With all due respect to Gary Smejkal, there are bigger stories we should be focused on right now.
As has been the case for the last 194 days, the Ottawa Senators are For Sale. It’s been closer to 2000 days if you count this tweet.
Based on the 486 shockingly similar articles on the subject (love ya Bruce! love ya Ian!), the process to sell the Sens remains fluid and the timelines remain unclear.
While four unfortunate fan bases find themselves wrapped up in tedious on-ice happenings, we’re living our best lives following the high-stakes boredroom drama playing out down at Galatio Sports Partners HQ.
If you’re sensing a dash of sarcasm wrapped in a boatload of exasperation in that intro, well then your powers of deduction are stronger than anticipated.
There is no doubt that what has played out over the last six months is one of the most important stories in the history of the franchise and there’s no debating that we are now just days away from knowing the first part of the outcome. Yet still, it’s impossible not to feel at least a little bit weary from the ongoing saga.
Which is rich, considering this fan base, present company included, spent the better part of a decade begging for a change in Ownership.
There are a few reasons why my patience may be wearing thin, even as we stand on the precipice of a final outcome.
Primarily, it’s because this process is meant to be boring. This is no reality show. This is a painstakingly detailed undertaking built around the premise of both professionalism and secrecy. The interested parties need to show that they’re serious and one wrong turn at this stage can lead to the whole thing unravelling. Just ask Ryan Reynolds and the Remington Group.
The NHL is notorious for keeping these stories as quiet as possible so at this stage of the proceedings, we only know what they want us to know. Vague timelines, ballpark estimates on the sale price and sporadic details about the interested parties.
Just the way the league wants it.
The Ottawa experience has been a little bit different than what we would normally see in the NHL and that has a lot to do with the unprecedented level of celebrity interest. Ryan Reynolds got the ball rolling on that front and is probably a big reason why other groups felt the need to team up with their own celebs. But it has certainly grabbed headlines.
The interest is flattering and all but the last month or so has been downright wacky. Watching Sens fans fiercely debate which quasi-celebrity would make a better owner has been some serious twilight zone shit. Especially when you consider the way we usually talk about ownership around these parts.
Celebrity interest gives this story a little spice but it’s hard not to notice the gradual progression towards “boring and predictable” too.
Based on the most recent reports, Michael Andlauer (minority Owner of the Montreal Canadiens), Jeffrey and Michael Kimel (former-minority Owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins) and Steve Apostolopoulos (guy who tries to buy every sports team) are at the front of the pack following Monday’s deadline for bids. The Neko Sparks group, which includes Snoop Dogg, apparently tabled a $925 million dollar bid, but there may be questions about the viability of their offer.
After years and years of unpredictability in the Owner’s box in Ottawa, you can be damn sure that “stability” and “deep pockets” and “safe” and “known entity” are all at the top of the league’s list of considerations.
And realistically, those should all be qualities that Sens fans are looking for too.
Ryan Reynolds bringing the Wrexham model to the Nation’s Capital and providing unprecedented behind-the-scenes access sounds amazing and Snoop Dogg’s plans to grow the game are long overdue. But neither guy has a monopoly on those good ideas. After years of uncertainty and fiscal restraint, it is critically important that whoever takes the reigns over this franchise has deep pockets, an understanding of the unique elements of this small Canadian market, a crystal-clear vision to have this team move downtown and a willingness to pay what it takes to hire good people and the trust to let those people do their jobs.
It’s not flashy. But it’s what this market desperately needs.
In fact, one of the reasons why this last year of hockey was so fun is because for the first time in a long time, Ownership wasn’t a story. At least not the way it has been. Anna and Olivia Melnyk drew headlines along the way but it was for all the right reasons. From September to April, the spotlight was firmly fixed on the players. Where it should be.
On the ice, this team is on the cusp of something special. At the same time, the fan base has come back in droves. And after last season, the link between those two critical elements, a good hockey team and a passionate fan base, has never been stronger. Whoever gets the keys to the franchise will have some work to do for sure but what they’ll need to do more than anything is just keep this thing pointed in the right direction. A few years ago, this was a franchise that needed saving. Right now, they just need that final push.
Which is why in my opinion, the best part of the story on the sale of the Ottawa Senators will be the conclusion.
Okay. Back to Smejkal.
