Gary Bettman finally addresses arena and ownership issue in Ottawa under Eugene Melnyk

It’s been quite a calendar year for Ottawa Senators fans…

Without getting into things in depth, here’s a quick recap of the current situation:

• GM Pierre Dorion massively overpays for Matt Duchene
• Owner Eugene Melnyk threatens to move the team, compares them to a grocery store, at the NHL 100 Classic outdoor game
• Forward Mike Hoffman’s fiancee allegedly harasses captain Erik Karlsson’s wife
• Assistant GM Randy Lee is arrested after harassing a hotel manager
• Mark Stone signs a non-committal one year deal
• Hoffman is traded off for spare parts
• Karlsson is traded off for spare parts
• Four players slam assistant coach Marty Raymond in a leaked Uber video
• New plans for an arena deal in downtown Ottawa are nixed 
• Need we go on? 

The thing is… there’s a sense in Ottawa that a lot of the team’s problems can be traced back to Melnyk. Perhaps the most derided owner in the NHL, it’s no secret that Ottawa’s fanbase wants Melnyk out, mostly because of how he has fumbled plans for a new arena in Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats area. So far, the NHL and commissioner Gary Bettman have put their support behind Melnyk, but it seems that even Gary’s patience is wearing thin now. 

When asked about the situation in Ottawa, Bettman would only say that he’s “disappointed.”

Gary Bettman says he's "disappointed" with how the Ottawa arena situation is playing out.

It’s also worth noting that Melnyk is NOT attending the NHL’s board of governors meeting this week in Georgia:

Eugene Melnyk is not at the @NHL BOG meeting.

Are we finally seeing Melnyk getting edged out by the NHL? With no first round pick in the upcoming 2019 NHL Entry Draft, it’s really the only hope that Sens fans can cling to these days…