News Article: NHL must step in to stop shady Senators owner Eugene Melnyk

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

With the current product and arena being out of the way, I would be hard pressed to go for free.

The only kids with a real spot are the same ones from last year, so it has a been there done that feeling.

There's just no reason to be interested in anyone on the roster beyond Chabot, Tkachuk, White & Duclair.

Throw in another bargain coach, same crappy GM, same old threads, same overlord with crippling philosphies at the top and you really have a perfect storm of a total turn off. It just feels impossible to rouse any passion for the current product or not feel betrayed by the people in charge.

 

[BonkTastic]

With the current product and arena being out of the way, I would be hard pressed to go for free.

I turned down free tickets to Monday's game.

Mind you... I had my in-laws in town (because Thanksgiving), so my time was already committed, but even just a few years ago, I would have gone to extreme lengths to find an excuse to bail on that for a free Sens game, or at the very least find a way to make it up to my wife. But these days, I didn't even think twice about turning them down.

 

[2CHAINZ]

Just a thought here....

In a way to show the NHL and any new potential owners how much we still care.

We should get a designated game once a month or 2 months, whatever it is.. and sell out that game. It would be a clear message.

It would be nice to spread this around and try and show everyone how strong we can be.

You'd be better off having a petition where people can put down a deposit for season tickets to show how many are willing upon ownership change. Forget about selling out the arena and giving Euge any money.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Daly/Bettman are always going to support owners to the public until the owner is gone. It's just the way it is. They work for the owners. It makes no sense for them to say "f*** Melnyk he's a goof we're hoping he finally sells". Their job is to get the other 30 owners the best resolution, which is either supporting Melnyk if he's a viable owner, or helping Melnyk through the process of getting the absolute top dollar for his team. It would be hugely negative to say anything other than Melnyk is cool, nothing going on here (while they are standing in front of a Canadian Tire Center that is going down in flames). If a prospective buyer caught wind that things were bad between Melnyk and the NHL, that gives the buyer leverage.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Just a thought here....

In a way to show the NHL and any new potential owners how much we still care.

We should get a designated game once a month or 2 months, whatever it is.. and sell out that game. It would be a clear message.

It would be nice to spread this around and try and show everyone how strong we can be.

The way you get Melnyk out is to boycott major NHL sponsors.

The Melnyk out campaign would have been more effective if it was centered around that. The way to market it would be that Melnyk threatened to move the Senators, we only have so many Canadian teams left, EUGENE MELNYK IS THREATENING CANADIAN HOCKEY. Therefore, all Canadian hockey fans (not just Ottawa hockey fans) must show the evil American NHL and Eugene Melnyk how they won't stand for Canada being taken advantage of. Then coordinate for all Canadian hockey fans to boycott whoever the two biggest NHL sponsors are.

Obviously, that's a huge exaggeration, but people would get on board if it was marketed that way. Canadians love to feel threatened by The Real American Gary Bettman. Using the fact that Eugene Melnyk threatened to move one of the few Canadian teams while standing on Parliament Hill would be a great starting point for a marketing campaign.

The Melnyk Out campaign had no direction. There was no call to action. I don't think the people expected it to get as big as it did, and I don't think they really thought about how they might be able to effect change.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Im interested in how Ruddy is going to convince a judge Melnyk wanting 'the valuable naming rights' is an issue. I hope the judge orders the bailiff to bang there heads together and kicks them out of the room.

I know everyone puts all the blame on one person but if its your arena and your nhl team,why would you give Ruddy a major NHL revenue stream?

Why would Ruddy and the city of Ottawa pay for an arena for Melnyk rent free for 30 years without getting anything back. This ain't rocket science chief.

Seeing Melnyk's shitty defense on the casino lawsuit, I can't wait to see the results of this lawsuit.

 

[supsens]

Why would Ruddy and the city of Ottawa pay for an arena for Melnyk rent free for 30 years without getting anything back. This ain't rocket science chief.

Seeing Melnyk's ****ty defense on the casino lawsuit, I can't wait to see the results of this lawsuit.

They wouldn't but Ruddy seems determined to demand millions from the sens for 20 years to build his project so I am not sure he should be mentioning that in a complaint. Thats EM's complaint not his.

 

[Peptic Balcers]

It's lower than the Mooseheads season ticket base, who have a 10k stadium

legit chance that the mooseheads have higher average attendance this season

 

[Peptic Balcers]

Just a thought here....

In a way to show the NHL and any new potential owners how much we still care.

We should get a designated game once a month or 2 months, whatever it is.. and sell out that game. It would be a clear message.

It would be nice to spread this around and try and show everyone how strong we can be.

or even on October 25th the sens play the islanders and the 67s play Kitchener at the same time. If the sens get 10k to a Friday night game and the 67s sell out on the same night...

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I turned down free tickets to Monday's game.

Mind you... I had my in-laws in town (because Thanksgiving), so my time was already committed, but even just a few years ago, I would have gone to extreme lengths to find an excuse to bail on that for a free Sens game, or at the very least find a way to make it up to my wife. But these days, I didn't even think twice about turning them down.

In-laws>Ottawa Senators

Yup, they're cooked.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

They wouldn't but Ruddy seems determined to demand millions from the sens for 20 years to build his project so I am not sure he should be mentioning that in a complaint. Thats EM's complaint not his.

What are you talking about. This is Ruddys complaint.

According to the countersuit, "CSMI's and Melnyk's true aim is to have the City of Ottawa or Trinity fund and build the $500 million event centre for the Ottawa Senators hockey team, with the Senators getting 30 years' free rent. CSMI also wants the valuable naming rights and an unreasonable degree of control over the Lebreton project."

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Just a thought here....

In a way to show the NHL and any new potential owners how much we still care.

I think it is key to find a way to be positive.

If I was put in charge of a project like that I'd look at having people pledge to buy season tickets under different ownership.

Not even demand that Melnyk be gone, more something like "if Melnyk gets a partner to help, this many of us pledge to buying season tickets for 2 seasons in a row".

I'm not saying that would be what I want, setting a satisfactory yet reasonable and realistic objective would be difficult but I just think that if we wanted to organise or officialize MelnykOut, we have to offer an alternative if we want someone to either buy the team or that Melnyk get a partner or something.

Right now things do not look good for anyone thinking of investing in the team: the market is not very big and demand is considerably depressed. If we want someone to drop hundreds of millions of dollars on the team, we need to offer something to.

It worked for Winnipeg.

 

[supsens]

What are you talking about. This is Ruddys complaint.

Yes Ruddy is complaining EM wants the valuable naming rights. He was trying to use the sens to fund his project, he should not be complaining about the fact Melnyk wants the ‘valuable naming rights’ that is a legit beef of the NHL that Ruddy wants to use the NHL brand to fund his project.
If you guys think the other owners are upset at Melnyk because the city of Ottawa is demanding a owner build a rink and hand over naming rights of the arena to some random you are in for a shock.
And if Rudy is saying it is wrong for the NHL wanting to keep its advertising revenue he is going to look like a fool.
Melnyk will be showing handing over naming rights is unreasonable that’s a legit complaint for “his side not Ruddy’s

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Maybe this is all an incredible stroke of genius to fund FYOUS ​

The timing is perfect.

 

[18Hossa]

Isn’t Ruddy just saying that Melnyk wanted everything given to him without putting any of his own money into it?

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Who cares about any facts or even speculation around the suit, let's just place all the blame on Melnyk for the fun of it.

It looks good on him, since he chose to blame us.

 

[supsens]

Isn’t Ruddy just saying that Melnyk wanted everything given to him without putting any of his own money into it?

After 2 minutes Ruddy starts talking about how ‘not just advertising in and around the arena” will help fund the project.
It’s pretty clear he made up his mind the Sens themselves would be supporting the entire project.
Like I said the judge should bang their heads together and send them packing, it looks like everyone was trying to free ride each other.

 

[Qward]

Just a thought here....

In a way to show the NHL and any new potential owners how much we still care.

We should get a designated game once a month or 2 months, whatever it is.. and sell out that game. It would be a clear message.

It would be nice to spread this around and try and show everyone how strong we can be.

I am down for that. And at 11:11 of each period chant "Melnyk out"

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Nothing will probably come out of this, just Melnyk’s hubris thinking he will get the money to properly run a team/lose it at the casino.

Let’s just hope they get it done with fairly quickly, so he can finally give up.

 

[Tighthead]

Anyone who is looking to go into a joint venture with Melnyk has to be a bit crazy or sleazy I would think.

 

[CostPerRebuild]

When both sides are in court fighting over who is to blame what complaint seems more reasonable to the judge?
Ruddy ”I’m upset they won’t give me NHL sponsorship revenue to fund my half of the project”
Melnyk “ He is trying to steal the NHL brand to fund his share of the project”

Who’s complaint is the naming rights? Ruddy should not bring up NHL revenue to fund his buildings.

If you are not paying to build the arena AND you ask not to pay rent for 30 years AND you refuse to give up the naming rights AND asking for high levels of control on the Lebreton project what does that make any reasonable person conclude?

That you are greedy.
That's what the judge will see.
That's it.

 

[supsens]

If you are not paying to build the arena AND you ask not to pay rent for 30 years AND you refuse to give up the naming rights AND asking for high levels of control on the Lebreton project what does that make any reasonable person conclude?

That you are greedy.
That's what the judge will see.
That's it.

You are stacking different proposals on top of each other.
If you are spending six hundred million and your partner is not really investing anything, why wouldn’t you ask for high levels of control?
If he needs your team and wants all the advertising revenue why wouldn’t you ask him to build the arena then.
It’s a mixed bag with two meatballs

 

[CostPerRebuild]

You are stacking different proposals on top of each other.
If you are spending six hundred million and your partner is not really investing anything, why wouldn’t you ask for high levels of control?
If he needs your team and wants all the advertising revenue why wouldn’t you ask him to build the arena then.
It’s a mixed bag with two meatballs

I have never seen any proposal where Melnyk is putting up 600M.
Don't tell me "That's what the team is worth so that's his share" because that is a stupid argument.
Lebreton Flats would've been a major upgrade for the Sens franchise.
It's only positive for Melnyk, it's pretty much no risk.
On top of it he wants his "partner" to shoulder all the cost risk of building the arena, taking on the rent, giving up an inordinate amount of control over the entire project and getting no value added but saying "You can buy condos next to the new Sens arena!"

That just doesn't make any sense.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Anyone who is looking to go into a joint venture with Melnyk has to be a bit crazy or sleazy I would think.

Melnyk has the NHL team, he's the one everybody would like to do business with.

Problem for the Euge is that he is a Born'n'Bred ConMan: he has to find a way to cheat you out of something to feel good about himself.

Legit, serious people wanted to do business with him because they thought Melnyk would see the tremendous potential in developing Lebreton. Melnyk just saw it as an opportunity to try to screw someone out of something and f***ed it up for everyone.

It is a real shame.

 

[harrisb]

Devcore had a better proposal to begin with and much deeper pockets. As soon as melnyk failed to show the financial ability or desire to move forward it should have been handed to someone who wanted to