Fixing the Ottawa Senators SensChirp

A Monday distraction, of sorts.

In the fall of 2018, I received an email from someone in the Ottawa Senators organization.

They were setting up a new Digital Influencer Program and I had been selected to participate. The blogger life does not provide the fame and fortune I had hoped but it does occasionally offer unique opportunities to connect with the team I love.

A press pass. A trip to Tampa Bay. An on-air interview with Ian Mendes. A round of golf with Ron Tugnutt. I’ve done it all folks.

This was a rocky time for the Sens. The Erik Karlsson trade was still fresh and the general angst within the fan base was at an all-time high. And under those circumstances, it was extremely encouraging to see the organization making an effort to connect with the online community.

And while this was an admirable attempt, it ended up being something a little different than what I expected. It wasn’t so much about asking for feedback from a passionate group of fans but more about providing “access” (i.e. egg rolls). I took a lot of heat on Twitter for being a part of this program but in reality, I went to the first game and never went back.

Last night, as I was going through an old box of stuff in my closet, I found the notes I had prepared for that first night. I’ve gone through exercises like this a few times over the years. Either ahead of phone calls with key members of the organization, unique opportunities to meet with the likes of Cyril Leeder or Pierre Dorion, planning for a Sens Summitt or just in preparation for a job interview. I have applied to a couple different positions with the Senators over the years but never had a chance to sit down with them face to face. Hell, one time, I wrote out a lengthy Twitter direct message I was going to send to Eugene Melnyk. It started with “Nobody likes you” and then ended with a detailed plan to save the organization. I never did hit send.

Even to this day, now in my mid-30’s with two young children and a stable job, I feel like some day I’ll end up working for the Ottawa Senators. There are times over the last few years where I’ve felt like it was my calling to rescue this hockey team but the opportunity just hasn’t presented itself yet. I’ll be ready when it does though. It’s a tad arrogant but I’ve always felt like I have a unique perspective the organization should be begging to hear. Not only do I lean towards the positive outlook but nobody on the planet has read more fan input on the Ottawa Senators. Millions and millions on comments over the years has given me a unique perspective on the organization and strong understanding of where the fan base sits at a given moment. Sure it’s probably broke my brain but it has to be worth something. Plus I have a fancy degree in book learning, specifically in communications. I’m sure the phone will ring any day now.

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Anyway, as we sit here with nothing to discuss and nothing to write about, I thought it might be interesting to revisit the notes I put together for that “Digital Influencer Program” and make a blog post out of it.

It’s interesting how much of this is still relevant today. In fact, I think the four steps outlined below might still be the top priority.

I entitled it, “The Things We Think and Do Not Say- The Future of Our Business”. Or something like that.

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GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

The relationship between fans and the organization is bad. It’s really, really bad. There is zero trust right now and it’s impacting basically all interaction between the fans and the team

Despite all the good will the franchise has built up n the city over the years and the remarkable things the organization has done in the community…nobody cares. Okay, that’s not true. People care. They care a lot actually. Fans still love this team. But understand, that we are at rock bottom here. The angst that fans are feeling right now is unlike anything we’ve seen in this city. This is beyond run-of-the-mill fan frustration and if it’s not confronted head-on, it has the potential to sink this franchise.

What’s happening here is different and the decision-makers in this organization need to recognize that and treat it as such. Not everybody is as angry as some of the loudest/obnoxious voices in the online community but I can say pretty confidently that nobody is happy.

There is one really easy solution to all this but we keep hearing that he’s not interested so we need to come up with a Plan B.

After more than 25 years, the Ottawa Senators need to rebuild. And not just the roster. This franchise needs to rebuild a relationship with fans. Rebuild trust.

The good news is I firmly believe that the fan base in Ottawa is still strong. I believe you can win them back. I believe that people still want to love the Ottawa Senators. You just need to find ways to remind them why they love you.

A lot of this is going to get better on its own. Prospects will develop into stars, fan favourites will be forgotten and new ones will emerge and a lot of the pain endured by Sens fans will subside. In the meantime though, there are steps the organization can take to proactively to reengage fans and restore pride in the franchise.

THE WHO AND THE HOW

This is probably the most important thing and in reading millions of comments from readers over the years, it’s probably the thing that has come up the most often. And especially recently.

The organization needs to, as much as possible, consider who the right person is to deliver the message. There need to be serious internal discussions about who can best speak on behalf of the organization. On both the hockey side and the business side.

I can’t say definitively who that person is or if they even exist within the organization right now. I do know that it can’t be Eugene Melnyk though. It just won’t work.

In Bryan Murray and Cyril Leeder, the franchise had the perfect guys for the job. Two respected individuals that had their finger on the pulse of the fan base and the city in general. Without those two, the Senators have been so lost.

So much of the drama that has played out with this franchise is just missteps in communication.

There is a desperate need for a Team President of some sort. Someone with local ties, who understands the market and has the built-in respect of fans. Someone who can stand in front of the media and deliver a clear and consistent message. Not only would it take some of the heat off the General Manager and allow him to focus on hockey decisions, it’s someone who can also act as a buffer between Ownership and the rest of the operation.

This has to be top priority.

More than just who though, the how is equally important.

If you really want to sell people on a rebuild and get people behind this youth movement, which I think fans are totally willing to do, you have to back it up. Commit to it with more than just words but tangible action.

Announce a new office of player development. Hire new scouts and front office support. Openly embrace analytics and in the process, tap into the endless expertise that exists among Sens fans in this field. Ottawa has always been a small market team and to thrive in that situation, you need to exploit any advantage you can. By mostly ignoring analytics, you run the risk of falling even further behind. You shouldn’t be relying on these tools but you have to use them.

To really sell this rebuild to fans and to the city, you need to show tangible action. Don’t say you’re going to do things differently. Prove it. Some of these things do cost money but it’s hard to imagine a better allocation of limited resources.

SELLING A REBUILD- THE PLAN

The letter to fans at the end of the season. The video. The letter in the local paper. In a normal environment, people appreciate that sort of thing. Proactive engagement with fans is always a good thing. But Ottawa isn’t a normal situation.

I get it. On one hand, you have fans desperately wanting to know what “The Plan” is but at the same time, it’s difficult to sell fans on a plan at a time when we’ve seen a long-time fan favourite leave town. And it’s not like the General Manager can just lay out a bullet point list of next steps. It just doesn’t work that way.

So these recent attempts are sort of falling flat. No matter how much sense the ideas make, buy-in is tough when the trust isn’t there.

I think the Ottawa market would embrace a rebuild but it needs to look like it’s coming for the right reasons. That it’s…necessary. That there is more to it than just financial reasons.

Don’t say you’re rebuilding. Don’t tell us what you plan on doing. Tell us why.

Explain the make-up of the roster and show where the flaws are. Talk about the cyclical nature of pro-sports and the challenges associated with building a competitive team in the salary cap era. Outline some of the financial details that articulate the realities of operating a franchise in a small-market. Obviously the financial state of the team is a taboo subject internally but everybody knows it. Acknowledge it and talk about why it’s a factor in what is happening here in Ottawa.

Be honest though. Fans can handle it. Admit that mistakes have been made in the past and outline why this approach will make things better.

People are having a hard time wrapping their minds around how we went from one goal away to a swing-for-the-fences Matt Duchene trade to a scorched earth rebuild.

Someone needs to tell that story.

From there, it becomes about consistent communication and a fresh approach to marketing.

The “everything is okay” technique used lately really isn’t fooling anyone and for the most part, is coming off as tone-deaf and almost condescending.

The organization needs to rethink the way it communicates with fans in general and it has to happen in a way that recognizes that you are trying to reach a wide-range of audiences.

You have new fans or the ones you just haven’t reached yet. You have casual fans- those that buy tickets occasionally and follow the team during the season but tune out from time to time. And then you have the die-hards. The most passionate fans. These aren’t always your season ticket holders but they are often the ones driving the conversation surrounding the team.

I think the organization does a pretty good job of reaching out to the casual fans. And it’s clear in recent years that there is a conscious effort to try to reach new fans, although there’s still work to do there. Where I think the organization needs to re-think things is in how it communicates with the most passionate fans. When you use generic messaging aimed as casual fans to talk to your die-hard supporters, it often misses the mark.

A series of “Insider Updates” would be a great way to reach out to this group.

Have the GM talk about managing the salary cap, how trades come together and the steps that go into preparing for an entry draft. Get the Head Coach to talk about what goes into running a practice, implementing a system and motivating a team. Have your scouts talk about what they watch for in a player and how that drives decision-making on the draft floor. Get the players to talk about skill development and their approach to off-ice fitness and as much as possible, let fans get to know the players as people.

Talk to fans like you talk to each other.

I recognize that a lot of this is easier said than done. Real financial investment is required to make some of these things happen and in some instances, it will require an honest assessment of mistakes that have been made in the past and a commitment to doing things differently.

There are better days ahead for the Ottawa Senators. With these seemingly simple steps, you can help remind fans why they loved this team in the first place.

Step 1- Hire Team President.

Step 2- Focus on concrete rebuild-supporting actions (ex. front office support, scouts, player development and analytics).

Step 3- Honest explanation of The Rebuild.

Step 4- Rethink Approach to Fan Communications

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In hindsight, maybe this should have just been my cover letter to go along with my application to the vacant CEO position.

Hmm.