The Sens are off to a solid start this NHL campaign, and while they're struggling to score goals they've played much better in their own end of late and have gotten exceptional goaltending, under exceptional circumstances, from Craig Anderson and newly acquired Mike Condon. Their 10-7-3 record has them competing for a playoff spot and it's not unreasonable to think they could make it. So why does no one seem to care?
The Sens are ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance and there was a very interesting article on the Hockey Night in Canada website suggesting why this is the case. They stated several factors: long drive out to Kanata, dip in season ticket holders, ticket costs, problems with the Phoenix government pay system, rumours of a new downtown rink coming, etc. But I think the problem is much deeper rooted in Ottawa itself and its unique circumstances.
See, Ottawa is a fickle sports town to begin with, so lets start there. The city has seen two incarnations of its CFL football team fold, (RoughRiders and Renegades) and granted while those were poorly run from an ownership perspective, they couldn't be salvaged. The RedBlacks with 67's owner Jeff Hunt at the helm see to be faring much better so fingers crossed. There was also the NLL lacrosse team, the Rebel (2001-2003) few even remember the city having it was so short lived. And last but not least the AAA baseball Ottawa Lynx (1993-2007). The Lynx actually set attendance records their first few season and had a great stadium that's still there today. The team was successful and won the International league in 1995. They were affiliated with the Montreal Expos for the majority of their time and later the Baltimore Orioles the Philadelphia Phillies. The team saw its attendance drop year by year and eventually it was over. Many feel if the team were affiliated with the Blue Jays they could make a go of it in the capital but we may never know. People seem to tire of things quickly here and while there may be interest at first it fizzles out faster than a politician's promises.
This lackluster attitude is part of the problem but I think it can also be attributed to the unique circumstance of the city itself. See, Ottawa is a very nomadic city. People come from all over the country to work for the government or perhaps in what's left of the high tech sector. There are also two major universities (Carleton and U of O) as well as Algonquin College. This all adds up to a lot of people living in Ottawa who aren't from the city and who are only here for a short period of time. There isn't necessarily the connection to sports franchises that there is in other major centers. They come from out of town and likely already root for someone else. This is probably no more evident then when you go to a Sens game. It may be the strangest atmosphere in the league because at times you have to check to see which rink you're actually in. When Toronto or Montreal are in town it barely resembles a home game and the fact is many Sens fans shy away because of the problems that have arisen, fights and incidents dramatically increase when the Leafs are in town. When any other Canadian team (Oilers, Flames, Jets, Canucks) or big market US franchise (Detroit, New Your Rangers, Boston, Philly) come to town you see hundreds if not a few thousand supporters wearing other jerseys. That's not the case in other Canadian markets or most in the US. This could be in part because of where Ottawa lies. It's in between Toronto and Montreal and only came back into the league in 1992 so many in the area who grew up watching hockey were cheering for other teams. As a young kid growing up in the Ottawa Valley I chose the Sens because they were a home team. But Ottawa is a hockey town before it is a Sens town at times and this has corresponded with apathy in attendance. That and the path the franchise has taken of late.
The Sens snuck into the playoffs two years ago after Andrew 'Hamburglar' Hammond lead them on a run of historic proportions and into the playoffs. They were promptly beat out by the rival Canadiens and that was the end of that chapter. Last year they missed and this year it'll be a toss up. The glory days of Alfie, Phillips and Redden leading the charge to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals seem not so long ago. Unfortunately they were beat by Anaheim but had been contenders for years and looked to be for a least a few more seasons. Then, they weren't. They team has struggled to find consistency ever since making the post season then missing it and never really being a threat. If you look at attendance number when they were a top team the seats were filled. Now that they've become a sort of middling team with no real sign of a breakthrough people are losing interest and the organization needs to light a fire under their fan base if they want to see the results change. Perhaps a new downtown area facility will change all that, but if the product it's any better, they won't be lining up to buy it.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Sens of Trouble
The Sens are off to a solid start this NHL campaign, and while they're struggling to score goals they've played much better in their own end of late and have gotten exceptional goaltending, under exceptional circumstances, from Craig Anderson and newly acquired Mike Condon. Their 10-7-3 record has them competing for a playoff spot and it's not unreasonable to think they could make it. So why does no one seem to care?
The Sens are ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance and there was a very interesting article on the Hockey Night in Canada website suggesting why this is the case. They stated several factors: long drive out to Kanata, dip in season ticket holders, ticket costs, problems with the Phoenix government pay system, rumours of a new downtown rink coming, etc. But I think the problem is much deeper rooted in Ottawa itself and its unique circumstances.
See, Ottawa is a fickle sports town to begin with, so lets start there. The city has seen two incarnations of its CFL football team fold, (RoughRiders and Renegades) and granted while those were poorly run from an ownership perspective, they couldn't be salvaged. The RedBlacks with 67's owner Jeff Hunt at the helm see to be faring much better so fingers crossed. There was also the NLL lacrosse team, the Rebel (2001-2003) few even remember the city having it was so short lived. And last but not least the AAA baseball Ottawa Lynx (1993-2007). The Lynx actually set attendance records their first few season and had a great stadium that's still there today. The team was successful and won the International league in 1995. They were affiliated with the Montreal Expos for the majority of their time and later the Baltimore Orioles the Philadelphia Phillies. The team saw its attendance drop year by year and eventually it was over. Many feel if the team were affiliated with the Blue Jays they could make a go of it in the capital but we may never know. People seem to tire of things quickly here and while there may be interest at first it fizzles out faster than a politician's promises.
This lackluster attitude is part of the problem but I think it can also be attributed to the unique circumstance of the city itself. See, Ottawa is a very nomadic city. People come from all over the country to work for the government or perhaps in what's left of the high tech sector. There are also two major universities (Carleton and U of O) as well as Algonquin College. This all adds up to a lot of people living in Ottawa who aren't from the city and who are only here for a short period of time. There isn't necessarily the connection to sports franchises that there is in other major centers. They come from out of town and likely already root for someone else. This is probably no more evident then when you go to a Sens game. It may be the strangest atmosphere in the league because at times you have to check to see which rink you're actually in. When Toronto or Montreal are in town it barely resembles a home game and the fact is many Sens fans shy away because of the problems that have arisen, fights and incidents dramatically increase when the Leafs are in town. When any other Canadian team (Oilers, Flames, Jets, Canucks) or big market US franchise (Detroit, New Your Rangers, Boston, Philly) come to town you see hundreds if not a few thousand supporters wearing other jerseys. That's not the case in other Canadian markets or most in the US. This could be in part because of where Ottawa lies. It's in between Toronto and Montreal and only came back into the league in 1992 so many in the area who grew up watching hockey were cheering for other teams. As a young kid growing up in the Ottawa Valley I chose the Sens because they were a home team. But Ottawa is a hockey town before it is a Sens town at times and this has corresponded with apathy in attendance. That and the path the franchise has taken of late.
The Sens snuck into the playoffs two years ago after Andrew 'Hamburglar' Hammond lead them on a run of historic proportions and into the playoffs. They were promptly beat out by the rival Canadiens and that was the end of that chapter. Last year they missed and this year it'll be a toss up. The glory days of Alfie, Phillips and Redden leading the charge to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals seem not so long ago. Unfortunately they were beat by Anaheim but had been contenders for years and looked to be for a least a few more seasons. Then, they weren't. They team has struggled to find consistency ever since making the post season then missing it and never really being a threat. If you look at attendance number when they were a top team the seats were filled. Now that they've become a sort of middling team with no real sign of a breakthrough people are losing interest and the organization needs to light a fire under their fan base if they want to see the results change. Perhaps a new downtown area facility will change all that, but if the product it's any better, they won't be lining up to buy it.
The Sens are ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance and there was a very interesting article on the Hockey Night in Canada website suggesting why this is the case. They stated several factors: long drive out to Kanata, dip in season ticket holders, ticket costs, problems with the Phoenix government pay system, rumours of a new downtown rink coming, etc. But I think the problem is much deeper rooted in Ottawa itself and its unique circumstances.
See, Ottawa is a fickle sports town to begin with, so lets start there. The city has seen two incarnations of its CFL football team fold, (RoughRiders and Renegades) and granted while those were poorly run from an ownership perspective, they couldn't be salvaged. The RedBlacks with 67's owner Jeff Hunt at the helm see to be faring much better so fingers crossed. There was also the NLL lacrosse team, the Rebel (2001-2003) few even remember the city having it was so short lived. And last but not least the AAA baseball Ottawa Lynx (1993-2007). The Lynx actually set attendance records their first few season and had a great stadium that's still there today. The team was successful and won the International league in 1995. They were affiliated with the Montreal Expos for the majority of their time and later the Baltimore Orioles the Philadelphia Phillies. The team saw its attendance drop year by year and eventually it was over. Many feel if the team were affiliated with the Blue Jays they could make a go of it in the capital but we may never know. People seem to tire of things quickly here and while there may be interest at first it fizzles out faster than a politician's promises.
This lackluster attitude is part of the problem but I think it can also be attributed to the unique circumstance of the city itself. See, Ottawa is a very nomadic city. People come from all over the country to work for the government or perhaps in what's left of the high tech sector. There are also two major universities (Carleton and U of O) as well as Algonquin College. This all adds up to a lot of people living in Ottawa who aren't from the city and who are only here for a short period of time. There isn't necessarily the connection to sports franchises that there is in other major centers. They come from out of town and likely already root for someone else. This is probably no more evident then when you go to a Sens game. It may be the strangest atmosphere in the league because at times you have to check to see which rink you're actually in. When Toronto or Montreal are in town it barely resembles a home game and the fact is many Sens fans shy away because of the problems that have arisen, fights and incidents dramatically increase when the Leafs are in town. When any other Canadian team (Oilers, Flames, Jets, Canucks) or big market US franchise (Detroit, New Your Rangers, Boston, Philly) come to town you see hundreds if not a few thousand supporters wearing other jerseys. That's not the case in other Canadian markets or most in the US. This could be in part because of where Ottawa lies. It's in between Toronto and Montreal and only came back into the league in 1992 so many in the area who grew up watching hockey were cheering for other teams. As a young kid growing up in the Ottawa Valley I chose the Sens because they were a home team. But Ottawa is a hockey town before it is a Sens town at times and this has corresponded with apathy in attendance. That and the path the franchise has taken of late.
The Sens snuck into the playoffs two years ago after Andrew 'Hamburglar' Hammond lead them on a run of historic proportions and into the playoffs. They were promptly beat out by the rival Canadiens and that was the end of that chapter. Last year they missed and this year it'll be a toss up. The glory days of Alfie, Phillips and Redden leading the charge to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals seem not so long ago. Unfortunately they were beat by Anaheim but had been contenders for years and looked to be for a least a few more seasons. Then, they weren't. They team has struggled to find consistency ever since making the post season then missing it and never really being a threat. If you look at attendance number when they were a top team the seats were filled. Now that they've become a sort of middling team with no real sign of a breakthrough people are losing interest and the organization needs to light a fire under their fan base if they want to see the results change. Perhaps a new downtown area facility will change all that, but if the product it's any better, they won't be lining up to buy it.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Seeing Stars
The NHL released it's All Star presser for the 2017 All Star Game hosted this year by the LA Kings. The game promises the same exciting 3 on 3 tournament format as last year which, personally speaking, was a hell of a lot more entertaining than games past. The captains of the four teams, one from each division, will again be selected by fans, but the league added a slight wrinkle to who exactly can fill this role.
It's not the John Scott rule, but, well, it's the John Scott rule. As you'll recall last year career long enforcer John Scott was voted captain of the Pacific Division squad. He lead his team to victory, was named MVP and I'm sure somewhere Disney is working on the script (if not I'm available). It was a great story and I gained a ton of respect for John Scott, the way he handled himself and how the guys rallied around him. But lets be honest, it could have backfired in a big way. Truth be told it started as a joke, a fan movement to get the guy who was likely least deserving of such a nod into the game, and actually seemed sort of funny, in a frat bro sorta way. This idea gained momentum and low and behold Scott found himself voted into the game. And the league was pissed. Lets not kid ourselves, they wanted no part of this debacle and felt it was making a mockery of a game which had become in need of a boost anyway. The subsequent fall out form his trade to the Habs and demotion to the AHL seemed to seal his fate. Fans railed against this and eventually the right thing was done, he was given his shot and was a class act the whole time in the face of what could have been a PR nightmare. It was a no win situation really, until the puck was dropped and the league came up smelling like roses. The game was great and Scott asserted himself very well in leading his team to victory. This is all well and good but really, isn't what the game is all about.
Sure there's something to be said for letting a guy like Scott who would otherwise never have a chance play in this game. I was happy for him and his family, who will have this memory forever. It was touching and reminded us that sport can transcend everyday life and bring out the best in us. But the only reason it worked so well is because of the kind of guy John Scott is. An intelligent (he's an engineer) guy who understood what was going on and rolled with it. I'm not sure that would have been the case in most instances. And that's what worried the NHL. That some guy who had no business being there would look exactly like that and embarrass the league. Many argue that the game is a boring, pointless exercise anyway that many big name stars skip just to get the much needed rest, but for many it still matters.
The fact is the nature of the All Star game is being argued over by mostly, adults, when the reality of it is the people most interested in it are kids. Young fans who sit in novice or pewee dressing rooms arguing about who the best player in the league is or who'd make the strongest line combination in an All Star match up. Kids who idolize these guys, emulate their heroes and want to see top end skill face off against one another in a dynamic setting. The 3 on 3 format revitalized a game in desperate need of a boost and was as exciting as any I can remember. It showcased the skill and speed of the game and made it entertaining in ways it wasn't because the nature of it is inherently more competitive. Kids and for that matter the rest of us have no desire to see fourth line grinders out there when the true stars of the game are available. That's not to say these guys aren't an important, integral part of the league, and any championship team, but the All Star game is meant to exhibit the highest level of skill. A showcase for the elite who deserve to shine. That's the reality and while the NHL is filled with great stories and greater guys, the All Star game should be viewed as something special and an honour that you earn. There's enough participation ribbons being passed around these days, lets let the guys who deserve to have their greatness praised get the opportunity to show us why.
It's not the John Scott rule, but, well, it's the John Scott rule. As you'll recall last year career long enforcer John Scott was voted captain of the Pacific Division squad. He lead his team to victory, was named MVP and I'm sure somewhere Disney is working on the script (if not I'm available). It was a great story and I gained a ton of respect for John Scott, the way he handled himself and how the guys rallied around him. But lets be honest, it could have backfired in a big way. Truth be told it started as a joke, a fan movement to get the guy who was likely least deserving of such a nod into the game, and actually seemed sort of funny, in a frat bro sorta way. This idea gained momentum and low and behold Scott found himself voted into the game. And the league was pissed. Lets not kid ourselves, they wanted no part of this debacle and felt it was making a mockery of a game which had become in need of a boost anyway. The subsequent fall out form his trade to the Habs and demotion to the AHL seemed to seal his fate. Fans railed against this and eventually the right thing was done, he was given his shot and was a class act the whole time in the face of what could have been a PR nightmare. It was a no win situation really, until the puck was dropped and the league came up smelling like roses. The game was great and Scott asserted himself very well in leading his team to victory. This is all well and good but really, isn't what the game is all about.
Sure there's something to be said for letting a guy like Scott who would otherwise never have a chance play in this game. I was happy for him and his family, who will have this memory forever. It was touching and reminded us that sport can transcend everyday life and bring out the best in us. But the only reason it worked so well is because of the kind of guy John Scott is. An intelligent (he's an engineer) guy who understood what was going on and rolled with it. I'm not sure that would have been the case in most instances. And that's what worried the NHL. That some guy who had no business being there would look exactly like that and embarrass the league. Many argue that the game is a boring, pointless exercise anyway that many big name stars skip just to get the much needed rest, but for many it still matters.
The fact is the nature of the All Star game is being argued over by mostly, adults, when the reality of it is the people most interested in it are kids. Young fans who sit in novice or pewee dressing rooms arguing about who the best player in the league is or who'd make the strongest line combination in an All Star match up. Kids who idolize these guys, emulate their heroes and want to see top end skill face off against one another in a dynamic setting. The 3 on 3 format revitalized a game in desperate need of a boost and was as exciting as any I can remember. It showcased the skill and speed of the game and made it entertaining in ways it wasn't because the nature of it is inherently more competitive. Kids and for that matter the rest of us have no desire to see fourth line grinders out there when the true stars of the game are available. That's not to say these guys aren't an important, integral part of the league, and any championship team, but the All Star game is meant to exhibit the highest level of skill. A showcase for the elite who deserve to shine. That's the reality and while the NHL is filled with great stories and greater guys, the All Star game should be viewed as something special and an honour that you earn. There's enough participation ribbons being passed around these days, lets let the guys who deserve to have their greatness praised get the opportunity to show us why.
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