The Ottawa Senators welcomed back Cyril Leeder, a familiar face, on the same day last fall that they got to meet Michael Andlauer, their new club owner.
Co-founder of the NHL team based in Ottawa, Leeder served as an executive for the team from its founding until 2017, when then-Senators owner Eugene Melnyk fired him out of a fit of pique.
Andlauer had it in the back of his mind to restore Leeder as the CEO and president of the Senators if Leeder was willing to return. Andlauer knew Leeder from the days when the two frequently represented Montreal (Andlauer) and Ottawa at the NHL Board of Governors meetings. were absent from the company for over six years. How did it feel to return to the NHL franchise you helped found?
Sincerely, that was very fantastic. You rarely get a second chance at things in life that are truly important to you. similar to being given second opportunities. I am therefore really appreciative of Michael and the ownership group for giving me the chance to return. Thus far, it’s been more enjoyable than I could have ever expected.
What are some of the most significant alterations you have noticed in the organization while your absence?From a league standpoint, there are a lot of changes happening on the broadcast front at the moment, which makes it quite topical. The biggest shift would be switching from linear broadcasts to streaming services. While the NFL, MLB, and NBA have all renewed their national agreements, the league has obviously not yet done so. The NBA is currently in the process of doing so. We’ll see what happens from that, but my prediction is that you’ll start to see a mix of linear and streaming bundles available when the NHL deal (2026) and our (regional) deal (2026) come due — definitely within the next ten years.
Leave a Reply