On August 26th, 2003, the Ottawa Senators were forever changed as an organization.
On that day, business mogul Eugene Melnyk purchased the Senators and their arena (Then the Corel Centre) for $100 million, helping bring the Sens out of financial ruin that included $300 million in debts.
It was a monumental moment for the franchise, the savior the team needed to help keep the team on the up-and-up and the organization’s finances in check.
But what Sens fans didn’t realize is that they had been deceived.
For you see, Melnyk’s did not purchase the Senators to help save the team, but to destroy it, and make way for the only Ontario based team in his heart: The Toronto Maple Leafs.