News Article: Lebreton talks in mediation to salvage deal

[supsens]

Except the only market that keeps being brought up is QC, and they are quickly being priced out because as has been illustrated numerous times the QC market is simply not as good a market as the Ottawa market by any economic metric. Please feel free to quote any numbers, GDP, Pop, TV Market size, corp base, etc. etc. all swing in Ottawa's favor with numbers to back it up, so just saying that "qc has rabid fans willing to support the team" means nothing.

Devcore/Demarais is potentially willing to cover the team cost ($400-500 mil), the debt ($200 mil) and the stadium ($100-200 mil after condo rev).

If QC thought that they could get ROI on an $700-900 mil investment then they would have a team already.

They put in a bid but vegas was chosen, and they already have an arena, so I am not sure where your 900 is from. I bet they end up with a team from relocation in the next few years. Panthers,Canes,(gulp) Sens.

 

[supsens]

You are wrong, stop being dishonest by cherry picking pieces of a post to reply to rather than responding with the entire context. Context matters and you are purposely trying to deflect. He said SOME of the reasons are in the lawsuit but you made the assumption that it meant he backs it, you left out all the other evidence I positioned. I gotta wonder what your motive was to spend the time to edit my original post?

Yes he looked the entire world in the face and told them to go look at the complaint filed if they want to see some of the reasons. There is no assumptions he sat in front of a camera and made that statement. It's not out of context.
There is no deflection and citing it as reasons in front of the world is support, you twisting other statements and filling in blanks to suit your needs does not change that.
So now what? Your moving the goal post saying it's not 100% all the reasons.....That wasn't the discussion at hand. And if there are other reasons neither of us know them.

This is what we know for a fact.
Bettman said it isn't viable if you want some reasons they are in the complaint.
Do you honestly think he would point to it or tell people the reasons are in it if he didn't support it. That is supporting it.

 

[harrisb]

Yes he looked the entire world in the face and told them to go look at the complaint filed if they want to see some of the reasons. There is no assumptions he sat in front of a camera and made that statement. It's not out of context.
There is no deflection and citing it as reasons in front of the world is support, you twisting other statements and filling in blanks to suit your needs does not change that.
So now what? Your moving the goal post saying it's not 100% all the reasons.....That wasn't the discussion at hand. And if there are other reasons neither of us know them.

This is what we know for a fact.
Bettman said it isn't viable if you want some reasons they are in the complaint.
Do you honestly think he would point to it or tell people the reasons are in it if he didn't support it. That is supporting it.

Didn't move the goal posts at all, he said some of the reasons are in the lawsuit, you took that to indicate that he supports the lawsuit. Please let us know how you came to that conclusion? The only conclusion that anyone without an agenda can come to is that he thinks some of the reasons are in the lawsuit, that in NO WAY says he supports the lawsuit.

Let me know how his statement leads to the belief that he supports the lawsuit? He said some reasons for the fallout are in the lawsuit, he also said he was disappointed how this went down, I really fail to see how that is a show of support. Let us all crawl inside your head for a while

 

[NorthCoast]

They put in a bid but vegas was chosen, and they already have an arena, so I am not sure where your 900 is from. I bet they end up with a team from relocation in the next few years. Panthers,Canes,(gulp) Sens.

No, they probably don't.

Quebec's bid had everything that the league wanted other than being in the east, and it was rejected. Why? Because the NHL doesn't like a market that is almost half the size of Ottawa, would not bring any new fans/revenue to the game, and would be even more susceptible to loses due to the CND-US exchange rate.

“Quebec is challenged, OK, I’m going to put it nicely. They’re challenged,” Jacobs said. “Look at the income base and the population base and there probably isn’t a smaller market, so they’re going to really have to distinguish themselves in some other way, I would think.” - Jeremy Jacobs

Here's one more thing to consider. When Quebec was applying some press rumored that the NHL wanted a better owner to be involved, namely one Paul Desmarais. But Desmarais didn't get involved, despite his obvious interest in owning an NHL team.

Now he is trying to get involved in Ottawa.


Can you put forth one piece of legit evidence that the NHL, or anyone outside Quebec City, would prefer Quebec to Ottawa?

 

[supsens]

Didn't move the goal posts at all, he said some of the reasons are in the lawsuit, you took that to indicate that he supports the lawsuit. Please let us know how you came to that conclusion? The only conclusion that anyone without an agenda can come to is that he thinks some of the reasons are in the lawsuit, that in NO WAY says he supports the lawsuit.

Let me know how his statement leads to the belief that he supports the lawsuit? He said some reasons for the fallout are in the lawsuit, he also said he was disappointed how this went down, I really fail to see how that is a show of support. Let us all crawl inside your head for a while

Try reading the last sentence.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Try reading the last sentence.

Your inferences are evidence of nothing.

 

[supsens]

Your inferences are evidence of nothing.

Ok say you were building something with someone else and decided to sue them, the next day I am on TV and I say I am very disappointed in how this turned out but this project isn’t viable and the reasons are in the lawsuit. Is this not supporting you and you lawsuit? Yess it is.
Unless you think support is only some cheerleader in a outfit cheering you on, I am not sure what to tell you

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Ok say you were building something with someone else and decided to sue them, the next day I am on TV and I say I am very disappointed in how this turned out but this project isn’t viable and the reasons are in the lawsuit. Is this not supporting you and you lawsuit? Yess it is.
Unless you think support is only some cheerleader in a outfit cheering you on, I am not sure what to tell you

If that's what you've assumed from the generic statement from Bettman, that's your right, but don't peddle it off like irrefutable evidence.

 

[Tundraman]

Please stay on topic and do not hijack the discussion.

If you believe someone has broken site rules please do not respond just report the offending post and it will be reviewed by the moderators.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Bettman has said a downtown arena is vital to the long term stability in Ottawa - so the NHL wants and needs a new arena in Lebreton.

Melnyck has been a pain in the side of the NHL for a while and this may be the opportunity for Bettman to get rid of Melnyck. Essentially the NHL tells Melnyck is he can’t afford to keep up the game, then he’ll have to get out.

Also in all of this is the Demarcus ties to the NHL front office, you have them flush with cash looking to buy the team and build an arena which is Bettmans dream partner, and Melnyck telling the NHL he can make it work in Kanata long term which everyone knows isn’t sane - because he’s barely making it work now.

The "NHL" will never tell an owner to sell his franchise.

Melnyk is one of Bettmans' bosses, and Bettman does the bidding of the owners, not the other way around.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

The NHL is a big boys business and if individual owners wealth and business is not keeping up to the growth of the game and they can not afford to reinvest into their teams (arenas, upkeep, fan investment, salaries) then the NHL has no choice but to tell the owner - great run but you can’t afford the club fees anymore.

The NHL is in the profit business, not the ‘keep owner afloat’ business like you state.

Owners come and go all the time and it’s no hard feelings, it’s business. If you can’t afford to keep up with the demands of an NHL franchise, they will hey guys in there that can.

That’s business

Did you ever think that maybe it's the Small Canadian Market of Ottawa that keep up with the growth of the game ..... as in rising salary caps, increased bonus money being demanded, plummating value of the CDN dollar vs the US dollar???


Again your only solution to the issues and challenges that face the Senators is .... bring in an Owner who will spend their own money on top of the teams' revenues, to keep the team afloat.

Nowhere do you even hint that the market, Ottawa, where the revenues come from, has been tapped for about as much as it can, to support the NHL franchise by it's own revenues.
The current, and PREVIOUS owners tied the operational budget, of the Franchise, to the revenues it generated.

Do you remember the franchise requiring bankruptcy protection???

When Melnyk bought the franchise (and arena) he also acquired the 40 Million in debt, and after sinking about 90 million over ten years, of his own money, on top of the revenues the team generated, he started to use debt to finance the teams shortfalls in revenue ........... to the point of carrying about $200 million in debt.


So your solution is ..... just change the owner, and let him/her sugar daddy the franchise, is just so simplistic.

I’m not saying the market can’t keep up, I’m saying the owner can’t keep up.

The owner is operating the Ottawa Senators in the Ottawa Market.

The revenues that the team generates is what is used to operate the franchise ............ oh and plus the ($200 million US) debt he's incurred, as there is not enough revenues being generated in the market.


Sure sounds like the "market can't keep up" to me, what about you?

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Did you ever think that maybe it's the Small Canadian Market of Ottawa that keep up with the growth of the game ..... as in rising salary caps, increased bonus money being demanded, plummating value of the CDN dollar vs the US dollar???


Again your only solution to the issues and challenges that face the Senators is .... bring in an Owner who will spend there own money to keep the team afloat.

Nowhere do you even hint that the market, Ottawa, where the revenues come from, has been tapped for about as much as it can, to support the NHL franchise by it's own revenues.
The current, and PREVIOUS owners tied the operational budget, of the Franchise, to the revenues it generated.

Do you remember the franchise requiring bankruptcy protection???

When Melnyk bought the franchise (and arena) he also acquired the 40 Million in debt, and after sinking about 90 million over ten years, of his own money, on top of the revenues the team generated, he started to use debt to finance the teams shortfalls in revenue ........... to the point of carrying about $200 million in debt.


So your solution is ..... just change the owner, and let him/her sugar daddy the franchise, is just so simplistic.

Its not as simple as money and I don't know why you like to pretend a new owner doesn't have anything new to bring to the table but cash.

Start with competent coaching, gm, marketing, pr, etc. from top to bottom, it would payout massively.

 

[Ice-Tray]

So no new actual news yet?

 

[Ogereatlittleleaf36]

The "NHL" will never tell an owner to sell his franchise.

Melnyk is one of Bettmans' bosses, and Bettman does the bidding of the owners, not the other way around.

He works for the NHL board wich has 31 board members,one owner is really nothing if hes a drain to the nhl.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

He works for the NHL board wich has 31 board members,one owner is really nothing if hes a drain to the nhl.

It's not as black and white as Count portrays.

Will he be "forced" to sell? No, but this is big business, it affects the NHL brand as a whole and honest conversations would be had. Bettman and the BOG's won't be just lap dog yes men for a man so obviously lynching his own product.

 

[Clamshells]

Dont forget that "no publicity is bad publicity."

The Melnyk drama may hurt the Sens brand locally, but if it draws interest from the larger sports market, (say, people who otherwise dont care about hockey but end up following the stupid drama, as is human nature) the NHL should have no issue with the exposure it brings.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Dont forget that "no publicity is bad publicity."

The Melnyk drama may hurt the Sens brand locally, but if it draws interest from the larger sports market, (say, people who otherwise dont care about hockey but end up following the stupid drama, as is human nature) the NHL should have no issue with the exposure it brings.

Tell that to Don Sterling.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Dont forget that "no publicity is bad publicity."

The Melnyk drama may hurt the Sens brand locally, but if it draws interest from the larger sports market, (say, people who otherwise dont care about hockey but end up following the stupid drama, as is human nature) the NHL should have no issue with the exposure it brings.

It's 2019. This has been flipped on its head now and doesn't really seem to apply. Just look at R Kelly...

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Its not as simple as money and I don't know why you like to pretend a new owner doesn't have anything new to bring to the table but cash.

Start with competent coaching, gm, marketing, pr, etc. from top to bottom, it would payout massively.

I'm not disputing that a new owner can bring in a better operational structure to the organization, and replace current management, if they so determine, and set the franchise on what they see as the right path.

But improvements in the management will only go so far, as there are issues unrelated to management that have to be addressed. They'll also have to deal with the challenges of the marketplace, as have all previous owners have done.

A new owner is not going to come in with the mindset that they're going to lose money operating the franchise, as a business model. They'd be wanting to turn a profit at some point, and pay off any debt the franchise is carrying.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

He works for the NHL board wich has 31 board members,one owner is really nothing if hes a drain to the nhl.

Eugene Melnyk is on the BOG, and that makes him one of Bettmans bosses.

Hockeycentral | NHL | Board of Governors

 

[JD1]

Its not as simple as money and I don't know why you like to pretend a new owner doesn't have anything new to bring to the table but cash.

Start with competent coaching, gm, marketing, pr, etc. from top to bottom, it would payout massively.

Personally i think this is flat out wrong.

We could have a perennial contender and this franchise won't generate enough revenue to pay above average salary, high end hockey ops and fund an arena.

New ownership would improve things and i REALLY hope we get that, but it isn't going to change this market place.

 

[Tuna99]

Dont forget that "no publicity is bad publicity."

The Melnyk drama may hurt the Sens brand locally, but if it draws interest from the larger sports market, (say, people who otherwise dont care about hockey but end up following the stupid drama, as is human nature) the NHL should have no issue with the exposure it brings.

No one outside of Ottawa cares what is happening with Eugene Melnyck - Melnycks friend list isn’t very long, it’s the Toronto radio guy who wears sunglasses and it ends about there.

Maybe the larger themed bullying from the Hoffman’s got some broader attention, but as far as a senile man from Barbados who can’t even influence Ottawa City Council and is getting owned by a Condo developer from Barrhaven, doesn’t register beyond the Sens-Army.

 

[Micklebot]

Eugene Melnyk is on the BOG, and that makes him one of Bettmans bosses.

Hockeycentral | NHL | Board of Governors

The point was Bettman works for 31 equal partners, and if 30 of them have one opinion, and Melnyk has another one, which direction do you think Bettman is going? Bettman doesn't act in the best interest of Melnyk, he acts in the best interest of the group.

 

[Ogereatlittleleaf36]

Eugene Melnyk is on the BOG, and that makes him one of Bettmans bosses.

Hockeycentral | NHL | Board of Governors

K true but if 30 of the other bosses dont like how he does bussiness. Well you can see its not going to last for him

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Eugene Melnyk is on the BOG, and that makes him one of Bettmans bosses.

Hockeycentral | NHL | Board of Governors