In his opening statement as the new owner of the Ottawa Senators, Michael Andlauer admitted the same feelings from his wedding day 27 years ago came rushing back to him.
“I’m mixed with so many emotions, it reminds me of my wedding day,” Andlauer said. “Excited. Overwhelmed a little bit. Nervous. But I’m happy.”
The first couple minutes of Andlauer’s speech on Friday were infused with a touch of nervous energy that came across as genuine. When speaking about the arduous Senators sale process that took nearly a calendar year to complete, Andlauer visibly exhaled a sigh of relief.
“It’s been a long road, but I must tell you it’s been worth the journey. I can really say, I’m finally home,” Andlauer said. “It’s emotional.”
Those raw opening words soon gave way to some colour and humour, as Andlauer seemed to get more comfortable with the spotlight and the barrage of questions that followed.
When asked what it was like to stop cheering for the Montreal Canadiens — his favourite childhood team and the club of which he was a minority owner with until yesterday — Andlauer mentioned that his wife, Lucie, has made the transition very simple.
“She got to go into my closet and clean out all of the Habs gear,” Andlauer said, a comment that received a…
