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Wednesday, December 8, 1999
Another day, another victory
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Senators owner Rod Bryden emerged a winner at yesterday's NHL board of governors meeting, but the fight for survival is far from over.
Bryden nailed down another key commitment he needs to keep the Sens in Ottawa yesterday, when the governors pledged to continue the Canadian Assistance Plan for the next five years.
Now, Bryden says he expects the federal government to weigh in with some sort of assistance in the next 10 days. If that happens, and the team's future here is secure, then Bryden and the league as a whole can focus on its next major battle -- player salaries.
The only non-participant in the attempt to help Canadian teams has been the NHL Players Association, but nobody expects help to come from that direction.
"Let's face it, the players are making too much money and that's true in every sport," said Anaheim Mighty Ducks president/GM Pierre Gauthier yesterday. "So if you think they're going to play a role in helping to save Canadian teams, then you're dreaming.
NO CHANCE
"Don't kid yourself. It's not going to happen. The only way we can lower the salaries is on an individual basis and we all make our own decisions. People decide how they want to spend their money and obviously some teams are smarter than others. We're seeing some examples right now."
The collective bargaining agreement doesn't expire until 2004, but the NHL has to do something about its salary structure because it is out of whack in comparison to team revenues.
Whether or not the feds step forward to help the Sens, the reality is that Bryden has been responsible in his spending. The club's payroll, about $30 million US, is at the low end of the scale.
The next CBA will deal with this issue, but the Senators are going to have a hard time keeping their team together in the meantime.
"We've been going through this for a long time," said Edmonton Oilers president/GM Glen Sather.
"We haven't been able to keep our team together. We've lost a number of guys over the years because we simply couldn't afford to pay their salaries. We're at a disadvantage.
"The same thing is going to happen in Ottawa ... they won't be able to pay all those guys. This an exchange problem, but this is a big business in Canada and nobody wants to see it disappear."
Gauthier, a former Senators GM, knows the team is acting responsibly. That's why he'd like to see the government take action.
"I went through this in Quebec City," said Gauthier. "I'd hate to see another Canadian team go through this, and especially Ottawa.
"I know people won't believe this, but I'm a huge Senators fan. I follow them and I hope for them to have success every night, except for when they face the Mighty Ducks. That is a great market and it deserves to have a hockey team. They've proven there that they can support it. All they need is a little help from the government."
What impresses Gauthier most is Ottawa's ability to compete with a small payroll.
BANG FOR BUCK
"The Senators have already had a good performance versus payroll measurement," said Gauthier.
Getting the commitment to the Canadian Assistance Plan, which provides more than $4 million of the Senators' revenues every season, was a big step for Bryden this week.
But if he doesn't get help from the government before Christmas, he'll be ready to sell ... and likely put a minor-league franchise in the Corel Centre.
"I'm hopeful, with the commitment made today, that the government will see the league cares about Canadian hockey teams," said Bryden.
And if the Senators survive long enough, they can take a leading role in the battle to control salaries, too.
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