Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk reiterated Friday that he has no plans to sell the team, but he also mentioned that moving the team is potentially an option in the future.
“I’m not going to blow a lifetime of working hard to support a hockey team. It’s not gonna happen,” Melnyk told reporters Friday before a Senators alumni game on an outdoor rink at Parliament Hill. “The bigger question is whether I’m prepared to blow all that money I made over many years in a different industry in a different country. How long can you underwrite a team?”
That did not go over well among the team’s fan base and drew some heat on social media.
Even prior to Melnyk’s comments the Senators had been in the spotlight all week as they prepared to host the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL 100 Classic outside at Lansdowne Park in the nation’s capital.
Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported Saturday afternoon that Melnyk was not in the mood to do any media following Friday’s fallout.
Sens fans began a hashtag on Twitter as a way to show their frustration and it was one of the top trending items in Canada on Saturday.
Below is an example of some of the reaction (well, at least the reaction that doesn’t have any curse words) from the #MelnykOut hashtag.
ATTENTION
Anyone going to the Sens game today please start a #MelnykOut Chant and boo melnyk if they show him anywhere during the game.
— MelnykOut (@66GoldenFame) December 16, 2017
I'm also not watching the game today; I've watched almost every game this season (even through the slump).
Melnyk ruined an event that was to be something special, with international attention on the Sens. But instead used his platform to embarrass us as an org.#MelnykOut https://t.co/3r9faVbESf
— Aarn (@aaront) December 16, 2017
[relatedlinks]
