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“It really put a cloud over the game to a certain degree to have the owner muse about that.”

Watson also couldn’t believe Melnyk suggested the team didn’t need to play out of a downtown arena.

“It was not helpful when Eugene blurted out that maybe (the Senators) don’t have to move downtown because that’s exactly at odds with what he and (NHL commissioner) Gary Bettman have been telling me going back four years, that the arena has to be in the downtown core,” Watson said.

“I fully support that. I think it would be great for the west end of the downtown. It would help us in ridership in term of getting people on the LRT. It would help with the Quebec market and the Orléans market to be more central.

“I’m hoping he misspoke and is not casting doubt on all of the work we’re putting in to getting the arena and the whole site revitalized in the downtown.”

The Senators, under the consortium RendezVous LeBreton Group, and the National Capital Commission are negotiating to redevelop LeBreton Flats with an NHL-calibre arena anchoring a mixed-use community.

According to Watson, under his administration this city won’t do what other cities have done and give a professional hockey team money to keep the club around. Edmonton helped pay for a new arena where the Oilers play and Calgary has offered the Flames money for a new arena.

Watson isn’t sold on those kinds of multimillion-dollar gifts.

“It’s very clear that there is precious little support for direct subsidies to professional sports teams,” he said.