Fans are furious at Senators owner Eugene Melnyk after he says he would consider moving the team from the capital.
Maggie Culps calls the comments ‘bold.’ “It’s the ‘Ottawa’ senators. It’s the capital. How can you move a team out of the capital?”
Speaking Friday night before the Senators Alumni game, Melnyk said he had no intention of ever selling the Ottawa Senators franchise.
“It just won’t happen,” he said. But he says he would consider moving the team. “If it becomes a disaster, yes,” Melnyk said. “If we start not seeing crowds showing up, yes. But, for now, we are on the cusp of doing okay.”
“I’m not going to blow a lifetime of working hard to support a hockey team. It’s not going to happen,” says Melnyk.
But the timing of the comments is catching fans off guard.
“Completely inappropriate especially the day before such a huge game where our city has come together to host such a big event.” says Keely Dunn.
By Saturday afternoon- the hashtag “Melnyk Out” was trending online in Ottawa.
TSN’s Frank Seravalli says this could drive fans away out of fear their team may not be here one day. “I think the timing of this caught this fan base, which is already hypersensitive off guard.” He says fan are saying, “what’s going on here, this is our team, we have a 1000 fans on braving the elements on Parliament Hill, and all we are getting is politicking from our owner.”
Bruce Firestone, a founder of the Senators franchise, says no is a bad time to make drastic changes. “The best time to make changes and the worst time to make changes you have to be very careful. And obviously the Sens are going through a difficult time.”
Melnyk says he wants to “think positively” and he is encouraged by “a good pipeline of very good prospects.”
