The owner could not stay silent.

In the wake of a decision from the Canadian government that will keep the Ottawa Senators from realizing the dream of hosting a game on Parliament Hill, the suggestion has been made that the club should look to the city's football stadium as an alternative.

On Tuesday, in fact, an Ottawa Citizen editorial outright stated Senators owner Eugene Melnyk should endorse an outdoor game at TD Place, asserting, "an outdoor game in Ottawa that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the first NHL game played here, and of the league itself, is simply too good an opportunity to pass up."

Melnyk decided to write an editorial of his own in response, taking exception to the claim that he would be foregoing his title as a "smart business man" by passing on a "cash cow" that is an outdoor game.

Melnyk cited his ability to bring world-class events and facilities to the city since taking over as owner, as well as his current bid to bring "a new, multipurpose major event centre" to the downtown area.

He then stated an outdoor game is not a cash cow for the team, wrapping things up with the following:

Running the Ottawa Senators is not an easy business. Consider the fact that the team is currently eighth overall in the NHL and the second-best performing Canadian team, and yet we are far from sellouts at our home games.

Through my ownership of the Ottawa Senators, I do so much to support the city in ways that go far beyond hockey. In this instance, I ask everyone to understand and respect the fact that bringing an NHL outdoor game to any city is a monumental task requiring an enormous investment of time, money, and people.

Inevitably, more stories will be written by this paper and other media outlets who would simply like to point blame and accuse me of shortchanging the city for not jumping immediately to commit to another venue for an NHL outdoor game.

It is unjust, unfair, and misrepresents everything that my ownership and the Senators mean to this city.

A game on Parliament Hill would have been one to remember, to be sure.

The aftermath of the decision to reject the idea is turning into a spectacle unto its own.

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