Eugene Melnyk can’t hide his excitement about the NHL draft and he’s confident fans of the Ottawa Senators are about to see their patience pay off.
The Senators’ owner was hopeful the league would make a decision during a conference call Monday afternoon with the NHL’s’ board of governors to either accept commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commission Bill Daly’s idea to hold the draft and the lottery next month before the season is completed, but no decision was made.
Speaking in an interview with Roger Lajoie on the FAN590 in Toronto Sunday, Melnyk also suggested there’s a possibility of the NHL holding the lottery itself next month without the draft taking place, but noted he’d like to see both events held in June because the club has three picks in the first round.
“I just hope we can have some events in June to keep people interested,” Melnyk told the station from his home in Barbados. “If that’s just the draft lottery, that would be great. If that’s the draft and the draft lottery, that’s even better.”
Melnyk said he feels the Senators will have as many as five or six young players from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville in the lineup next year as part of GM Pierre Dorion’s rebuild plan and is confident the Senators are moving a step closer to being competitive with coach D.J. Smith.
“Finally, we’re going to start to the see the completion of a plan we set in motion three years ago,” Melnyk said. “We’re now going to see the fruits of our labour for that. We’ve got nine draft picks in the first three rounds this year. That’s a lot. We won’t use all of them. We’ll probably be able to trade and package some together to move up in some cases.
“We’re in a really good spot to become very competitive again. It’s a very long-term strategy. We hope to be really competitive and a playoff team this coming year and then start competing in a serious way for championships. With a team where a lot of the players are 20, 21 and 22-years-old, these are all very young and as they mature, like any team, they should mature for the better.
“We look forward to getting to next season.”
He believes the team is headed in the right direction.
“We have spent three years basically putting up with a lot of criticism in doing something that’s extraordinary,” Melnyk said when asked if he had a message for the fans in Ottawa? “I don’t think in the history, and if you can find me one I’d like to hear it, but I don’t think anybody in sports has done the kind of rebuild that we have done. I haven’t seen anybody build their team the way we did.
“Can you imagine? Take the top five Leaf players, six players, and you announce these six guys (are being traded) and we’re about to do a rebuild and we’re going to be lousy for three years, there’d be riots in the streets. We had our version of riots in Ottawa and I’m saying to the fans in Ottawa, this is the time, you’ve been very patient with us. Some people weren’t, many people were, and there’s core group of fans that numbers in the thousands and thousands that are going to be able to have the opportunity to put their chests out, chins up and walk around saying, ‘I’m an Ottawa Senators’ fan and we are going to be champions’.
“And, I’m telling you we’re going to see it sooner than later. You’re going to see glimpses of it (next season), you’re going to see a competitive team and three years after that you’re going to have visions of winning a championship. That’s what we’re after. We’re not in it to come second or fifth or 10th. We’re in it to win championships. This was the only way that we figured we could do it, gut the team, go in with youth and do the best possible rebuild you can with great prospects and this is where we are.
“There’s going to be a lot of people saying, ‘Oh my gosh, how did they do this?’ and it’s like, ‘Hey dummy, I’ve been doing this for three years. Did you see the billboards in Ottawa with Melnyk Out?’ No, we worked our butts off to get to where we are and we’ve been doing it for three years and now’s the time to enjoy the fruits of our labour.”
He added he expects “all the other Canadian teams” are on the verge of a decade of success and doesn’t believe the wait for a Stanley Cup north of the border will go on much longer.
Melnyk said he just wants to see the game return and remains hopeful the Senators will play again this season. At this point, the league is leaning towards bringing back 24 teams in the summer which means Ottawa wouldn’t play again.
“Forget about ownership, at heart I’m a hockey fan, and I think like all the hockey fans we’re just dying to see game back — with or without fans in the stands,” he said. “Initially, if it’s going to be played without fans in the stands that’s fine but ultimately there’s going to be a different way of seeing a game and I hope to be part of that process to come up with ideas to get us all back into the arenas.”
He knows that’s not easy and down the road there will have to be physical distancing to get people back into the rinks.
“There’s so many moving parts it’s not easy. Especially, with politics, you’re dealing with Canada, you’re dealing with the U.S., state governments and provincial governments,” Melnyk said. “I don’t want to have to be the person to figure that one out. I don’t mind helping but this decision is huge.
“I know these guys are all working in New York and Toronto to come up with solutions to all these different pieces. That includes everything from player safety, compensation and scheduling.”
He is confident the league will find a way to award the Stanley Cup for this season.
“One hundred percent. There’s going to be, I really, really believe that and that’s not just me being Mr. Promoter or anything like that,” Melnyk said. “I just know the resolve is there. Everybody’s on the same mission. We will have playoffs, we will have a Stanley Cup this year and we will have a full schedule next year. It might be a little different … you will have a different playoff this year.”
Twitter: @sungarrioch
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