Ottawa Senators are bankrupt.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

May the National Hockey League live in interesting times.

[Guest treble charged]

And, I'm sure some way, the Sens fans will try and blame this on the Leafs, Don Cherry, and the Hockey Night in Canada announcers.

 

Seriously, though, I hope somehow they can figure out how to make it work in Ottawa, as I don't want to see another team leave Canada for some shitty American market where most people don't know the difference between a hockey puck and a soccer ball.

[Guest El Satanico]

So one of the top teams in the League can't pay their players.

 

While New York can't even manage to buy a good team which they keep trying to do.

[Guest treble charged]

What I think the Rangers should do is say they'll pay off all of Ottawa's debts if the Sens will trade teams with them.

[Guest Karnage]

Yashin still hasn't got 3 million from Ottawa yet also.

[Guest treble charged]

Well, if he doesn't get it, it looks good on him. Stupid fucker deserves it.

[Guest CanadianChick]

This sucks. I don't want to see another Canadian team (especially one as talented as the Senators) go to America. And I find it sort of weird that one of the top teams in the league is bankrupt. But I am glad it isn't the Canucks...

[Guest Olympic Slam]

Seriously, though, I hope somehow they can figure out how to make it work in Ottawa, as I don't want to see another team leave Canada for some shitty American market where most people don't know the difference between a hockey puck and a soccer ball.

I agree. If the Sens (and Sabres) can't survive in their city, then I say get rid of the teams altogether. I don't want to see a great (Canadian) team like the Sens or an older team like the Sabres leave the leauge because they actually mean something unlike the Panthers, Lightning, Predators ect. However, for the good of the game, the leauge has to contract a la Major Leauge Baseball. Too many marginal players in the leauge and the superstar talent is spread too thin.

[Guest MrRant]

My question is why are they going bankrupt? Is it because of the Canadian fans not going and supporting them?

 

Honest question.

[Guest treble charged]

It's partially that they're not getting enough fan support. They probably average around 16,000 fans or so a game (in a 18,500 seat arena). The exchange rate is probably their worst enemy, though.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

I was under the impression the Corel Centre was bringing in around 13,000-14,000 a night, which isn't too bad. But apparently, they're still in the red. Embezzlement, for all I know.

[Guest MrRant]

How would the exchange rate affect them? Are there more people from the U.S coming to watch?

[Guest treble charged]

The exchange rate affects them, as they take in their money in Canadian funds, but most of the player contracts are paid in American dollars, so they're losing money right off the bat, right there.

[Guest El Satanico]

Well a few days ago when ESPN reported that the players hadn't been getting paid. I heard something about the owner or GM telling players that they had problem with some bad investments or something.

[Guest treble charged]

Well, the owner had some weird re-financing plan in place that fell through on New Year's Eve, I believe.

[Guest MrRant]

If the Senators move down to the US. (Personally I wouldn't mind a hockey team in Seattle). How many teams would that leave Canada?

[Guest The Czech Republic]

That'd be five, down from eight at the end of 1995. And there's a slim chance you'll get the Sabres in the Pacific Northwest.

[Guest treble charged]

5.

 

Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal.

 

This would be down from 8 as recently as 1995.

 

Yeah, what Mr. Republic said.

[Guest MrRant]

Well it could create a good rivalry between Seattle and Vancouver since its only about 3 hours time inbetween the cities.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

And if Ottawa goes, Calgary is next. I'd be willing to bet that soon it'll end up at Habs and Leafs just like it was before 1970.

[Guest treble charged]

Ottawa already has 2 good geographical rivalries, with Toronto and Montreal (especially Toronto). And there's no way in hell anyone's going to tell me that Seattle is a better hockey market than Ottawa.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

Gary Bettman would tell you that Portland is a hockey hotbed...

[Guest MrRant]

The Thunderbirds do okay here and I believe there is a new WHL team coming to Everett (45min from Seattle) as well.

[Guest treble charged]

I'm not saying that Seattle couldn't support an NHL franchise. All I'm saying is that the NHL is better served having a team in Ottawa than it would in Seattle right now.

[Guest MrRant]

I would agree. I'm just curious now since I now work for Comcast which owns the Flyers.

[Guest MrRant]

The construction company Comcast owns is building the Arena for the Everett Silvertips (They actually took into consideration 13 states and 3 Canadian provinces for ideas for the name)

 

 

 

 

 

Everett Silvertips

 

Hmm... Season tix are only 357 bucks for 36 games. Might go to a few.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

I always mix it up, Comcast owns the Flyers, but Comsat owns the Avs. Right?

[Guest MrRant]

I believe so yes.

[Guest nl5xsk1]

It pisses me off that so many people are saying how "bush league" the NHL is because they have two teams that are having financial issues, but don't say the same thing about baseball when the Expos are basically owned by MLB and there's like half a dozen teams that can't compete because they're small market teams.

 

F-ing double standard in the US.

 

And why the Sens had to file bankruptcy protection (as stolen from ESPN.com): Much of the Senators' financial problem is caused by the weakness of the Canadian dollar, worth about 65 cents in U.S. currency. Like other Canadian teams, the Senators take in revenue in Canadian dollars but pay salaries in U.S. dollars. The team also has struggled for years with heavy debt, and it doesn't have the advantage of being in a bigger market, like Toronto.