It was supposed to be a festive occasion for the NHL, with an outdoor game Saturday in Canada’s capital to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the league’s first games.
Then, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk sneezed all over the birthday cake and spit in the punch bowl.
Melnyk made a not-so-veiled threat Friday to relocate his financially struggling franchise, less than 24 hours before the NHL 100 Classic between the Senators and Montreal Canadiens at Lansdowne Park.
“If it doesn’t look good here, it could look very, very nice somewhere else, but I’m not suggesting that right now,” Melnyk told reporters Friday at Parliament Hill during the Senators’ alumni game.