So how goes the hockey team?
Any recent news regarding expansion of your guys' rink and/or getting an actual franchise?
|
Sale of the Lightning falls through
TSN - The Sports Network 11/26/2007 TAMPA, Fla. - The proposed sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning to a group that includes former Florida Panthers coach Doug MacLean is off. The team said Monday night that an agreement Palace Sports & Entertainment reached in August to sell the NHL franchise to Absolute Hockey Enterprises was terminated on Nov. 14. The deal also included the leasing rights to the St. Pete Times Forum and about 2.2 hectares adjacent to the downtown arena. "The Lightning entities terminated the agreement because of the failure of Absolute to comply with the terms of the purchase," the team in a statement issued after the St. Petersburg Times reported on its website that the deal fell apart when Absolute did not make a required US$5-million payment. "At the same time, the buying group expressed continuing interest in purchasing the team, while informing PS&E that there were internal disagreements to be resolved. .. While there is no current agreement in place to sell the team, PS&E is hopeful that those differences can still be resolved and a successful ownership transfer can take place." Palace Sports & Entertainment is led by Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson, who bought the Lightning in 1999 and helped transform the club from a perennial last-place team into a franchise that won the Stanley Cup in 2004. The proposed sale was announced on Aug. 7. MacLean, fired in April as the Columbus Blue Jackets' president and general manager, was joined that day at a news conference by fellow investors Jeff Sherrin, a Coral Springs real estate developer, and Oren Koules, a Los Angeles TV and movie producer. |
So I wonder if Balsillie is following this story?
|
Tampa Bay Lightning is a good team to acquire, I think we all know where Dave Andreychuk came from.
|
Quote:
Ya, the team would be welcome here a) as they're previous Stanley Cup Winners; b) Dave's the man!! haha Hell, we all know ANY team would be welcome here... even the Capitals (which aren't doing much worse than the Laffs, ps) haha |
I'd be loving that since I have Vinny and St. Louis on my fantasy team!
|
The problem with the Lightning is they have good attendance. Why can't Carolina or Florida go on the market...
|
Quote:
He's one of my faves for sure! I actually voted for him for the 2008 All-Star Game. You guys should vote too: http://fanballoting.nhl.com/ |
........
Balsillie also tested the waters for an National Hockey League team in Hamilton earlier this year, inking a non-binding deal with Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold to buy the team for US$238 million. But the deal collapsed after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Leipold took exception to Balsillie setting up a website to accept deposits for season's tickets and private boxes for the team. In an interview related to a RIM product announcement in November, Balsillie reluctantly declined - on the advise of his public relations aide - to comment on his personal quest for an NHL team. "Yeah, I can't comment on that stuff right now," he laughed. "But stay tuned. Stay tuned. Who knows what will happen on any of this stuff? It's the craziest thing, you know. It's all the craziest thing." http://canadianpress.google.com/arti...Q0Hzhihz0lN0Mg |
Kelly: Canadian cities should be considered
TSN.ca Staff 1/20/2008 10:14:49 AM NHL Players Association executive director Paul Kelly would like Canadian cities to be included should the NHL consider future expansion. In an interview with the Palm Beach Post, Kelly listed a number of cities that are "anxious" to get a team, including Seattle, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Houston. "The six Canadian franchises do so well, they pack the buildings, get great TV, great revenue streams. If you put another team up there, be it in Nova Scotia or Hamilton, it would be more of the same." In the most recent collective bargaining agreement between the players and the owners, the salary cap has been set at 54% of hockey-related revenues. Any increase in revenue would mean an increase in the salary cap and, theoretically, player salaries. http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=227769&hubname= |
I think it's fairly obvious that Hamilton will never get an expansion team while Gary Bettman is the commish.
I do think that some teams are ripe for relocation however. Nashville remains on that list, although I think they will go to Kansas City. Florida is the most likely team to be bought and moved, with Atlanta on the shortlist. Expect movie mogul Jerry Bruckheimer to own the expansion Las Vegas Sinners. |
^^ Oooh. Despite the fact that I HATE that Las Vegas would have an NHL team before Hamilton, the Las Vegas Sinners IS a great name! hahaha
FLA is doomed. But I'm sure it will be relocated to yet another sunbelt city where Hockey is the 4th or 5th... or 6th,8th, 9th, etc favourite sport behind NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, PGA, Horse Racing, and what's that new sport I saw on American TV the other day? MLE? Major League Eating?? YES... it exists (http://www.majorleagueeating.com/)! Americans are disgusting! |
Why don't we just rape Buffalo and take the Sabres well Toronto takes the Bills? lol
|
NHL cleared by Canada's antitrust watchdog
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - The National Hockey League won a legal faceoff on Monday when Canada's antitrust watchdog was there was nothing improper in its handling of failed bid for the Nashville Predators. The Competition Bureau started an investigation last year when the NHL reportedly balked at an attempt by Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, to buy the Nashville team with an eye to moving the club to southern Ontario. Locating the team in Hamilton, Ontario, would have put it in direct market competition with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres, but there was no evidence the NHL blocked the move for antitrust reasons, the regulators said. "The NHL was consistently of the view that the Nashville Predators franchise should not be relocated at this time, irrespective of where the franchise would be relocated," the bureau said. The Predators were eventually bought by a group of businessmen who plan to keep it in the Tennessee city. |
Quote:
|
Balsillie just got a seat on the Trilateral commission. I would imagine his new network of friends may be able to help him out.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
People in Florida like this sport? Well at least it's better than Major League Eating... and the XFL... |
Quote:
|
Quote:
If there's one thing (besides the GAME of Hockey itself) that unifies Canada, I think it's our hatred for Betteman! The country (esp Winni, QC & the Hammer) will definately throw a parade in honour of his ousting (hopefully a joint parade showcasing our new NHL teams)! |
All times are GMT. The time now is 12:04 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.