It was great to hear from former Senators President asnd CEO Roy Mlakar this morning, his final day in Ottawa. He and his wife Tammy are off to Lake Tahoe. As you'd expect, the guy who was one of our best listeners and supporters demanded one last yes/no game on his way out. It will go down as the one and only time I endorsed that awful, awful game.
As promised, here is a re-post of the tribute to Roy I did earlier this year.
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Roy Mlakar has been removed as President and CEO of the Ottawa Senators, effective June 30th. Senators Sports and Entertainment owner and chairman Eugene Melnyk made the official announcement today. Mlakar will be replaced by three people, which sounds about right, based on Roy's outstanding work ethic and body of work.
Cyril Leeder is the new president of the club along with Senators Sports and Entertainment. Joining Leeder on Melnyk's executive team will be Erin Crowe, who will serve as executive vice-president and chief financial officer, and Bryan Murray, who will continue as the Senators general manager and now add executive vice-president duties to his mandate.
Ram had to be a frustrated guy these last two seasons. After the Sens went to the 2007 Cup final, Melnyk rewarded GM John Muckler by firing him shortly after the playoffs. I'm certain that's a first for a cup finalist. Then he watched as Murray took over from Muckler, one of Mlakar's best friends. Under Murray, the Sens enter this summer with a superstar demanding out, three head coaches on the payroll and two terrible seasons in the rear view mirror. For this, Melnyk rewarded Murray with a promotion today.
This was not about performance. If it were, Mlakar would still be president. Mlakar took over a Senator franchise that was a mess. The team was 28th in NHL attendance and revenues and Mlakar helped it blossom to 6th place. This year was the first time under Mlakar the Sens had missed the playoffs. He helped build Roger's House, Candlelighters, helped save the 65 Roses sports club, was the United Way "Builder of the Year", the first ever "Brian Kilrea" award winner and was Ottawa Business news CEO of the year just 8 months ago.
Some participate in charity because of the goodwill it creates for a business. For Roy, it was always more than that. I've always most appreciated the acts of kindness that are exhibited when no one's looking. Roy did those all the time. I will always be fond of Roy for never shying away from discussions about my autistic son, as the majority of people do. "How's Michael doing?" was always the question he'd ask after a big smile and handshake. He was always genuinely interested in the answer and, as a big listener to our show, loved hearing about my adventures in autism segments.
No, this wasn't about performance. It was about personality and chemistry. This was about an owner who felt more comfortable with the duo of Leeder and Murray over Mlakar and Muckler. That's how it goes sometimes.
Roy is a good man and a good friend. He and his wife Tammy leave an outstanding legacy in this town. They did it right, they will quickly find greener pastures and they will be missed.
6 comments:
Couldn't agree more with you on Roy Mlakar. I have no idea why the Senators would have broken up the best executive tag team in North American pro sports: Cyril Leeder (venue guru) and Roy (hockey team guru). Change for the sake of change, possibly; more likely, a need to placate Bryan Murray's desire to move up the chain.
Certainly Roy was a shameless booster of the Senators, as well he should have been. There was no requirement in his job description that said he needed to be even more enthusiastic about promoting the city of Ottawa, but he was. I admit, I thought that an American born in Ohio, having worked for the Lakers and Kings in L.A. would have little time for Ottawa. My impression was that he had as much respect and affection for this smaller, quieter Canadian city than he did for L.A. or Cleveland.
I've been a season ticket holder going back to the $50 deposit and "Bring Back The Senators" campaign, and I never found the team's management more accessible than when Roy was there. Any time I sent him an email, whether it was a criticism or a suggestion, he always responded, and in many cases acted upon them. For example, after observing some of the other Canadian cities' thriving playoff atmospheres, and finding ours to be a bit lifeless, I mentioned that perhaps ours needed a kick start from the team. I doubt many other NHL CEO's would bother, but he sought out my suggestions, as well as other fans, and within a couple years the team had helped to encourage a playoff fever second to none in the league.
This year is the first that I haven't yet renewed my season ticket, and it's down to the way that Roy was treated. I haven't stopped being a Sens fan, and I'll probably be a season ticket holder again, but right now I feel the Senators organization has let the city down.
The city, as well as The Sens Army, have lost something special. I hope Lake Tahoe is good to him and his family.
Rick in Kanata.
twitter:sensrule92
I know Mr. Mlakar did great for the Sens organization and I was a bit sad to see him leave and yes it will be difficult to replace what he did, so on that, I agree.
But, with the Muckler thing... Sorry but that GM set us back for years and Murray is reparing what Muckler broke and thats the depth in the prospect department. Murray as done a tremendous job right now as to restock or depth and prospect. Sure he had the to hire 3 coach and give a lot of money to a lot of our vets, but in a couple of years (2 I hope) with the Karlsson, Cowen, Weircoch, Z. Smith, etc. The guys he drafted, I'm confident that we will get back to where we were.
anon @ 3:13pm
Disagree about Muckler. You don't fire a GM when their last act is reaching the Finals. Give people an opportunity to prove that their team cannot succeed and their adjustments cannot work.
When we lost in the Finals, I remember the pundits saying that the Sens were the fifth youngest team in the league and thus would be back in the Finals and better the next time around.
You have to lose one, to win one, they said. Bottom line, we had a very young talented team who were NHL calibre, that's why we didn't have much in the pipeline. When you're drafting 25th to 30th overall, you don't get to draft Cowen and Karlsson.
We already had a Spezza at 24 years old and Heatley at 26 years old. We were positioned for many good years.
Murray messed it up. He changed "the culture", whatever that means. I liked the winning culture better, even if it means that the players are seen at a bar every once in while. Murray seems to forget that we live in a free country ruled by laws that protect individual freedoms.
Even after Muckler left, "his team" still started the season at a record pace. It fell apart as Murray's presence became greater in the organization.
If the Sens succeed, Murray gets full credit. If it fails, it's his responsibility.
I have to agree with recent blog responders.
I had season tickets from the days of the $25 deposits (was it that or $100). I have the pucks with the parliament logos on them, the goldish pompoms from the first playoff game, the WOOHOO towels.
Mlakar was an edifice of class. I loved Roy, loved Tammy, got to meet them a few times at some social functions, great people and very affable.
I also haven't renewed. I don't like Murray. I don't like his nepotism and his obsession with untalented, unskilled lunkheads. We aren't classy anymore. We're a circus, we're a barn. Murray reshaped the team in his image. In my mind, that image is of a country town, not much room for manners, class or style. Lots of room for spittoons, hay rides and good ole country talk.
I don't like Murray, I don't like this team Murray has assembled.
Bring back some class to this team, bring back some class to this town. Bring back some youth in the line-up too, instead of all these low-talent goons.
Sigh...I miss the pre-Murray era. :(
Pierre
Pierre,
I really like your comment. Thanks. You have described very much how I feel about the Sens as well, although I've never been able to express it that way.
Agree wholeheartedly.
Murray made two poor coaching choices, but his player personnel moves have been sound. That is more than you can say for Muckler, who is the architect of the team's decline. Murray, fortunately, is working to eliminate the talent deficit created under Muckler. And Pierre, about this "no-class, country" stuff ... What the hell are you talking about? Spittoons? Hay rides?? I live near SBP, and I can tell you that barnyard smell isn't coming from the arena. Honest.
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