Ottawa Senators: Eugene Melnyk Needs to Stop Talking

The owner of the Ottawa Senators really doesn’t learn his lesson, does he?

A few hours before the Ottawa Senators lost 5-1 to the Calgary Flames, their owner decided it was time to open his mouth…again.

Eugene Melnyk went on “Prime Time Sports” to discuss a wide range of topics, mostly relating to the “rebuild” the Senators are beginning. Unfortunately, as with most Melnyk interviews, he said some really stupid things. Not the least of which was undermining the fan base that constantly asks for his removal via Twitter hashtags and acknowledging that the Guy Boucher firing was a good thing for Guy Boucher (Wait, what?).

It was a bad interview, and while that may be expected every time Melnyk sits in front of a camera or a microphone, it’s time for the 59-year old businessman to shut his mouth and move to the background.

“Real Fans”

Melnyk discussed how the Sens are trying to “identify who is a Senators fan and who is not.” He also discredited all of the legitimate grievances about his ownership that have been posted to Twitter, saying that most are like “a little 12-year old in Toronto” who the team found posting negative material about the Sens. So good news everyone! The #MelnykOut movement was the idea of Toronto Maple Leafs fans! Phew, that was a close one!

He would go on to say that the “real fans” of the Senators should be more forgiving because Melnyk and his team are “doing the best (they) can”. He also made the point in saying he blocks “99 per cent” of critiques out as he is a high-profile target and everyone will go after him regardless.

Melnyk’s ability of keeping his head in the sand never ceases to amaze. Besides the draft picks, how can he or his team be doing the best that they can? They have traded superstar after superstar not to gain draft capital, but to avoid paying them or try to get whatever they can for them because no one wants to play for Eugene Melnyk and the Ottawa Senators!

“It Is Highly Unusual”

Melnyk also began to explain what  the process of starting a rebuild looks like, and defending his position as an owner who is constantly involved in hockey affairs instead of allowing hockey professionals to run the team. He says what the Senators decided to do was “highly unusual”, as teams in any sport wouldn’t normally come to the conclusion that they need to rebuild. So, I guess the New York Rangers’ rebuilding letter sent to their fans wasn’t about a rebuild.

He created a scenario where an owner would say “What have you been doing for five years?”, implying an owner who doesn’t involve himself with his team. This statement seems to show that Melnyk thinks that owners around the NHL don’t take enough action with their teams, and that his mentality of participating in all aspects of hockey operations makes him a strong owner.

“We Did It For Him…”

But the most interesting information of the interview came when Melnyk talked about the firing of head coach Guy Boucher back on March 1st. Apparently, Pierre Dorion told Melnyk of the firing “an hour before” the news was released to the press. Knowing Melnyk’s track record with handling team affairs, that’s kind of find that hard to believe.

It’s also hard to believe that firing Boucher was a good thing for the head coach, although Eugene doesn’t see it that way. Melnyk believes the firing came at a perfect time, as it “allows him to be on the market now rather than waiting until mid-April.”, or at lest that’s what he says he was told by Dorion.

So Melnyk, or Dorion, thinks that a head coach who has been fired by two NHL teams for failure to make any progress in Ottawa will be getting calls from other teams around the league? Actually, knowing how the coaching carousel in the NHL works, they may have gotten that part correct.

“Three Years Out…”

But the embattled owner remained steadfast in his belief that the “whole objective is, three years out, that we have a true Stanley Cup contender.”. Melnyk seems to be sticking by his “5 Years of unparalleled Success” motto from back in February. The issue is, the Senators have a meddling owner who doesn’t know what it takes to have a winner in the NHL.

Yes, draft picks are nice, but the likelihood you are going to find superstar, let alone “four or five superstar types” that Melnyk believes the team can acquire. Yes, the prospect pool is deep and the draft picks are nice, but having an owner who likes to be the final voice for decisions and enjoys the spotlight is not good for a hockey team, especially for an organization as fragile as the Ottawa Senators.