News Article: Mike Babcock Pretty Much Confirms Melnyk Involved In MacLean Firing

[Jerk Store*]

Melnyk has his fingerprints on every recent bad decision. I feel bad for Murray cause he has to sing the song he's being told to sing. Melnyk wants him to sell to fans that we're a playoff team in order to keep selling tickets to the casual fan.

What we're starting to witness now is Melnyk blaming everyone but himself for the team's shortcomings.
We've lost a leader and top 6 winger, a number one C and we're already a bubble playoff team with them.

Now we've let go of a recent Jack Adams winner.

It's foolish at this point to point the finger anywhere else. Melnyk has all the rights to meddle into the teams operations as much as I have the right to choose not to spend my money on it.

 

[Tuna99]

While i don't agree to everything he does my brother made a good point to me the other day and said.....if you owned the team im sure you would provide your opinion to the GM once and ahwile.....which is 100% correct, just like every other person on this thread/site would. Looking more and more like an old fashioned snipe hunt here in the nation's capital.

I think the message from Babcock is important in that "if your owner is making hockey decisions your team is in trouble"

Not only does Melnyk only know a smidgen about hockey compared to Maclean, if the GM is letting the Owner make decisions (Kovalev / Emails to Alfie / Hiring Cameron) then the team is in a lot of trouble - it is essentially like letting one of us internet nerds run the team.

 

[aragorn]

I dont think we'd average 2 goals for a game without Karlsson.

You people need to relax.

http://www.tsn.ca/radio/ottawa-1200...-cameron-can-change-things-in-ottawa-1.156313

@ 5:20

2 goals for - 2 goals against = 0

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

While i don't agree to everything he does my brother made a good point to me the other day and said.....if you owned the team im sure you would provide your opinion to the GM once and ahwile.....which is 100% correct, just like every other person on this thread/site would. Looking more and more like an old fashioned snipe hunt here in the nation's capital.

Well, call me crazy, but the guy who decided that this needed to be done:



should not be involved be the operations side of hockey team. There's being a fan and there's being meddling. Melynk is on the side of meddling. He's not Harold Ballard bad, but he's up there.

I said it before, I'd kill to have an owner like Tampa Bay's. He is a fan but he knows better than to be involved in how Stevie Y does his job. The opposite of that was there previous owners Len Barrie and Oren Koulles. They clearly thought they were the smartest hockey fans ever and just about ran that franchise into the ground.

 

[Indrew]

2 goals for - 2 goals against = 0

Uhhhhnnnngggggggggggggggggnnnnngggghhhnnnggggg

 

[Sens Rule]

He owns the team. He can make any decisions he wants. Maclean got a full chance. It isn't like he didn't have years to show results. I don't know if Maclean is the problem. I don't know if Cameron is the solution.

What I do think... And like... Is that it was done now. 20ish games into the season. Because ownership and managment doesn't want to chuck away this season now. The team wants to make the playoffs.

As much as we are 30th in payroll... Many fans fail to understand that a teams options are limited during or even between seasons. There isn't really a ton of opportunity to make that much change. Hard to make any trades. Hard to sign any UFAs. Most UFAs resign with their team. The few quality ones that make it to market... You are competing with a dozen teams to sign them. And you must overpay everyone. This team... And every team... Is locked into a great deal of their roster for many years. Spezza apparently wanted out... They had to trade him.

My point is... You really have few options to change much about your roster... You can change the head coach. Good or bad... It is one if the few mid season options for any meaningful change. Even if that change might not mean all that much. So the team did... Something... To try to get back on track to make the playoffs. I am ok with that. Hope it works.

 

[BankStreetParade]

Who the **** cares what Mike Babcock thinks? Maybe Babcock should worry about the fact his team has won 3 playoff rounds in the last 6 years and got stomped by Boston last year.

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

Who the **** cares what Mike Babcock thinks? Maybe Babcock should worry about the fact his team has won 3 playoff rounds in the last 6 years and got stomped by Boston last year.

As opposed to our team that has won one round in the playoffs in last 8 years and didn't even make the playoffs last year?

The reason Babcock was asked was because he obviously had a history with Maclean AND Murray and someone asked him his opinion. As arguably the best head coach in the NHL, his opinion matters more than mine, yours or any else on this board.

It's up to you whether or not you care about he says but you can see why it would be news what he thinks.

 

[Emerica]

Of course he was.

 

[BankStreetParade]

As opposed to our team that has won one round in the playoffs in last 8 years and didn't even make the playoffs last year?

The reason Babcock was asked was because he obviously had a history with Maclean AND Murray and someone asked him his opinion. As arguably the best head coach in the NHL, his opinion matters more than mine, yours or any else on this board.

It's up to you whether or not you care about he says but you can see why it would be news what he thinks.

He's probably the most overrated coach in the NHL. And Babcock's job is to be concerned with getting his team to the playoffs and winning, not worrying about the Sens making the playoffs. And his opinion of the Ottawa Senators is no more valid than the people who follow this team 24/7.

 

[DrakeAndJosh]

Who gives a **** what Babcock has to say? Seriously. He's the most overrated person in the league and has no connection to this franchise. We have a new coach now, time to move on.

 

[Tuna99]

He's probably the most overrated coach in the NHL. And Babcock's job is to be concerned with getting his team to the playoffs and winning, not worrying about the Sens making the playoffs. And his opinion of the Ottawa Senators is no more valid than the people who follow this team 24/7.

Babcock's opinion matters simply because if other NHL executives and Coaches are speaking up about the ownership in Ottawa interfeing in Hockey Decisions then that sends an alarm out across the league that things in Ottawa are a mess.

Two Captains gone in 2 seasons, 5 coaches in 8 years and pretty much the most powerful non player in Hockey calling out the Sens owner - it matters whether you want to believe it or not.

Let's not forget Babcock coached Alfie and would have the inside info on why he left and I'm sure Alfie told Babcock all about Melnyck's meddling.

 

[Proust*]

Babcock has weird ears, so who gives a **** about what he thinks!

And he's in the USA, so who gives a **** about his thoughts on a Canadian team!

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

I always find it funny that whenever someone in the media or the NHL itself says something negative about the Senators, there's always a contingent of fans who attack the messenger instead of the message itself. You can debate what he said about the situation but suddenly, one of the winningest coaches in the NHL, with 3 Cup appearances, one Cup, two Olympic gold medals and a playoff streak since he started coaching in the NHL, is now "OVERRATED!"

But if Babcock came out and said: "You know what, the Senators are the best organization in the league." that quote would be brought any time an outsider disparaged the Senators.

Like it or not, the NHL is a very connected network. Guys like Babcock clearly know more about what's happening behind the scenes of teams in the league than we do because everyone talks. If Bryan Murray talks to Ken Holland at the GM meetings in Florida, Mike Babcock is going to know about. Considering that it's not outside the realm of possibility that the two of them still have a strong relationship (considering it was Murray that gave Babcock his first NHL job), he may have also heard straight from Bryan whose decision it was.

 

[aragorn]

I always find it funny that whenever someone in the media or the NHL itself says something negative about the Senators, there's always a contingent of fans who attack the messenger instead of the message itself. You can debate what he said about the situation but suddenly, one of the winningest coaches in the NHL, with 3 Cup appearances, one Cup, two Olympic gold medals and a playoff streak since he started coaching in the NHL, is now "OVERRATED!"

But if Babcock came out and said: "You know what, the Senators are the best organization in the league." that quote would be brought any time an outsider disparaged the Senators.

Like it or not, the NHL is a very connected network. Guys like Babcock clearly know more about what's happening behind the scenes of teams in the league than we do because everyone talks. If Bryan Murray talks to Ken Holland at the GM meetings in Florida, Mike Babcock is going to know about. Considering that it's not outside the realm of possibility that the two of them still have a strong relationship (considering it was Murray that gave Babcock his first NHL job), he may have also heard straight from Bryan whose decision it was.

 

[Real Smart Sens Fan]

What did he say that was negative? In what way were his words an indictment? He speculated that Melnyk wasnt happy with MacLean and had influence in his dismissal. Owners have influence in every major decision, and this was clearly one reached mutually and over a long period of time. Melnyk has wanted Cameron as head coach for 5+ years, Murray has been souring on MacLean over the past year and a quarter, and this was the culmination of that.

 

[steedout]

Babcock wasn't the only one saying Melnyk was involved in the firing.

http://the6thsens.com/2014-articles...three-to-four-years-ago-by-eugene-melnyk.html

 

[Jerk Store*]

I always find it funny that whenever someone in the media or the NHL itself says something negative about the Senators, there's always a contingent of fans who attack the messenger instead of the message itself. You can debate what he said about the situation but suddenly, one of the winningest coaches in the NHL, with 3 Cup appearances, one Cup, two Olympic gold medals and a playoff streak since he started coaching in the NHL, is now "OVERRATED!"

But if Babcock came out and said: "You know what, the Senators are the best organization in the league." that quote would be brought any time an outsider disparaged the Senators.

Like it or not, the NHL is a very connected network. Guys like Babcock clearly know more about what's happening behind the scenes of teams in the league than we do because everyone talks. If Bryan Murray talks to Ken Holland at the GM meetings in Florida, Mike Babcock is going to know about. Considering that it's not outside the realm of possibility that the two of them still have a strong relationship (considering it was Murray that gave Babcock his first NHL job), he may have also heard straight from Bryan whose decision it was.

Thank you, someone needed to say this, and you all need to believe and accept that this is what's happening.

 

[Indrew]

What else can we do but hope Melnyk knows what he is doing? Sigh...

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Melnyk has his fingerprints on every recent bad decision. I feel bad for Murray cause he has to sing the song he's being told to sing. Melnyk wants him to sell to fans that we're a playoff team in order to keep selling tickets to the casual fan.

What we're starting to witness now is Melnyk blaming everyone but himself for the team's shortcomings.
We've lost a leader and top 6 winger, a number one C and we're already a bubble playoff team with them.

Now we've let go of a recent Jack Adams winner.

It's foolish at this point to point the finger anywhere else. Melnyk has all the rights to meddle into the teams operations as much as I have the right to choose not to spend my money on it.

What I don't get is, why would Murray allow himself to be in that position? He's what, 75 years old? He's always said he doesn't really need this job, if he can't be allowed to actually manage the team, I would be like "I'm too old for this ****, I'm out." Danny Glover style.

 

[Benjamin]

Im shocked.

 

[Jerk Store*]

What I don't get is, why would Murray allow himself to be in that position? He's what, 75 years old? He's always said he doesn't really need this job, if he can't be allowed to actually manage the team, I would be like "I'm too old for this ****, I'm out." Danny Glover style.

I understand what you're saying, but it's not like Melnyk came in at first and started all this mess. This is more in recent years, since he took a financial hit. Why? I don't know. Alfie didn't leave for a chance to win a cup in Detroit, come on. Everyone who believes that must think he's an imbecile. Melnyk tried to nickle and dime him and he left. Didn't you hear the tone of Murrays voice when he announced it?

Happy to see that both of them were tight enough to end his career properly in Ottawa, but if it was just Melnyk, I'm pretty sure Alfie would've hung up the phone.

 

[DrakeAndJosh]

I always find it funny that whenever someone in the media or the NHL itself says something negative about the Senators, there's always a contingent of fans who attack the messenger instead of the message itself. You can debate what he said about the situation but suddenly, one of the winningest coaches in the NHL, with 3 Cup appearances, one Cup, two Olympic gold medals and a playoff streak since he started coaching in the NHL, is now "OVERRATED!"

But if Babcock came out and said: "You know what, the Senators are the best organization in the league." that quote would be brought any time an outsider disparaged the Senators.

Like it or not, the NHL is a very connected network. Guys like Babcock clearly know more about what's happening behind the scenes of teams in the league than we do because everyone talks. If Bryan Murray talks to Ken Holland at the GM meetings in Florida, Mike Babcock is going to know about. Considering that it's not outside the realm of possibility that the two of them still have a strong relationship (considering it was Murray that gave Babcock his first NHL job), he may have also heard straight from Bryan whose decision it was.

Because we've been hearing the same **** over and over for the past two days now. Babcock kind of hinted that this was Melnyk's decision, so it must be right! Maybe it really wasn't Melynk's decision, but just as everyone on this board has done, Maclean jumped to conclusions and ranted to Babcock about how he totally didn't deserve to be fired and it's all a conspiracy to make Cameron the head coach. People need to move on, the way Cameron has been talked about on this board and on the radio is disgusting, it happened, time to give the guy a chance. He's definitely qualified and he seems like a good guy, let's see what happens.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Scariest thing about this is that if Cameron does an awful job, he'll probably get a way longer leash than MacLean had.

 

[MainDotC]

Once the forensic evidence is released you'll see that Eugene is innocent of all accusations.