We want to be competitive, says Eugene Melnyk in radio interview
Sens owner talks about poor attendance, middling start, financial concerns
Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk says former captain Daniel Alfredsson will be suitably honoured with a pregame tribute video when he returns to the Canadian Tire Centre with the Detroit Red Wings Sunday.
“We all recognize what Daniel has done for Ottawa and what he means for the fans,” Melnyk said in a wideranging interview on TSN 1200 Wednesday afternoon. “There’s certainly going to be a recognition for what he has done for us. I think he’ll be happy. The fans will be happy. We’re ready to give his due recognition.”
It’s an olive branch of sorts, considering the bitterness that followed Alfredsson’s departure to the Red Wings as a free agent in the summer. Melnyk had suggested the outgoing captain wanted too much money, while Alfredsson said the organization failed to honour an unwritten agreement to compensate him for earning less than his market value in his previous contract.
Ironically, there will be a significant financial boost for Melnyk and the Senators due to Alfredsson’s return. His appearance will likely result in just the second sellout of the season in what Melnyk acknowledges has been a frustrating start in terms of ticket sales.
Melnyk says there are several reasons for the poor attendance, including a “funky,” unconventional early-season schedule that took the team to California, a “finicky” fan base and a policy change that means fewer discounted tickets are available.
“Of course, I am (disappointed),” said the Senators owner. “But if you buy a ticket, that’s it. We’re not giving away tickets. What you’re seeing is truly the fan base, which we want to grow off of. We’re doing well with season tickets.”
That season ticket base is around 12,000, the second highest in franchise history.
Melnyk acknowledges that nothing helps sell tickets faster than a winning product. Like the fans, he hasn’t been happy with the inconsistent on-ice performance. He speaks with pride about how “we smoke those guys” when the Senators play against top divisional opponents such as Montreal, Detroit and Boston. He speaks with disdain when he suggests the Senators have blown “two-foot putt games” against lower-tiered clubs.
“That can’t continue,” said Melnyk. “But it’s early. All you need is one hot run and all of a sudden, we’re right there. It’s still tight (in the Eastern Conference standings). I certainly haven’t given up hope.”
There’s also good news for fans wondering if Melnyk might open his wallet wider to improve the on-ice product.
The NHL’s colossal new $5.2-billion broadcast deal with Rogers, which begins next season, will dramatically increase revenues for all teams, including the Senators. According to capgeek. com, the Senators currently have a payroll of $55.9 million, 26th of 30 teams in the NHL.
“It’s certainly a positive for us, there’s no question about that,” he said. “It’s a substantial deal. It helps make up for a lot of other things we need to deal with in our market. It’s what we’ve been looking for, for a long time. And I think it can only help. The more revenue streams we have, the more we can spend on players, the better team we can have.”
That said, Melnyk maintains that spending money on developing younger players is a wiser investment than throwing money at an aging veteran. In other words, he’s apparently learned his lesson after the failed experiment in signing Alex Kovalev to a twoyear, $10-million contract.
If, however, general manager Bryan Murray believes there is a missing piece available at a reasonable cost, he says he’s all ears. Melnyk dismisses claims that he won’t spend another dime to improve the current roster.
“That’s a bit of a fallacy that people say we wouldn’t spend ... we’re just spending wisely,” he said. “If Bryan comes back and says it’s going to cost us an extra X to do this and it will make difference, of course we’ve got to do that. We would be nuts not to. When he talks, I listen and I listen hard. We want to be competitive. It’s no fun being a loser. We want to be winners. We will do what we need to do to be competitive.”