Ottawa Senators for sale (upd: sold to Michael Andlauer)

[Golden_Jet]

So Bettman says LeBreton Flats is not big enough for his NHL needs.

Typical Gary.

He's pretty well said the following to Ottawa...

Gary: 'Sorry, Senators, but when it comes to where the team plays next, the site is picked by me and ONLY me, and the arena design is ONLY drawn up and built by MY people. I don't involve local design firms in any step of the project, because the project is ONLY going to be built to the standards I like for ME. And those at Ottawa's City Council are not free to reject my business plan. They vote for my plan with no dissents and no meetings among themselves. So, you either build MY project where I tell you to build it and how, or the Senators are relocated to the U.S. city of MY choosing. End of discussion.'

I'm pretty sure that's the height of arrogance, and a sign that Gary's stayed at the party for WAY too damn long.

I'd be raising hell on Bettman for this, if I was a proper Sens fan.

Get in his face about it, and shove it down his throat. o.o

He’s right the 6.5 acres is a small parcel.

 

[DueDiligence]

This is a bit wild. According to Brent Wallace, the highest bidder so far (Neko Sparks' group) includes The Rock and is backed by the Reuben family out if the UK (part-owners of Newcastle). He also speculates that Reynolds could join that group if Remington doesn't get the team.

Also the Kimel bid has Sundin as their hockey advisor.

The Rock and Ryan Reynolds have been friends for over 20 years.

 

[RickyLafleur]

He’s right the 6.5 acres is a small parcel.

By comparison, what is the size of Montreal or Toronto's arenas + land? TSN 1200 mentioned yesterday that it was possibly smaller than 6 acres.

 

[DueDiligence]

Just a face. Combined they aren’t able to afford but a fraction of the team.

But it’s wild how much they are going for. Pens have their arena and so do the Preds (great lease). Sens, likey have to put up the entire $600 mill plus for a new arena on top of the price tag

Actually they are more than "faces" The Rock's net worth is about $800 million and RR's net worth is over $300 million.

 

[Golden_Jet]

By comparison, what is the size of Montreal or Toronto's arenas + land? TSN 1200 mentioned yesterday that it was possibly smaller than 6 acres.

12-15 acres, buildings take about 4 acres.
The newest Seattle building 6.8 acres, land plus arena 75 acres

 

[StreetHawk]

Actually they are more than "faces" The Rock's net worth is about $800 million and RR's net worth is over $300 million.

But, they won't be the Majority owners of the team. Like Magic Johnson with the Dodgers.
You'd just hear their names more often than the actual majority owner of the team.

 

[BMN]

So, you either build MY project where I tell you to build it and how, or the Senators are relocated to the U.S. city of MY choosing. End of discussion.'

This is hilariously unjustified paranoia.

#1 - The Sens aren't going anywhere.
#2 - Even if they *were* going somewhere, I suspect Quebec City would be the landing spot before an American city.
#3 - This is just Bettman talking from a position of strength. He knows the Sens have a wide variety of bids so you can start speculating about making things bigger and bigger when that's the case. If only one well heeled billionaire was trying to buy the team, I suspect he wouldn't be chirping about the size of the parcel.

 

[TheLegend]

So Bettman says LeBreton Flats is not big enough for his NHL needs.

Typical Gary.

He's pretty well said the following to Ottawa...

Gary: 'Sorry, Senators, but when it comes to where the team plays next, the site is picked by me and ONLY me, and the arena design is ONLY drawn up and built by MY people. I don't involve local design firms in any step of the project, because the project is ONLY going to be built to the standards I like for ME. And those at Ottawa's City Council are not free to reject my business plan. They vote for my plan with no dissents and no meetings among themselves. So, you either build MY project where I tell you to build it and how, or the Senators are relocated to the U.S. city of MY choosing. End of discussion.'

I'm pretty sure that's the height of arrogance, and a sign that Gary's stayed at the party for WAY too damn long.

I'd be raising hell on Bettman for this, if I was a proper Sens fan.

Get in his face about it, and shove it down his throat. o.o

Not exactly what he said but.... okay.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-senators-lebreton-flats-arena-kanata-downtown-1.6792912

 

[RaginRonic]

This is hilariously unjustified paranoia.

#1 - The Sens aren't going anywhere.
#2 - Even if they *were* going somewhere, I suspect Quebec City would be the landing spot before an American city.
#3 - This is just Bettman talking from a position of strength. He knows the Sens have a wide variety of bids so you can start speculating about making things bigger and bigger when that's the case. If only one well heeled billionaire was trying to buy the team, I suspect he wouldn't be chirping about the size of the parcel.

I don't consider it 'highly unjustified paranoia'.

To me, that's my verbal slap in the face to the Sens fans to wake up ant act to keep the team in Ottawa. It's meant to stop the Sens fans from getting comfortable and complacent with their team. o.o

 

[LadyStanley]

One of the bidding groups containing the Algonquin, actually have a claim to Labreton Flats

 

[SupremeTeam16]

One of the bidding groups containing the Algonquin, actually have a claim to Labreton Flats

At the outset I would of said the Remington and Reynolds was a slam dunk to be the winners here but Graeme Roustan with an absolutely brilliant move bringing an indigenous group into the fold, that group will get a big push from the Federal government. An NHL team owned by an indigenous group would be a nice little feather in the Trudeau governments reconciliation cap.

It was funny that basically as soon as this group stated they had a claim to that land, almost immediately Bettman starts throwing cold water on the site and suggests there are other areas to build on.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

At the outset I would of said the Remington and Reynolds was a slam dunk to be the winners here but Graeme Roustan with an absolutely brilliant move bringing an indigenous group into the fold, that group will get a big push from the Federal government. An NHL team owned by an indigenous group would be a nice little feather in the Trudeau governments reconciliation cap.

It was funny that basically as soon as this group stated they had a claim to that land, almost immediately Bettman starts throwing cold water on the site and suggests there are other areas to build on.

I’d be surprised if Reynolds doesn’t jump ship to another group at some point. I think the NHL will put pressure to make it happen.

 

[PlayersLtd]

At the outset I would of said the Remington and Reynolds was a slam dunk to be the winners here but Graeme Roustan with an absolutely brilliant move bringing an indigenous group into the fold, that group will get a big push from the Federal government. An NHL team owned by an indigenous group would be a nice little feather in the Trudeau governments reconciliation cap.

It was funny that basically as soon as this group stated they had a claim to that land, almost immediately Bettman starts throwing cold water on the site and suggests there are other areas to build on.

How on earth does the Federal Government factor into this? They don't. This is a private sale that will ultimately be determined by the league and the Melnyk sisters and I would hazard to guess that the indigenous angle wont count for very much at the end of the day, nor should it.

Anyhow. All of the posturing is likely more than just posturing. The NCC is notoriously impossible to deal with. All the groups would be remiss to not do their due diligence on other sites as a contingency plan considering a huge component to the acquisition is also finding and building a new home for the franchise.

I would suspect a couple of the groups are doubtful that an arena can get built at Lebreton and this has come out to the league and the city. As a result the city and the NHL are dropping hints to the NCC that they need to get in line or they'll risk losing out on a massive opportunity. Some posturing yes, but it isn't empty.

 

[Golden_Jet]

So Bettman says LeBreton Flats is not big enough for his NHL needs.

Typical Gary.

He's pretty well said the following to Ottawa...

Gary: 'Sorry, Senators, but when it comes to where the team plays next, the site is picked by me and ONLY me, and the arena design is ONLY drawn up and built by MY people. I don't involve local design firms in any step of the project, because the project is ONLY going to be built to the standards I like for ME. And those at Ottawa's City Council are not free to reject my business plan. They vote for my plan with no dissents and no meetings among themselves. So, you either build MY project where I tell you to build it and how, or the Senators are relocated to the U.S. city of MY choosing. End of discussion.'

I'm pretty sure that's the height of arrogance, and a sign that Gary's stayed at the party for WAY too damn long.

I'd be raising hell on Bettman for this, if I was a proper Sens fan.

Get in his face about it, and shove it down his throat. o.o

Lol, you don’t read the room very well.
And he literally said they are not moving.

It’s just a play to get the NCC to provide a bigger parcel of land like they did in LeBreton 1.0

 

[RaginRonic]

Lol, you don’t read the room very well.
And he literally said they are not moving.

It’s just a play to get the NCC to provide a bigger parcel of land like they did in LeBreton 1.0

He should be making no 'plays for land' because that's just a greasy power play by him. And he knows it.

He should not control which part of Ottawa the Sens play in. He should just take what he gets and then shut up afterward.

That's it. o.o

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[LadyStanley]

Reynolds mentioned

 

[sawchuk1971]

32 thoughts on saturday panel say sens has over $450 million in debt...

 

[Team_Spirit]

How did they go 450m in debt with revenue sharing??

Tickets were $20?

 

[Gil Gunderson]

How did they go 450m in debt with revenue sharing??

Tickets were $20?

The Sens were Melnyk's primary revenue stream for years.

 

[StreetHawk]

How did they go 450m in debt with revenue sharing??

Tickets were $20?

Businesses are financed with debt all the time. Factor in what interest rates have been over the past decade or so, it didn't cost that much to service that debt. If the Sens have that much debt, then that Debt will get paid off once the Melnyk's sell the team and the new owner can find their own financing for the purchase price.

Daughters will then walk away with around $400 million or so from the sale of the team.

 

[Golden_Jet]

How did they go 450m in debt with revenue sharing??

Tickets were $20?

Well that’s a load of BS.

 

[LadyStanley]

From Chris Johnson's weekly email:

The final round of bidding isn't yet underway on the Ottawa Senators sale, but word is that one of the initial non-binding offers came in at $1.1-billion Canadian.

US$811+m just isn't as impressive.

 

[SImpelton]

This is hilariously unjustified paranoia.

#1 - The Sens aren't going anywhere.
#2 - Even if they *were* going somewhere, I suspect Quebec City would be the landing spot before an American city.
#3 - This is just Bettman talking from a position of strength. He knows the Sens have a wide variety of bids so you can start speculating about making things bigger and bigger when that's the case. If only one well heeled billionaire was trying to buy the team, I suspect he wouldn't be chirping about the size of the parcel.

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for the Senators to leave Ottawa.

However, I keep hearing QC as a relocation option and I keep wondering how the heck you get the Habs to agree to split their market share. QC is not a vacant market, it's part of Montreal's "territory" (whether the fans there agree or not, that's how the contracts with the league see things!) and that territorial concession is worth millions per year to them.

 

[rojac]

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for the Se

However, I keep hearing QC as a relocation option and I keep wondering how the heck you get the Habs to agree to split their market share. QC is not a vacant market, it's part of Montreal's "territory" (whether the fans there agree or not, that's how the contracts with the league see things!) and that territorial concession is worth millions per year to them.

QC is part of Montreal’s TV territory but they are not part of the protected territory where Montreal has any say over another team playing there. That’s limited to a 50 mile radius. Or at least that‘s my understanding.