In this day of the National Hockey League it’s a rarity to see a hockey player without an agent and for a good reason. Player agents deal with the hard numbers and the dirty work that goes along with negotiating a contract. As an agent it is their job to get the player as much term and dollars, while helping the player get set up in a market that he is likely to succeed and win in.
These agents have numerous amounts of clients, ranging from NHL superstars to American Hockey League lifers, and as part of this occupation it’s the agent’s responsibility to talk to many different teams for the player. Everything that has to do with the contract the player has signed or is going to sign, goes through the agent first. Whether it’s negotiating a contract extension, or signing a contract as free agent, or dealing with terms in the contract such as a no trade clauses.
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We see these agents talk to many different teams on their client’s behalf, and when dealing with these teams on a regular basis you get to know how the team operates and does business. Just like any other relationship in a work place you tend to talk and work with someone you like more often. This seems like the case between the Ottawa Senators and Newport Sports Management.
The Breakdown
Newport Sports have a number of players in the Ottawa Senators organization. These players include the likes of Erik Karlsson, Robin Lehner, Bobby Ryan, Clarke MacArthur, Mika Zibanejad, and newly signed forward David Legwand. It seems like the Ottawa Senators and Newport Sports have developed a great working relationship over the years. In fact, at the 2011 NHL entry draft all the first round selections made by the Ottawa Senators were represtend by Newport Sports. This might just be a coincidence, but, it could defiantly help them moving forward.
This relationship is a great asset for the Senators going into the future. All signings made by the Senators from Newport Sports Management have been seemingly fair for both sides. Some examples would be Kyle Turris’ 5 year, $17.5 million dollar contract, and Clarke MacArthur’s 2 year, $6.5 million dollar contract. These contracts are an example of the way the Ottawa Senators and Newport Sports see eye to eye. By no means am I saying there are never any disagreements between the two, but it is a partnership that has worked out very well in multiple cases for the Senators, Newport Sports, and its players.
With the strong contingent of Newport Sports players on the Senators and the obvious good working relationship they have, there is a good chance that we can see Bobby Ryan sticking around a little longer. A deal is hoped to be reached sometime this summer.
Moving into the long days of the summer the Senators will be in constant contact with Newport Sports. Along with Bobby Ryan, Robin Lehner, regarded as a potential elite starter, is an RFA this summer and is looking for money that will pay him like one. As well, Clarke MacArthur will also look to re-up his deal and he is looking at a good raise. It’s only a matter of time until we see the Ottawa Senators and a Newport Sports represented player agree to terms, and it’s something we should look towards for years to come.