Get A Great Sens Team And They Will Come

“As a lifelong Sens fan, I want to congratulate the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission on reaching a big step forward on a new downtown arena. I’m excited about the potential this holds for Ottawa’s economy and the revitalization of the downtown core. I know I’m not the only one that thinks the idea of no longer having to drive over an hour in traffic to catch a game in Kanata is welcome for all of us in Orléans South-Navan! We are early days, but I’m looking forward to what’s to come as this project continues to take shape.”

Orleans South-Navan Councillor Catherine Kitts from her newsletter.

Sure most of us would like a free arena valued at about $1.3 billion.

I also wanted to date actress Kim Basinger but, you know, our schedules really didn’t work out and then she met that Batman guy and … well the rest is history.

Yes we all have our dreams and Kitts has hers. A rink closer to the east end. It takes an hour to get to the games from the far east.

So let me tell you a little story.

Many years ago, I went to a Winnipeg Jets game at the old, very old, Winnipeg Arena. A couple of salt-of-the-earth guys sat down beside us.

“Do you come to the games often?” I asked, making small talk.

“Not that often but sometimes.”

They would have attended more frequently but for the fact that they lived in Prince Albert, Sask. which is an 18-hour round-trip to and from the NHL game.

“So are you taking a hotel tonight and driving home tomorrow.”

“No we’re leaving right after the game.” It was a weeknight. They had to get to work tomorrow.

Now this is a bit unusual but it is an exaggeration to prove the point. If the Dale Hawerchuk Jets were playing the Wayne Gretzky Oilers, it was worth the drive.

The point is, within reason, it’s about the product on the ice. Orleans and Aylmer are a lot closer to Kanata than Prince Albert to Winnipeg. People in Ottawa once took chartered bus trips to Montreal to watch the Habs at the Forum.

So people will travel a lot of kilometres to see a great game or a beloved team. Putting the arena at LeBreton Flats is a lot of money and trouble when the Senators have a perfectly good (and paid for) rink in Kanata. There might come a time when LeBreton makes sense when the arena is about to fall down in the west end. That’s not now.

No, most important is avoiding missing the playoffs for eight straight years. Some of those Sens teams during that time should have been sponsored by Sominex. The team motto should have been: “Do not watch while operating heavy equipment.”

People will drive long distances in this hockey-mad country to see a good game. The idea is not to save 30 minutes off the councillor’s ride from Orleans at a cost of $1.3 billion. No, it’s to put a good team on the ice.

People will drive in from Chelsea or Gatineau to see a great team. Give us a great team.

Now … I wonder if Basinger is still dating that rodent?

Ken Gray

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