Columnists
Belleville Senators
Hundreds of hockey fans crammed into the main lobby of the Sports and Wellness Centre in Belleville to hear the news regarding the relocation of the AHL franchise of the Ottawa Senators. In perhaps the worst kept secret of the century, Belleville’s mayor Taso Christopher announced that the city had approved significant renovations to the Yardmen Arena at the complex. Seating capacity will be increased to 4,400, give or take, with room for several hundred standees. The shovel, as they say, will be in the ground tomorrow. Expectations are that the work should be done in November or December, 2017.
Part of the renovations involve the shrinkage of the ice surface from Olympic size to NHL dimensions. To me, this is one of the few negatives in the affair. I have always been a strong advocate for the larger ice surfaces, mainly because the players get a little bigger every year. I requested that all new NHL arenas should install Olympic ice every time they open the doors. Ah, yet another of my brilliant ideas falling on deaf ears.
The news was roundly accepted by all present. The city has been in “hockey mourning” since the loss of the Bulls. Team owner Eugene Melnyk assured everyone present that they would love the quality of the game that will be relocated in the 2017- 2018 season. To a rousing ovation, he began by telling everyone that “Hockey is really back here in Belleville, and that this is the beginning of a whole new era.”
He recalled his days as the owner of the St. Michaels Majors when they were up against the Belleville Bulls. He knew at that time that Belleville was a hockey town. But he went on to promise a different brand of hockey. “This will be faster hockey. They hit harder. They are trying ten times as hard as junior players to get that one step higher to the NHL.” He noted that 70 per cent of the players on last year’s Ottawa Senators roster had played in Binghampton. Always a sales guy, he put in a plug for ticket sales in Belleville. Fans can plop down $100 to secure a seat in the new and improved Yardmen Arena. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. “This is your chance to show that you support this team.”
Also on hand was Randy Lee, the assistant general manager of the parent Sens, who will be primarily responsible for the Belleville team. Randy knows the lay of the land in professional hockey, having served at one time as the video coach of the Sens. Noticeably absent on the podium was Marc Crawford, a new member of the coaching staff of the Sens. Marc was busy in Halifax, as the Sens opened the exhibition series on Monday night. Because of his great connections to the city of Belleville, I expect to see Marc frequently in the future. He will be one of many who keep a close eye on “the kids down on the farm.” Melnyk said that several key players from last year’s parent club had spent time in Binghamton: Curtis Lazar, Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
There is a chance that they will be aligned in a division with the Toronto Marlies, the Habs franchise in Laval, Syracuse, Rochester, Utica, and perhaps Hershey.
I asked Mr. Melnyk to name his favourite NHL player when he was growing up. He smiled, hesitated briefly, and said, quite clearly, “Dave Keon.” Definitely a hockey guy.
Comments (0)