With the Senators’ negotiations to build a new rink at LeBreton Flats "moving to a pivotal stage in the next nine months," the team has hired former MLSE COO Tom Anselmi to take over as President & CEO, according to Bruce Garrioch of the OTTAWA CITIZEN. Anselmi succeeds Cyril Leeder, one of the three co-Founders of the club and who "wasn’t offered another job with the Senators." The team believes it needs Anselmi to "help get them across the finish line with the LeBreton project and breathe new life into the organization." For Owner Eugene Melnyk, the move "had to be made because the clock is ticking on making sure there’s a deal in place to get LeBreton built." Melnyk: "We need to re-invigorate the brand. We need to reposition things and re-brand. There’s a ton of work to do. Cyril was here for 25 years. We came to a crossroads and it was simply time for change.” Anselmi during his Maple Leafs stint was part of the construction of Air Canada Centre, BMO Field and Maple Leaf Square, and Melnyk said that the club "needs this experience" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 1/26). Melnyk said that the decision to go in a new direction was "made last April following the Senators winning the bid" for the LeBreton project. Melnyk: "The fact is it is a massive, massive project that will rebuild all of downtown Ottawa and we take it very seriously and for that you need someone with experience and I think Tom brings that." The CP's Lisa Wallace notes Anselmi will also be "taking a close look at the organization's current structure as the team struggles to put fans in seats." While the Senators have been competitive on the ice lately, attendance at the Senators' current home, the Canadian Tire Centre, "ranks in the bottom third in the league" (CP, 1/26).
FACES IN THE CROWD: Anselmi sat for a Q&A with the CITIZEN's Garrioch, who asked if the Senators' attendance is a concern. Anselmi said he does not know yet whether that is due to "something we’re not doing well enough or is it something systemic in the market?" Anselmi: "Are we selling to the wrong people, the wrong value proposition, whatever? Ultimately, we’ve got to make the business work here because we could be here a long time and it’s a terrific building." Asked how he can re-invigorate the Senators' brand and the marketpalce, Anselmi said, "Everything moves and ebbs and flows and everything follows curves -- especially when you hit anniversaries. (They) become natural touchstones to (make change)." More Anselmi: "There’s a natural opportunity that wants to happen here with the 25th anniversary, new arena on the horizon, the NHL’s 100th and Canada’s 150th, and it kind of speaks to a new era." Anselmi said the Senators' brand "should be bigger and more important to the community." Anselmi: "New eras are times where you stop and decide where you want to go next. It feels like one of those moments right now" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 1/26).
END OF AN ERA: In Ottawa, Wayne Scanlan writes under the header, "Outgoing Senators President Leeder Deserves Praise For His Efforts." Through 25 years of Senators hockey, Leeder has been the "one constant, steadying force." When "building a first NHL arena for Ottawa seemed impossible," Leeder "helped make it reality." He was "quiet but efficient behind the scenes" and "had the organizing and research skills." For the "better part of 30 years, Leeder lent those skills to the Senators and the broader community." Leeder has been the "face of the business side of the franchise, surviving all manner of chaos, including club bankruptcy." Now, his departure "signals the end of an era" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 1/26).
OUTSIDE THE ROOST: The CITIZEN's Garrioch cites sources as saying that the Senators are "studying the possibility of starting next season" in Sweden. Melnyk yesterday "had to skate around the subject but he noted they’d like to do something similar to the trip they made" in '08, when the Senators opened the season in Stockholm. Meanwhile, Melnyk "sounded confident the outdoor game on Dec. 17 at Lansdowne Live will take place." However, he "noted the Senators have concerns about the attendance." Garrioch: "That’s been the stall in negotiations and that’s why no paperwork has been signed yet" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 1/26).
