Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk sounded off on the possibility of relocating the team

BarDown Staff

Eugene Melnyk during a press conference for the NHL 100 Classic. , Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk is in a bit of wait-and-see mode with his beloved Senators.

Rumours have been stirring recently that the organization might be forced to relocate. As it stands, Ottawa ranks 25^th in the league in home attendance numbers with a measly 15,281 fans per game. The team’s home arena, the Canadian Tire Centre, has a capacity of 17,000, which makes the attendance number seem even worse. It’s not surprising that the Senators have the worst attendance numbers of all seven Canadian NHL teams.

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Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images

A large part of the team’s problem has to do with the location of their arena. Despite being named the ‘Ottawa’ Senators, the its rink is actually located outside of the city in Kanata, Ontario. Thus, fans haven’t had the same access to games as other team’s from around the league.

Owner Eugene Melnyk was asked about his team’s current situation, and didn’t hold back from speaking his mind. The 58-year-old stated that Ottawa’s market needs to prove itself and that the Senators are “probably one of the thinnest management groups in the league.”

More Melnyk: “I think the market here has to prove itself, or you have to make changes. We’ve cut everything to the bone in the organization. We are probably one of the thinnest management groups in the league. The next thing you have to look at is players."
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) December 16, 2017

He then admitted that if things don’t turn around in the city, that they may have to look elsewhere.

Melnyk on relocation: "If it doesn't look good here, it could look good somewhere else. But I'm not suggesting that right now. If you open a grocery store and nobody comes, but one opens two blocks down and there’s a line outside, where are you going to have your store?"
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) December 16, 2017

Finally, Melnyk confessed that the organization has been “fighting every day to sell a ticket,” and that the team was essentially begging fans to purchase tickets for the third round of the playoffs.

Melnyk: "Here, we’re fighting every day to sell a ticket. Honest to god. And when you get to the 3rd rd of the playoffs and you’re begging people to buy a ticket, something’s wrong with that picture. How long can you underwrite a team? Like literally underwrite. Write a cheque."
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) December 16, 2017

It comes as a surprise to hear that things have come to this when you consider the team’s success throughout the years. Ottawa made an impressive 2017 postseason run and have managed to crack the playoff in four of the past six seasons. Not to mention they possess arguably the best defenceman in the NHL.

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