Pass on Boudreau. He's been given stacked teams and can't do much with them. Still not sure why people think he's a great coach.

The Lebreton stuff would be interesting. Either way the big goes, it's only a first step. Still lots of garbage to sort through. Sens will likely be moving downtown either way. Personally, I don't really care which side wins. I think I like the French dudes bid a little more, but also think some of it is a little unrealistic or won't come to full fruition until years and years down the road. The Melnyk's bid is a little more simplistic and incorporates events already existing. The NHL arena I'm sure will be the first thing to be built I'm sure with either bid.

I'd like to see Melnyk move on as well, but do feel he is in a better shape financially than he was a couple of seasons ago. I can handle the slight money pinching, but it's hard to handle his mouth going off and making decisions that should be left to the GM and coach. He doesn't seem to trust the guys below him to do their jobs. That's what a good business owner does. Melnyk wants to control everything, which would be fine if he was a hockey man, but he is just a hockey fan unaware of the other 29 teams in the NHL.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I'm not a big fan of Bourdreau either, but I checked his coaching stats and every full NHL season he's won the division, and in some tough divisions as well. I'd take that right now. Not my first choice, but I wouldn't be upset if he gets the job.

He's been investigated by the OSC on multiple occasions....hardly making outlandish claims here.


Investigated and convicted are two very different things. If you know better than the adjudicator for the OSC, maybe you should have testified.

I'm not a big fan of Bourdreau either, but I checked his coaching stats and every full NHL season he's won the division, and in some tough divisions as well. I'd take that right now. Not my first choice, but I wouldn't be upset if he gets the job.
- tuna99

Helps that he has had the likes of Ovi, Backstrom, Perry, Kesler, and Getzlaf to work with. Not to mention teams with great depth. All the teams he has coached were expected to do well. They did in the regular season, but always seem to flop come playoff time. i wouldn't take my chances with him on a developing team like the Sens.

His demeanour in HBO 24/7 did't strike me as a coach players rally around. May seem like a pedestrian comment, but seemed to be a guy who just throws lines out and hopes for the best. Never really had a game plan in place.

He's been investigated by the OSC on multiple occasions....hardly making outlandish claims here.


Investigated and convicted are two very different things. If you know better than the adjudicator for the OSC, maybe you should have testified.
- jaz258

if you legitimately think he's an honest business man than i have some beach front property in Greely that i think you would be interested in.

the fact that he wasn't convicted means he was able to hide enough of his transgressions. Also, the fact that he lives in and holds most of his finances in barbados in itself is pretty telling.

[quote=Raven33]Yeah, that is a pretty racist remark! Who cares where they come from as long as they have the best bid and $$$! $$$ plays a big part on this as Melnyk keeps acting like he's broke (might be!) and crying to everyone who will listen that he has no money if he doesn't get a casino, or if he doesn't get this and that...


Do you even know what racist means?

Full Definition of racism
1
: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2
: racial prejudice or discrimination
racist play -sist also -shist noun or adjective

Merriam-Webster, 2016

Furthermore, I am Franco-Ontarian, and in no way was I making an anti-French comment. Only that I would prefer that the project remain local.

[quote=Raven33]Yeah, that is a pretty racist remark! Who cares where they come from as long as they have the best bid and $$$! $$$ plays a big part on this as Melnyk keeps acting like he's broke (might be!) and crying to everyone who will listen that he has no money if he doesn't get a casino, or if he doesn't get this and that...


Do you even know what racist means?

Full Definition of racism
1
: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2
: racial prejudice or discrimination
racist play -sist also -shist noun or adjective

Merriam-Webster, 2016

Furthermore, I am Franco-Ontarian, and in no way was I making an anti-French comment. Only that I would prefer that the project remain local.



- jaz258

Melnyk IS NOT local. he's from toronto and lives IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.

if you legitimately think he's an honest business man than i have some beach front property in Greely that i think you would be interested in.

the fact that he wasn't convicted means he was able to hide enough of his transgressions. Also, the fact that he lives in and holds most of his finances in barbados in itself is pretty telling.
- sensarmy_11

I don't have an opinion one way or another because like you all I hear is hearsay.

Pretty telling? Look at this:

Corporate Canada increased spending in its ten favourite tax havens by 17 per cent in 2015, according to new figures on direct foreign investment released Tuesday by Statistics Canada.

Canadians for Tax Fairness crunched the numbers and found that Canadian corporations invested almost $40 billion last year in the top 10 tax haven destinations for Canadian capital — taking investment totals since 1990 to $270.2 billion.

source
(http://www.cbc.ca/news/bu...orate-tax-haven-1.3554910)

Guess he's not the only one...I wonder if the Devcore backers keep their money in tax havens too...

Melnyk absolutely did save the Senators back in 2003, at a time when the team filed for bankruptcy and nobody else was stepping up. Bizarrely, it's also worth noting that Bettman played a significant role in that process as well. Now that's about as unlikable a pair of human beings as you'd be able to name off the top of your head, but anyone who doesn't respect the magnitude of what they've done for this franchise might want to reconsider their opinion.

As for Boudreau, I think he's certainly worth a close look if he should become available. I've heard it suggested that he's not a good defensive coach, yet the Ducks just won the Jennings Trophy without a clear-cut #1 goaltender and led the league in PK%. It's true there have been some playoff issues, but he's also dealing with a team with a smaller budget than the Senators and took them to the Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals last year. That was also the 2nd year in a row where they lost in 7 games to the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

Those seem like significantly better coaching problems to have than what the Senators have been going through in recent years.

I don't have an opinion one way or another because like you all I hear is hearsay.

Pretty telling? Look at this:

Corporate Canada increased spending in its ten favourite tax havens by 17 per cent in 2015, according to new figures on direct foreign investment released Tuesday by Statistics Canada.

Canadians for Tax Fairness crunched the numbers and found that Canadian corporations invested almost $40 billion last year in the top 10 tax haven destinations for Canadian capital — taking investment totals since 1990 to $270.2 billion.

source
(http://www.cbc.ca/news/bu...orate-tax-haven-1.3554910)

Guess he's not the only one...I wonder if the Devcore backers keep their money in tax havens too...
- jaz258

didn't realize i claimed he was the only one. Atleast Devcore is headquartered in Canada......atleast their CEOs don't live fulltime in the biggest tax haven on earth. Atleast they haven't been linked to any osc investigations (let alone multiple investigations).

if you legitimately think that melnyk is a good owner and is good for this franchise and this city then fine, you're entitled to your opinion.....no matter how insane it is.

[quote=Raven33]Yeah, that is a pretty racist remark! Who cares where they come from as long as they have the best bid and $$$! $$$ plays a big part on this as Melnyk keeps acting like he's broke (might be!) and crying to everyone who will listen that he has no money if he doesn't get a casino, or if he doesn't get this and that...


Do you even know what racist means?

Full Definition of racism
1
: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2
: racial prejudice or discrimination
racist play -sist also -shist noun or adjective

Merriam-Webster, 2016

Furthermore, I am Franco-Ontarian, and in no way was I making an anti-French comment. Only that I would prefer that the project remain local.



- jaz258

Well, the way you wrote it, it sounds pretty discriminatory imo...And I wasn't the only one that reacted that way to what you wrote. Saying off the bat that a Quebec-Led bid should be refused just on the fact that it is coming from Quebec IS DISCRIMINATORY! You shouldn't even mention where they are from, what's important is what they bring to the table in their bid...

Putting an arena in Lebreton Flatts is pretty damn close to the Quebec border as it will ever be and yes it does affect the Outaouais region. The fact the bid team is Quebec-led should be irrelevant as long as their bid is done appropriately.

Melnyk is not from Ottawa, doesn't spend any time in Ottawa (other then when he decides to show up to games) and doesn't even live in this country and you have a problem with owner(s) that live right next door and have pockets full of $$$ ready to make the team better!

I want an owner that is not afraid to trust his hockey people to do their things (and stay out of their way) and spend money to make the team better!

didn't realize i claimed he was the only one. Atleast Devcore is headquartered in Canada......atleast their CEOs don't live fulltime in the biggest tax haven on earth. Atleast they haven't been linked to any osc investigations (let alone multiple investigations).

if you legitimately think that melnyk is a good owner and is good for this franchise and this city then fine, you're entitled to your opinion.....no matter how insane it is.
- sensarmy_11

You keep saying "legitimately" like somehow your take on the issue is more valid than someone else's. Being linked to an investigation does not equal being guilty. Look up our justice system sometime, there's something called the presumption of innocence that seems to be important or something...

Yes, I legitimately think he has been a good owner for Ottawa. He did better than the previous owners and has done a lot for the community since coming here. If that's an insane take, then guilty as charged Mr. Bitterman.

[quote=Raven33]Well, the way you wrote it, it sounds pretty discriminatory imo...And I wasn't the only one that reacted that way to what you wrote. Saying off the bat that a Quebec-Led bid should be refused just on the fact that it is coming from Quebec IS DISCRIMINATORY! You shouldn't even mention where they are from, what's important is what they bring to the table in their bid...

Where do you get off calling me discriminatory? I said nothing of the sort. I want the team to be backed by local money and I want the project to be the one the local guy has put forward. It is an opinion that's all, and you are completely off base with your accusation.

You keep saying "legitimately" like somehow your take on the issue is more valid than someone else's. Being linked to an investigation does not equal being guilty. Look up our justice system sometime, there's something called the presumption of innocence that seems to be important or something...

Yes, I legitimately think he has been a good owner for Ottawa. He did better than the previous owners and has done a lot for the community since coming here. If that's an insane take, then guilty as charged Mr. Bitterman.
- jaz258

i'm not implying my take is more valid.......i'm FLAT OUT SAYING that your take on him as a business man is absolutely naive.

if only businessmen who are convicted can be considered crocked and dirty....then there aren't that many crocked and dirty businessmen.

you probably also believe that O.J. didn't kill his wife, that Ghiomeshi didn't beat those women, and that Duffy didn't knowingly defraud the government.

[quote=Raven33]Well, the way you wrote it, it sounds pretty discriminatory imo...And I wasn't the only one that reacted that way to what you wrote. Saying off the bat that a Quebec-Led bid should be refused just on the fact that it is coming from Quebec IS DISCRIMINATORY! You shouldn't even mention where they are from, what's important is what they bring to the table in their bid...

Where do you get off calling me discriminatory? I said nothing of the sort. I want the team to be backed by local money and I want the project to be the one the local guy has put forward. It is an opinion that's all, and you are completely off base with your accusation.
- jaz258

you have yet to explain how melnyk is "local money" or a "local guy"

i'm not implying my take is more valid.......i'm FLAT OUT SAYING that your take on him as a business man is absolutely naive.

if only businessmen who are convicted can be considered crocked and dirty....then there aren't that many crocked and dirty businessmen.

you probably also believe that O.J. didn't kill his wife, that Ghiomeshi didn't beat those women, and that Duffy didn't knowingly defraud the government.
- sensarmy_11

Now you're just being childish and obtuse.

I made no commentary on what businessmen are like. You seem to imply that all businessmen are criminals, which is quite a leap.

Also the word is CROOKED. If you're going to use it, spell it properly.

Now you're just being childish and obtuse.

I made no commentary on what businessmen are like. You seem to imply that all businessmen are criminals, which is quite a leap.

Also the word is CROOKED. If you're going to use it, spell it properly.
- jaz258

uh oh.....grammar police.....a sure sign you have no argument.

and i didn't imply that all businessmen are criminals (you pretty much did that).....i implied that melnyk is likely a CROOKED businessman

I find it fascinating that so many of you care so deeply about ownership and the apparent unwillingness of Melnyk spend more. Personally, I couldn't care less who owns the Senators. I LOVE hockey! When I watch the Sens play I am thoroughly entertained (most nights) and not once does Eugene Melnyk crossed my mind. In fact, I never think about the owner unless he appears on the news or something online catches my eye.

I don't know the specifics of his businesses or his personal wealth, nor do I care. For some bizarre reason many of you write about it like you have inside information or do his accounting. There have even been ludicrous statements about him claiming to be 'poor'. Seriously?

The owner happens to live in Barbados and is from Toronto -- who gives a rat's ass? You complain when he speaks out or gets 'involved', yet you're gung-ho to have an owner 'just across the river' because maybe they'd be 'around' more or close by. Make up your minds! Do you want owner involvement or not?

We have a team and we're not on the verge of bankruptcy -- is that so bad? Thank you Eugene!

Well, the way you wrote it, it sounds pretty discriminatory imo...And I wasn't the only one that reacted that way to what you wrote. Saying off the bat that a Quebec-Led bid should be refused just on the fact that it is coming from Quebec IS DISCRIMINATORY! You shouldn't even mention where they are from, what's important is what they bring to the table in their bid...

Putting an arena in Lebreton Flatts is pretty damn close to the Quebec border as it will ever be and yes it does affect the Outaouais region. The fact the bid team is Quebec-led should be irrelevant as long as their bid is done appropriately.

Melnyk is not from Ottawa, doesn't spend any time in Ottawa (other then when he decides to show up to games) and doesn't even live in this country and you have a problem with owner(s) that live right next door and have pockets full of $$$ ready to make the team better!

I want an owner that is not afraid to trust his hockey people to do their things (and stay out of their way) and spend money to make the team better!
- Raven33

The o'connor complaint just seemed so arbitrary to me. Such a random complaint to make that I really had no problem with, he needed one start if my memory serves.

uh oh.....grammar police.....a sure sign you have no argument.

and i didn't imply that all businessmen are criminals (you pretty much did that).....i implied that melnyk is likely a CROOKED businessman
- sensarmy_11

That's a good comeback, and your comment was the one that implied it, not mine.

Anyways...let's wait until the announcement to resume sparring.

[quote=Raven33]Well, the way you wrote it, it sounds pretty discriminatory imo...And I wasn't the only one that reacted that way to what you wrote. Saying off the bat that a Quebec-Led bid should be refused just on the fact that it is coming from Quebec IS DISCRIMINATORY! You shouldn't even mention where they are from, what's important is what they bring to the table in their bid...

Where do you get off calling me discriminatory? I said nothing of the sort. I want the team to be backed by local money and I want the project to be the one the local guy has put forward. It is an opinion that's all, and you are completely off base with your accusation.
- jaz258

I wasn't the only one so obviously the way you wrote it, makes it look discriminatory even if you didn't mean to...
and Is there a 3rd bid from a local guy?!

I find it fascinating that so many of you care so deeply about ownership and the apparent unwillingness of Melnyk spend more. Personally, I couldn't care less who owns the Senators. I LOVE hockey! When I watch the Sens play I am thoroughly entertained (most nights) and not once does Eugene Melnyk crossed my mind. In fact, I never think about the owner unless he appears on the news or something online catches my eye.

I don't know the specifics of his businesses or his personal wealth, nor do I care. For some bizarre reason many of you write about it like you have inside information or do his accounting. There have even been ludicrous statements about him claiming to be 'poor'. Seriously?

The owner happens to live in Barbados and is from Toronto -- who gives a rat's ass? You complain when he speaks out or gets 'involved', yet you're gung-ho to have an owner 'just across the river' because maybe they'd be 'around' more or close by. Make up your minds! Do you want owner involvement or not?

We have a team and we're not on the verge of bankruptcy -- is that so bad? Thank you Eugene!
- legs37

you mean you never thought about melnyk when you had to watch alfredsson in a red wings jersey because the owner low balled him on a deal?

you never thought about melnyk when you see chiasson on the ice instead of spezza because he wanted out of ottawa because the team wasn't willing to spend to win?

you never think about melnyk when ottawa has to give up extra draft picks in trades so that other teams will eat salary (hemsky trade)

you never think about melnyk when he goes in front of a camera and blasts decisions made by people that he forced management to hire.......or pretty much anytime he goes in front of hte camera, because he comes off looking like an idiot pretty much every time.

if melnyk just wrote the cheques and shut the (frank) up i wouldn't give two (frank)s about him. the fact that he puts his nose into hockey ops when he clearly knows nothing about it drives me crazy. the fact that he signed one of the most lucrative TV deals in NHL history and yet still says the team is on a tight budget and cant' survive without making the playoffs drives me crazy.

if the fact that you're entertained on most nights and that the team isn't on the verge of bankruptcy (even though melnyk seems to imply they are pretty regularly) is enough to make you happy.....fine, good for you man. most fans probably want a little more, especially when we're paying (for a family of 4) about 300$-400$ a game to go watch this team........if we want to sit in the nosebleeds.

This thread got out of hand fast. If you are a billionaire, there is certainly a chance that you have done something a little crooked. It's just how it works, whether its actual illegal stuff or screwing over other people. You don't normally get super rich by being nice and honest. you've probably made a few enemies along the way. It's just the way it is.

Personally, my biggest beef about Melnyk is his mouth. I don't think anyone can disagree with that. I fear if he looses the bid today, we might be having weeks of ridiculous quotes from the man and how the city is crazy.

I'd like to have an owner who just sits behind the scenes and pay the bills. Sure they can have an input, but not to the extent Melnyk goes to. Owners should not be making on ice decisions.

This thread got out of hand fast. If you are a billionaire, there is certainly a chance that you have done something a little crooked. It's just how it works, whether its actual illegal stuff or screwing over other people. You don't normally get super rich by being nice and honest. you've probably made a few enemies along the way. It's just the way it is.

Personally, my biggest beef about Melnyk is his mouth. I don't think anyone can disagree with that. I fear if he looses the bid today, we might be having weeks of ridiculous quotes from the man and how the city is crazy.

I'd like to have an owner who just sits behind the scenes and pay the bills. Sure they can have an input, but not to the extent Melnyk goes to.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

this....it would be easier to overlook the other things if he just shut the hell up and paid the bills.

I find it fascinating that so many of you care so deeply about ownership and the apparent unwillingness of Melnyk spend more. Personally, I couldn't care less who owns the Senators. I LOVE hockey! When I watch the Sens play I am thoroughly entertained (most nights) and not once does Eugene Melnyk crossed my mind. In fact, I never think about the owner unless he appears on the news or something online catches my eye.

I don't know the specifics of his businesses or his personal wealth, nor do I care. For some bizarre reason many of you write about it like you have inside information or do his accounting. There have even been ludicrous statements about him claiming to be 'poor'. Seriously?

The owner happens to live in Barbados and is from Toronto -- who gives a rat's ass? You complain when he speaks out or gets 'involved', yet you're gung-ho to have an owner 'just across the river' because maybe they'd be 'around' more or close by. Make up your minds! Do you want owner involvement or not?

We have a team and we're not on the verge of bankruptcy -- is that so bad? Thank you Eugene!
- legs37

Well, of course I care what the owner does with the team that I spend upwards of $5k every year!! I love hockey too or else I wouldn't be a STH for over 10 years...

I wish Melnyk would never cross my mind but when I see a team that had 3 NHL dmen for 1.5 years, it tells me he doesn't want to spend to get the needed help. and the only way he went to get it, is by getting a player with an inflated cap (not that much salary-wise) in exchange for 1 player that's overpaid (both cap & salary)and at the end of his career and 2 non-NHL players with big cap hit and bigger salaries!

EDIT: Add to that all the other good stuff sensarmy_11 said above!

No "inside" info, just that he cries poor any time a camera is on him and it is documented the amount of hundreds of millions his divorce cost him, his pharma company lawsuits and settlements as well as his liking (and costs) for race horses...those are documented and not hearsay... Anyways, I wouldn't care for his personal wealth if it didn't impact the team but it does...

The Sens have enough trouble keeping a coach, to putting a decent team that they don't need an owner that cries poor and that meddles in the team's business publicly...

I don't get the "gung-ho" part...an NHL owner should do what the 25+ other owners do correctly...owners shouldn't address the media that often, criticize management publicly, make a fool of themselves with the Karlsson/Cooke incident, etc... Do we hear other owners all the time like that? maybe 1 or 2 but most of the time NO... they let their hockey people (GM or coach) do the talking...
No need to be in the media to run your business, do it behind closed doors and you won't look like a fool like Melnyk did...

How hilarious would it be if we hire Boudreau, and he brings MacLean back as his assistant.