NHL offers to help move Senators downtown
Publicly, the word Gary Bettman used was “disappointed.”
Privately, the NHL commissioner might have a harsher way of describing all that’s gone wrong with the Ottawa Senators lately. After all, this is a mess that keeps growing. And if owner Eugene Melnyk is not going to clean it up, the league might have to step in and do it.
Last month, the Senators’ bid at redeveloping LeBreton Flats in downtown Ottawa came to a crashing halt when Melnyk filed a $700-million lawsuit against partner Trinity Development Group over alleged conflicts of interest on the condo side of the project.
That means the Senators, who are in the bottom five this season in home attendance, will remain in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata. That is, unless Melnyk is willing to take on a new partner.
On Sunday, Quebec-based Devcore Canderel DLS Group announced it would be willing to re-enter discussions to redevelop the central Ottawa land — and build a hockey arena — if Melnyk’s bid is indeed dead. The group has previously said it would be “ready to make any type of deal” to help bring the Senators downtown.
“I would say I’m more disappointed with how this played out, but these are complicated matters,” Bettman said after the board of governors meeting on Monday. “Mr. Melnyk isn’t here, but I gave a brief update in terms of the lawsuit and where I thought things stood on the LeBreton project. But it was more of an update. No discussion.”
Melnyk did not attend the board of governors meeting — alternate governor Sheldon Plener represented the team — but Bettman suggested the league would get involved in helping to move the team downtown, just as long as the help was wanted.
“There are some places where we’ve been involved in and I think been very constructive. Edmonton, Pittsburgh, among others come to mind,” said Bettman. “There have been other places where we’ve been disinvited by one of the participants. We don’t like to go where we’re not welcome, if it’s not going to be helpful.”
Melnyk has said he believes he can make Canadian Tire Arena work, though Bettman did not seem ready to close the door on the downtown project.
“I think for a whole host of reasons it would be nice (to be downtown), but Mr. Melnyk has said if he has to make Canadian Tire Centre work, he can do that,” said Bettman. “But again, let’s not draw any conclusions yet. This is a complicated situ- ation, although in its original form, for a lot of reasons, some of which you’ve read in the complaint that’s been filed, the project as originally envisioned unfortunately isn’t viable.”
SALARY CAP RISING
The six-year deal William Nylander signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs is already looking like a bargain.
Bettman is projecting the salary cap is expected to rise from $79.5 million to $83 million for the 2019-20 season. The extra $3.5 million should come in handy as the Leafs try to re-sign Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner next summer.