Miss Callaneous' Senatorial Grabuge 2

[MP]

This uber undercover video is insane. One of the craziest sports stories you'll see, and one once again with your ottawa senators front and center. What a 12 months. Nothing short of insane.

How does a team and staff deal with this mid season. My God. It's on another level.

Fired Raymond? Seems like a no brainer.

[TGR]

Thankfully we have a Chief Operating Officer specializing in crisis management!

[Thomas Malthus]

“I haven’t paid attention in 3 weeks” best line.

[ColinM]

Someone once pointed out to me that in politics a gaffe really only sticks when it confirms a flaw that everyone thought existed but couldn't really prove. I think that sums up the uber video perfectly. Personally I hope the coaching staff treats this as a collective wake up call it needs rather benches the players over this.

[mcphee]

There's only so much scumbaggery to go around. The driver, low life move. The players ? What would piss me off if I was on the staff, or the GM is your supposed established player or leader, talking shit like that in front of rookies. I'm sure half the Leafs ridicule Babcock and do impressions behind his back. And the other half laughs, but that's making fun of the guy, not his abilities. Seems like a nice way of not looking in the mirror. If a hitter goes 0 for 34, he nees to look in the mirror, not at the hitting coach. Maybe Raymond is a lousy coach, I have no idea, but these guys have all palyed on the pk before.

[mayoradamwest]

who said what now?

[Germz]

I miss Kyle Turris.

[AD]

who said what now?

I don't know. Haven't paid attention in 3 weeks.

[senate]

In lighter news, attendance is so low OC Transpo is reducing bus service to the CTC.

[ColinM]

Imagine if it really was Martin Raymond who was harassing the Karlssons.

[MP]

Truth be told, I've never even heard of Martin Raymond before yesterday...

[Ricard_Persson]

Was thinking of that today too. I never could remember his name as he has that forgettable look. Now I’ll never be able to forget his name.

[senate]

Threatening to sue the Ottawa Citizen is a brilliant move to get the Uber story out of the news. I wonder if the new COO is this bad or if this was a Melnyk decision.

[mayoradamwest]

threatening to sue sounds like melnyk

[senate]

The Senators won't let this story get out the news.



Bruce Garrioch was apparently let on the flight. So either the Senators are rewarding Bruce for his service as the franchise's mouthpiece or Melnyk is unaware that the Sun and Citizen combined their sports reporting.

[senate]

Also on the Senators’ growing no-fly list is TSN reporter Brent Wallace who, prior to the team’s Parliament Hill game last December, had the audacity to ask owner Eugene Melnyk about a report that suggested he had been withholding bonus money from his employees.

Melnyk denied the allegation.

Once the cameras were turned off, bystanders saw him turn to Wallace and say, “I’m going to bury you.”

Since then, Wallace’s seat on the charter has also been revoked

https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/ottawa-senators/senators-ban-ottawa-reporter-from-teams-charter-flight-after-uber-gate

[senate]

And of course there is more:

[Ricard_Persson]

Seems pretty crazy but from what it sounds like, ottawa is the only team that lets writers travel with team? No idea how to find out if that's true.


One thing is for sure we're at the end of the local sports journalists run. I can't believe they have what, 3 full time English reporters for a newspaper. That number will be one within three years.

Kind of sad but things have changed. The Athletic shows their 100 million dollar company and those numbers add up to them not making 10 cents. I dont think the future is a pay wall site, probably just garrioch surviving and spinning his most basic news clippings. He's mailed it in and I can tell right away if its his article without reading the writers name.

I miss Roy Macgregor and recently Wayne Scanlan. Ottawa was blessed with both and a young Ken Warren at the citizen. It's been a great fall. Warren is probably the best remaining. Brennan I do like when he's writing with spite but too many times he just plays the opposite side card and tries to get people going. I thought he was good going against melnyk recently but he seems to have cooled. Probably for good reason as eugene seems to pull at the straws with the media.

No soup for you. Come back, one year.

[Ricard_Persson]

Genuinely interested in seeing Batherson tonight. He looks to quietly be an exceptional prospect. His highlights in the AHL have been convincing for a 20 year old.

Seems like a smart player and person. He could be a real steal going forward.

Formenton has garnered a lot of talk and has played a lot more in the NHL in two seasons now, but I've always thought Batherson will be the one to watch.

[mayoradamwest]

can't complain about leading the AHL in rookie scoring

[mayoradamwest]

1 game, 1 goal... going to need a nickname. I suggest... the bathmat.

[The Bytown Boozer]

This team is fun. I'm back in.

[The Bytown Boozer]

To use an old sporting metaphor, Mike Hoffman is really 'marrying a crazy woman and having her harass our star player's wife' tonight.

[MP]

This team is fun. I'm back in.

I'm not coming back until they resign Duchene and Stone.

[senate]

Well, here is your weekly bad Senators news:

The Lebreton Flats project is stalled because of internal problems in RendezVous between Capital Sports (Melnyk) and Trinity Development. The NCC still plans to move forward, but we will find out in January (at the earliest) whether that will be with RendezVous or not.

[AD]

Wow. The Sens really have a terrible owner.

And all these past years I just thought that was an excuse.
Sorry.

[senate]

Wideman to the Oilers for a 6th in 2020.

The stat-philes are going to be furious.

[Germz]

Wideman will be out of the NHL by July.

Possibly by the new year.

[Ricard_Persson]

He really lost a step with hamstring injury. He's so easy to separate from the puck in the D zone, I think he's done too. Probably be a guy who really puts up good numbers in ahl. Would fit well in Europe too. Maybe a better fit to his lifestyle.

Lots of people up in arms over this one. You'd swear they traded chabot of last year.

I just can't see him playing on a Hitchcock team. Makes no sense. Hitch will kill him.

[senate]

Kanata for life.

[senate]

It looks like Melnyk is angry that Trinity is developing high rises in Bayview (next to Lebreton Flats) which will compete with the Lebreton redevelopment and that Trinity used inside information from the Lebreton deal for the benefit of the Bayview project.

Also, "Trinity Centre at Bayview Station" looks cartoonishly evil.

[Ricard_Persson]

Do I fail to see the issue here? Is this little triangle of land development going to really knock steam out of the much more massive deal that you've basically been given for a huge discount and all you have to do is not sue your partner so that the project comes off the rails?

[Ricard_Persson]

$700 million lol. That's harsh. Probably the exact amount of debt 'Gene owes.


I guess you have to give him credit for swinging for the fences. Why not make more money in an early lawsuit than you would have made if you rode the entire project through for 15 years. Ol' Gene really going for it out of the gate. What a knob.

[mayoradamwest]

melynk is a cartoon.

[senate]

Blaming the mayor too, because why not. I'm disappointed that Trudeau didn't get a shout out.

[mayoradamwest]

how's Melynk supposed to be able to sell condos when other people in the city are also sellin condos? next you're going to tell me people were going to be able to buy houses in the neighbourhood too! Typical big government stomping all over the small businessman with their red tape and National Energy Plan :wilfred_brimley:

[Mufasa]

I never thought the Snes would have a worst episode than the fat spartan microphone fiasco to be honnus.

[ColinM]

When Melynk's team won the Lebreton bid I had wondered if there was going to be an eventual ask for taxpayers money. I wonder how much of that will be touched on in the lawsuit.

On the upside, people who liked having the team in Kanata are probably getting their wish for a while.

[Ricard_Persson]

The biggest problem with kanata is that those people have cooled on the team. That was the biggest risk to this especially not have a clean deal to move. They alienated the west saying how shitty it was there and now lost the downtown and east crew due to their moronic decisions.

It's like moving back in with your parents for the Senators in kanata now.

[ColinM]

I know there's a lot of people who don't like the Kanata location, but I'm not sure it's as bad as people make it out to be. I think that if the public transportation out there was better marketed by a fresh face fans would come back. Although neither is likely to happen in the future.

On a side note, I wonder if we will ever find out any details about the offers Melynk had to sell this team via this lawsuit or likely counter-suit.

[Ricard_Persson]

The boys.

I was just about to shut the game off after two periods as it was one of the worst you’ll ever see and mike McKenna was in nets. The game was on in the background and I did witness the last ten minutes in an impressive, puck luck win. Shocking.

[Germz]

The boys.

I was just about to shut the game off after two periods as it was one of the worst you’ll ever see and mike McKenna was in nets. The game was on in the background and I did witness the last ten minutes in an impressive, puck luck win. Shocking.

I did shut it off. Stunned to see they pulled out a win. Good for McKenna.

Tkachuk is the real deal.

I've been watching most of the games and the team really has been playing like trash most of the time, except for some bursts of offensive excitement led by a small group (Duchene, Stone, Chabot, Tkachuk, Dzingel). But good to snap the losing skid.

I'm optimistic that Pyatt is finally on his way off the regular roster.

[Ricard_Persson]

I'm optimistic that Pyatt is finally on his way off the regular roster.

I haven't really been paying attention to lines and stuff. Where is he playing?


You'll have to think they'll bring another kid up in the new year to get them ready for next year. Will be interesting to see the roster in March. Not many players to unload for anything, but I think you have to trade Anderson at the deadline. Of course, it doesn't look as good now since they don't have a back-up in the organization who can stop the puck. There will be pressure not to finish last with the draft pick debacle.

If they had their #1, then I think for sure Anderson gets traded for probably a decent pick or prospect at the deadline. It's a tricky one now though, but I do think you have to maximize all assets at this point instead of letting Anderson walk in the summer. Doubt he'd come back for one last year on a non-playoff team, although they will probably push for last wildcard spot next season.

[senate]

Enough of that on-ice talk.

"Their original opening discussion with our staff is that they wanted the city to build the arena, and I said that we're not in the business of building arenas," Watson told reporters after the final council meeting of the term. "We're not going to use tax dollars to pay for it."

Watson said the Senators organization approached the city soon after the National Capital Commission awarded the LeBreton redevelopment bid to the hockey franchise and its partners in 2016. According to the mayor, the Senators were looking to the city to create a municipal services corporation that would own the NHL rink.

[Ricard_Persson]

My God I thought Anderson was in his last year of his contract, but Dreger just reminded me he's on contract for next season too.

So much for getting a good return for him. My mistake.

[senate]

He might play for Ottawa tomorrow.

[mayoradamwest]

why?

[senate]

why?

Lajoie, Borowiecki, and Wolanin are injured.

[Ricard_Persson]

Is $7 million for Nylander considered a win for the Leafs?

[Hossa]

The boys.

I was just about to shut the game off after two periods as it was one of the worst you’ll ever see and mike McKenna was in nets. The game was on in the background and I did witness the last ten minutes in an impressive, puck luck win. Shocking.

I did shut it off. Stunned to see they pulled out a win. Good for McKenna.

Tkachuk is the real deal.

I've been watching most of the games and the team really has been playing like trash most of the time, except for some bursts of offensive excitement led by a small group (Duchene, Stone, Chabot, Tkachuk, Dzingel). But good to snap the losing skid.

I'm optimistic that Pyatt is finally on his way off the regular roster.

Really? Not that fourth line forwards are really what matter, but based on the last few games it still appears that Boucher will continue to lean on Pyatt until he's fired or Dorion moves him off the NHL roster, whichever comes first. Same as MSP it would appear.

The team's in an odd position. They're competitively in the lower half of the huge middle class of the league at this point, and the question is how long they can remain there. Only the Kings are comfortably in the league's basement, but teams like Vancouver, Chicago and New Jersey are trending downwards, and one can only hope we don't join them soon.

That small group you mentioned is the reason for optimism though, plus the early returns from White, Batherson and DeMelo. If the kids keep developing and if they can sign Duchene and Stone, it becomes a matter of rounding out the bottom half of the roster.