Canada's Olympic Senators

     Here’s a handy reminder to you men out there. February 14^th is Valentine’s Day and you better make plans now to celebrate with your significant other in order to maintain domestic harmony.

     What you might not have known, however, is that February 14^th also marks the beginning of the preliminary round of the men’s hockey competition at this year’s Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

     Now if you’re like me, you’ve already written off Olympic hockey thanks to the National Hockey League’s decision to boycott the tournament. Instead of enjoying the best of the best competing against one another, we’re left to watch a bunch of youngsters and former NHL players face off in what will undoubtedly be, at best, a second-rate competition.

     It’s hard to get excited when the likes of Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Eric Karlsson, Patrick Kane and Carey Price will be nowhere near South Korea come mid-February. Instead, we’ll be looking at such “superstars” as Derek Roy, Ben Scrivens, Brian Gionta and Jordan Greenway. Not exactly household names in the world of hockey fandom.

     What’s a hockey fan to do? Well, if you’re a follower of most NHL teams, you’ve either got a team headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs or one that still has an outside chance of making it. So you likely won’t be distracted by the third-rate hockey that will play out at the Olympics.

     Now that’s fine for most of you but it’s of little consolation for us Senators fans here in Ottawa. Our team’s chances of making the playoffs are slim to none. From what I can see, we’re left with a wintertime Sophie’s choice: follow a failing team that’s out of the playoff race or watch an Olympic hockey tournament reminiscent of the amateurs-only competitions of years gone by.

     I think I have a solution to this sad dilemma, a solution that could spark the interest of Senators fans while at the same time burnish the somewhat tarnished reputation of team owner Eugene Melnyk.

     I’m urging Mr. Melnyk to effectively throw in the towel for this season and free the Senators Canadian players to join their national team over in PyeongChang. That would mean forwards like Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Alex Burrows and Zack Smith would be available to play for Canada. It would also free up defensemen like Cody Ceci, Mark Borowiecki, Thomas Chabot and Dion Phaneuf.

     With a lineup like that, Canada’s Olympic team would instantly become the clear favorite to take the gold medal in South Korea. And Ottawa would be transformed from a city having nothing to look forward to beyond a last-place finish to increase the team’s odds for next year’s draft to one filled with revitalized fans looking for Olympic gold.

     There is, of course, the issue of lost revenue. By my calculation, however, the Senators would only miss two home games. To make up any shortfall, perhaps Team Canada’s games could be shown on the big screens at the Canadian Tire Centre and we could pay admission to help out Mr. Melnyk.

     As for any road games during the Olympics, Ottawa would simply concede and give up the two points that they were likely going to lose anyway. If the NHL decides to be a stickler about this, maybe we could just replace the team with the Belleville Senators farm team for the interim.

     Time’s a wasting, Mr. Melnynk, so I suggest you get on this right away. We may have no chance at the Stanley Cup this year but Olympic gold is ours for the taking.