The new guy is going to have his hands full.
On Monday, Anthony LeBlanc was officially named to the position of President of Business Operations. Technically, it’s a new title within the Front Office ranks but he’ll be expected to fill a similar role to Jim Little.
Ideally for a little longer than two months and presumably with fewer off-ice scandals and Valentine’s Day meltdowns.
Jim Little got fired for swearing at Eugene Melnyk on Valentine’s Day.
— SensChirp (@SensChirp) March 4, 2020
LeBlanc’s job won’t be an easy one in a struggling Ottawa market.
Struggling may be an understatement, actually. Considering the general uncertainty around pro sports all across the globe, the situation in Ottawa is tenuous at best. Add in a weak Canadian dollar and a pain in the ass Owner and it’s not a stretch to call Anthony LeBlanc’s job one of the toughest in professional sports.
LeBlanc has obviously seen a lot of this before though and you would think his experience in the Arizona market will be prepare him for the weeks and months to come.
IF HE LASTS THAT LONG, AM I RIGHT?!
While so much of LeBlanc’s To Do list is filled with question marks, one thing that is apparently ready to go, or was as of a couple months ago anyway, is a sort of “brand refresh”. How far the organization goes with this re-brand remains to be seen but one thing that is apparently a foregone conclusion is a new jersey. Or sweater. Or whatever you want to call it.
According to the speculation, there was going to be a gradual release during the off-season with some elements unveiled at the Draft and ultimately, the team would sporting this new look sometime in the 2020/2021 season. Jim Little hinted at this during his first (and as it turned out, only) media tour.
Jerseys have long been a sticking point for Sens fans.
It’s really one of the smallest issues facing the franchise but it always felt like the lowest hanging fruit. Consensus may not be there on which design they should go with but it seems like just about everyone agrees a change would be a good thing.
Whether it’s a nod to the team’s past in the form of the absolutely perfect 2-dimensional logo or some variation of the wildly popular heritage design, most Sens fans agree there are better options than the current look readily available.
The need for a change has only been intensified by the fact that there are some great suggestions making the rounds in the online community.
There have even been a couple new ideas floating around lately.
Rumours have been out there for some time now and a couple people have reached out to me over the last few months claiming they’ve actually seen the design.
While there are differences in what I’ve heard from various people, a few things were consistent in the speculation- the jersey was primarily black, it included the popular 2D logo and it was spectacular.
It will be interesting how much of that work continues given the changing circumstances, whether LeBlanc agrees with the approach the organization was previously considering and just how high this item is on the organization’s current list of priorities.
While Anthony LeBlanc is going to have a lot on his plate in the next few months and many of the issues are far more important, a brand refresh of some kind feels like an easy win.
Make it happen, Anthony.
Oh and by the way. There’s this…
