Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer tells fans 'we're just getting started'
Michael Andlauer is confident the step the Ottawa Senators took this season is only the beginning.
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The Senators owner wrote an open letter to the club's fans on Wednesday morning after the club made the playoffs for the first time in eight years this spring and Andlauer believes this club is headed in the right direction.
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Eliminated in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first Battle of Ontario in 21 years in Game 6 last Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators were saluted by their faithful before they left the ice.
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Andlauer couldn't say enough good things about the fans who stuck around after the final buzzer to cheer the Senators after they left the ice and chant the name of captain Brady Tkachuk.
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It was an emotional end to what will be looked on as a successful season.
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'Sens fans, even though our season ended sooner than we liked, I wanted to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your unwavering and amazing support,' Andlauer wrote.
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'Your passion was on full display at our home games in the playoffs. I've never seen anything like the ovation inside Canadian Tire Centre when we tied Game 6 in the third period.
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'I'm not sure there is another fan base that would have stayed in their seats to cheer on their team after they were eliminated. If the empty-net goal by Ridly Greig was the highlight from last year, certainly your passion and appreciation in Game 6 — which sent shivers down my spine — was the highlight of this season.'
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Andlauer and his partners purchased the Senators from the estate of the late Eugene Melnyk for $950 million US in a deal that closed in September 2023. They have done a good job of stabilizing the organization.
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The Senators ranked 25th in the league in average attendance during the regular season, with a 92.8% capacity of 17,306 fans per game in the 18,652-seat arena during 41 home games.
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The atmosphere down the stretch and in the three playoff games in Ottawa against the Leafs was something to behold. Fans gathered in the plaza outside the rink and enjoyed the fact that the city hadn't had post-season action in what felt like a lifetime.
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The Senators were able to add new season-ticket holders during the run to the playoffs. The club went into the post-season with approximately 7,500 season-seat holders and was able to add new subscribers down the stretch, plus through the first round.
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Cyril Leeder, the club's chief executive officer and president, has stated publicly that the club needs to move closer to the league average of 11,000 season-ticket subscribers. Andlauer is confident the base will grow.
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