Report: Senators owner Eugene Melnyk to serve as team’s CEO

The Hockey Central panel go over how all the pieces of the trade between the Senators and Kings will fit on their new teams.

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk will take over as the team’s chief executive officer, according to a report from The Ottawa Sun.

Former president and CEO Tom Anselmi vacated his position earlier this month and Melnyk will now reportedly handle the duties himself. The 58-year-old is scheduled to assume his new position next week.

Anselmi worked for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for 17 years before joining the Senators. He was promoted to COO of MLSE in 1999 — the year Toronto moved from Maple Leaf Gardens to Air Canada Centre. Anselmi was named president of MLSE in 2012 and left the company in September, 2013.

Melnyk and the Senators are in the early stages of a potential move from their current suburban arena to a new downtown space that Melnyk has called “critical” to the franchise’s success moving forward.

The Senators, who currently sit well outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, continue to struggle with attendance this season.

With files from Canadian Press

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