Sens owner reflects on successful year
Posted May 1, 2012 12:38:45 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
While Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk says the game seven loss to the Rangers still stings, he says he has taken some time to reflect on what went right this year and what went wrong.
“I can tell you that the rights probably outnumber the wrongs 20-1,” he told a conference call Monday.
Melnyk says it is easy to forget this was a rebuilding year.
“I’ve asked some veterans within the league how often does this kind of thing happen,” he said. “They say they can’t even remember when a team just comes back and basically tears apart a lineup and puts it back together again and goes as far.”
Melnyk said while many had low expectations, the players never did.
“That’s exactly the kind of attitude that you look for. They knew they were winners and they knew they could do it,” he said.
Melnyk thanked the fans for the 26 sellouts, up from 16 the previous year.
He also looked back at memorable moments like Daniel Alfredsson’s 400th career goal, Chris Phillips’ 1000th career game, and how the city embraced the All-Star Weekend.
“I’ve never been prouder in my life of being able to be part of hosting an event like this and being able to show off and really feel like I was part of the city that has adopted me and I’ve adopted them. It’s my city now,” he said.
Melnyk also noted the breakout year for Norris Trophy nominee Erik Karlsson. Karlsson’s contract is up and Melnyk says negotiations will start soon, but would not get into specifics about how the negotiations may go.
“We want him to be the best of the best and he showed us he is the best at what he does and if he continues that way then he is worth every penny we pay him. From our perspective, everybody has to be reasonable,” he said. “We can’t spend toe to toe any more with the highest, biggest market teams. All we can offer is opportunity to some of these players and that’s the opportunity to be part of a great organization with a shot.”
Karlsson is not the only Senator nominated for an award. Melnyk says he is looking forward to the upcoming awards ceremony where captain Daniel Alfredsson is up for the Bill Masterton Award for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport. Paul MacLean was officially nominated Monday for the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year.
Melnyk says he has not spoken with captain Daniel Alfredsson as it would not be appropriate at this time, but he made it clear he wants him back.
He says Alfredsson has done nearly everything in his career.
“The only thing he has not done is won a Stanley Cup. Now, that could be a great motivator. Can we do it? Possibly. Can we do it with him? More possible.”
Melnyk says he knows the captain does not want to be a token player. If he is going to play, he will play full out, adding it is a personal decision and he will respect whatever Alfredsson decides.
Melnyk says the nomination for MacLean was well-deserved.
“This is a coach, a teacher, a mentor. He knows when to be tough, when to be the educator and that’s what coaching is really all about,” he said. “(The nomination) in itself is really an award for someone who has taken over a team from scratch and moved it to where we are.”
Melnyk says it won’t get any easier for the club moving forward.
“The expectation now is for us to do it all over again as a minimum and be even better.”
But he says the organization thrives on this challenge and it is what makes them tick.
“We’re not a big market team. There is a lot of money spent by the some of the big market teams that you will never see in the cap of any sort but is behind the scenes. Sometimes they have 10 or 12 people where we have three or four. But that kind of makes us tougher. It makes us prouder of what we do,” he said.
