Ottawa CFL
Encyclopedia
The Ottawa Canadian Football League team is an unnamed conditional CFL
franchise that has been awarded in the city of Ottawa
. On March 25, 2008, an ownership group led by Ottawa 67's
owner Jeff Hunt
was awarded the franchise. The team is expected to play at Frank Clair Stadium
if the stadium can be remodelled, and would begin play at an undetermined time in the future. While the franchise was conditionally awarded the right to host the 2014 Grey Cup
game in 2008, Jeff Hunt has indicated that he would like to postpone the game for a few years to give his franchise a better chance to play in the championship game and, due to lawsuits and delays, the stadium renovations will not be completed until 2015. A C$
7 million fee was reported to have been paid. The team originally planned to begin play in 2010, until cracks in the concrete structure in the south stands of Frank Clair Stadium led to the demolition of those stands; the league later set a date of 2013 for the team's debut, but lawsuits forced the delay of construction on the stadium to be pushed back even further.
If the team, now four years behind schedule, ever does take the field, it would be the third CFL team to play in the city. The Ottawa Rough Riders
, formed in 1876, was a founding member of the CFL in 1958, playing until 1996. The Ottawa franchise was reborn as the Renegades
in 2002, but only lasted until the end of the 2005 season. The situation of Ottawa has been compared to that of Montreal
, which went nine years without a team and had its franchise fold twice before the arrival of the Alouettes
, and where ice hockey
is the number one sport.
regarding the Rough Riders name and the team "[knows] his price." The Rough Riders name still retains popular currency among football fans in Ottawa. The Rough Riders enjoyed a 120 year history, during which time they won the Grey Cup
nine times. However, in July 2010, Jeff Hunt announced that the Rough Riders name would likely not be returning due to the objections of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
, though the team did successfully purchase the rights to the Rough Riders name from Chen.
Concurrently, Ottawa Senators
owner Eugene Melnyk
had announced plans to bid for a Major League Soccer
franchise to play in Ottawa and to build a new soccer specific stadium
near the Senators' Scotiabank Place
in support of these plans. Depending on the stadium's design it could possibly be used by a CFL team instead of the aging Frank Clair Stadium. However, the CFL and MLS groups have not indicated that they are co-ordinating their plans. Furthermore, municipal officials have questioned whether the city could support both a CFL and an MLS franchise.
In April 2009, the staff of the City of Ottawa presented a report to Council on the merits of the Soccer Stadium and Lansdowne proposals. The city held public hearings based on the report, which questioned the necessity of the spending, but gave a slight edge to the Lansdowne proposal. Councillors attempted to find out whether the SSE group would support sharing their stadium with a planned CFL franchise, but the SSE group rejected the possibility. On April 22, 2009, the City of Ottawa Council chose the Lansdowne Live proposal over the SSE proposal as its choice for an outdoor stadium. Over the next several months, negotiations were made leading up to August 26, where a presentation was made to Ottawa City Council would ultimately decide the fate of football in Ottawa in the foreseeable future.
On November 12 and November 13, City Council held a public debate to discuss what should be done with the area at Lansdowne Park. Guest speakers included Mark Cohon
and former Rough Riders
Jock Climie
and Mark Kosmos
who all presented their case as to why Lansdowne Live was an important contributor to the city of Ottawa
. The following Monday, on November 16, it was reported that Ottawa City Council had voted 15-9 in favour of plans to redevelop Lansdowne Park with the purpose of housing a CFL team. The Hunt Group had until June 2010 to sort out the details of the redevelopment with construction likely to begin in the spring of 2011.
On June 28, 2010, after a 12-hour meeting, Ottawa city council approved the plan to redevelop Lansdowne Park
by the same vote of 15-9, all but securing a franchise in the nation's capital. With construction on the stadium originally scheduled to begin in 2011, the earliest a team could play would be in 2013 under the original time line. After a failed legal challenge and a Ontario Municipal Board hearing on the Lansdowne Park redevelopment
, construction on the stadium will not begin until 2012, with a completion in summer 2015, although there have been indications that the stadium could be opened for CFL football as early as 2014. Without a viable stadium, the debut of the team would necessarily be pushed back accordingly.
was a proposed three-round CFL draft tentatively scheduled for Thursday, December 13, 2012 which was designed to assign players from existing CFL teams to the expansion
franchise in Ottawa, Ontario. The structure of the draft was announced on January 19, 2011, which described one round for selecting import players and two rounds for selecting non-import players. Additionally, had the Ottawa franchise begun play in 2013, they would have been given the last pick in each of the first four rounds of the 2012 CFL Draft and the first pick in every round of the 2013 CFL Draft.
Ottawa would have selected three players from each of the eight existing teams for a total of 24 players. Ottawa would have selected eight import players and 16 non-import players with quarterback
s, kickers
and punters eligible within their respective import/non-import categories. Ottawa would have been able to select a maximum of two quarterbacks and one kicker/punter, but they would not have been allowed to select any of these three players from the same team. The CFL Commissioner was to resolve any dispute related to player eligibility for the Expansion Draft process.
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
franchise that has been awarded in the city of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. On March 25, 2008, an ownership group led by Ottawa 67's
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:...
owner Jeff Hunt
Jeff Hunt
Jeff Hunt is a Canadian businessman who currently owns the Ottawa 67's hockey club of the Ontario Hockey League. He started a carpet-cleaning firm called Canway. His firm was in the Profit Magazine 100 seven times in the 1990s.-OHL Hockey:...
was awarded the franchise. The team is expected to play at Frank Clair Stadium
Frank Clair Stadium
Frank Clair Stadium is a Canadian football stadium in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Lansdowne Park, on the southern edge of The Glebe neighbourhood, where Bank Street crosses the Rideau Canal.-Tenants:...
if the stadium can be remodelled, and would begin play at an undetermined time in the future. While the franchise was conditionally awarded the right to host the 2014 Grey Cup
102nd Grey Cup
The 102nd Grey Cup for Canadian football will be played to decide the champion for the 2014 CFL season. If it follows recent history of playing the fourth Sunday of November, it will be played on November 23, 2014.-Host city:...
game in 2008, Jeff Hunt has indicated that he would like to postpone the game for a few years to give his franchise a better chance to play in the championship game and, due to lawsuits and delays, the stadium renovations will not be completed until 2015. A C$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
7 million fee was reported to have been paid. The team originally planned to begin play in 2010, until cracks in the concrete structure in the south stands of Frank Clair Stadium led to the demolition of those stands; the league later set a date of 2013 for the team's debut, but lawsuits forced the delay of construction on the stadium to be pushed back even further.
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
, formed in 1876, was a founding member of the CFL in 1958, playing until 1996. The Ottawa franchise was reborn as the Renegades
Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...
in 2002, but only lasted until the end of the 2005 season. The situation of Ottawa has been compared to that of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, which went nine years without a team and had its franchise fold twice before the arrival of the Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
, and where ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
is the number one sport.
History
The team had been in contact with previous Rough Riders owner Horn ChenHorn Chen
Horn Chen is a Chicago-based businessman and minor league sports entrepreneur. He is the founder of the Central Hockey League, which began to play in 1992...
regarding the Rough Riders name and the team "[knows] his price." The Rough Riders name still retains popular currency among football fans in Ottawa. The Rough Riders enjoyed a 120 year history, during which time they won the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
nine times. However, in July 2010, Jeff Hunt announced that the Rough Riders name would likely not be returning due to the objections of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
, though the team did successfully purchase the rights to the Rough Riders name from Chen.
Concurrently, Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
owner Eugene Melnyk
Eugene Melnyk
Eugene Melnyk is a Ukrainian Canadian businessman who now resides in Barbados. He is the current owner, governor, and chairman of the Ottawa Senators professional ice hockey club of the National Hockey League . He also owns the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors junior-age ice hockey club...
had announced plans to bid for a Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
franchise to play in Ottawa and to build a new soccer specific stadium
Ottawa Soccer Stadium
The Ottawa Soccer Stadium was a proposed open-air soccer facility in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was part of a proposal to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Ottawa by the Ottawa Senators organization.-Proposal:...
near the Senators' Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place is a multi-purpose arena, located in Kanata, a suburban district of Ottawa, Ontario. It is home to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. It has also hosted the Canadian University Men's Basketball Championship...
in support of these plans. Depending on the stadium's design it could possibly be used by a CFL team instead of the aging Frank Clair Stadium. However, the CFL and MLS groups have not indicated that they are co-ordinating their plans. Furthermore, municipal officials have questioned whether the city could support both a CFL and an MLS franchise.
In April 2009, the staff of the City of Ottawa presented a report to Council on the merits of the Soccer Stadium and Lansdowne proposals. The city held public hearings based on the report, which questioned the necessity of the spending, but gave a slight edge to the Lansdowne proposal. Councillors attempted to find out whether the SSE group would support sharing their stadium with a planned CFL franchise, but the SSE group rejected the possibility. On April 22, 2009, the City of Ottawa Council chose the Lansdowne Live proposal over the SSE proposal as its choice for an outdoor stadium. Over the next several months, negotiations were made leading up to August 26, where a presentation was made to Ottawa City Council would ultimately decide the fate of football in Ottawa in the foreseeable future.
On November 12 and November 13, City Council held a public debate to discuss what should be done with the area at Lansdowne Park. Guest speakers included Mark Cohon
Mark Cohon
Mark Steven Cohon is the Canadian Football League's 12th Commissioner. The son of McDonald's of Canada founder George Cohon, he was appointed in 2007 succeeding Tom Wright....
and former Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
Jock Climie
Jock Climie
Jock Climie is a Canadian retired Canadian Football League player who played the slotback position primarily with the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders, and Montreal Alouettes. He is currently a sportscaster with Canadian sports television channel TSN as part of the CFL on TSN studio panel...
and Mark Kosmos
Mark Kosmos
Mark Kosmos was a football player in the CFL for seven years. Kosmos played linebacker for the Montreal Alouettes, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa Rough Riders from 1970-1977. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma.-External links:*...
who all presented their case as to why Lansdowne Live was an important contributor to the city of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. The following Monday, on November 16, it was reported that Ottawa City Council had voted 15-9 in favour of plans to redevelop Lansdowne Park with the purpose of housing a CFL team. The Hunt Group had until June 2010 to sort out the details of the redevelopment with construction likely to begin in the spring of 2011.
On June 28, 2010, after a 12-hour meeting, Ottawa city council approved the plan to redevelop Lansdowne Park
Lansdowne Park
Lansdowne Park is a historic sports, exhibition and entertainment facility in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, owned by the City of Ottawa. It is located along Bank Street and is adjacent to the Rideau Canal, in central Ottawa...
by the same vote of 15-9, all but securing a franchise in the nation's capital. With construction on the stadium originally scheduled to begin in 2011, the earliest a team could play would be in 2013 under the original time line. After a failed legal challenge and a Ontario Municipal Board hearing on the Lansdowne Park redevelopment
Lansdowne Park redevelopment
The Lansdowne Park redevelopment is a public-private partnership redevelopment of the Lansdowne Park fairgrounds in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In September 2007, cracks were discovered in Frank Clair Stadium, and a portion of the south-side stands were demolished due to safety concerns...
, construction on the stadium will not begin until 2012, with a completion in summer 2015, although there have been indications that the stadium could be opened for CFL football as early as 2014. Without a viable stadium, the debut of the team would necessarily be pushed back accordingly.
Expansion Draft
The 2012 CFL Expansion Draft2012 CFL Expansion Draft
The 2012 Canadian Football League Expansion Draft was a proposed three-round CFL draft scheduled for Thursday, December 13, 2012 which is designed to assign players from existing CFL teams to the expansion franchise in Ottawa, Ontario...
was a proposed three-round CFL draft tentatively scheduled for Thursday, December 13, 2012 which was designed to assign players from existing CFL teams to the expansion
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
franchise in Ottawa, Ontario. The structure of the draft was announced on January 19, 2011, which described one round for selecting import players and two rounds for selecting non-import players. Additionally, had the Ottawa franchise begun play in 2013, they would have been given the last pick in each of the first four rounds of the 2012 CFL Draft and the first pick in every round of the 2013 CFL Draft.
Ottawa would have selected three players from each of the eight existing teams for a total of 24 players. Ottawa would have selected eight import players and 16 non-import players with quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s, kickers
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
and punters eligible within their respective import/non-import categories. Ottawa would have been able to select a maximum of two quarterbacks and one kicker/punter, but they would not have been allowed to select any of these three players from the same team. The CFL Commissioner was to resolve any dispute related to player eligibility for the Expansion Draft process.
See also
- Canadian footballCanadian footballCanadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
- Comparison of Canadian and American footballComparison of Canadian and American footballAmerican and Canadian football are very similar, as both have their origins in rugby football, but there are some key differences.-History:Football was introduced to North America in Canada by the British Army garrison in Montreal, which played a series of games with McGill University...
- List of Canadian Football League seasons