The Ottawa Senators owner has stayed true to his Best in Class motto, continues to repair fractured relationships of the past, and is fired up for the new season.
When actor Ryan Reynolds was investigating the idea of buying the Ottawa Senators, there was talk he might try and make another reality TV show out of it.
Obviously, that never came to pass, but when Michael Andlauer officially bought the team last year, he probably could have had a TV show of his own. Everyone loves those shows where they buy a fixer upper and turn it into something nice.
The one Andlauer bought on Palladium Drive had it all:
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All of that would have made for some compelling television as Mike and his team began to try and "Make it Right."
But almost a year into his ownership, Andlauer says he's truly enjoying it all. He says he's pleased to see improvements to the club's foundation and structure, but says it's not something that can be fully accomplished overnight.
"It's a bite-sized thing," Andlauer told TSN 1200 radio on Tuesday morning. "And from a fan's perspective – and trust me, I'm now one of the biggest fans of the Ottawa Senators, obviously – one of the things you'll learn is that I hate to lose. We've had a lot of years of not winning in this town, but you have to realize that you can only do this bite-sizes at a time. But we're making really good progress."
Andlauer admitted that things might have gone a little more smoothly last season if the sale had been completed earlier and not so close to the start of the season. For example, after his first tour of the CTC, he says he wanted to make immediate renovations to the gym and the medical training area.
"(Equipment manager) Johnny Forget says, 'No, you can't do that. Our season is ready to start. You just can't start moving stuff around.' Obviously, he was right. So we started that (instead) this year. Now we've got a brand new gym and a new therapy area."
It stands to reason that he and GM Steve Staios might have gone to work making other important changes earlier had the sale not taken so long.
As he does in most interviews, Andlauer carried himself with a likeable sincerity that he doesn't just save for the cameras and microphones. Prior to the team's annual golf tournament on Monday, I kept half an eye on him happily engaging with fans and sponsors with casual ease and grace.
Andlauer later took to the podium to officially welcome everyone to the event, and with the players at his side, he asked for a moment of silence to remember Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were killed by a drunk driver while cycling in New Jersey on August 29th.
Andlauer didn't actually play in the golf tournament but instead parked himself at the same hole all day to meet and speak with every golfer who came by. The event raised $350,000 for the Senators Community Foundation and local youth mental health.
If there's any concern about Andlauer as an owner, it might be the notion that his famously deep love of hockey might tempt him to get over involved in hockey decisions. He was asked directly if he shares his opinion on players.
"Only if I'm asked. I mean, I might add the odd comment," Andlauer said, breaking into laughter.
"I try to have a relationship with everybody. Whether it be Cyril Leeder and the business team, or Steve Staios, they know their business better than I do, because they're doing it 24/7. I'm not.
"I've got a public company that I run. Same thing. I have presidents with those companies. I'm a conscience for them. I'm passionate. I like to micromanage, but I'm not going to make those decisions."
Andlauer says he thrives on open communication and collaboration with all of his staff and says all of his employees can be a great resource for ideas.
"I always say I'm a big R&D guy – rip off and duplicate – and I said to Linus Ullmark, whatever you feel is better that you saw in Boston, make sure you let us know."
The owner can't sit still at Sens games, often seen glad-handing in the owner's suite to start games, but then leaving the best seats in the house to head upstairs to be with the hockey operations team.
"I don't want to hobnob. I just want to watch the game. I'll go (and entertain) between periods. I'll be in the suite before, and I'm fine with that. But as soon as the puck drops, I'm just focused."
Andlauer says he's thrilled to see the positive attitude of the players, who've all arrived for camp early.
"They're going to training camp with a better mental set, commitment, desire. There's a confidence about them, which I really like."
With the new season about to begin, it's refreshing to see a Senator organization looking so focused and professional, and finally led by an owner who really does seem committed to the notion of "Best in Class."
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