Senators owner Eugene Melnyk rips Maple Leafs, Ottawa mayor in radio appearances

Rudi Schuller

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Senators owner Eugene Melnyk rips Maple Leafs, Ottawa mayor in radio appearances image

Eugene Melnyk isn't having the best end to his week.

The outspoken Ottawa Senators owner stirred up controversy with his comments in separate radio appearances on Thursday and Friday. The subjects of Melnyk's ire ranged from Ottawa mayor Jim Watson to the Toronto Maples Leafs' rebuild, with special consideration for a popular Ottawa sports radio host.

In short, Melnyk aired his grievances in a way that would make the most staunch public relations professional blush.

It all started Thursday with an interview on Sportsnet 590 in Toronto. Melnyk, speaking to host Bob McCown, expressed his disdain for online fan criticism, suggesting "real Senators fans" aren't critical and that the most vocal one — a Twitter user named @ryanclassic who created a widely-shared thread detailing the team's misfortunes — is "a 12-year-old from Toronto."

Melnyk's comments on Thursday received expected backlash in the ensuing hours, but the 59-year-old doubled down on his mini media tour on Friday morning with an appearance on Ottawa's 580 CFRA. Speaking to CFRA host Bill Carroll, Melnyk addressed a number of issues surrounding his team, including the collapse of a proposed arena plan for downtown Ottawa.

Jim Watson, the mayor of Ottawa, has been critical of the Senators owner as being hard to work with. Melnyk responded Friday.

"He is so lucky I keep my mouth shut, he should keep his [shut]," Melnyk said of Watson. "You know, I have a lot to say, but I don’t say it. I’d be very careful if I was him, walking around and mouthing off. It’s also very counter-productive."

Melnyk also addressed the local media, reserving some choice words for Ottawa radio host Ian Mendes.

“Everybody has an opinion, but sometimes it’s an ill-informed opinion. I don’t like some of the tactics of a couple of your colleagues. I just won’t talk to them anymore," Melnyk told Carroll. "To try to ambush [Senators GM] Pierre Dorion, in an interview, and say, I’m going to show you — the guy was going to play some irate fan’s recording on the show.

“I mean that’s bush league stuff. You do that in little towns in the middle of nowhere. Not in a G7 capital.”

Perhaps fittingly, several prominent media members from around the country were quick to show support for Mendes, with some resorting to humour while others had questions of their own.

As if that wasn't enough, Melnyk decided to wade in on the make-up of arguably the Senators' biggest rival. Less than a week after last-place Ottawa claimed an upset 6-2 victory over the Maple Leafs, Melnyk took aim at Toronto's method of team-building.

"They’re going to have a very hard time winning a Stanley Cup without defence," Melnyk said. "Because they are hitting the cap. They can’t bring anybody new in. They’re stuck. And that’s where you have to be extremely careful ... mistakes were made. Somebody forgot about defence.”

Melnyk has a long history of making grandiose, inflammatory statements in the media, but this week's press tour may have had the most incendiary comments in such a short span of time.

Rudi Schuller