News Article: Quebec City, Andlauer and the Sparticat Fiasco

[frightenedinmatenum2]

The issue is that it wasn't Halifax and it wasn't the Mooseheads.

btw, I don't think the issue was the pre-season games. It was the tacit approval of playing regular season games - "...that's up to the N.H.L". that's a pretty "I'll do it" was of saying yes without saying yes.

but ...
Halifax had not been used by previous iterations of the team as a move threat.
Halifax has not been throwing money in a black hole for years trying to convince the NHL for a team.
Halifax was not called out by every interested thread on this entire site as a likely landing spot for the team.
Halifax hockey fans were not at games with signs saying how ready they were to take a relocated sens.

That's the difference as I see it.

I'm taking the team at their word in that they thought it was a way to poach some fans in the area. I don't believe that will happen, but I believe they believe it.

I don't think it was some "up yours" to the N.C.C as a negotiation tactic. If the team gets squeezed by the N.C.C, they already have the rink they play in as a fallback, or nearby city owned land; they can tell the N.C.C to stuff it and all Sens fans, fans in general, media - even the dastardly Toronto media - will fall right in behind the team because nobody likes or trusts the N.C.C in the first place.

To be honest, if the team sits back and looks at this week, the should see this as a great experience. A bunch people got pissed at them - an it doesn't matter if the customer is right or wrong. Fact is, they got pissed and that support should thrill the team.

The fans care.

They don't have a Plan B for an Ottawa arena if NCC/Lebreton doesn't come through. As per Cyril Leeder. "If you have a plan B, you don't have a plan A".

 

[Ice-Tray]

Wow, lots of heated posters in here!

In the end the Sens will never move to QC, so no need to worry about that, ever.

 

[IpsoPostFacto]

They don't have a Plan B for an Ottawa arena if NCC/Lebreton doesn't come through. As per Cyril Leeder. "If you have a plan B, you don't have a plan A".

That's negotiation speak. Of course they haven't gone 2 ft down the road with other land, but do you really think it would take long to start that look?

Either way, it does not matter. If the NCC wants such a high price that the Sens can't make the dollars work, the stay were they are.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Lol “expand our fanbase” or “take what’s ours in Quebec City”?

Who do people think we are? We’re a small market local team and that’s what we’ll always be. The investments need to be made in the capital region.

Regardless of what TV rights Bell gave us, people in Quebec City are not becoming Sens fans. Just like people in Halifax aren’t.

If Andlauer wants to make a few extra hundred grand selling out preseason games in a non-NHL market then go for it, but the idea of Quebec City becoming “Sens Country” is pure delusion. Most of the people in the building for those games won’t be cheering for Ottawa.

If you always think small, that’s all you’ll ever be.

 

[Ice-Tray]

I guess we should just rename the team Ottawa-Gatineau-Quebec City-Atlantic Canada Senators.

The majority of fans live in Ottawa, and have spent tens of thousands of dollars supporting this team over the years. Taking away home games from them is a great way to thank them for that support.

"This team belongs to the Ottawa-Gatineau community" said Michael Andlauer. "That's why my vision is to play less games there."

And yet we played home games in Europe without fans freaking out.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

And yet we played home games in Europe without fans freaking out.

It’s pretty dishonest and naive to pretend that’s going to perceived the same way.

 

[Ice-Tray]

I have no issue with this team moving I don’t believe something like that can be done.

That’s beside the point.

The point seems to be that you’re greedy and can’t see the forest for the trees. This team isn’t yours. There are Sens fans all across the country, with a ton of them out here on the west coast.

Any opportunity to expand the market in our broadcasting rights area is an absolute no brainer and was obviously high on the list of priorities after purchase.

Stop thinking that you one the team because you happen to live in Ottawa, that’s the perfect way to keep it small and underfunded.

 

[Ice-Tray]

It’s pretty dishonest and naive to pretend that’s going to perceived the same way.

Dishonesty has nothing to do with it and I’m sorry you felt the need to go there.

Perception is up to the individual. The point I was countering was that we played home games away from home already, so playing a few in other markets isn’t a big deal. Other sports do it all the time for marketing purposes of course.

People being scared of the team moving to Quebec City are as reasonable as Chicken Little freaking out about the sky falling.

I have zero time for the fear mongering as an excuse to defend small minded, insecure thinking, that would have us be a cap floor team again rather than expand the market.

Be scared, just don’t expect other to cuddle you.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

Wow, lots of heated posters in here!

In the end the Sens will never move to QC, so no need to worry about that, ever.

I mean you're kind of right, they'd be called the Nordiques.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Dishonesty has nothing to do with it and I’m sorry you felt the need to go there.

Perception is up to the individual. The point I was countering was that we played home games away from home already, so playing a few in other markets isn’t a big deal. Other sports do it all the time for marketing purposes of course.

People being scared of the team moving to Quebec City are as reasonable as Chicken Little freaking out about the sky falling.

I have zero time for the fear mongering as an excuse to defend small minded, insecure thinking, that would have us be a cap floor team again rather than expand the market.

Be scared, just don’t expect other to cuddle you.

I’m not scared and I don’t think the team is moving, but pretending that playing a game in Sweden as part of an NHL promotional event and the owner saying that he wants to play regular season games in a city that has been in relocation conversations for decades (while negotiating an arena deal in Ottawa) is going to be perceived the same way by the fanbase is just naive. You can’t blame fans for feeling easy about it.

That’s it. Mistakes might have been made, but I don’t blame fans. We’ve just seen things happen in arena negotiations (like Oilers officials visiting Seattle) that make fans unweary.

 

[GCK]

I’m not scared and I don’t think the team is moving, but pretending that playing a game in Sweden as part of an NHL promotional event and the owner saying that he wants to play regular season games in a city that has been in relocation conversations for decades (while negotiating an arena deal in Ottawa) is going to be perceived the same way by the fanbase is just naive. You can’t blame fans for feeling easy about it.

That’s it. Mistakes might have been made, but I don’t blame fans. We’ve just seen things happen in arena negotiations (like Oilers officials visiting Seattle) that make fans unweary.

Any reasonable person know Quebec City will never get a team.

 

[BB79]

Any reasonable person know Quebec City will never get a team.

If they have an ownership group with deep enough pockets it could potentially happen. Also depends on what the BOG thinks, and with Bettman heading into retirement in the near future, also may depend on the M.O. of his replacement... I won't say never, but a lot of holes in the swiss cheese would have to line up for it to happen IMO.

Lastly, I can't see "Videotron" without thinking of 90s Blockbuster video stores for some reason

 

[Ice-Tray]

Andlauer is learning that when you are explaining, you are losing.

The message, whatever it is supposed to be, is lost. You simply can't ignore the history of how Melnyk used Quebec as a pawn - at the same time as you are messaging to fans/ncc/both that the NCC deal is looking rough and not expect to get a wtf.

It's like if you are 45 and your wife is like "I was at the fertility clinic today. It's looking like success" and after pulling yourself off the floor she means she just drove a friend there.

*for the record, I don't think this is about growing the game. Apparently Quebec fans are already watching on T.V, so whatever this is, it's not to get more eyes on the T.V. It's probably a pain to the NHL because now Quebec will be on them again about a team.

This is lip service being paid to the small segment of the fanbase that freaks out about these things, only because the same people are on the internet all the time freaking out about things.

This will move forward as planned with most people understanding why, and those that are freaking out will continue to be hand held along the way.

“They’re taking our team!!” Such a tired mindset.

 

[IpsoPostFacto]

 

[Ice-Tray]

No I’m not deluded. I wouldn’t suggest the Charlotte Hornets try to “grow their brand” beyond their own city either. It’d never work.

New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto.

Ottawa is not like that.

And yet doesn’t the NFL want to play game in Canadian markets?

Think. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Judging by the reaction on social media and radio to this announcement from Sens fans, there’s plenty of evidence to back this up.



LOL. Yeah, people buy season tickets but don’t want to go to games.

Maybe they can give them away to local Ottawa families who don’t get the chance to go, then. Lots of people who live here and are die hard fans would love to take in a game live.

Nah, let’s support the owner padding his pockets in Quebec City.

This is your first mistake. Most people don’t take to social media to complain about things.

If you’re selling your ass building vids, that’s your audience though….

 

[Tuna99]

This is lip service being paid to the small segment of the fanbase that freaks out about these things, only because the same people are on the internet all the time freaking out about things.

This will move forward as planned with most people understanding why, and those that are freaking out will continue to be hand held along the way.

“They’re taking our team!!” Such a tired mindset.

In conclusion you are saying don’t be weak and afraid but the Sens brain trust is saying exactly that - the fans are afraid and damaged. Massively stupid.

the team owner, team president and media guy all apologized to the fans because it was a big deal.

It’s not the worry of moving, it’s a fanbase that just wants to focus on hockey, it’s stupid to say you want to play home games in Quebec they admitted that, what stings and is a sign to worry about because it couldn’t be more wrong is the Sens brain trust got together after this mistake and decided to let the owner do an interview and tell the NHL the fans are damaged - not resilient, not demanding, not passionate and proud but traumatized and damged, and I think that woke mentality from management that the fans need fixing is deep in the braintrust that Ottawa fans needs fixing when we don’t, we just need a brain trust that gets the fans and isn’t a group trying to fix a fanbase that isn’t broken or damaged, but just wants to focus on hockey in Ottawa, like every other fanbase.

If the Leafs or Habs said they wanted to play home games elsewhere those fans would be pissed too, their owners wouldn’t come out and say the fans are not damaged by years of losing, they’d just apologize and own it and not spread the blame to the fans.

It’s a mistake coumpaoundimg a mistake and then blaming the fans for their reaction , that’s what smells of a Melnyk not the fans reaction.

 

[mysens]

I would bet Anldauer and ownership are waaaay more concerned after the tariff debacle is settling in. The CAD and USD delta is massive. They pay everyone in USD and this automatically crushes the Canadians teams. Ouch.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

I would bet Anldauer and ownership are waaaay more concerned after the tariff debacle is settling in. The CAD and USD delta is massive. They pay everyone in USD and this automatically crushes the Canadians teams. Ouch.

Nail hitting the head...

 

[GCK]

I would bet Anldauer and ownership are waaaay more concerned after the tariff debacle is settling in. The CAD and USD delta is massive. They pay everyone in USD and this automatically crushes the Canadians teams. Ouch.

It certainly hurts.

 

[Rand0m]

Won’t everyone think of the poor billionaires??

It sucks, they’re the only ones that get affected by the economy and Fx. It’s completely inacceptable for a billionaire not to see some huge growth every year and luckily our governments are always there to help them out if they happen to lose a bit of money or if they have a big project they want to profit off but not invest any money into. Nevermind the fact that all of them saw a massive increase in net worth over the last few years.

As we can see again and again, they’re completely out of touch with reality whenever one of them opens their mouth.

 

[Tuna99]

I would bet Anldauer and ownership are waaaay more concerned after the tariff debacle is settling in. The CAD and USD delta is massive. They pay everyone in USD and this automatically crushes the Canadians teams. Ouch.

They have a very healthy league to help, if the cap is going up $25 million in 3 years there’s money there for the NHL to create balance for the small clubs to compete.