Thoughts in Bold: NHL Commissioner Speaks on TSN 1200
In a rare piece of business, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman arrived in Ottawa to take in tonight’s action between the Senators and Panthers and more importantly, meet with some important stakeholders who should help shape this franchise’s future.
To mark the occasion, Bettman joined TSN 1200’s Steve Lloyd on the pregame show to talk about a number of important topics related to the Senators and league.
If you are unfamiliar with the format of this post, I have transcribed all of Bettman’s answers below. Following each of Bettman’s reflections, I have added thoughts of my own which will be highlighted in bold.
To listen to the full interview, you can click here.
Enjoy.
On how his time was in Ottawa today and whether he met with the new mayor and the NCC…
“I did both. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly is with me and these were really more courtesy calls to make sure we were all focused on the future of this team here in Ottawa. There was nothing asked for. It was really to make sure that we had a relationship moving forward and that the lines of communication are open. Ultimately, what happens with the arena is going to be a decision to be made by the new owner, whoever that might be.”
Even if there was more meat to today’s visit, getting Bettman to acknowledge it publicly on the radio this early in the ownership bidding process was unlikely. As innocuous as Bettman’s answer was, it makes a great deal of sense. With a new mayor in the fold, who recently left the door open to the possibility of subsidizing a new rink, it makes sense for Bettman to want to meet with Mark Sutcliffe and the NCC to build relationships and keep the lines of communication open.
It is encouraging to hear that the decision on where to build the new arena will be left in the hands of new ownership. For all of the work being done by the Senators to engage and work with the NCC, I have a hard time believing that other alternatives are viable or realistic. In saying that, presenting other sites like Bayview Yards, Coventry Road where the RCGT baseball stadium lies, the Senators-owned land around the CTC, or the lands near the Hurdman LRT station as viable alternatives makes for a convenient Plan B.
These sites may be closer to the city’s core than the team’s current home, but presenting any of these options as being downtown is disingenuous. Almost as importantly, none are truly embedded in a community that is fun and engaging to visit. Sorry, Vanier.
LeBreton Flats may not be downtown, but it’s not far away from Preston and Little Italy. And, the acreage around it presents a blank slate that developers to work with. The opportunity to create a new hub for this city’s citizens to visit on gameday and non-gamedays is just too good to pass up. Make it work.
On whether LeBreton Flats is the preference for the league or whether other alternatives are on the table…
“Speaking for a new owner, who I don’t know who it is or may be yet, all options will be on the table. And, that’s what prospective owners are being told. They may want to stay here at the Canadian Tire Centre and do some work here and build a project around the arena. They may want to move downtown to LeBreton Flats. They may want to move downtown. I understand there are maybe two or three other potential sites that would work. That’s really going to be up to the new owner to decide. The one thing that everybody should be comfortable with, and I’ve said this repeatedly, if this team is moving, the only place it’s moving is downtown. It’s not leaving Ottawa. The Senators will be here no matter who buys the club.”
Maybe Bettman’s last sentence will also stop people from believing that this team will remain in town even without a subsidized new barn.
On whether it is important for prospective owners to have the flexibility and be able to get more land at LeBreton Flats if they desire it…
“That’s something the NCC would have to discuss with the new owner. Again, I didn’t come here to weigh into the negotiations or make judgements. I came here because I was coming to a game. The mayor and the NCC thought it would be a good idea while I was in town for us to get together and make sure we have an open channel of communication. If we can be helpful to the process, we will be. But, ultimately, we’ve got to get a new owner and that owner is going to have some work to do to decide what they want to do with this building or the potential of a new building.”
Ever the politician, Bettman says a lot without saying much of anything new.
On clarifying what stage of the sale process this is in…
“We’re still in the second stage. What’s going on is there’s now on-site due diligence. Prospective owners, there’s been some winnowing of the number of bidders. And, the more serious bidders, of which there are at least a half dozen, are now engaged in the process of coming to see the building, meeting the front office, and doing more due diligence than they did for their preliminary bids. The good news is we have a number of substantial owners groups who are interested in a meaningful way of owning this team and owning it here in Ottawa.”
Prospective owners started arriving in Ottawa on Friday and Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch indicated that these visits would continue for the next few days and weeks. I believe this is the first instance in which it has been confirmed that some bidders have already been removed from the process.
On whether there is a possibility that some of these groups could ultimately team up to buy the Senators…
“That would require speculation. I’m not sure based on who’s bidding and what they’re bidding whether that would even be necessary, but we’ve got to go through a process. Now, remember, after we get done and we get to the anointed party, then you’ve got to go through the lawyers doing contracts and we have a league approval process to get through. A new owner has to get approved by three-quarters of the ownership of the league and that’s something that we haven’t done yet. It would be premature to do it. So, there’s still two to three months of work to be done. So, everybody should take a deep breath. Sit back. We’ll get through this process and we’re going to come out of it on the other side with a really good and strong new owner.”
The process may take two or three months, which essentially takes up all of the runway leading up the 2023 NHL Draft (June 28th and 29th) and NHL free agency (July 1st). Why is this a problem? If new ownership comes in and wants to put their own people in place, it does not give those people a lot of time to put a plan in place during such a pivotal time of player movement. In regards to the draft, it may not really affect Ottawa’s amateur draft too much since Pierre Dorion traded the team’s first three rounds of picks. Important decisions need to be made on a number of fronts (ie. DeBrincat, RFAs, UFAs), so there is a chance that Dorion’s work could continue well into the summer.
On whether it is important to him or the league to have some local representation…
“I think it’s, again, up to that group. You don’t necessarily… we have plenty of franchises that have owners that don’t live in the community. And, we have franchises like the group that bought Seattle, the expansion team, while the person who bought the team could have done it on his own… the lead general partner, David Bonderman… the fact is he wanted some local representation in ownership. I think it all depends on who it is and what it is they intend to do in terms of the building. So, I know there’s been a lot of speculation and a lot of it hasn’t been right. Again, let’s let the process play out. We’re going to get to a good place for this franchise and this city.”
After the Eugene Melnyk era, the appeal in having some stake in the ownership picture be local is real. Having an absentee owner who routinely puts their foot in their mouth and repeatedly alienates the fans, season ticket holders, business community and local media just isn’t inviting. I agree with Bettman in the sense that a prospective new owner does not have to be local, but they have to be able to recognize and understand the characteristics of this market. For whatever ownership group takes over, having Daniel Alfredsson be part of the hockey operations department is just one simple example of how to accomplish some of this. Having some local endorsements like this will absolutely help and make for some great PR.
On going through the lean years and coming out not having to worry about the team leaving…
“Look at how great the team is doing, by the way. Look at how attendance has come back post-Covid. Look at how well the team is playing on the ice. They are playing meaningful games at the end of March. I think the future, putting aside the new ownership, is extraordinarily bright for this team.”
I wonder what else has changed. It is really difficult to put your finger on.
On it being amazing where things stand now with this franchise how 20 years ago, it was Eugene Melnyk buying the team and now there are at least six interested parties who want to buy this team…
“But, I think the league is in a different place. Our franchises have never been stronger. The game has never been better, more exciting, more compelling and more competitive. And, the business of the game has never been stronger. I mean, we’re going to approach $6 billion in league revenues this year, which is a record. Which is incredible when you think about what we went through as a league. All sports did, all businesses did, all people did doesn’t mean we have any greater claim to difficulty through Covid than anybody else. But, the point is, we came out of this strong in part because we had great cooperation from the players and the Players Association. We have the strongest ownership, as I’ve mentioned, that we’ve ever had. So, we had the ability to endure a difficult time. The league’s in a good place and as a result, so are the Senators.”
The blueprint for success is pretty straightforward. Hire smart and progressive people. Bring Daniel Alfredsson back into the fold. Get an arena done at LeBreton and help develop the area there to create a memorable gameday experience. Profit.
On whether he has had a chance to talk to the head of the Players Association, Marty Walsh…
“Marty Walsh and I actually had a meeting last week in my office. It was really more of a get acquainted (meeting) and making sure that we could talk to each other candidly and openly. It was the beginning of forging a relationship. I mean, we knew each other from when he was the mayor of Boston, but this was really a new beginning. He’s got a lot to get up to speed on. We weren’t pushing for any immediate resolutions because it wasn’t going to happen. What I have said is revenues have come back in a very robust manner. We’re ahead of projection in terms of paying off the billion and a half escrow that the league was owed by the players. We’re probably going to be paid off a year or two earlier than we had predicted. Is it possible that it gets paid off this year? Yes. Is it likely? I don’t think so, but it is possible. So, we’ll have to wait and see.”
There is so much talk of how much money the Senators want to invest in their forwards, but if the cap begins to escalate as expected, the team should have more than enough room to re-sign Alex DeBrincat to a manageable extension that makes sense for both sides. (Read: if he’s looking for something around or north of his $9.0 million qualifying offer, a tough decision will have to be made.)
On the regional sports model in the United States and how he foresees that changing…
“I think we’re going to see more direct to consumer streaming. I think this is a point in time when the role of how regional sports channels are distributed will be evolving. For us, the most important priority is making sure our games are available to our fans. That will be the case. We’ve been assured both by Warner Bros./Discovery and Diamond Ballys that they would certainly get us through this regular season. Once the playoffs begin, all games are available on our national partners in the United States – whether it is TNT, ESPN, or ABC. And then, once we get through this season, we will continue evaluating what the options are moving forward. First and foremost, games need to be available to our fans. And secondly, the business model is going to evolve and we’ll deal with that.”
When the rest of the world is going to a streaming product, it puts pressure on the league and its broadcast partners to develop a functioning and reliable service. It needs to get better, now.
On where things stand with the Hockey Canada scandal investigation…
“We are much, much, much closer to the end. I know the investigators still need to do a little bit of work and then they have got to compile the report. It is getting closer to the end and like everybody, I’m anxious to see what the conclusion is and what, if anything, we have to deal with.”
Two Senators players, Drake Batherson and Alex Formenton, were on the 2018 Canadian World Junior team. The optics of not extending Formenton never looked good and led to many questioning his involvement. Unlike many of his peers who played this season, because they were under contract, Formenton went overseas because he did not have one. The optics of extending a player under question would have been terrible, so Formenton sat in limbo.
It feels gross to think about the results of an investigation when discussing an alleged sexual assault, the effects on the victim and establishing the truths of the event in question, but this investigation will inevitably have an impact on Ottawa.
Ideally, both players were not involved, but if that’s the outcome, would Formenton be able to file a grievance because he failed to come to terms with the Senators — especially when Batherson was allowed to play this season?
If the investigation concludes and implicates either or both players, it will be a huge blow to the organization. If Batherson gets implicated, how does the organization begin to explain how they let him play this season when they elected not to re-sign Formenton? If Formenton is involved, his NHL career might be done and the Senators lose some depth at a time when they really need to improve and insulate the players surrounding their young core. And, if both are involved, the magnitude of losing Batherson and Formenton would be significant.
On Igor Larionov wanting to see the Russian Federation secede from the IIHF so Russian players could maybe play in a World Cup…
“It’s complicated and it’s more complicated than that because the other federations have a say in who they play against. I don’t know whether or not just withdrawing from the IIHF changes anything. We’ll have to see.”
Hard to believe Bettman cares whatsoever about this when there have not been any significant movements to get the world’s best to play against each other soon. The possibility that Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews may not represent their respective countries and face off against each other until they are close to 30 years of age is inexcusable.