Melnyk personally pledges to pay Senators' arena staff

Eugene Melnyk says he's going to pitch in and help workers at Canadian Tire Centre affected by the postponement of the NHL season.

The Ottawa Senators owner personally pledged to provide part-time and hourly staff members with the income they would've received during the league's hiatus stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the club announced Tuesday.

As a result, the part-time arena staff will get income for shifts scheduled through April 4, which would have been the end of the regular season.

Melnyk also committed to paying part-time arena workers of the AHL's Belleville Senators - a team he also owns - through April 11, which would have been the end of the AHL regular season and the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Tuesday's commitment from the owner came one day after the NHL club said in general terms that it would develop a program to support part-time employees during the shutdown.

The vast majority of NHL teams had already unveiled specific plans intended to assist arena staff in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.