Confirmed with Link: Andlauer reaches deal for Ottawa Senators ownership

[BUCKLE UP]

Still blows my mind that they penalized them this much while the Blackhawks got off with a relatively minor fine (relative to their overall income streams) for covering up sexual assault.

The NHL has their priorities right. Gary’s baby cried and we were punished.

 

[OttawaSenators11]

Glad it sounds like Andlauer wants parking for fans when it comes to our new arena.

The hell with garbage trains they are slow ( top speed wise) and unreliable.

I’d rather pay for parking personally.

2 options are great for those that don’t mind taking public transportation have the trains run right near the arena but also have lots of parking space for those that wanna drive.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

Still blows my mind that they penalized them this much while the Blackhawks got off with a relatively minor fine (relative to their overall income streams) for covering up sexual assault.

There must have been some sort of logical reason for this by the NHL, such as it not being a hockey operations issue, as in, the Blackhawks didn't accrue an unfair advantage in a acquiring a player like Arizona and Ottawa did.

I don't recall what the fine was for Chicago. I can see why people would rather they lose the pick, because it feels like a real consequence, especially during the Bedard year.

I think the Dorion punishment is right. Imagine if another team did that to us. With that said, it's crazy that they don't have a central registry. Even if the lists aren't made available to all 32 teams, and it's something as simple as having some level of standardization where both the player agent and GM confirm the lists on July 1st with a league official who keeps them on file but does not share them with other teams unless a trade has been reached.

I understand Andlauer's defense that this is basically a different organization, and the only person linked to that violation was removed from their position in response. I guess the counter to that would be that the Melnyk family still owns a portion of the team.

It wouldn't surprise me if the league had some sour grapes over the Senators sale price. The sale seemed like it was a shit show, and the Senators sold for less than an expansion, which surely was not good for the league. If I recall, Andlauer was the last man standing who could viably buy the team and whose selling point wasn't "snoop dog?".

 

[BigRig4]

I am not surprised the league said no to the proposal for Ottawa to give up Boston's #25 pick in the draft. Doing so could set a precedent for future similar situations such that a team could make a trade for a late draft pick from another team to pay it's "fine" rather than have to give up its higher pick.

This is a good point - I hadn’t considered that.

 

[Golden_Jet]

There must have been some sort of logical reason for this by the NHL, such as it not being a hockey operations issue, as in, the Blackhawks didn't accrue an unfair advantage in a acquiring a player like Arizona and Ottawa did.

I don't recall what the fine was for Chicago. I can see why people would rather they lose the pick, because it feels like a real consequence, especially during the Bedard year.

I think the Dorion punishment is right. Imagine if another team did that to us. With that said, it's crazy that they don't have a central registry. Even if the lists aren't made available to all 32 teams, and it's something as simple as having some level of standardization where both the player agent and GM confirm the lists on July 1st with a league official who keeps them on file but does not share them with other teams unless a trade has been reached.

I understand Andlauer's defense that this is basically a different organization, and the only person linked to that violation was removed from their position in response. I guess the counter to that would be that the Melnyk family still owns a portion of the team.

It wouldn't surprise me if the league had some sour grapes over the Senators sale price. The sale seemed like it was a shit show, and the Senators sold for less than an expansion, which surely was not good for the league. If I recall, Andlauer was the last man standing who could viably buy the team and whose selling point wasn't "snoop dog?".

It didn’t sell for less than an expansion team, at the time it sold for the highest price for an NHL team.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

I don't think nixing the Boston pick was over precedent. We already owned the pick after all.

I think that the wanted to severely punish a team for what they perceived to be cheating to gain an unfair advantage in player movement, and letting them get off easier seemed like a cop out.

Whether there were politics or bad feelings from the sale of the team that bled into it, who knows - but you can look at the Arizona punishment and see the league has a history of coming down hard on teams.

In the case of them going easier on the Devils, that's a different situation because nearly every team in the league circumvented the cap. The Devil's were the straw that broke the camel's back. Maybe Lou Lamiorello's tenure helped them politically, but they would have a reasonable argument about being punished when other teams weren't.

 

[BondraTime]

We lost a pick because it directly impacted the league's bylaws and ability to run and other teams ability make moves. They botched a trade call, directly impacting the NHL's trade procedures and creating a huge mess between 2 other teams caught in the crossfire of the Sens (Dorions) incompetence. They gained a huge advantage, because a NTC impacts trade discussions a gigantic amount.

Of course we couldn't give up the Boston pick; Ottawa was being punished, not Andlauer but the team itself, they lose their own pick. That seems incredibly easy to understand.

Same as the Yotes directly going against the league bylaws and testing prospects when they weren't allowed. It effected, or could have a direct impact, on the draft. They were docked a 1st as well, because it was something that impacted the day to day of the league and other teams. They gained, or could have gained a huge advantage with the upcoming draft.

Andlauer was unfortunately caught in the net here. Had nothing to do with anything, but the Ottawa franchise is 100% at fault and due for punishment.

The leaqgue withholding that info from Andlauer is another story, but doesn't really have any impact on whether the Sens deserved the punishment or not.

 

[Golden_Jet]

We lost a pick because it directly impacted the league's bylaws and ability to run and other teams ability make moves. They botched a trade call, directly impacting the NHL's trade procedures and creating a huge mess between 2 other teams caught in the crossfire of the Sens (Dorions) incompetence.

Of course we couldn't give up the Boston pick; Ottawa was being punished, not Andlauer but the team itself, they lose their own pick. That seems incredibly easy to understand.

Same as the Yotes directly going against the league bylaws and testing prospects when they weren't allowed. It affected, or could have a direct impact, on the draft. They were docked a 1st as well, because it was something that impacted the day to day of the league and other teams.

Yotes and Sens were different, the League was incompetent in not having a database to check contracts.
In the Vegas case they had him for 1 1/2 years before it was an issue.

But not have the DB was a joke for the league.

 

[Micklebot]

Yotes and Sens were different, the League was incompetent in not having a database to check contracts.
In the Vegas case they had him for 1 1/2 years before it was an issue.

But not have the DB was a joke for the league.

While I agree the league should have safeguards in place to ensure this doesn't happen, it doesn't change that Dorion either intentionally or negligently made it happen.

Especially if it was intentional, we deserve the punishment we got,

 

[BondraTime]

Yotes and Sens were different, the League was incompetent in not having a database to check contracts.
In the Vegas case they had him for 1 1/2 years before it was an issue.

But not have the DB was a joke for the league.

How long they had him is irrelevant, though was a member of the Knights for 8 months until it was an issue. They and the NHL were told by the Sens that the NTC was void.

The league wasn't incompetant, the Sens were. They left out information and said there weas no NTC, in the best case scenario, on a trade call that directly impacted that trade, as well as the subsequent trade to the Ducks. This system has been in place for 40+ years, this is the only time there's been an issue.

The negligence, or intentional malpractice, of the Sens is at fault.

 

[Golden_Jet]

How long they had him is irrelevant, though was a member of the Knights for 8 months until it was an issue. They and the NHL were told by the Sens that the NTC was void.

The league wasn't incompetant, the Sens were. They left out information and said there weas no NTC, in the best case scenario, on a trade call that directly impacted that trade, as well as the subsequent trade to the Ducks. This system has been in place for 40+ years, this is the only time there's been an issue.

Disagree the league is/was incompetent in not having the lists in a database.

 

[BondraTime]

Disagree the league is/was incompetent in not having the lists in a database.

The league should have one, for sure, but that's irrelevant in regards to what happened and why. The Sens haven't just started learning of and started collecting NTC's of their players, this has been the procedure in the NHL for all teams, including Dorion, for the past 30+ years.

The Sens (Dorion) gave incorrect information, on a trade call he went on by himself which is incredibly strange, with the NHL and Vegas that directly impacted that trade, player, subsequent trade, league and other teams.

 

[Loach]

Glad it sounds like Andlauer wants parking for fans when it comes to our new arena.

The hell with garbage trains they are slow ( top speed wise) and unreliable.

I’d rather pay for parking personally.

2 options are great for those that don’t mind taking public transportation have the trains run right near the arena but also have lots of parking space for those that wanna drive.

It will need bike lanes more than parking or a transit system that works.

 

[Masked]

It will need bike lanes more than parking or a transit system that works.

Who is using bike lanes on a Tuesday night in January?

 

[Cosmix]

The distinction would be that we already owned the pick prior to the ruling being made. So while your point is valid, I think that the league could have made an exception on that basis.

I think it is a case where the league wants to come down hard on the violation, like they did with the Coyotes.

If the league subscribed to the idea that the Andlauer owned team should not be responsible for something that happened under what effectively was a different organization, they wouldn't have punished them in the first place.

Unless there is some legal ground that Andlauer has to stand on based on how the situation was represented during the sale, I highly doubt we will see the punishment softened any further. The three year window was likely the league's version of relenting and softening it already.

We have to hope that we make the playoffs and do some damage this year, because ironically if not, we might end up in a very similar situation with a new rebuild to the one we started in, where we were out a very important pick.

If Andlauer wanted to get back at the league, he should sell the team to Neko Sparks.

My view is that the punishment should fit the crime; in this case, I don't think it does.

The punishment of losing a first round draft pick for mistakenly/neglectfully not reporting the trade/movement clause applicable to the player seems excessive to me. Part of the problem/contributing factor is that the league did not and does not have a robust system in place to track such clauses. Thus I think the league should bear some of the responsibility for this due to the lack of a system. I think a fine of $50,000 or loss of a lesser draft pick (e.g., 3rd round pick) would be more appropriate. And the league should acknowledge that its lack of a system is a contributing factor and fix that part of it so it does not happen again.

The whole thing is so stupid. That "botched" trade also led Vegas to winning a Cup, yet they still have the audacity to complain...and especially after outright breaking cap rules, too.

It just shows there is not a level playing field in this league and some teams will always get the benefit while others get bent over.

How did Vegas "break the cap rules"? I think Vegas took advantage of the "cap rules as they exist". The cap rules need adjustment to prevent a team icing a team during the playoffs that has a salary that exceeds the cap. That is a league responsibility.

 

[Cosmix]

It didn’t sell for less than an expansion team, at the time it sold for the highest price for an NHL team.

Was it the highest price ever for an NHL team?

 

[BankStreetParade]

There must have been some sort of logical reason for this by the NHL, such as it not being a hockey operations issue, as in, the Blackhawks didn't accrue an unfair advantage in a acquiring a player like Arizona and Ottawa did.

I don't recall what the fine was for Chicago. I can see why people would rather they lose the pick, because it feels like a real consequence, especially during the Bedard year.

I think the Dorion punishment is right. Imagine if another team did that to us. With that said, it's crazy that they don't have a central registry. Even if the lists aren't made available to all 32 teams, and it's something as simple as having some level of standardization where both the player agent and GM confirm the lists on July 1st with a league official who keeps them on file but does not share them with other teams unless a trade has been reached.

I understand Andlauer's defense that this is basically a different organization, and the only person linked to that violation was removed from their position in response. I guess the counter to that would be that the Melnyk family still owns a portion of the team.

It wouldn't surprise me if the league had some sour grapes over the Senators sale price. The sale seemed like it was a shit show, and the Senators sold for less than an expansion, which surely was not good for the league. If I recall, Andlauer was the last man standing who could viably buy the team and whose selling point wasn't "snoop dog?".

Well, here's the major difference: Dorion was the person who made the mistake (whether intentional or not) but it seems that no one else was involved in the incident. The Chicago Blackhawks convened the President, SVP, GM, AGM, HC and Director of Hockey Admin in a meeting to discuss the situation and to decide how to proceed. They all agreed that their focus should remain on-ice while supposedly designating another group of people to handle this off-ice issue.

So, 1 person assumes responsibility for an error and the organization is dinged a FRP. All of the senior leadership of a hockey team decide that a player being sexually assaulted by a coach is not their top priority results in $2M in fines, of which $1M was donated to charity (resulting in a tax write-off for the organization).

What's the real dollar value of a first round pick? And how does that compare to a $2M fine. It seems egregious to me that sexual assault and the lack of effort to investigate and protect young athletes from it is a significantly less serious offense to the NHL than the omission of a no-trade list, that the NHL should have access to when trade calls are made in the first place.

Anyway, I know nothing will change on this topic. I'm hoping that when people keep bringing this up, the NHL might actually decide that some things should be more important than others. And maybe force them to review their procedures on some things that are incredibly easy for them to do.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Glad it sounds like Andlauer wants parking for fans when it comes to our new arena.

The hell with garbage trains they are slow ( top speed wise) and unreliable.

I’d rather pay for parking personally.

2 options are great for those that don’t mind taking public transportation have the trains run right near the arena but also have lots of parking space for those that wanna drive.

Jim Watson is the Pierre Dorion of mayors

 

[Golden_Jet]

Was it the highest price ever for an NHL team?

Yes, that’s why I mentioned it.

If the deal goes through, it would set a record for the highest sale price in NHL history.

Reports: Ottawa Senators to be sold for nearly $1 billion to Michael Andlauer

Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer reaches agreement in principle to purchase Senators for nearly $1 billion, according to reports.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Wallet Inspector]

There must have been some sort of logical reason for this by the NHL, such as it not being a hockey operations issue, as in, the Blackhawks didn't accrue an unfair advantage in a acquiring a player like Arizona and Ottawa did.

I don't recall what the fine was for Chicago. I can see why people would rather they lose the pick, because it feels like a real consequence, especially during the Bedard year.

I think the Dorion punishment is right. Imagine if another team did that to us. With that said, it's crazy that they don't have a central registry. Even if the lists aren't made available to all 32 teams, and it's something as simple as having some level of standardization where both the player agent and GM confirm the lists on July 1st with a league official who keeps them on file but does not share them with other teams unless a trade has been reached.

I understand Andlauer's defense that this is basically a different organization, and the only person linked to that violation was removed from their position in response. I guess the counter to that would be that the Melnyk family still owns a portion of the team.

It wouldn't surprise me if the league had some sour grapes over the Senators sale price. The sale seemed like it was a shit show, and the Senators sold for less than an expansion, which surely was not good for the league. If I recall, Andlauer was the last man standing who could viably buy the team and whose selling point wasn't "snoop dog?".

I can get having a punishment of some kind, but a 1st is ridiculous, especially when the league apparently weren't willing to even accept Boston's 1st.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

I think it was 100 percent intentional.

which is why the penalty is so harsh.

 

[Icelevel]

I can get having a punishment of some kind, but a 1st is ridiculous, especially when the league apparently weren't willing to even accept Boston's 1st.

They’re making an example in an attempt to avoid anything like this happening again.
Same with pinto suspension.
I can’t blame them too much. Gotta keep things on track.

 

[Masked]

Andlauer was unfortunately caught in the net here. Had nothing to do with anything, but the Ottawa franchise is 100% at fault and due for punishment.

The leaqgue withholding that info from Andlauer is another story, but doesn't really have any impact on whether the Sens deserved the punishment or not.

That the league withheld the info until after the purchase was finalized is as sleazy as what Dorion did with Vegas. The only reason for the league taking so long to render their punishment was to maximize the sale price.

The league should compensate the Senators with a first round pick for its duplicitous actions.

 

[bicboi64]

New Jersey did lose a 3rd round pick and ultimately their 1st in 2014 (which would have been 10th, I think). They did get a 1st round pick back, but it was 30th and they could not deal it.

Still, I have all sorts of trouble penalizing the guy that paid near $1B for the Sens for the ineptness of the previous regime that everyone was happy to move on from.

I hope the league "grants" us the 30th or 32nd overall pick in the year we have to forefeit our pick. If they randomly decided to give NJD some leeway, I hope we get some too. The Sens as a whole deserve to get punished, but I think the league not being transparent with Andlauer should balance out the punishment.

 

[Micklebot]

I hope the league "grants" us the 30th or 32nd overall pick in the year we have to forefeit our pick. If they randomly decided to give NJD some leeway, I hope we get some too. The Sens as a whole deserve to get punished, but I think the league not being transparent with Andlauer should balance out the punishment.

The NJD punishment never made any damn sense tbh. They signed him to a deal that technically was within the rules, the league voided it the next day, so where is the harm? The remedy was voiding the contract, it should have ended there, maybe with a slap on the wrist to go along with it.