Sens management to fans: We've messed up, but don't give up

As senior managers for the Ottawa Senators made the media rounds to promote their new season seat program, it was clear they had reconciliation on their minds.

TheSenshave branded theprogram as "The Seventh," areference to the fans beinga sort ofseventh player during games.

It gives season ticket holders 20 per cent off food and non-alcoholic drinksat the Canadian Tire Centre along with the current perk of 20 per cent off merchandiseand promises a limited-edition, exclusive set of team gear for them.

Chief marketing officer Aimee Deziel and chief operating officer Nicolas Ruszkowskiadmitto widespread fan frustration and said Thursday's announcementwas the first step towards making things right.

"Aimee and I have been on the job now roughly eight months, and from the moment that we stepped into the building we took the approach that we were goingtry and bring a level of accountability and self-awareness for whatever challenges we were going through," Ruszkoski told CBC Ottawa on Thursday.

Sens COO says team is trying to combat fan apathy

6 years ago

Duration 1:01

Nicolas Ruszkowski, chief operating officer for the Ottawa Senators, says the team is trying to avoid a "slide into disengagement" when it comes to fans.

"I think we live and breathe with the concern that, while anger, frustration, resentment are suboptimal and they're not comfortable, they're reassuring in the sense that they're the opposite of apathy Everything that we're doing, not only today but that we have been doing from the beginning of the season, is about trying to combat that slide into disengagement."

And there have been several reasons for fans to disengage, from the departure of all the team's high-profileunrestricted free agents to the failure of the team's bid to be part of the redeveloped LeBretonFlats.

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The target of fan frustration on these issues keeps landing on team owner Eugene Melnyk.

"None of this is news to Eugene Melnyk. He ispart and parcel of the conversations that we've had about this,"saidRuszkowski.

"One of the things that's refreshing about working with him, which I think some fans will acknowledge whether they like it or not He is blunt and direct to a fault."

After several rounds of consultation with fans,Deziel added that ownership was one of manyareas of fan discontent.

"I think what I'm feeling right now from our fans is, 'I don't like you but I still love you' We've been criticized for being tone deaf in certain situations this year and it was really important to me that this message wasn't, 'Hey, everything's wonderful. Renew your season seats.' It was, 'We understand that rebuilds are hard.'"

Dezielsaid The Seventh is the first step towards proving to fansthe team is listening and learning.

"I think when you put [the perks] all together, that's when it starts to be'OK, now I'm starting to see the value come back in terms of my investment.'"