uOttawa News

OTTAWA, May 22, 2012  —  As the Ottawa Senators wrap up their 20th anniversary season, a team of researchers from the University of Ottawa’s School of Human Kinetics will be conducting an impact study of the Senators Sports and Entertainment (SSE) on the National Capital Region.

Under the leadership of Professor Norm O’Reilly, a sports business expert, together with co-lead Professor Eric MacIntosh, researchers involved in this academic study will go beyond the traditional economic impact in sport. With the help of over 50 student researchers, these two professors from the School of Human Kinetics at the Faculty of Health Sciences will broaden the scope of the study to also measure the cultural, social and emotional impacts of all the assets of Senators Sports and Entertainment on its local market.

“Senators Sports and Entertainment is one of Ottawa’s largest economic drivers. But it also plays a crucial role in supporting the community and developing the city’s cultural landscape,” says O’Reilly, who recently received a lifetime designation as Research Fellow of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM). “These less tangible impacts on the region have not yet been measured or estimated, and that’s exactly what we’ll be focusing on.”

“We are pleased to support the academic research study led by Norm O’Reilly, Eric MacIntosh and their team of researchers from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa,” says Senators president Cyril Leeder. “We believe that the study will provide valuable insight on the impact Senators Sports and Entertainment has had on the National Capital Region over the last 20 years.”

Research results will be published in early 2013.