The future of the Ottawa Senators

[BankStreetParade]

Obviously this fanbase has actively spoken of someone else owning this team and I think it's probably best if this discussion is held outside of the Melnyk tribute thread where some modicum of respect should be accorded to the loss of someone's life.

Will be interested to hear what people think will happen going forward with the team. Sale? How soon? Dorion and co. fired? I guess this is the thread to speculate away.

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[tstracuzza]

Also another topic to open discussion on is if moving to Lebreton is a possibility

 

[JimmyApples]

His daughters will take control of the team and probably find a buyer within a year.

Pray that we get a good owner cause the grass ain’t always geeener

 

[inthewings]

I really can't imagine his daughters are interested in maintaining control of the team.

 

[Senscore]

I have to think the best is yet to come even if the next little while will be uncertain.


I've been wrong before but I feel good about that call.

 

[SensFactor]

I expect us to be sold within a year or so also. I just hope the new owner doesn't want to move us to Quebec City, Portland or Houston

 

[Taluss]

First off most importantly . RIP Melnyk and condolences to his family. This isn’t the way I or anyone wanted it to happen.

That being said I am quite interested on what happens next with the Sens. Could be promising if the right owner gets involved

I’d imagine a clean sweep of management as well

 

[L'Aveuglette]

I dunno I think it's pretty disrespectful to start this thread right after the man died but that's just me.

 

[BankStreetParade]

I wonder if he was working on a sale in anticipation of his illness continuing to worsen? Would make sense to get everything in order before his passing so his daughters only needed to dot the i's and cross the t's.

 

[Tak7]

News is barely half an hour old.
His corpse is still warm.
This thread feels ....in bad taste.
Sorry. I know it's an important discussion to have, but ... yeah.

 

[BankStreetParade]

I dunno I think it's pretty disrespectful to start this thread right after the man died but that's just me.

It's your right to feel that way. But people are going to want to talk about this since this fanbase has only talked about new ownership for the last 5 years and it feels more appropriate to take it out of the tribute thread.

 

[rdogg]

I dunno I think it's pretty disrespectful to start this thread right after the man died but that's just me.

Seems like a reasonable question when Ottawa just lost it's owner

 

[Wondercarrot]

What a crazy unpredictable next while this is going to be….wow

 

[Emerica]

I wonder if he was working on a sale in anticipation of his illness continuing to worsen? Would make sense to get everything in order before his passing so his daughters only needed to dot the i's and cross the t's.

There was some speculation about this when we re-hired the woman who was in charge of the books (can't remember her name) who left a few years ago.

 

[Masked]

I really can't imagine his daughters are interested in maintaining control of the team.

I can't imagine they could afford it. Inheritance taxes could mean a huge bill for them. Plus there's the whole Lebreton lawsuit.

When was the last time a major league sports owner in North America passed away without an obvious heir to take over?

Assen na yo.

 

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I don't think it's necessarily in bad taste so long as the discussion remains civil and on-topic. It's a very pertinent discussion to be having, unfortunate the circumstances.

I wonder if he was working on a sale in anticipation of his illness continuing to worsen? Would make sense to get everything in order before his passing so his daughters only needed to dot the i's and cross the t's.

The thought had crossed my mind since hearing the news that the addition of Anthony LeBlanc, and far more recently Erin Crowe, were in anticipation of this unfortunate possibility. Puts a steady and experienced team in place to handle the transition, whatever that transition ends up being.

 

[Bileur]

Garrioch just said that there is interest from the daughters to run the team. Apparently one of them (Olivia?) has interned in every department and is quite interested in carrying on the hockey business.

Might be just the message to avoid tanking value, I guess we’ll have to see.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Bruce Garrioch, on TSN, mentioned that he "believes" that Melnyk wanted to keep it in his family, and that his daughters were interested in taking it over. He said that that's what Eugene told him in 2017.

Now, while that's what may have been said, I'd say it's extremely unlikely that that's how this goes.

My sense is that this wasn't a sudden passing, so I'd imagine next steps are quite clear. Melnyk's daughters are in their early 20's, so I don't for a second believe they'd want to assume the obligations of this franchise.

Perhaps this is why Erin Crowe was brought in. To prepare for an eventual sale.

It'll likely take ~1-1.5 years, and hopefully, coincides with a Lebreton deal.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Garrioch just said that there is interest from the daughters to run the team. Apparently one of them (Olivia?) has interned in every department and is quite interested in carrying on the hockey business.

Might be just the message to avoid tanking value, I guess we’ll have to see.

Dumb question, but can the daughters actually afford to run the team?I know they'll receive an inheritance and all, but would they get Eugene's continuous stream of income?

 

[BankStreetParade]

Garrioch just said that there is interest from the daughters to run the team. Apparently one of them (Olivia?) has interned in every department and is quite interested in carrying on the hockey business.

Might be just the message to avoid tanking value, I guess we’ll have to see.

I was under the impression his daughters were in like university or something? Or am I totally off? I just can't even begin to imagine that.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Garrioch just said that there is interest from the daughters to run the team. Apparently one of them (Olivia?) has interned in every department and is quite interested in carrying on the hockey business.

Might be just the message to avoid tanking value, I guess we’ll have to see.

I find it very hard to believe that a 25 year old university student would want to, or be capable of, assuming the obligations of a business that already operates on very thin margins. The money is in the franchise value, not in the year to year operation.

My hunch is that Erin Crowe was brought back to prepare for an eventual sale, as I don't believe Eugene Melnyk's passing was sudden.

I'd expect her, Gary Bettman and the BOG to work very hard in ensuring that the team is sold for maximum value and that Melnyk's daughters get as much from the sale as they can.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

Seems like a reasonable question when Ottawa just lost it's owner

Who the hell asked you?

 

[Senscore]

Dumb question, but can the daughters actually afford to run the team?I know they'll receive an inheritance and all, but would they get Eugene's continuous stream of income?

Between taxes and the split assets, I doubt it. Eugene seemed to be having enough trouble on his own.

 

[JimmySpaetzle]

I think it’s fine to have this thread right now as a tribute thread is being run separately. I really have to wonder if prospective buyers knew about this and submitted an expression of interest to develop that piece of land at Lebreton, wasn’t that due at the end of February?

 

[BankStreetParade]

I find it very hard to believe that a 25 year old university student would want to, or be capable of, assuming the obligations of a business that already operates on very thin margins.

My hunch is that Erin Crowe was brought back to prepare for an eventual sale, as I don't believe Eugene Melnyk's passing was sudden.

I'd expect her, Gary Bettman and the BOG to work very hard in ensuring that the team is sold for maximum value and Melnyk's daughters get as much from the sale as they can.

I wouldn't be surprised if the majority - or even vast majority - of his networth was tied into this team. I would suspect his daughters would be highly motivated to sell for top dollar and that he's probably got financial advisors setup to handle the money post sale.