The Belleville Senators are staying put through to 2027 and getting some help from the City of Belleville in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a special event on Wednesday night, Mayor Mitch Panciuk announced that a letter of intent has been signed to push back the rent-free period and loan payments for the team to the end of the 2020/21 season and extend the team’s lease and licensing agreement to June 30, 2027.
That adds three more years onto the original contract, plus an option to extend further.
The team was to have started to pay rent this season but the American Hockey League has been shut down since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That has lead to significant financial losses across the league, since team revenue is very much tied to ticket and sponsorship sales.
Panciuk says the deal is a sign of city’s willingness to keep the B-Sens in town.
“This represents a monetized value of just under $640,000 for the Belleville Senators and is a clear indication from the City of Belleville of our desire to help the Belleville Senators survive the current public health crisis and then go on to thrive once league operations resume.”
Ottawa and Belleville Senators owner Eugene Melnyk thanked the mayor for his leadership and says the new agreement will allow the team to get through the pandemic and continue to build on the foundation laid over the first three seasons.
“I think it speaks to the relationship we have with the City of Belleville and it’s great we’ve been able to extend that relationship for years to come. We have from day one wanted to be part of this community and we’re doing everything possible to be that way, and not just talk, and talk, and talk, but to actually do the walk.”
He says the team has already shown that it can contribute to the community, by passing off around $500,000 worth of donations to various local charities, community groups and programs, and minor hockey teams.
Melnyk and Senators Sports and Entertainment also paid the salaries of team staff and some arena workers through what would have been the first round of the playoffs, because of the unexpected cancellation to the season, in which Belleville was expected to make a deep playoff run.
Ottawa Senators President of Business Operations Anthony LeBlanc was asked about the low attendance numbers over the first team’s first three seasons in Belleville, with the per game average dropping from 3,608 in the inaugural 2017/18 season to 2,867 in the shortened 2019/20 campaign, despite Belleville being one of the league’s top teams.
He says the extended term will give the organization a chance to continue to strengthen its community ties and draw fans and more business partners to the rink.
“This is a new relationship, it’s a new franchise and the American Hockey League is a new league to the City of Belleville and to the Bay of Quinte. We know that we have work to do to continue to develop those relationships and win over those fans. It’s incumbent on us to spend more time down in Belleville working with Mitch, working with council, but more importantly working with the community.”
LeBlanc also noted the importance of this type of financial help from the municipality, especially given that Belleville is one of the smallest markets in the American Hockey League.
When it comes to getting back some of that gate-driven revenue, LeBlanc told the press conference that they have been working with public health officials on the possibility of having fans back at CAA Arena if and when play resumes, but those details are still being worked out.
As far as an upcoming season goes, the American Hockey League is targeting February 5, 2021 as a potential start date for a shortened American Hockey League campaign, which would likely mirror the proposed NHL schedule of just over 50 games and a heavily localized schedule.
Belleville would likely play the majority of its games against the Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens), Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets), since the Canada/USA border remains closed.
You can watch the full announcement below:
