Confirmed with Link: Paul Gallant new Entertainment Director

[Smash88]

Yost isn't negative for the sake of being negative.

He just connected some dots. I get that fans would rather be oblivious to anything that could have a negative effect their team.

There was absolutely nothing said about Zibanejad having a poor camp, or that he was in danger of losing his job until after he was sent down.

His performance was not the sole factor in the decision. Contracts always play a role. It's a reality of pro sports.

Naturally the Murray lovers jumped on that train. Maybe some AHL time will do him some good, but if Da Costa doesn't have a strong camp, it doesn't happen.

I don't understand this fan base. You have actual facts (public record) screaming in your face. You have the owner and GM contradicting each other, the owner contradicting himself, the Captain and 17 year Senator walks, and all you can say is that there is no money problem, and the personnel decisions were right.

A marketing manager's wet dream. Assume the position, get spanked and say "thank you sir, may I have another"

I would also like to know the multiple known reasons that Travis Yost would have to piss off an egomaniacal multi millionaire that doesn't like his authority challenged.

He sure stands to gain a lot by doing that.

I agree with all of this.

You can't completely dismiss Yost's stuff like many here are doing. I don't necessarily believe it's that bad, but at the same time I'm not going to pretend like everything is fine either.

There is clearly something up.

 

[salomonster]

Couple things.

1. Tickets sales for the home opener is a non story. There are less than 500 tix up left. And Otown is known as a big game day walk up crowd.

2. Yost relishes reporting on the gloom and doom and Hockeybuzz is a joke. Yost is good when he reports on hockey.

3. Tickets sales are slow? Funny I recall hearing C.Leeder that their season tix base was 13k and that their goal was 12k. 13k is the same #'s they had after the cup run season...

3. If there are changes its not in hockey opps.

4. If sales are in fact slow, it has a lot do with the team being on the road for like forever and their games being on tv at 10:30 at night...

Just speculating here but hopefully the news is about Gene finding a partner so we can spend to the cap!

5. Leeder has been with the team since 92, if heads roll it won't be him it will be Marketing dept folks

Just focus on the games for crying out loud! There's plenty of time btw now and opening night in Kanata...

 

[mat_sens]

The thing that frustrates me the most is that you wouldn't know the Sens have even started this season yet if you go by the marketing around the city. The Home Opener is a week away and there is absolutely no advertising in this city other than that ''I'm on Fire'' commercial on Snet. Put up some billboard advertisement around the city and hype up the season.

Like it's been said many many times, other than passing by the CTC in Kanata, there's no way a ''casual'' fan will know when the Sens are playing their next home game. That same casual fan might have bought tickets for a night out with friends if he had seen an advertisement somewhere hyping our next home games.

 

[NyQuil]

The Home Opener is a week away and there is absolutely no advertising in this city other than that ''I'm on Fire'' commercial on Snet.

And one could argue that it's becoming counter-productive.

PUP PUP PUP PUP PUP!!!

FAAYYYYYYYYAAAAAARRRRR!

 

[Dr.Sens(e)]

The thing that frustrates me the most is that you wouldn't know the Sens have even started this season yet if you go by the marketing around the city. The Home Opener is a week away and there is absolutely no advertising in this city other than that ''I'm on Fire'' commercial on Snet. Put up some billboard advertisement around the city and hype up the season.

Like it's been said many many times, other than passing by the CTC in Kanata, there's no way a ''casual'' fan will know when the Sens are playing their next home game. That same casual fan might have bought tickets for a night out with friends if he had seen an advertisement somewhere hyping our next home games.

They only have so much marketing $'s and have to keep their powder dry. Because of the nature of Ottawa ticket sales (one of the highest % of game day sales v season tickets in the league), the team has to market for game day tickets more than most teams. As such, they keep their marketing $'s loaded for when they need to push ticket sales. There are huge home-stands in November, December and March, so expect to see some marketing blitz's in advance and during those periods. I would say you'll see some start in a week or so. This is the nature of this market, so the strategy is sound, although the tactics of maximizing sales will always change and could be better.

The blitz for season tickets usually coincides with playoffs. If the Sens don't make the playoffs, season tickets will always drop. And for every round they advance in the playoffs, season tickets go proportionally up, as the team uses that stick as an incentive to lock up season ticket holders.

Overall, this market generates a very high $ per fan ratio compared to pretty much every other NHL city, although that has more to do with the market than the marketing.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

there are 20,500 tickets available for every game, there are always tickets available so no one is ever in a rush to get tickets in advance

Hmm less tham 20,500 right? 12,000 season ticket holders, maybe a few hundred given away by TSN1200, that leaves a few thousand left for each game.

Posting the same drivel a dozen times over doesn't magically turn conjecture into fact.
Yost is an idiot and not worthy of discussion.

He's far from an idiot and he's posting facts. The Citizen picked up on his financial investigations and he's the only one that's not just hitting that little lever and hoping a morsel of info comes down the chute.

I guess I really don't see what difference a change in that department will make.
People only have so much disposable income.
Regardless of what anyone says, going to a game is an expensive night.
A dollar hot dog night isn't going to make a whole lot of difference.

Amelia at SilverSevenSens did a pretty good job on this, basically you want people to spend their spare money on YOUR stuff instead of a restaurant or whatever. Instead of just going "FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE---FEARLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" you do this:

Pan into the interior of CTC, show the restaurants, show amenities, show the posters of players all around, show clips of the recent pasting of the Habs, add Karlsson's goal vs. the Sabres. Finish with "Do you have YOUR seat? Home opener next Thursday, very few tickets available!"

Melnyk must have been really embarrassed when they opened the Sens mile and no one showed up. Many that were walking by or on outdoor patios would have been there anyway at lunch time.

The whole Sens Mile thing is hella lame anyway. If I'm on Elgin it's either for work purposes or I'm getting a burger or something. I don't go there thinking "Ottawa Senators". Hell, if I want to go to a spot to watch a game Elgin is the last spot I'd think of. First place is my home or a friend's home then we'd hite the Senate Club or Don Cherry's or RealSports (I'd prefer NOT RealSports since it's affilaited with TML...) and so on.

ANyway, TSN1200 is giving tickets to their suite next Thursday. The downside is you have to sit with Shawn Simpson for three hours...

 

[Upgrayedd]

Hmm less tham 20,500 right? 12,000 season ticket holders, maybe a few hundred given away by TSN1200, that leaves a few thousand left for each game.



He's far from an idiot and he's posting facts. The Citizen picked up on his financial investigations and he's the only one that's not just hitting that little lever and hoping a morsel of info comes down the chute.



Amelia at SilverSevenSens did a pretty good job on this, basically you want people to spend their spare money on YOUR stuff instead of a restaurant or whatever. Instead of just going "FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE---FEARLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" you do this:

Pan into the interior of CTC, show the restaurants, show amenities, show the posters of players all around, show clips of the recent pasting of the Habs, add Karlsson's goal vs. the Sabres. Finish with "Do you have YOUR seat? Home opener next Thursday, very few tickets available!"


The whole Sens Mile thing is hella lame anyway. If I'm on Elgin it's either for work purposes or I'm getting a burger or something. I don't go there thinking "Ottawa Senators". Hell, if I want to go to a spot to watch a game Elgin is the last spot I'd think of. First place is my home or a friend's home then we'd hite the Senate Club or Don Cherry's or RealSports (I'd prefer NOT RealSports since it's affilaited with TML...) and so on.

ANyway, TSN1200 is giving tickets to their suite next Thursday. The downside is you have to sit with Shawn Simpson for three hours...

Would instantly be the best ad they have put out to date....lol

 

[Dr.Sens(e)]

Amelia at SilverSevenSens did a pretty good job on this, basically you want people to spend their spare money on YOUR stuff instead of a restaurant or whatever. Instead of just going "FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE---FEARLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" you do this:

Pan into the interior of CTC, show the restaurants, show amenities, show the posters of players all around, show clips of the recent pasting of the Habs, add Karlsson's goal vs. the Sabres. Finish with "Do you have YOUR seat? Home opener next Thursday, very few tickets available!"

Sure, you can do that. And you go from selling 20,000 tickets to the home opener, to ... selling 20,000 tickets to the home opener.

Don't get me wrong - A bit of investment is required around now to get the ball rolling, but opening night is going to be a sell-out whether they market it or not. Better to save your $'s for the game that might only get 15,000 seats in November or December, and some marketing push will get the attendance up to 17,500. That might get you a $250,000 return.

The whole Sens Mile thing is hella lame anyway. If I'm on Elgin it's either for work purposes or I'm getting a burger or something. I don't go there thinking "Ottawa Senators". Hell, if I want to go to a spot to watch a game Elgin is the last spot I'd think of. First place is my home or a friend's home then we'd hite the Senate Club or Don Cherry's or RealSports (I'd prefer NOT RealSports since it's affilaited with TML...) and so on.

Can't say I disagree with this one, and find the timing a bit strange, other than it was probably driven by when the mayor and others WANTED to do it. The idea of Sens Mile is kind of fun for the fans apres-game, but otherwise, I don't buy it as something people (or the local bars) will latch onto. It does work during the playoffs though, especially when it is a bit warmer outside.

However, it is an easy way to some free coverage PR-wise, so now is the time they might have wanted to do this to at least get people thinking Sens again. Might also been driven by other political factors beyond their control in dealing with the city. I do think it is a bit of a "Me Too" kind of thing, though.

 

[StefanW]

It is really tough to comment on a rumor about an unspecified front office change. I chalk all of this up to having too few games to dissect so far this season. We are a week and a half in, and we've only played 3 games so far.

 

[sens613]

Yost isn't negative for the sake of being negative.

He just connected some dots. I get that fans would rather be oblivious to anything that could have a negative effect their team.

There was absolutely nothing said about Zibanejad having a poor camp, or that he was in danger of losing his job until after he was sent down.

His performance was not the sole factor in the decision. Contracts always play a role. It's a reality of pro sports.

Naturally the Murray lovers jumped on that train. Maybe some AHL time will do him some good, but if Da Costa doesn't have a strong camp, it doesn't happen.

I don't understand this fan base. You have actual facts (public record) screaming in your face. You have the owner and GM contradicting each other, the owner contradicting himself, the Captain and 17 year Senator walks, and all you can say is that there is no money problem, and the personnel decisions were right.

A marketing manager's wet dream. Assume the position, get spanked and say "thank you sir, may I have another"

I would also like to know the multiple known reasons that Travis Yost would have to piss off an egomaniacal multi millionaire that doesn't like his authority challenged.

He sure stands to gain a lot by doing that.

I think we can all agree none of us know exactly what's going on ib melnyks or the sens bank account. My problem is , lets say yost is right about everything. Then what. What did he do other then kick a guy who's down who saved our franchise before and is sensitive about the world knowing he is in a tough spot. Infact if anything he made it more public making it less desireable of ufa destination.

And the whole notion of hin opening his entire financial records to the public, well I know I personally would feel uncomfortable about strangers seeing how much or little money I have. Just cause we cheer for one of his investments doesn't make us privy to all his personal finances.

 

[John Holmes*]

No it doesn't, but at the same time the Euge is crying poor and saying he can't afford to ice a cap spending team unless he gets his casino.

What are we supposed to believe. He's broke, but he's not broke, but he is broke.

 

[sens613]

No it doesn't, but at the same time the Euge is crying poor and saying he can't afford to ice a cap spending team unless he gets his casino.

What are we supposed to believe. He's broke, but he's not broke, but he is broke.

Does it matter what we believe? Melnyk would hardly be the first business person to move money around from business to business to lower his taxes or help witb a divorce. You dont make billions without using every advantage.

To me I'm grateful I have a competitive team to cheer for on my home town. Thats a very lucky privilege not a right.

My point again being, melnyk owns the sens. It is his not ours. If he at this time needs tp use it as his piggy bank or to make it look like a lose with creative accounting well that's his choice and in the mean time I will be grateful for the opportunity to attend games, something many hockey fans across canada can't do.

Is it ideal ? No. I'd love a win at all cost ed Snyder. That's not an option. So in the meantime lets support our favorite team as much as we can afford and not crap all over a guy who saved the senators before and has seemingly fallen on tough times.

That being said everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I see sports as an escape from my businesses and stressful life so to go to a hockey website and not want to have gloom and doom financials jammed down my throat I think is fair.

 

[John Holmes*]

Does it matter what we believe? Melnyk would hardly be the first business person to move money around from business to business to lower his taxes or help witb a divorce. You dont make billions without using every advantage.

To me I'm grateful I have a competitive team to cheer for on my home town. Thats a very lucky privilege not a right.

My point again being, melnyk owns the sens. It is his not ours. If he at this time needs tp use it as his piggy bank or to make it look like a lose with creative accounting well that's his choice and in the mean time I will be grateful for the opportunity to attend games, something many hockey fans across canada can't do.

Is it ideal ? No. I'd love a win at all cost ed Snyder. That's not an option. So in the meantime lets support our favorite team as much as we can afford and not crap all over a guy who saved the senators before and has seemingly fallen on tough times.

That being said everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I see sports as an escape from my businesses and stressful life so to go to a hockey website and not want to have gloom and doom financials jammed down my throat I think is fair.

Why is it not an option?

This whole "budget team" narrative is new for the Melnyk era. He said himself just a few years ago tha you need to be a top spending team to compete. Now he's saying that he can't do that without a casino.

Forgive my skepticism.

He has the right to keep his books closed, and we all have the right not to believe anything he says about money.

I'm all for spending smart, and against spending for the sake of spending. The "crunch" coming while rebuilding and with all our stars locked up is pretty convenient.

In my opinion.

 

[sens613]

Why is it not an option?

This whole "budget team" narrative is new for the Melnyk era. He said himself just a few years ago tha you need to be a top spending team to compete. Now he's saying that he can't do that without a casino.

Forgive my skepticism.

He has the right to keep his books closed, and we all have the right not to believe anything he says about money.

I'm all for spending smart, and against spending for the sake of spending. The "crunch" coming while rebuilding and with all our stars locked up is pretty convenient.

In my opinion.

Why is what not an option?

Ya I think we are 2 yeArs away to finding out how bad or good things are. This years ufas were over paid and underwhelming. I am happy we stayed ouf of it.

But once again the point being made is , if he can only afford to spend to the floor, well then what? There is no plan B. North american economy is not exactly ideal and there few billionaires lined up to buy a small market nhl team.

I'm not about to villainize a man for not sinking millions into one of my pastimes cause it would be more enjoyable for me.

For those ( not you) saying he is taking money out of the sens to keep his other companies a float, that's his right. He is a business man first .I expect him to do best by himself and if he is " rolling in it" then I'm sure he'd be more inclined to invest more in a vanity project like a professional sports franchise.

 

[John Holmes*]

I agree that Melnyk has the right to spend whatever he wants to on the team. Within the cap confines of course.

He can also do whatever he wants with any profit he makes.

Melnyk is the front runner in the doomsday scenario preaching though. He has said repeatedly that he needs a casino to keep the team viable.

I don't actually believe him, but that is what he's saying.

If he does indeed start running the team like we're the Expos of hockey, then the team will die in this market.

Fans need at least some kind of hope for the future in order to keep showing up.

He better be careful.

 

[John Holmes*]

I also don't believe the myth / perception that rich guys don't care about losing money on a sports franchise.

Rich guys don't get rich by pissing their money away. Again, the closed books and perceived creative accounting practices allow for this kind of narrative to continue to exist.

Someone dug up a quote from a very old article about an NHL labor dispute, I wish I could find it, but the quote could have been from last season.

The owners have been crying poor since the inception of the league.

They'll do it again when the current CBA expires.

 

[StefanW]

Rich guys don't lose money on sports franchises. There are many revenue streams that are outside of what is listed in the CBA, so it often comes down to what is counted. A common thing would be for an owner to present what is counted in gate revenue plus a TV deal when crying poor, and forgetting about any spinoff revenue from the building. Even if an owner does lose money over the short haul, the increase in value of the franchise from season to season would offset that.

The billionaire owners do not become billionaires by sticking cash into a clear loser year after year. If the Sens lost as much money over the past decade as some articles claim they have the team would already have been sold. At the very least, there would be a for sale sign on the franchise. If Melnyk is not, in reality, putting 15-20 million bucks in his pocket per year as a return on an investment worth a couple of hundred million dollars then he is the ********* business person out there.

What pisses me off is that the fans' love of the team is held hostage to try to pressure for a casino in Kanata. It is a high stakes pressure game, and a loyal fan base is the best chip that Melnyk has.

 

[sens613]

I agree that Melnyk has the right to spend whatever he wants to on the team. Within the cap confines of course.

He can also do whatever he wants with any profit he makes.

Melnyk is the front runner in the doomsday scenario preaching though. He has said repeatedly that he needs a casino to keep the team viable.

I don't actually believe him, but that is what he's saying.

If he does indeed start running the team like we're the Expos of hockey, then the team will die in this market.

Fans need at least some kind of hope for the future in order to keep showing up.

He better be careful.

By fans continuing to show up actually creates more hope for the future. Your putting money into the franchise bit by bit, creating more revenue for future use.

Also don't blame the guy by publicly pressuring the local governing officials with talks of decreasing his considerable charitable donations and perhaps exaggerating the financial woes of the franchise in order to get a casino.

Whether he needs the casino or not , he feels he got a raw deal and was not taken seriously in his casino bid. Even if he didnt need it he still stood gain 100s of millions by getting the casino. If you would nkt fight , claw and play dirty and say whatever you had to for that sum of money, your a much better person then I.

 

[pepty]

For those ( not you) saying he is taking money out of the sens to keep his other companies a float, that's his right. He is a business man first .I expect him to do best by himself and if he is " rolling in it" then I'm sure he'd be more inclined to invest more in a vanity project like a professional sports franchise.

It may be his right to take money out of the Sens to keep his other companies afloat but in that case how does it follow that the city should grant him a casino?

It also makes his crying poor about the team and the money he is losing less convincing.

 

[Back in Black]

my response would be, which free agents did Ottawa miss out on that they should have spent money on?

Daniel Alfredsson

 

[PatrickEaves]

Daniel Alfredsson

We should have offer sheeted Alex Pietrangelo.

 

[StefanW]

The free agent crop was crappy this year, so we did not really lose out there. Where we lost big time is if we were willing to take on larger contracts we could have acquired players to fill significant holes on the team, such as a very good 4 or 5 D, or another second line winger. Those types of depth moves separate contenders from also-rans.

 

[Ohhh Franco]

Dr.Sens(e) is my favorite poster on HF Boards.

 

[John Holmes*]

So I guess this isn't going anywhere.

Maybe someone floated out a story to identify a leak?

 

[Bwanad]

Couple things.

1. Tickets sales for the home opener is a non story. There are less than 500 tix up left. And Otown is known as a big game day walk up crowd.

2. Yost relishes reporting on the gloom and doom and Hockeybuzz is a joke. Yost is good when he reports on hockey.

3. Tickets sales are slow? Funny I recall hearing C.Leeder that their season tix base was 13k and that their goal was 12k. 13k is the same #'s they had after the cup run season...

3. If there are changes its not in hockey opps.

4. If sales are in fact slow, it has a lot do with the team being on the road for like forever and their games being on tv at 10:30 at night...

Just speculating here but hopefully the news is about Gene finding a partner so we can spend to the cap!

5. Leeder has been with the team since 92, if heads roll it won't be him it will be Marketing dept folks

Just focus on the games for crying out loud! There's plenty of time btw now and opening night in Kanata...

So, you say, the ticket sales are a non-story and you believe C. Leeder and suggest season tickets sales are all rosy and ultimately say *if* tickets are slow (are they slow or not??) , it's the fault of a crappy schedule, then WHY would heads roll in the marketing department?