News Article: Sens talking to Gatineau about new arena complex

[L'Aveuglette]

Otherwise reading all the other, positive posts warms my heart. I would absolutely love to see the Sens have a real physical presence on the Quebec side, and to truly support hockey on all levels. I always found it incredibly shortsighted how the org. puts so much time, money, effort etc., into the Ontario side, but rarely ever shows up on the other side of the river, where so many young sports fans reside.

Screw the Habs already, the Outaouais region, which includes QUEBEC, should be proud to have the SENS as their true, hometown team.

Get it done!

 

[bert]

actually, there's an existing rink at bayview that probably needs to be reconstructed at some point. Could be a future sensplex if needed.

Tom Brown arena, the ice is actually pretty good too just not very big dressing rooms. It is an NHL sized ice pad.

 

[Telesphore]

There should be absolutely 0 attention paid to expanding to the Western Quebec market when there's hardly enough marketing done in the city to start with. Focus on your local fans and community at home before you start thinking about how far your fan base can reach. They barely have enough of a footprint in the city itself to start with. It's not like you're the Toronto Maple Leafs that already have a storied franchise with one of the most notorious fan bases in sports.

Plain and simple: Conquer your home market first before you lose it.

 

[bert]

Well, that's absolutely true. Why would a Senator do that though? Traffic both ways, arena and practise are far west. City life isn't exactly spectacular in Ottawa, talk about architecturally inept, box here a box there. Atleast if you own land you can have some fun, send the kids to a nice quiet school, and be invisible on your way to practice.

Most of them live in Westboro now haha and yes it is much nicer with just as quiet neighbourhoods and better schools.

 

[Smash88]

Thought it was sarcasm, now not so sure..

Do people actually think it's bad to expand the fan base? You can never have too many fans, no matter where they are from.

 

[Telesphore]

Thought it was sarcasm, now not so sure..

Do people actually think it's bad to expand the fan base? You can never have too many fans, no matter where they are from.

It's terrible strategic planning from a business perspective to attempt to expand into markets when you've barely got a hold on your local demographic.

Would you open a 2nd restaurant in a different city when you're barely breaking even on the first?

 

[Smash88]

It's terrible strategic planning from a business perspective to attempt to expand into markets when you've barely got a hold on your local demographic.

Would you open a 2nd restaurant in a different city when you're barely breaking even on the first?

They aren't adding another restaurant (team), they are expanding the marketing zone of the only one. Any smart business would do that.

What's the harm?

 

[aragorn]

Please don't be. There is only one poster crapping all over this thread, and well, he's known to be a total curmudgeon around these parts.

Otherwise reading all the other, positive posts warms my heart. I would absolutely love to see the Sens have a real physical presence on the Quebec side, and to truly support hockey on all levels. I always found it incredibly shortsighted how the org. puts so much time, money, effort etc., into the Ontario side, but rarely ever shows up on the other side of the river, where so many young sports fans reside.

Screw the Habs already, the Outaouais region, which includes QUEBEC, should be proud to have the SENS as their true, hometown team.

Get it done!

I think they have tried, the Sens have in the past tried very hard to get more support from the Quebec side but you have to realize that the vast majority of francophones are Montreal fans. I would guess over 90% if not more but don't get me wrong I am all for them doing this.

I can remember going to the Guertin arena to see the rookie tournament on more than one occasion & they have practised over there in a few different places. They also know the people running the Olympiques quite well & they drafted the son of a Le Droit reporter, goalie Derick Brassard. They have always tried to have at least one francophone on the team over the yrs but as I said before the majority of Francophone fans are Montreal fans. The REDBLACKS have the exact same problem.

I will say this though, the one player who seems to have the most support of any French players Ottawa has ever had on their team IMO is Pageau. He has the largest following of Francophone followers I have ever seen, in fact, at the development camp in Ottawa two yrs ago their were more Quebec plates in the parking lot then I have ever seen there, dozens of them & I have been to almost every development camp since day 1. Obviously since he is from the area, played for the Olympiques & was a star for them must have a lot to do with it & maybe he has a huge family, but they continue to come out to support him at every game, he's a rock star for them.

 

[stempniaksen]

People who are spinning this as a negative are absolutely out to lunch. This is a great idea, just as it was a great idea to build a rink in the East end of the city. They aren't building a rink in freaking Rimouski, Gatineau is just across the river and is just as much a part of the target audience as the east end of the city would be (maybe even more, since it is a hop skip and a jump away from Lebreton). Would love to see this go through, saving the Olympiques and giving the Sens more visibility on the Quebec side.

 

[dumbdick]

Such stupid speculation. Sens are in this to make money on a solid business deal. Might as well question if the team was trying to get taylor swift as the new mascot by getting her to play ctc...Its really not about the big club at all. But if it makes money for eug and keeps the piques... thats great.

 

[Qward]

It's terrible strategic planning from a business perspective to attempt to expand into markets when you've barely got a hold on your local demographic.

Would you open a 2nd restaurant in a different city when you're barely breaking even on the first?

You've never taken a marketing class before, have you?

You get the fans when they are young. You are not going to convert die hard Leaf and Habs fans in our market as easily as you be getting kids when they are young.

Back to the point at hand. Let the Olympiques play in the CTC while they get a new arena built. Just like the 67's. Help them build a new arena, get samsung or panasonic (which the team has an established relationship with) to help as well as the other sponsors and convince the Olympiques to change their colors to red gold and white.

Call it a day.

 

[Bileur]

You've never taken a marketing class before, have you?

You get the fans when they are young. You are not going to convert die hard Leaf and Habs fans in our market as easily as you be getting kids when they are young.

Back to the point at hand. Let the Olympiques play in the CTC while they get a new arena built. Just like the 67's. Help them build a new arena, get samsung or panasonic (which the team has an established relationship with) to help as well as the other sponsors and convince the Olympiques to change their colors to red gold and white.

Call it a day.

Interesting idea

 

[Sens Rule]

The Nordiques are a threat everywhere in Quebec too. Senators would be wise to get as much traction as possible in the Gatineau area. This would be a huge coup. Build arena... AHL and being so supportive of the Olympique.

The Nords would be a huge force everywhere in Quebec regardless... You get a new big time rival... But face a threat to alliegences too.

 

[starling]

Damn. Making Olympiques an AHL team would be huge for capturing Gatineau/Hull fan base.

 

[BonkTastic]

The fact Ottawa is even reaching out to Gatineau is a disgrace. Working for the greater good of hockey sounds OK, but have you seen some of the local arenas in this city? Most local arenas are dumps, they should be bulldozed and built to NA standards. I will boycott the Senators if they fund Gatineau with anything, especially with the Senators name on it.

 

[Bileur]

Didn't see an update on this but an article from today's Le Droit indicates that the sens have submitted a proposal for a Sensplex in Gatineau which would include a 4000 seat replacement for Guertin.

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/act...1510/05/01-4906948-un-sensplex-a-gatineau.php

 

[Hutz]

Didn't see an update on this but an article from today's Le Droit indicates that the sens have submitted a proposal for a Sensplex in Gatineau which would include a 4000 seat replacement for Guertin.

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/act...1510/05/01-4906948-un-sensplex-a-gatineau.php

Great news. Still funding questions and such, but I think it would be great for the Sens to have this kind of presence on the Quebec side and it would help keep the Olympiques around. Win-win, imo. Let's hope the city chooses their proposal.

 

[Bileur]

Great news. Still funding questions and such, but I think it would be great for the Sens to have this kind of presence on the Quebec side and it would help keep the Olympiques around. Win-win, imo. Let's hope the city chooses their proposal.

The plan would require a significant investment from the city but with a plan that includes a serious benefit to the population like 4 rinks it should at least start discussions.

 

[General Zodd]

Here we go again. More appeasement. I hope this never gets built. Let Hull or Gatineau or whatever they're called pay for their own arena. Ottawa has the 67's which many people don't seem to be care about or be supporting nowadays anyway so don't even think about a team in another province. Why don't the Habnots step in and offer to pay? They're all Montreal fans over there anyway!

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Here we go again. More appeasement. I hope this never gets built. Let Hull or Gatineau or whatever they're called pay for their own arena. Ottawa has the 67's which many people don't seem to be care about or be supporting nowadays anyway so don't even think about a team in another province. Why don't the Habnots step in and offer to pay? They're all Montreal fans over there anyway!

It's called growing your market presence

There are only positives as far as real life is concerned

 

[Senateurs]

Awesome news!!

It seems like there's people who would rather have the Kanata Senators for themselves than to expand the brand in Eastern Quebec, rest of Ontario, NY, etc.

 

[wingman75]

Just so you know the new rink would be in a new location, either in Le Plateau area or in Gatineau just off the 50 near the St. Louis exit. If you look at minor hockey needs, Plateau should get it. If you look at the Olympiques needs, it should be in Gatineau.

Anyone who thinks many locals over here don't consider the Senators their local team too are completely insane. Yes, most older folks are Habs fans... and that is exactly the point. A lot of the kids who grew up since the Sens have been here are fans of the Sens... there are tons of them. How could they not be with the players so close? You can go to a game, they are all over the local media... they are local (yes we do consider Ottawa local)!

This would be a very easy way for the Senators to get an even stronger foothold in the Outaouais region. This seems like a done deal to me, just the location left to be finalized.

The facility would include a main rink for the Olympiques (4000 seats) and 3 attached ice pads. This would also result in the closure of at least 2 rinks; Guertin and Cholette if built in Hull and Guertin and Beaudry if built in Gatineau (maybe the Stade too).

Also, the Sens would hold an annual practice in Gatineau I am sure, why not, get the fans out, make new ones... make it an event.

I really don't see a down side to this. Any chance to turn any local into a fan of the local NHL team to me only makes good business sense.

And for those who feel like Ttracer, your issues go well beyond anything the hockey team is doing.

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

Here we go again. More appeasement. I hope this never gets built. Let Hull or Gatineau or whatever they're called pay for their own arena. Ottawa has the 67's which many people don't seem to be care about or be supporting nowadays anyway so don't even think about a team in another province. Why don't the Habnots step in and offer to pay? They're all Montreal fans over there anyway!

So much wrong in one post. So. Much. Wrong.

 

[BonkTastic]

Here we go again. More appeasement. I hope this never gets built. Let Hull or Gatineau or whatever they're called pay for their own arena. Ottawa has the 67's which many people don't seem to be care about or be supporting nowadays anyway so don't even think about a team in another province. Why don't the Habnots step in and offer to pay? They're all Montreal fans over there anyway!

 

[BonkTastic]

And for those who feel like Ttracer, your issues go well beyond anything the hockey team is doing.