Senators president Cyril Leeder said “a significant number” of the company’s 170 staff have received layoff notices, but declined to give specific numbers except to say it was more than 10 people, according to media reports.
Remaining full-time staff have been asked to take a reduced work week to save costs. The hockey club will give season ticket holders the choice of cancelling their purchases, or allowing the organization to keep the money at a five-per-cent interest rate.
Additionally, the Senators cancelled the 2012 Bell Sens Charity Golf Classic.
A collective bargaining agreement between NHL owners and players expired Saturday. NHL owners have since locked out the players.
The regular season was scheduled to start Oct. 11, but the start date for training camps has already been pushed back indefinitely from the scheduled opening date of Sept. 21.
The Senators hockey club is just one part of Senators Sports & Entertainment, which has four business units and a charitable portion all told. However, hockey figures prominently into the revenues for the other portions of the company.
Scotiabank Place’s revenues come from hockey games, concerts and other events, while Capital Tickets provides services for Senators games, the Ottawa 67’s, Bluesfest and Centrepointe Theatre.
The Senators also are part of a private-public partnership with the city, called Capital Sports Management, that handles the Bell Sensplex in Kanata and Cavanagh Sensplex in West Carleton.
On Monday, Mr. Leeder pledged the Sens Foundation, which is the charitable portion of the Senators, would be affected as little as possible by the lockout.
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