It hasn’t been business as usual since Anthony LeBlanc joined the Ottawa Senators last April.
Brought in by owner Eugene Melnyk in the role of president of business operations, LeBlanc arrived with a focus of selling season tickets at the Canadian Tire Centre for the 2020-21 campaign and helping the organization with its relationships in the community.
A former president and a member of the Arizona Coyotes’ ownership group, LeBlanc was excited to get his new role with the Senators. He was an original season ticket holder in 1992 when the club started playing at the Ottawa Civic Centre and has always kept his home in the Glebe.
He first met with representatives of the Senators on March 12, 2020 in Toronto and marvelled at the fact there was nobody else on the train that evening as he made his way back to Ottawa. Introduced in late-April, LeBlanc has spent a lot of time putting the pieces in place for when the organization can welcome fans back to the rink.
LeBlanc can see that happening some day soon.
“A month ago I was very concerned about the rollout of the vaccines,” LeBlanc told Postmedia in a telephone interview Thursday morning. “I remember in the fall nobody thought we would have vaccines rolling out as early as we did. In the last couple of weeks, I’m encouraged with what I’ve seen, especially south of the border, I’ve got lots of friends down there who aren’t older and getting vaccinated.
“The government is starting to acquire more vaccines up here. This is all based off mass vaccinations and I do feel like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel now that is real and that will, hopefully, happen this calendar year.”
The Senators have a plan in place to allow 6,000 fans to return with proper social distancing and they were in discussions with the province before the second wave hit. The agreement was made around Christmas to allow the Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs to play home games without people in the stands.
LeBlanc and his staff are now focused on having people back in the rink for the 2021-22 campaign as long as the vaccines continue to be distributed.
“The last thing we want to do, and Eugene has made this clear, is hold a super spreader event,” LeBlanc said. “We don’t want to have fans back until it’s as safe as possible and we’re confident that we’ve created a safe environment with all the protocols in place.
“We’ve got the touchless aspects, the sanitization requirements and one of things we’ve talked about is do we look at rapid testing? I know some of the U.S. facilities allowing fans are doing rapid testing. It’s all going to come down to the vaccination cycle. I’ve heard that all Canadians could have their first dose by the summer and, if that happens, I’m optimistic that we could open with fans and, perhaps, with a fuller capacity.
“We’re going to sit down and work with the province and Ottawa Public Health to see where things go. I can say, with a straight face, I’m more optimistic than I was weeks ago.”
A lot will depend on the distribution of vaccines and an easement in the regulations surrounding the Canada-U.S. border which remains closed to non-essential travel. Getting fans back is a huge factor and there are 17 markets south of the border that have at least some fans.
LeBlanc said he looks forward to the day when fans return.
“I go to all the home games and that season opener it took me the better part of the game to get adjusted because it was just bizarre,” said LeBlanc. “I find it odd whenever we score, I’m loud when I cheer, and to be the only one in the building that I can here when I cheer is weird. If I feel that way, I would have to think, the players feel that way as well and I’ve spoken to Chris Phillips about it.
“From a business standpoint, of course we want fans back in the building, and I’m encouraged by what I’m seeing. At the same time, I’m cautious when I look at some of the U.S. markets. Eugene has made it crystal clear to me that we aren’t to do anything until we know we aren’t putting people at risk.”
CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE COULD BE VACCINATION SITE IN SPRING
The rink remains available if it needs to be used as a hospital, for COVID-19 testing or as a mass vaccination site.
In January, Melnyk, LeBlanc and local MPP Lisa MacLeod, the minister of heritage, sport, tourism and culture in the Doug Ford government in Ontario, had a Zoom call where the Senators offered to assist in any way possible.
“(Melnyk) personally extended, again, that whatever we can help the province or the municipality in whatever they need, be it testing and he certainly indicated, the rink would be available for vaccinations,” LeBlanc said. “We have to wait until the end of the season. Down in Arizona, one of the most effective sites for vaccinations are the parking lots at State Farm stadium where the Cardinals play.
“They’re putting through thousands of people a day. It makes sense for us to offer it up. We did have a weekend testing the parking lot and that’s standing invitation that we’ve put out there.”
bgarrioch@postmedia.com
Twitter: @sungarrioch
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2021
