Photo Courtesy: Ottawa Senators / @Media_Sens
When I visited Belleville during the week of Thanksgiving, I spoke to many residents around the area about the Senators. While there was a palpable amount of excitement and an incredible level of support after the big announcement, there was also a lot of questions and some things that were not entirely clear to hockey fans in Quinte. In this post I hope to answer some of the most common questions I've been asked, as well as respond to some of the comments that I have seen online, and debunk some myths that surround the team.
Comment: The Belleville Senators are an American team, and they are going to be playing in an American League. Why should I support a team that's not "Canadian?"
Response: To say the Belleville Senators are an American team is like saying that the Ottawa Senators or the Toronto Maple Leafs are an American team. Yes, they will be playing in the American Hockey League, that is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. No, that does not mean that they are an American team. They will be playing in a Canadian city, and they are owned by a Canadian group.
Furthermore, there will be four Canadian teams in the AHL by the start of the 2017-18 season: Belleville (Ottawa Senators), Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs), Manitoba (Winnipeg Jets), and Laval (Montréal Canadiens). Also, just because the NHL is based in New York, doesn't make it an American league. Plus, there were American-based teams in the Ontario Hockey League, but they were still American!
Response: To say the Belleville Senators are an American team is like saying that the Ottawa Senators or the Toronto Maple Leafs are an American team. Yes, they will be playing in the American Hockey League, that is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. No, that does not mean that they are an American team. They will be playing in a Canadian city, and they are owned by a Canadian group.
Furthermore, there will be four Canadian teams in the AHL by the start of the 2017-18 season: Belleville (Ottawa Senators), Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs), Manitoba (Winnipeg Jets), and Laval (Montréal Canadiens). Also, just because the NHL is based in New York, doesn't make it an American league. Plus, there were American-based teams in the Ontario Hockey League, but they were still American!
Question: This is Toronto Maple Leafs territory, why would they put the Senators' farm team in a fanbase of Leafs fans, and wouldn't cheering for the Belleville Senators be cheering against the Marlies/Leafs?
Answer: To answer the first part of the question it is important to note that Eugene Melnyk and the ownership group didn't just decide on a whim to pick Belleville as the site for their AHL team. Several months and a lot of analysis and planning went into the decision to pick Belleville. While it would be ideal if they could move even closer to Ottawa into more traditional "Sens territory", Belleville is the ideal destination for various reasons (as explained in my previous article) with the primary reason being market size/population. Additionally, there are still a lot of Ottawa Senators fans in the Quinte area.
For the second part of this question, it's important to note that there is no "correct" answer. In a way, yes, if you are a Maple Leafs fan, by supporting the Sens you would be cheering for your rival's farm team. However, the actual competition between the Senators and say the Marlies, is all about the development of all the players on the ice. So a good game of hockey between the Marlies and Senators at Yardmen Arena, would be beneficial to the development of the players on both teams.
In short, yes you can be a Senators fan, even if you are a Leafs fan.
Answer: To answer the first part of the question it is important to note that Eugene Melnyk and the ownership group didn't just decide on a whim to pick Belleville as the site for their AHL team. Several months and a lot of analysis and planning went into the decision to pick Belleville. While it would be ideal if they could move even closer to Ottawa into more traditional "Sens territory", Belleville is the ideal destination for various reasons (as explained in my previous article) with the primary reason being market size/population. Additionally, there are still a lot of Ottawa Senators fans in the Quinte area.
For the second part of this question, it's important to note that there is no "correct" answer. In a way, yes, if you are a Maple Leafs fan, by supporting the Sens you would be cheering for your rival's farm team. However, the actual competition between the Senators and say the Marlies, is all about the development of all the players on the ice. So a good game of hockey between the Marlies and Senators at Yardmen Arena, would be beneficial to the development of the players on both teams.
In short, yes you can be a Senators fan, even if you are a Leafs fan.
Q: If Belleville couldn't support the Bulls, how are they expected to support a professional (AHL) team?
A: The Bulls did not simply leave Belleville because they were not supported, and to say that they weren't supported isn't entirely fair or accurate. Yes, there was a decline in attendance which may suggest lessening support, however, there were a plethora of reasons that led to that decline in attendance. With a new team that will be playing in a newly (and much needed) renovated arena, there are plenty of reasons to expect a very well supported franchise. For one, more seats means that overall/average ticket prices do not need to be as high, because there will be more tickets sold. This was a problem the Bulls had, with nearly 2000 fewer seats than the average OHL arena; they had to charge more to make up for the fewer number of tickets purchased.
With the Senators, ownership, local government, and fans seem to be on the same page - and that is a very promising start to this new partnership.
A: The Bulls did not simply leave Belleville because they were not supported, and to say that they weren't supported isn't entirely fair or accurate. Yes, there was a decline in attendance which may suggest lessening support, however, there were a plethora of reasons that led to that decline in attendance. With a new team that will be playing in a newly (and much needed) renovated arena, there are plenty of reasons to expect a very well supported franchise. For one, more seats means that overall/average ticket prices do not need to be as high, because there will be more tickets sold. This was a problem the Bulls had, with nearly 2000 fewer seats than the average OHL arena; they had to charge more to make up for the fewer number of tickets purchased.
With the Senators, ownership, local government, and fans seem to be on the same page - and that is a very promising start to this new partnership.
C: In the OHL and the CHL as a whole, the players were pushing to get drafted and make it to the NHL. Since the AHL is a professional league, there won't be as much effort on the ice.
R: Just because a player has made it to the AHL, does not mean the effort will decline. If anything, the players will be working that much harder to make the final leap to the NHL. You can think of the AHL as a Canadian Hockey League for older players, or the last hill to climb before reaching the summit. Many of the players drafted to the NHL will spend at least some time with their club's farm team before they put on an NHL jersey. The effort will be just as intense, if not more intense, for these players looking for their big break, or who are looking to return to the big league.
R: Just because a player has made it to the AHL, does not mean the effort will decline. If anything, the players will be working that much harder to make the final leap to the NHL. You can think of the AHL as a Canadian Hockey League for older players, or the last hill to climb before reaching the summit. Many of the players drafted to the NHL will spend at least some time with their club's farm team before they put on an NHL jersey. The effort will be just as intense, if not more intense, for these players looking for their big break, or who are looking to return to the big league.
If you have any more questions that you would like answered about the Belleville Senators or the American Hockey League, please feel free to comment below or contact me.
Adam Jenkins grew up in Trenton, Ontario, and was a season ticket holder to the Belleville Bulls with his father, John. Adam currently attends Ryerson University, where he is enrolled in his third year of the prestigious Radio and Television Arts, Sport Media program, with aspirations of becoming an on-air talent in a host, reporter, and/or play-by-play announcer role. For general inquiries, please visit the 'CONTACT' page. You can also find him on Twitter, at @adamkjenkins
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