Confirmed with Link: The Ottawa Senators Sale - PART 2

[BankStreetParade]

thinking about it more the 1 billion price maybe isn’t so crazy

End of year 2019, just before covid, Forbes estimated the Penguins at 665 million and Ottawa at 445. This was shortly after Penguins back to back Cups and while #MelnykOut was going on. Two years later, in December 2021, the Penguins sell for 900 million - 35% more than the Forbes estimate. A 1 billion pricetag on the Sens would be a 25% increase on Forbes December 2022 estimate of 800 million.

Considering inflation, young team with key players signed long term (probably more exciting than an aging roster), and potential (non-arena) real estate opportunities that could open up it’s not really an absurd price.

1.2 does seem kinda high though

Pittsburgh: multiple Cups, an arena opened in 2010, marketable star players, top 2 in local US TV ratings 15 years straight - sells for $900M.
Ottawa: no cups, aging arena that requires substantial refurbishment or replacement, young marketable star players but not on the level of Sid and Malkin, small Canadian TV market - sells for $1B+?

How much can the real estate play be worth to be willing to spend that much on the team plus build an arena for $600M+ plus flesh out operations and increase internal spending? And over what amount of time before the RE developments are completed and profited from?

 

[Big Muddy]

It would be interesting to see the bid documents that were produced by GSP. The only way to get a firm fixed price from bidders is to make sure what the bidders get if they win is firmly & clearly nailed down, and if bids required mandatory compliancy.

So, the bid documents could state that bidders agree that the land they will win is the NCC 6 acre Lebreton site and/or (probably "and") the existing CTC site and that to bid anything else or a bid containing caveats would be ruled non-compliant. This would be for the purposes of the bid and bid evaluation only and it wouldn't preclude changes that could occur later. Otherwise, they were likely to get apples and oranges type bids with bidders bidding different things, and that would drag things out and make the bids difficult to process and award.

There could have also been other things in the bid that were giving the bidders heartache like some of the financial information.

The other thing that would be interesting to learn is why the Remington group pulled out. I think it goes much deeper than they thought they were bidding against themselves because unless there was some kind of leak or something unusual about the bid process, they wouldn't (or shouldn't) have known what the other bidders bid (the $ amount).

Anyhow, god knows as so little info is known but it does create some curiosity and questions arise I suppose.

After the award and sale of the team to the winning bidder, it really makes you wonder about the next phase and the development and construction of the new arena.

 

[UglyPuckling]

Pittsburgh: multiple Cups, an arena opened in 2010, marketable star players, top 2 in local US TV ratings 15 years straight - sells for $900M.
Ottawa: no cups, aging arena that requires substantial refurbishment or replacement, young marketable star players but not on the level of Sid and Malkin, small Canadian TV market - sells for $1B+?

How much can the real estate play be worth to be willing to spend that much on the team plus build an arena for $600M+ plus flesh out operations and increase internal spending? And over what amount of time before the RE developments are completed and profited from?

I think some of the things you mentioned in the 1st paragraph are less important relatively speaking to other factors.

On the real estate front, the fact that some of bid teams included real estate developers suggests that there must be some interest and attraction to that part of this opportunity. Of course, that amount of interest could slide up or down depending on a lot of factors like how much land there is, its location, its amenities, zoning and/or other restrictions, what it would take to develop they land, etc. So perhaps the delays are connected to this subject.

The housing (includes condos/town houses) market in the Canada/Ottawa/North America has been quite strong since 2018 though. I remember hearing or reading that housing prices in Ottawa and the Ottawa valley increased 45% in 2020 & 2021.

Some of the other sales of sports teams may be less applicable or comparable if they didn't have the arena/stadium already existed (and was decent).

 

[Golden_Jet]

Pittsburgh: multiple Cups, an arena opened in 2010, marketable star players, top 2 in local US TV ratings 15 years straight - sells for $900M.
Ottawa: no cups, aging arena that requires substantial refurbishment or replacement, young marketable star players but not on the level of Sid and Malkin, small Canadian TV market - sells for $1B+?

How much can the real estate play be worth to be willing to spend that much on the team plus build an arena for $600M+ plus flesh out operations and increase internal spending? And over what amount of time before the RE developments are completed and profited from?

Senators rink is 14 years older, it’s 27 years old. That’s not that old, tbh, half the rinks in the league, were all built in a similar time frame. Yet no one else is talking new rink.
It’s more about moving the rink more central.
I could see them in Kanata for another 10 years, to get their feet on the ground, unless get a parcel of land that suits their needs and size

 

[Masked]

Pittsburgh: multiple Cups, an arena opened in 2010, marketable star players, top 2 in local US TV ratings 15 years straight - sells for $900M.
Ottawa: no cups, aging arena that requires substantial refurbishment or replacement, young marketable star players but not on the level of Sid and Malkin, small Canadian TV market - sells for $1B+?

The only Canadian NHL team with a bigger tv region is the Leafs and it's not that much bigger.

Assen na yo!

 

[BankStreetParade]

Senators rink is 14 years older, it’s 27 years old. That’s not that old, tbh, half the rinks in the league, were all built in a similar time frame. Yet no one else is talking new rink.
It’s more about moving the rink more central.
I could see them in Kanata for another 10 years, to get their feet on the ground, unless get a parcel of land that suits their needs and size

Yep, it's definitely a location issue driving the discussion. But there's only 6 rinks in the NHL that are older and that includes MSG, which underwent $1B of renovations in the early 2010s. Edmonton's old arena was opened in 1974 and they broke ground on the new arena in 2014. Calgary now has the oldest building in the NHL, opened in 1983, and had announced a new arena back in 2019, so they had presumably started working on the idea at least a year before that.

Most arenas are looking at 35-40 year cycles, except MSG which is historic and not a good comparison, so by the time they break ground and complete construction, we'll probably be around the 30-32 year mark. It's certainly not old by most building standards but you also have to factor in the cost of refurbishments as the building ages, which makes the proposition more costly in the long run.

 

[BankStreetParade]

The only Canadian NHL team with a bigger tv region is the Leafs and it's not that much bigger.

Assen na yo!

What does that mean?

 

[Masked]

Yep, it's definitely a location issue driving the discussion. But there's only 6 rinks in the NHL that are older and that includes MSG, which underwent $1B of renovations in the early 2010s. Edmonton's old arena was opened in 1974 and they broke ground on the new arena in 2014. Calgary now has the oldest building in the NHL, opened in 1983, and had announced a new arena back in 2019, so they had presumably started working on the idea at least a year before that.

Most arenas are looking at 35-40 year cycles,

What drives new arenas is an innovation that makes the existing arena obsolete. Luxury suites are what drove the arena boom of the 90's. There's no new innovation that is making the current arenas obsolete. The only argument for a new arena for the Senators is that there's money to be made in a new location.

Saying there are only 6 rinks older, besides being flat out wrong, is a bit disingenuous when half the rinks in the league were built between 1994 and 1999. If age was an issue, half the teams in the league would be planning for a new rink.

Assen na yo!

 

[jbeck5]

Senators rink is 14 years older, it’s 27 years old. That’s not that old, tbh, half the rinks in the league, were all built in a similar time frame. Yet no one else is talking new rink.
It’s more about moving the rink more central.
I could see them in Kanata for another 10 years, to get their feet on the ground, unless get a parcel of land that suits their needs and size

I think some of the other teams are talking arena rebuilt, as historically, after about 30 years, teams start thinking new arena.

I just think you hear of our team talking new arena much more because of the opportunity for land downtown and the sale of the team.

If NCC land wasn't available and no sale was happening, you'd probably just hear the odd paragraph at the end of an article until 2028 comes and they announce a new arena being built next to the current one or something.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Yep, it's definitely a location issue driving the discussion. But there's only 6 rinks in the NHL that are older and that includes MSG, which underwent $1B of renovations in the early 2010s. Edmonton's old arena was opened in 1974 and they broke ground on the new arena in 2014. Calgary now has the oldest building in the NHL, opened in 1983, and had announced a new arena back in 2019, so they had presumably started working on the idea at least a year before that.

Most arenas are looking at 35-40 year cycles, except MSG which is historic and not a good comparison, so by the time they break ground and complete construction, we'll probably be around the 30-32 year mark. It's certainly not old by most building standards but you also have to factor in the cost of refurbishments as the building ages, which makes the proposition more costly in the long run.

There is Calgary

5 rinks 1-3 years older
6 of them same age
6 rinks 1-3 years newer.

So over half the rinks were built within 3 years of Ottawa. None of them are considering new rinks yet.

From 2018

NHL Arenas Oldest to Newest - Arena Digest

To look at where things stand in the National Hockey League entering the 2018-2019 season, we present a list of NHL arenas oldest to newest.

arenadigest.com

 

[jbeck5]

What drives new arenas is an innovation that makes the existing arena obsolete. Luxury suites are what drove the arena boom of the 90's. There's no new innovation that is making the current arenas obsolete. The only argument for a new arena for the Senators is that there's money to be made in a new location.

Saying there are only 6 rinks older, besides being flat out wrong, is a bit disingenuous when half the rinks in the league were built between 1994 and 1999. If age was an issue, half the teams in the league would be planning for a new rink.

Assen na yo!

I've seen mentions of those other teams with older rinks talking new arenas soon.

Maybe you dont listen to those cities radio shows or talk shows enough?

I've definitely heard numerous mentions of other teams thinking about a new arena because their current one is approaching the 30 year mark. Just because the other teams aren't being sold, doesn't mean there isn't chatter. Go listen to those other cities sports radio shows for hours during the offseason and you'll hear mentions of possibilities of new arenas.

You just only hear of the stories you pay attention to.

There is Calgary

5 rinks 1-3 years older
6 of them same age
6 rinks 1-3 years newer.

So over half the rinks were built within 3 years of Ottawa. None of them are considering new rinks yet.

From 2018

NHL Arenas Oldest to Newest - Arena Digest

To look at where things stand in the National Hockey League entering the 2018-2019 season, we present a list of NHL arenas oldest to newest.

arenadigest.com

Why do you say none of them are considering new rinks yet? That simply not true. Go listen to the radio in those cities. It's definitely talked about.

 

[Golden_Jet]

I've seen mentions of those other teams with older rinks talking new arenas soon.

Maybe you dont listen to those cities radio shows or talk shows enough?

I've definitely heard numerous mentions of other teams thinking about a new arena because their current one is approaching the 30 year mark. Just because the other teams aren't being sold, doesn't mean there isn't chatter. Go listen to those other cities sports radio shows for hours during the offseason and you'll hear mentions of possibilities of new arenas.

You just only hear of the stories you pay attention to.




Why do you say none of them are considering new rinks yet? That simply not true. Go listen to the radio in those cities. It's definitely talked about.

I listen to a lot of team podcasts, haven’t heard one city,
I’d be interested in you finding some cities, post a link. If it’s on radio it’s in print likely.

If you find 2 cities , that still leaves half the cities within 3 years

 

[jbeck5]

I listen to a lot of team podcasts, haven’t heard one city,
I’d be interested in you finding some cities, post a link. If it’s on radio it’s in print likely.

If you find 2 cities , that still leaves half the cities within 3 years

No links to random chatter on the radio between hosts saying things like "when this team needs a new arena" and the other host chimes in "which shouldn't be too far away. Person X was talking to me about potential plans. Historically they last about 30 years and we're approaching that mark. Anyways, onto baseball"

There would be no link of that...but I would hear that and be like "oh neat, they're in the same position as Ottawa".

No doubt Ottawa is a bit ahead of the game due to specific opportunities of land opening up and the sale of the team. So even if they would normally wait another 5 years before having these discussions, there is a matter of opportunity to take advantage of now that other teams don't have.

 

[Masked]

I've seen mentions of those other teams with older rinks talking new arenas soon.

Maybe you dont listen to those cities radio shows or talk shows enough?

I've definitely heard numerous mentions of other teams thinking about a new arena because their current one is approaching the 30 year mark. Just because the other teams aren't being sold, doesn't mean there isn't chatter. Go listen to those other cities sports radio shows for hours during the offseason and you'll hear mentions of possibilities of new arenas.

You just only hear of the stories you pay attention to.

Radio? Okay, boomer.

Please provide some examples of the numerous teams with rinks built around the time of the CTC looking to build new rinks. Idle fan speculation means nothing. Franchises would make it very public since they're almost always looking for public funds to help them with the endeavor.

Assen na yo!

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

There is Calgary

5 rinks 1-3 years older
6 of them same age
6 rinks 1-3 years newer.

So over half the rinks were built within 3 years of Ottawa. None of them are considering new rinks yet.

From 2018

NHL Arenas Oldest to Newest - Arena Digest

To look at where things stand in the National Hockey League entering the 2018-2019 season, we present a list of NHL arenas oldest to newest.

arenadigest.com

Calgarys Saddledome was under water not too long ago (at least once, maybe twice by now) because of it's location beside the river. And with the way things are changing with the weather, that arena is at risk going forward. I'm almost certain there's damage to that structure that necessitates a new building being built sooner than later.

So that has to be considered an outlier case for anyone discussing arenas and arena life here. We'd have to be at apocalypse level flooding for the CTC to go under.

 

[Golden_Jet]

No links to random chatter on the radio between hosts saying things like "when this team needs a new arena" and the other host chimes in "which shouldn't be too far away. Person X was talking to me about potential plans. Historically they last about 30 years and we're approaching that mark. Anyways, onto baseball"

There would be no link of that...but I would hear that and be like "oh neat, they're in the same position as Ottawa".

No doubt Ottawa is a bit ahead of the game due to specific opportunities of land opening up and the sale of the team. So even if they would normally wait another 5 years before having these discussions, there is a matter of opportunity to take advantage of now that other teams don't have.

Sounds like there isn’t any then, or at best a host just talking the breeze with co-host.

If there was any, google would find it. So we’re back to over half the teams , all built around the same time frame, with none looking for new buildings.

 

[BankStreetParade]

What drives new arenas is an innovation that makes the existing arena obsolete. Luxury suites are what drove the arena boom of the 90's. There's no new innovation that is making the current arenas obsolete. The only argument for a new arena for the Senators is that there's money to be made in a new location.

Saying there are only 6 rinks older, besides being flat out wrong, is a bit disingenuous when half the rinks in the league were built between 1994 and 1999. If age was an issue, half the teams in the league would be planning for a new rink.

Assen na yo!

Older Rinks
Climate Pledge Arena and MSG: underwent $1B+ renovations.
Calgary: new arena coming.
Honda Center in Anaheim: undergoing a $3B+ transformation to the area, including updates to the arena.
SAP Center in San Jose: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Enterprise Center in St. Louis: underwent $150M renovations completed in 2019.
United Center in Chicago: undergone extensive expansions + renovations since 2008.
Rogers Arena in Vancouver: not discussing renovations or new arena.
TD Garden in Boston: underwent $100M renovation completed in 2019.

Same Age Rinks
Amalie Arena in Tampa: $200M in renovations planned between 2010-2030 as part of lease renewal.
Bell Centre in Montreal: $100M renovations completed in 2018.
Bridgestone Arena in Nashville: $350M in renovations expected over the next 20 years.
Keybank Centre in Buffalo: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia: $400M renovations completed in 2022.

Newer Rinks
Capital One Arena in Washington: undergoing $100M renovations
FLA Live Arena in Florida: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Ball Arena in Colorado: $4B redevelopment proposal of land surrounding arena including arena upgrades
Crypto Arena in LA: $100M+ redevelopment slated for completion in 2024
PNC Arena in Carolina: $225M+ renovations that were planned to start in 2020. Costs likely to be even higher now.
Scotiabank Arena in Toronto: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Nationwide Arena in Columbus: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Dallas Stars: Mark Cuban talking about building new arena for Mavericks. Not clear what situation is for Stars, if that's the case.

Newest Arenas
Canada Life Center - Winnipeg - 2004
Prudential Center - New Jersey - 2007
PPG Paints Arena - Pittsburgh - 2010
Rogers Place - Edmonton - 2016
T-Mobile Arena - Las Vegas - 2016
Little Ceasars Arena - Detroit - 2017
UBS Arena - New York - 2021
Mullett Arena - Arizona - 2022*

So, most buildings in the league are either newer or have undergone substantial redevelopment/renovation efforts to modernize. I only found 8 of 32 teams that had no plans for renovations or new buildings. The premise you're presenting is simply incorrect. If old buildings weren't a big concern, then we wouldn't see this kind of money being plowed into older buildings.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Older Rinks
Climate Pledge Arena and MSG: underwent $1B+ renovations.
Calgary: new arena coming.
Honda Center in Anaheim: undergoing a $3B+ transformation to the area, including updates to the arena.
SAP Center in San Jose: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Enterprise Center in St. Louis: underwent $150M renovations completed in 2019.
United Center in Chicago: undergone extensive expansions + renovations since 2008.
Rogers Arena in Vancouver: not discussing renovations or new arena.
TD Garden in Boston: underwent $100M renovation completed in 2019.

Same Age Rinks
Amalie Arena in Tampa: $200M in renovations planned between 2010-2030 as part of lease renewal.
Bell Centre in Montreal: $100M renovations completed in 2018.
Bridgestone Arena in Nashville: $350M in renovations expected over the next 20 years.
Keybank Centre in Buffalo: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia: $400M renovations completed in 2022.

Newer Rinks
Capital One Arena in Washington: undergoing $100M renovations
FLA Live Arena in Florida: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Ball Arena in Colorado: $4B redevelopment proposal of land surrounding arena including arena upgrades
Crypto Arena in LA: $100M+ redevelopment slated for completion in 2024
PNC Arena in Carolina: $225M+ renovations that were planned to start in 2020. Costs likely to be even higher now.
Scotiabank Arena in Toronto: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Nationwide Arena in Columbus: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota: not discussing renovations or new arena.
Dallas Stars: Mark Cuban talking about building new arena for Mavericks. Not clear what situation is for Stars, if that's the case.

Newest Arenas
Canada Life Center - Winnipeg - 2004
Prudential Center - New Jersey - 2007
PPG Paints Arena - Pittsburgh - 2010
Rogers Place - Edmonton - 2016
T-Mobile Arena - Las Vegas - 2016
Little Ceasars Arena - Detroit - 2017
UBS Arena - New York - 2021
Mullett Arena - Arizona - 2022*

So, most buildings in the league are either newer or have undergone substantial redevelopment/renovation efforts to modernize. I only found 8 of 32 teams that had no plans for renovations or new buildings. The premise you're presenting is simply incorrect. If old buildings weren't a big concern, then we wouldn't see this kind of money being plowed into older buildings.

Lol, it’s not incorrect , Ottawa spends between 5-15 million every in Reno’s , more a couple of times. Ottawa like the other rinks have spent over a 100 million in last decade, part of the life cycle, roofs, ice plant, clock, conversion of luxury boxes, lounges, …..

Yep Ottawa and over half the rinks all in the same boat.
Your not convincing us, Ottawa renovates like every rink after 10 years old.

 

[senswon]

Throughout this thread multiple posters have commented on their experience with big money sales and acquisition.

Can someone please tell me what more would need to be done to close a deal after 9mnths?

Like youve seen the books, you've seen potential for the sale.

Is it just "steve A says 1billion- will you match// raise?" Or is there steps the public wouldn't be privy to at this stage.

Genuinely curious.
Thanks in advance for not stomping me due to my lack of experience in this ... arena

 

[Masked]

So, most buildings in the league are either newer or have undergone substantial redevelopment/renovation efforts to modernize. I only found 8 of 32 teams that had no plans for renovations or new buildings. The premise you're presenting is simply incorrect. If old buildings weren't a big concern, then we wouldn't see this kind of money being plowed into older buildings.

That's moving the goalposts from "new rinks are needed every X years" to "new rinks or renovations are needed every X years". My premise is still correct. You've just changed your argument and misinterpreted my premise.

I suspect for those renovations, the rationale behind them is that the depreciation term for the building has expired and the renovations can continue the use of depreciation on their taxes.

Assen na yo!

 

[Beech]

Plans will take much longer than 3-4 months. If LeBreton is chosen plans could be developed while ground cleanup happens.
Don’t see anything municipal going there, with the Feds putting up 40% of their buildings for sale.
Don’t see any government funding for project other than infrastructure.
The size of the parcel of land is too small for what you want to build.

Is the entire parcel not 21 hectars? 210000 m^2 or about 0.5 x 0.5 KM (500 x 500 M).

210000 m^2 should mean 1-2 Million square feet of office space, rental space easily
~ 1 million square feet of parking space so ~ 10,000 cars (Multilevel underground).

1 million square feet at $3-$10/ft^2 is 3 -10 M /month. in leases. 10,000 car should mean ~ $1 m per month in parking.

1 to 2 to 3 office towers at 300 x 300 feet (100 x 100 M). Over a main bottom building and multilevel garage.

Slam dunk...

Lebreton plans have been drawn up for a while. Several options... the project is 10 years old... you don't think they have had design/planning firms working.

The question will be, can they twist arms, can they manipulate us the residents to twist arms..Can they create a "Mono-rail, my friends" (Simpson's episode)?

It is why there are 100 balls in the air now... no one is sure of what is happening.

 

[BankStreetParade]

That's moving the goalposts from "new rinks are needed every X years" to "new rinks or renovations are needed every X years". My premise is still correct. You've just changed your argument and misinterpreted my premise.

I suspect for those renovations, the rationale behind them is that the depreciation term for the building has expired and the renovations can continue the use of depreciation on their taxes.

Assen na yo!

It's not moving the goalposts. If you do a $400M refurb of your existing building, you're ostensibly getting a new building. It's like saying just because you didn't knock down the house you bought but renovated it entirely from top to bottom that you're not in a new house. Kind of a weird semantics argument to make. If the new owners said: "we're not moving but we're committing to a comprehensive $300M renovation of the CTC to be completed in 2 years", what would we consider that? Because to me, a $300M renovation where you change the layout, improve the flow, add new features, etc. would be a new building in my eyes.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Is the entire parcel not 21 hectars? 210000 m^2 or about 0.5 x 0.5 KM (500 x 500 M).

210000 m^2 should mean 1-2 Million square feet of office space, rental space easily
~ 1 million square feet of parking space so ~ 10,000 cars (Multilevel underground).

1 million square feet at $3-$10/ft^2 is 3 -10 M /month. in leases. 10,000 car should mean ~ $1 m per month in parking.

1 to 2 to 3 office towers at 300 x 300 feet (100 x 100 M). Over a main bottom building and multilevel garage.

Slam dunk...

Lebreton plans have been drawn up for a while. Several options... the project is 10 years old... you don't think they have had design/planning firms working.

The question will be, can they twist arms, can they manipulate us the residents to twist arms..Can they create a "Mono-rail, my friends" (Simpson's episode)?

It is why there are 100 balls in the air now... no one is sure of what is happening.

All of LeBreton is about the size you say. However. the NCC has committed to about 2.7 hectares in the MOU for the Senators. They have recently said since, Bettman and others have said the area is too small, NCC has come out and said they’d be open to discussing some additional land, but no commitment.
The original plan Rendezvous, had plans for 500 parking spots not 10,000 so enough for players, staff and game day employees, that’s it.

 

[Beech]

if everyone agree with you, they would not have been re-elected. They were. Guess what, a lot of people disagree with you.

This deal will only be a failure if it turns out the league’s model is to add local government funding to its valuation model.

All we have in Canada is hockey.

Quebec city had no team, built a new arena (in the hope)... Winnipeg, no team, built an arena and got a team.. afetr everyone cried in his beer over the Jets first leaving.

We have winter 8 months a year. It coincides with hockey.. The CFL is a joke and is in the summer. No NBA (other than TO), No MLB, other than TO and it too is in the summer. It leaves us hockey...

and hockey is our pride... it belongs to us... it is sports to Russia and the former eastern bloc.. it is how we tell the world we are "good". Do you want to be the politician that hurts that? Do you want to be the politician that injures that...

Do you want Hollywood boy or any other celebraty on every airwave, critizing the 3 levels of government for not helping the Sens... And how they could compete, win a cup if the government did not block plans for a new arena????

Can you imagine in 2-3 years just as this team is about to win a cup.. "issues"... think Quebec/Colorado early 90's.... Do you want to be that politician.? especially when you are not spending your own money.

Mono-rail my friend..

 

[Golden_Jet]

Do you want to be the politician that hurts that? Do you want to be the politician that injures that...

Do you want Hollywood boy or any other celebraty on every airwave, critizing the 3 levels of government for not helping the Sens... And how they could compete, win a cup if the government did not block plans for a new arena????

Can you imagine in 2-3 years just as this team is about to win a cup.. "issues"... think Quebec/Colorado early 90's.... Do you want to be that politician.? especially when you are not spending your own money.

Mono-rail my friend..

When the CDN dollar was tanking, feds offered 2-3 million per team to help out, politicians and citizens lashed out and complained , and the offer was withdrawn 3 days later. So likely no change of view with politicians.