Toronto Sun

Senators owner Eugene Melnyk broke his silence Saturday night, assuring Ottawa hockey fans he has a strategy to improve his struggling team and bring a Stanley Cup home.

Speaking from his home in Barbados, Melnyk told the Ottawa Sun that GM Bryan Murray and coach Cory Clouston aren’t going to be fired before the end of the season and a plan is being put in place to get the club back on track.

Melnyk is still confident the Senators can make the right decisions quickly and return to being a Stanley Cup contender. He wouldn’t expand on what changes might be made.

“There is no one, no one, on this planet that bleeds more than I do for this team, as a fan and as an owner,” said Melnyk. “I am more disappointed in the performance of the team than any fan could imagine. The time has come to make some of the most difficult decisions that an owner can make. Do we need a game-changer? I believe we do. I’ve lost sleep. Bryan Murray loses sleep. Cory Clouston loses sleep. Everybody who loves this team doesn’t sleep well at night.”

Melnyk decided to speak to the Sun because of fan outcry and disappointment with the club’s five-game losing skid, which hit another low with a humiliating 7-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens Friday night at Scotiabank Place.

Fans have been calling for changes and Melnyk said he’ll do whatever it takes at the appropriate time to get this ship turned around. He said those are questions he’s asking himself and would at a later date provide more information on the direction he’ll take.

“We all are on the same page when it comes to wanting to win,” said Melnyk. “How we do it is now the biggest question that we need answered and we spend every hour of every day trying to figure it how to stop the dam and do it. We’re unhappy.

“We’re going to do what it takes to bring the Stanley Cup to Ottawa, whether it takes one, three or five years. It will happen. You have my commitment.”

Melnyk said he speaks with Murray on a regular basis to keep updated on day-to-day business and will not make changes in the front office with the contracts of both Murray and Clouston expiring at the end of the season.

Melnyk didn’t given an indication on what will happen to Murray or Clouston.

“At this time, it makes no sense to make managerial or coaching changes,” said Melnyk. “We’ll let the season play itself out and look forward to building for the future.”

While Melnyk didn’t want to get into details, he definitively stated there is a vision for the future.

“Don’t think for one second that we’re not putting a plan in place that’s methodical, calculated and with a lot of forethought to win a Stanley Cup,” said Melnyk. “The reason I’ve been quiet is I’ve been working on a plan. That plan is now in motion.”

Asked what his message is to Ottawa hockey fans who have been watching the painful slide, Melnyk insisted he remains confident the Senators can return to glory.

“I’m very optimistic going forward. We’ve got good prospects in the organization. We’ve drafted well. We’ve got a good pipeline of players and it can only get better,” said Melnyk.