Ottawa Senators owner would consider moving the team if it became a ‘disaster’

On the eve before the Ottawa Senators were set to hold the NHL’s 100 classic celebrating the league’s centennial, fans got a rude awakening from owner Eugene Melnyk. Friday evening, Melnyk spoke to media in Ottawa on the state of the franchise, which financially was doing “okay” as of this weekend.

Melnyk did say, however, that if the situation became “a disaster” he would consider moving the team to greener pastures.

“We’re doing okay here. We’re not doing great, but we’re doing okay,” Melnyk said to media Friday. “I’m just too much of a fan. What else do you do? I’m a Canadian, I’m a hockey fan and, fanatically, a hockey fan. It’s something I really enjoy doing. I couldn’t think of anything better to do.”

In Forbes’ recent ranking of the NHL’s most valuable teams, the Senators ranked No. 20 on the list with $135 million in revenue, the second lowest Canadian team. The team has been plagued with questions about attendance, which caused the Senators to shutter approximately 1,500 seats before the start of the season.

Last year, the Senators ranked 21st in the NHL in average attendance with 16,744, according to ESPN, in a building that can hold approximately 19,000 seats for hockey games.

While Melnyk was clear that relocation wasn’t on the table at the moment, he wouldn’t dismiss the idea outright.

“If it becomes a disaster? Yes. If you start not seeing crowds showing up, yes,” Melnyk said. “For now, we are on the cusp of doing okay.”

“I love the game of hockey. If it doesn’t look good here, it could look good somewhere else. But I’m not suggesting that right now. What I’m saying is, I would never sell the team.”

The interview as a whole is extremely forward from an NHL owner, who as a group are usually pretty tight-lipped. It’s clear though that Melnyk is adamant that he’d rather not sell the team to another buyer, but if things don’t change he would consider moving the franchise elsewhere.

“Here, we’re fighting every day to sell a ticket,” Melnyk said. “Honest to god. And when you get to the third round of the playoffs and you’re begging people to buy a ticket, something’s wrong with that picture. We’re just hoping that changes, that’s all.”

Last season, the Senators had not sold out their elimination Game 6 in Ottawa in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a fact that Melnyk had found “disturbing” in the hours leading up to the game.

“We’re not pushing, we’re not doing anything other than trying enthusiastically,” Melnyk said. “Try and do things like [the outdoor game], which is probably going to be the greatest outdoor game to date, I almost guarantee you. Think positively. Put a positive team [out there] and keep winning. That’s our main goal.”

The Senators face off against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. in the NHL 100 Classic, an event celebrating the league’s centennial.