Ottawa 67's 2019-20 Season Thread

[analyser]

Let's go for it all now and we can worry about the future when it comes. We had lots of opportunity from 1996 to 2005 but barely managed to win 1 cup. Lost in 2nd round that year and remained in cup hunt as host.

London, Oshawa, Hamilton, etc. have went all in and still managed to survive.

The management team has to be able to add and subtract players as required. It may be difficult but it as been done very successfully many times.

I believe Rossi and Bahl could be gone the following season so that will not make for a championship calibre team.

 

[OMG67]

Beast, give up the going for it will result in the team being a shell next season’s and draft cupboard bare. The ‘67s had multiple 2nds and/or 3rds for about 5 years and have several extra picks for the next 3 drafts. The ‘67s are overflowing with young players.
And Ohotynuk can easily be replaced with a Rossi type next draft? Geez!

Let's play the game. We're going for it because we expect to lose Rossi and other reasons.

The team next year shapes up as follows;

Robinson - Tolnai - Clarke
Johnston - Crete - Quinn
Beck - ??? - Sirizzotti
??? - ??? - ???

Belanger - Rippon (OA)
Sawyer - Gill

Andree (OA)
Cranley

We can reasonably assume all of our meaningful 2nds and 3rds will be gone. We traded more picks last year than we have this year for two OA's and a goalie. We'd probably need higher value players this year. Matier will probably be gone as well. If not, someone like Robinson will be gone. Either way a painful piece will not be back leaving a big hole to fill.

We can also assume none of the NCAA bound players will miraculously report.

We should also assume Clarke, Quinn and Andree would be traded to recoup some assets. That would leave additional holes to fill.

We'd have our first round pick and two Imports coming in as well as Ranvir Gill. Plus we may get a player or two in the trades mentioned above.

Not all is lost but it would be a tough lineup to watch (potentially). It will require a tear down rebuild and a reliance on young players.

It all comes down to what a fan values more.

 

[beastintheeast]

While I hear people talk about other teams building I understand that

OMG I am not calling for a return to Killer's theory

I see this team having 2 options

The best option I see for this team is to go with what they have right now
Near November evaluate what talent we have and what level talent we will have next year.
If it is felt that we can have a contender next year and that we can host the M Cup then go that route
If it is felt that this team will not be a contender nor does the team want to host a cup BUT we are in the top 3 in the league then definitely look at going for it depending on the cost.

My focus is not based on my time in Ottawa or on Killer actually. It is built on being an OHL fan for 50 years living through the 67's Canadians battles, going to 67 games with my uncle and father and going to all the Canadians Frontenacs games.

My worry is based on the knowledge that Ottawa likes a winner and wants to be entertained by the home team.
Right now from a marketing/business point of view the 67's are in a perfect place.
The Sens suck Melnyk is the NHL's latest versus of Harold Howard and Earl all wrapped up into one man.

This means tht there are a lot of fans and a lot of money that can be drawn to the 67's again if it is done right.
Blowing up the team is not doing it right though.

OMG you listed where the team finished in those 10 years what was the attendance like.

That is what matters not so much the trophies but how much money did those teams bring in.
The fact that the fans went away not wanting to wait until September.

 

[dirty12]

Let's play the game. We're going for it because we expect to lose Rossi and other reasons.

The team next year shapes up as follows;

Robinson - Tolnai - Clarke
Johnston - Crete - Quinn
Beck - ??? - Sirizzotti
??? - ??? - ???

Belanger - Rippon (OA)
Sawyer - Gill

Andree (OA)
Cranley

We can reasonably assume all of our meaningful 2nds and 3rds will be gone. We traded more picks last year than we have this year for two OA's and a goalie. We'd probably need higher value players this year. Matier will probably be gone as well. If not, someone like Robinson will be gone. Either way a painful piece will not be back leaving a big hole to fill.

We can also assume none of the NCAA bound players will miraculously report.

We should also assume Clarke, Quinn and Andree would be traded to recoup some assets. That would leave additional holes to fill.

We'd have our first round pick and two Imports coming in as well as Ranvir Gill. Plus we may get a player or two in the trades mentioned above.

Not all is lost but it would be a tough lineup to watch (potentially). It will require a tear down rebuild and a reliance on young players.

It all comes down to what a fan values more.

Need all the pieces on the board to simulate that game. Add third OA, Constantini, at least one import, and first pick; then, there are only two spots to fill with 2020 draft picks, 2nd import, & prospects from within. The Ottawa 2020 draft board currently has; 2, 2(3,4,5) picks. You know the ‘67s will retain meaningful picks.

I just think the ‘67s have the team to win now; and, the market can’t support both Ottawa and Oshawa as sellers. If the environment is even just reasonable to sell in, Guelph can dangle Hillis, Gogalev, Lalonde, ... . No one is giving any real consideration to OS as contenders. They can put Lyle and a 1/2 dozen 2000 born up for trade. Should SSM get Hayton back to trade at the deadline ... imo, there are just not enough potential buyers this season.

I can understand the ‘67s pushing assets forward only if they truly believe they have the memorial cup bid to beat.

 

[OMG67]

While I hear people talk about other teams building I understand that

OMG I am not calling for a return to Killer's theory

I see this team having 2 options

The best option I see for this team is to go with what they have right now
Near November evaluate what talent we have and what level talent we will have next year.
If it is felt that we can have a contender next year and that we can host the M Cup then go that route
If it is felt that this team will not be a contender nor does the team want to host a cup BUT we are in the top 3 in the league then definitely look at going for it depending on the cost.

My focus is not based on my time in Ottawa or on Killer actually. It is built on being an OHL fan for 50 years living through the 67's Canadians battles, going to 67 games with my uncle and father and going to all the Canadians Frontenacs games.

My worry is based on the knowledge that Ottawa likes a winner and wants to be entertained by the home team.
Right now from a marketing/business point of view the 67's are in a perfect place.
The Sens suck Melnyk is the NHL's latest versus of Harold Howard and Earl all wrapped up into one man.

This means tht there are a lot of fans and a lot of money that can be drawn to the 67's again if it is done right.
Blowing up the team is not doing it right though.

OMG you listed where the team finished in those 10 years what was the attendance like.

That is what matters not so much the trophies but how much money did those teams bring in.
The fact that the fans went away not wanting to wait until September.

Through 1998, the attendance was putrid. It wasn't until Hunt came in and dropped huge $$$ on marketing that the team saw full rinks.

Don't look at team success as a motivator for attendance. It is but only for a small window late in the season. The team doesn't get the type of coverage that "spreads the word" of their success. The media will spend 100 times more energy blasting the Sens than on pumping the 67s tires.

I agree if there is a Memorial Cup, that is a big event . As such, it is something to build towards and is very hard for the local media to ignore or gloss over. That could be a big catalist to drawing back a crowd.

We'll see what the early attendance is like this year after filling the rink in the playoffs late last year. Will there be a spike in attendance to start the year? If so, you are correct. A perpetual winning team is the right move if you are motivated by attendance numbers. If not, then the winning aspect year to year is pretty much meaningless.

 

[OMG67]

Need all the pieces on the board to simulate that game. Add third OA, Constantini, at least one import, and first pick; then, there are only two spots to fill with 2020 draft picks, 2nd import, & prospects from within. The Ottawa 2020 draft board currently has; 2, 2(3,4,5) picks. You know the ‘67s will retain meaningful picks.

I just think the ‘67s have the team to win now; and, the market can’t support both Ottawa and Oshawa as sellers. If the environment is even just reasonable to sell in, Guelph can dangle Hillis, Gogalev, Lalonde, ... . No one is giving any real consideration to OS as contenders. They can put Lyle and a 1/2 dozen 2000 born up for trade. Should SSM get Hayton back to trade at the deadline ... imo, there are just not enough potential buyers this season.

I can understand the ‘67s pushing assets forward only if they truly believe they have the memorial cup bid to beat.

Let's delete the 4th and 5th round picks. They are typically throw away picks in trade or at best sweateners.

We need an impact OA. If you use last years "buyers market" as the example, it will cost us at least two 2nds and a 3rd.

We need an impact top 6 forward. If we can get that player for just draft picks, it will cost three 2nds and two 3rds. That said, I don't think we can get that player for picks. Even last year was tough to get impact 19 year olds for just picks. You have to think a body will need to go. Matier or Robinson seem the likeliest candidates.

I think we need a 3rd player with size for the 3rd line. It doesn't need to be an impact scorer but someone that can patrol the game a bit and chip in some goals. That's probably another 2nd and two 3rds.

If it is all just picks, that pretty much clears out our 2nds and 3rds through 2023 drafts. We'd be forced to sell off next year. There is no doubt in my mind. Quinn, Clarke and Andree would all likely be dealt to help restock the cupboards.

I am ok with that as long as people realize what the back end of that process is. I just don't think people realize the tough side of that is.

Ottawa sold off assets for three or four seasons to build a stockpile of picks to use this year and last year. That means we'd probably see two years of selling off to ramp up for the next run. Again, I am ok with that but I don't think many are.

 

[analyser]

I believe that you will see the attendance numbers drop drastically for the regular season. Everyone jumped on board when they saw the potentional for the 67s to go all the way last season as the playoffs advanced. In addition, the 67s were the only playoff hockey around as the Sens had a very dismal year.

Attendance for regular season games was not so great last year or in previous years. Ottawa fans as well as many other OHL locations will back a winner or a team that has their eyes geared towards the ultimate goal.

Fall back into that Killer mentality and you will see the crowds diminish.

In my opinion, I do not believe that the 67s have the proper facilities to acquire the Memorial Cup tournament the following season. So many upgrades and changes are required to bring the arena up to Cup standards. Good luck if you think you can make a workable deal with Melnyk to use the Sens facilities.

 

[OMG67]

I believe that you will see the attendance numbers drop drastically for the regular season. Everyone jumped on board when they saw the potentional for the 67s to go all the way last season as the playoffs advanced. In addition, the 67s were the only playoff hockey around as the Sens had a very dismal year.

Attendance for regular season games was not so great last year or in previous years. Ottawa fans as well as many other OHL locations will back a winner or a team that has their eyes geared towards the ultimate goal.

Fall back into that Killer mentality and you will see the crowds diminish.

In my opinion, I do not believe that the 67s have the proper facilities to acquire the Memorial Cup tournament the following season. So many upgrades and changes are required to bring the arena up to Cup standards. Good luck if you think you can make a workable deal with Melnyk to use the Sens facilities.

It would need to be part of a bigger business plan. Fixing or replacing the existing private boxes would have to generate future revenue and the Memorial Cup would have to rejuvinate a fanbase and generate higher levels of ticket sales for a 5+ year span.

If the right business plan were to be initiated and executed, it is possible to make it work. The problem is the schedule. It doesn't suit the higher paying audience. So there is a balance required between the Ottawa 67s and other retail and restaurants at Lansdowne. That, to me, is the biggest hurdle. The 67s don't generate the same type of customer base as the Red Blacks so the outlets lose the parking and don't generate the revenue from the event. It is a lose-lose situation.

This is the reason why I've agrued against all the "family" type promoting. People want to get their kids in and out. They have no interest in the restaurants and such. The team needs to market to a fan base that wants to see good hockey but doesn't want to go to Kanata to see it (arguements that you won't see it there). They need to engage a marketing firm to assess the likelihood of developing a fanbase of middle aged people and offering the sorts of things that group wants. It's not an endless parade of screaming kids running through the aisles and over people with reckless abandon.

EDIT:

Nothing about Lansdowne Park screams "family oriented" entertainment. Maybe the outdoor spaces have an element of that but that is a small fraction of the traffic that zone now gets. The Ottawa 67s marketing as family entertainmnet may work in conjunction to the overall values of the OHL and past concentration prior to the rejuvination project; however, it simply does not work in any way now. There is zero synergy between the 67s and Lansdowne Park. Until they change their focus, they will continue to spin on a hampster wheel and go nowhere.

 

[beastintheeast]

It would need to be part of a bigger business plan. Fixing or replacing the existing private boxes would have to generate future revenue and the Memorial Cup would have to rejuvinate a fanbase and generate higher levels of ticket sales for a 5+ year span.

If the right business plan were to be initiated and executed, it is possible to make it work. The problem is the schedule. It doesn't suit the higher paying audience. So there is a balance required between the Ottawa 67s and other retail and restaurants at Lansdowne. That, to me, is the biggest hurdle. The 67s don't generate the same type of customer base as the Red Blacks so the outlets lose the parking and don't generate the revenue from the event. It is a lose-lose situation.

This is the reason why I've agrued against all the "family" type promoting. People want to get their kids in and out. They have no interest in the restaurants and such. The team needs to market to a fan base that wants to see good hockey but doesn't want to go to Kanata to see it (arguements that you won't see it there). They need to engage a marketing firm to assess the likelihood of developing a fanbase of middle aged people and offering the sorts of things that group wants. It's not an endless parade of screaming kids running through the aisles and over people with reckless abandon.

EDIT:

Nothing about Lansdowne Park screams "family oriented" entertainment. Maybe the outdoor spaces have an element of that but that is a small fraction of the traffic that zone now gets. The Ottawa 67s marketing as family entertainmnet may work in conjunction to the overall values of the OHL and past concentration prior to the rejuvination project; however, it simply does not work in any way now. There is zero synergy between the 67s and Lansdowne Park. Until they change their focus, they will continue to spin on a hampster wheel and go nowhere.

I fully agree. Once they made it a business park with restaurants and the push for the red-black which are not as much family as they are adults and are an event. The 67's are an after-dinner event for families it is dad goes home get the kids a quick bite and it if off the game.

As I have said if they are not looking at marketing this as one of the best hockey choices (Olympiques) in the NCR then they are stupid. The Sens are now in the same era as the Ballard Leafs the only difference is that Pal Hal had a full house and die hard fans that their tickets were actually part of wills along with an arena that was paid for and fully booked. He also had a great location that was easy to get to. Kanata is not easy to get to the cost of the team is huge and the fan base is not old enough to be that diehard.

 

[OMG67]

Craig Button has Marco Rossi listed at #14 on his season opening Craig's List.

 

[BarberPole9]

10 TAKEAWAYS: 2019 Prospects Challenge:
On Okhotyuk:
Similarly, recently drafted defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk was unable to participate due to a right index finger injury. During the off-season, Okhotyuk, who plays for the Ottaway 67s in the OHL, had to have surgery on a broken finger that will keep him off the ice for six-to-eight weeks. Okhotyuk still joined his teammates in Buffalo where he participated in all off-ice activities.

On Clarke:
5. 2019 draft selection Graeme Clarke certainly stood out in all three games he played. In the first game, Clarke was positioned at left wing on the second line with Mike McLeod at center and Joey Anderson at right-wing, in the final two games he had worked his way to first-line duty and handled bigger minutes.
"He's got a skill set about him," said Coach Mark Dennehy. "I thought he played with poise. We moved him, [Friday] night, onto the right wing from the left wing and I thought we saw a little bit of jump in his game. And so, we started him there, and I thought you were able to see his skill, especially on the power play. He's got a lot of poise for a young player."
Clarke finished the tournament with a goal and an assist, and the moment of making an impression was not lost on the 19-year-old who plays for the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League.
"I think throwing on the Devils jersey and playing against different NHL organizations is definitely a really good experience and you definitely get chills when you step out there for the first time," he said. "I think now I've kind of settled in and I'm just looking forward to [Monday's game] and we'll definitely try to get the win."

 

[beastintheeast]

Craig Button has Marco Rossi listed at #14 on his season opening Craig's List.

That means that he will be back next year no matter who drafts him.

 

[OMG67]

That means that he will be back next year no matter who drafts him.

Unless he goes back to Europe.

 

[HockeyPops]

Because Craig Button always nails this 9 months before it happens.

 

[beastintheeast]

It is possible that Button could be wrong but he is not the only one most at this stage see him as a mid-round pick.

I still think that if this team is competitive next year and has a supporting cast that he will stay here

Carolina cut Hoef too many D in the main camp so it is at this stage ECHL or back here. Helvig did the back here then did the ECHL route and seems to be doing OK

I see him practising and keeping in shape but looking at an ECHL camp right now.

Keating should also be back if he is not already.

 

[OMG67]

It is possible that Button could be wrong but he is not the only one most at this stage see him as a mid-round pick.

I still think that if this team is competitive next year and has a supporting cast that he will stay here

Carolina cut Hoef too many D in the main camp so it is at this stage ECHL or back here. Helvig did the back here then did the ECHL route and seems to be doing OK

I see him practising and keeping in shape but looking at an ECHL camp right now.

Keating should also be back if he is not already.

On paper, next year's team could be spectacular with the right moves this year.

Problem is it requires Rossi to return and Hoelscher to be an OA. I am reasonably certain, provided Rossi's rights are in Ottawa's hands and he isn't here on loan, there is about a 50-50 chance of either of those happening.

So, it is a dice roll next year. As much as I would prefer to roll the dice on next year, I can understand those that like the bird in hand scenario and I don't disagree with that provided they do what is necessary.

 

[HockeyPops]

Couldn't Rossi play AHL next season?

 

[Generalsupdates]

Couldn't Rossi play AHL next season?

No. He’ll be getting drafted out of the OHL. But could make money playing pro in Europe

 

[HockeyPops]

Right, forgot about that. Brain fart. Thx.

 

[OMG67]

No. He’ll be getting drafted out of the OHL. But could make money playing pro in Europe

What we don't know is if he is on loan from his Swiss club or whether his rights are owned by Ottawa. If he is on loan, his rights can be acquired by his NHL club and then assigned to the AHL.

We are reasonably certain Ottawa holds his rights but haven't been able to find out.

 

[Generalsupdates]

What we don't know is if he is on loan from his Swiss club or whether his rights are owned by Ottawa. If he is on loan, his rights can be acquired by his NHL club and then assigned to the AHL.

We are reasonably certain Ottawa holds his rights but haven't been able to find out.

Oh really? I had never heard that before.

 

[OMG67]

Oh really? I had never heard that before.

Apparently that is how guys like Sandin is drafted by SSM before being drafted by the Leafs but played with the Marlies underage.

It seems as though that is the loophole. I have not seen anything that states it 100% but i did read it and it does make some sense.

 

[Bob Barker]

 

[sirius67fan]

Well if that happens the 67's are showing their hand and going for it this year.

 

[OMG67]

Well if that happens the 67's are showing their hand and going for it this year.

Yup. It wouldn't be reported if it wasn't true. It means they understand they have holes and want to fill them.

The "problem" is Akil Thomas is one of those high value players. That IS NOT a draft pick only trade.

This is one of the reasons why I'd like Ottawa to keep Peric for the time being. He's potentially a body that other teams can count on providing some sort of reasonable oimpact this year as well as next with a strong possibility of an OA year.

If we trade him for picks, that's fine but impact 19 yo players at the deadline are not available for picks (typically).