Sens GM Pierre Dorion gives fans ultimatum if they want team to spend maximum on players

It seems like an odd thing for an NHL general manager to say, but Pierre Dorion is telling fans to put their money where their mouth is if they want the Ottawa Senators to spend to the salary cap next season. In an interview with TSN radio, Dorion said the only way he'll spend the maximum amount on players in 2022-23 is if the Sens sell out all 41 home games.

Ottawa's average attendance for home games this season was 9,155 people, good for dead last in the entire NHL. Yes, even below the Arizona Coyotes, who managed an average attendance of 11,601 this season, ahead of Buffalo and Ottawa. Capacity at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa is 19,153. That means the Sens were drawing less than 50 percent capacity on average in 2021-22.

Ottawa spent $70,881,426 on players this season, about $10.6 million under the salary cap ceiling of $81.5 million. That much money could land an elite player, or two very good ones, depending on how the team wanted to use it. The Senators' highest paid player is Brady Tkachuk at $8.33 million. The second highest paid is defenceman Thomas Chabot, who makes an even $8 million.

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