

[jbeck5]

Look at the Redblacks dwindling fan base, this city supports sports teams when they are winning & doesn't when they are losing & there are plenty of examples from the past here (RedBlacks, Linx, Sens). It's a fad town that comes out to be part of the winning team or when it's new, but quickly goes on to something else when they are losing & the shine wears off.

They are not a die hard support fan base, that's way in the past although there are a few like us. It's all about winning in today's culture with no patience for losing seasons & thanks to social media we can spent countless hours disecting every move, every play, every nuance to death or find something more interesting to do & watch quickly & easily.

That's every city though with the exception of maybe like 2 teams in Montreal and Toronto.

Even major markets like Chicago will not be able to fill the building if they are bottom 5-10 in the league for 5+ years.

There are countless examples of cities much much much bigger than Ottawa not showing up much to games when they have losing season after losing season after losing season.

It's not a shiny new toy syndrome problem. It's that people want to be doing what's in. Look at tiktok. It's all copying the masses.

It's people not wanting to shell out their hard earned money, and drive to the farm fields to go see their team lose 6-0 and play uninspiring hockey.

They would definitely want to go downtown and watch their team win 6-0 and beat up the other team.

You win more games and fans will show up and it will snowball in a positive way because then you also get the bandwagonners that are there just to be cool because everyones doing it.

 

[topshelf15]

Everyone knows this is one of the most fickle fans in the world, not just this league.

And new ownership, even your precisou Alfie and Philly combo, will hardly move the needle.

Because it still requires money to go to games.

Bruce Firestone came to buy the Rough Riders and was laughed out of town. At the end of the day, it alwys boils down to money

Just stop with the fan blaming ,this team has had fan support....Poor ownership is the problem period,almost 3 decades of being the cheapest run org...While being in the top 10 in attendance,a better tv and radio deal than 3/4 of the league and a brand new arena deal just waiting to happen...Need a new schtick,because no one is buying this one

 

[topshelf15]

EM needs to go period and I suspect most of the schills will as well

 

[jbeck5]

If the fan base will only fill the rink, when the team is in contention for the Cup, it’s not the owner who is to blame…. How are the Redblacks drawing now that they too are cellar dwellers?

You only speak of the extreme.

I'm pretty sure the sens were in the top half in attendance when they were a team competing for the playoffs. (6-10th in the east)

It's not an Ottawa thing.

Attendance reflects the success of almost every team over a multi year trend.

Look at the teams in the bottom half of attendance and you probably have mostly non playoff teams over the last 5 seasons...and look at the top teams in attendance and you probably have mostly playoff teams.

I bet taking the record of all top 15-16 teams in attendance vs the record of all the bottom 15-16 teams paints a pretty clear picture that attendance is tied to success.

There are only a few exceptions like Toronto and Montreal or new expansion teams.

 

[topshelf15]

EM has spent to 70 maybe once ,and has lied so many times ...Yet some here think the fans should just ,keep giving up their money to a team ,that wont have us trying to contend for a cup but rather build up to a budget then rebuild again...A decade of this is the f***en problem ,this is not a fan issue...Its an owner issue period...

 

[senswon]

Daughters want no part of it, are actually horrified by it. And he knows this. So he may as well look after selling it while in failing health, and taking care of his affairs instead of heaping that on his daughters

Sorry, this is the first I've heard this. Is it common knowledge the kids don't want the team?

 

[Grizwald]

Just stop with the fan blaming ,this team has had fan support....Poor ownership is the problem period,almost 3 decades of being the cheapest run org...While being in the top 10 in attendance,a better tv and radio deal than 3/4 of the league and a brand new arena deal just waiting to happen...Need a new schtick,because no one is buying this one

I read an good article by Bob McKenzie a few years ago and wish I could find it. Paraphrasing, Bob wrote that more "real' fans have attended Senator games since their arena was built than any other Canadian team, and it's not even close. The main reason stated was due to poor corporate sales in Ottawa and the "real" fans having to pick up the slack. Of course it would help corporate sales if the Senators had a professional and properly staffed marketing department, a professional image within the corporate community, and was not owned by a despicable moron. Blaming the "real" fans for low attendance absolutely boggles my mind, it's actually laughable.