The Ottawa Senators may be well and truly out of the playoff race, but there has still been a lot going on recently. We share four takeaways from an eventful first week in March.
Pretty much since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, the Ottawa Senators have been on a slow, steady journey towards the conclusion of the regular season. With likely no playoff hockey to look forward to, it was understood the team would put themselves in the best possible position for the NHL draft in June.
However, the first week of March has been unexpectedly eventful, which has at least made things more interesting for those who follow the Senators.
Let’s count down our four takeaways from a hectic start to the month:
4) Senators fire CEO Jim Little
Compared to recent seasons, the 2019-20 campaign had been a relatively quiet one for the Senators. Fans had accepted their team was going through a rebuild and while there was little to no hope of challenging for the playoffs, at least the effort was seen on the ice most nights.
As it turns out though it had been almost too quiet in Ontario, so of course owner Eugene Melnyk decided to inspire some headlines. As reported by The Canadian Press via The Globe and Mail, Jim Little was fired on Wednesday after lasting just 54 days as CEO.
According to the Senators, Little was fired due to conduct that was inconsistent with the core values of the Ottawa Senators and the NHL. There had been speculation in recent weeks that Melnyk and Little weren’t getting on well, but this news still came as a surprise to a lot of people.
For his part, Little released a statement advising there was a disagreement with Melnyk on Valentine’s Day, which included the former swearing at the latter. Little apologized, but as is now clear, the damage was done.
If we look at this firing as an individual event, you can almost understand why Little was let go (although it seems likely there was more involved in this decision). In most careers, if you’re not getting on with your boss and you swear at them, there is a good chance you’re going to be shown the exit door.
However, when you consider Melnyk’s reputation/history, there is going to be plenty of criticism. As pointed out by Ian Mendes of TSN, this is the same guy who fired the popular Cyril Leeder.
In addition, the well-respected Tom Anselmi quietly vacated his position as president and CEO of the Senators after just one year. The question now is where do the Senators go from here?
The one possibility that will fill people with dread is what happened last time the franchise was in this position. Prior to Little being hired, Melnyk effectively took on the role of CEO.
For the sake of the franchise, you have to hope the 60-year-old does not make this decision again. At this point, he arguably has little credibility or respect left among the majority of fans in Ottawa