Will True North sell to Balsillie...

SJTOKO · #1 Posted **May 21, 2011, 7:19 AM**

Can they do this? Could this be the plan? Is it possible?

Can someone in the know explain how feasable it would be for True North to buy the Thrashers and then sell the team to Balsille.

No offense to Winnipeg but I don't think that they can support an NHL team. Hamilton was, and always will be the obvious choice.

SpikePhanta · #2 Posted **May 21, 2011, 7:58 AM**

Why would TNSE sell the team?
The team will be great for Winnipeg and Manitoba, TNSE is doing a great job developing the downtown area around MTS centre.

Not to mention it would never be allowed,
1) BOG would reject it
2) Buffalo would veto it.

Hamilton is not the and never was the obvious choice as it would not be permitted.

artvandelay · #3 Posted **May 21, 2011, 8:02 AM**

The only way there will be another team in Toronto or Southern Ontario is if Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is granted another franchise. This is why Winnipeg and QC are the only cities being looked at even though Ontario is a stronger market (2 more teams could easily be supported there IMO).

Spocket · #4 Posted **May 21, 2011, 10:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

Can they do this? Could this be the plan? Is it possible?

Yes , highly unlikely , and sure , why not ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

Can someone in the know explain how feasable it would be for True North to buy the Thrashers and then sell the team to Balsille.

It would be stupid and it makes no sense to begin with . If Balsillie wanted the team , wouldn't he be at the table right now ? Why would he increase his costs by employing a middle-man ? Why would he increase his costs , employ a middle-man , and THEN find out if the NHL will allow him to move the team to somewhere not agreed to ? That's called "bad-faith" and he'd probably find himself stuck with a lawsuit if he's lucky , or a team he doesn't want since he can't move it to Hamilton. From True North's perspective , it would suicide . Can you imagine how angry the Winnipeggers would be if they were stabbed in the back that way ? They'd probably never attend another Moose game .
So , ... it would be just stupid .

Quote:

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

No offense to Winnipeg but I don't think that they can support an NHL team. Hamilton was, and always will be the obvious choice.

Firstly , Winnipeg proved for two decades that it could support an NHL franchise . They moved away because they couldn't get a new arena built in time .
As for Hamilton having always been the obvious choice ... well , that's just silly . Quebec and Winnipeg make much more logical choices because , for one thing , Hamilton already has 5 teams within a six hour drive . Could the region support another team ? Sure ... so could New York , Philly , Chicago , Washington/Baltimore , Boston , etc.

Secondly , both of those cities are starved of hockey which is strange considering just how popular the sport is in them .

Thirdly , both Quebec and Winnipeg serve vast hinterlands . Quebec would have a fan base stretching out right into the Maritimes while Winnipeg's hinterland would include a lot of Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario . Not to mention that many people in North Dakota and perhaps even Minnesota would travel to Winnipeg for a game . It's prime hockey country in both cases .

So I'm not sure what you mean by "obvious" . More people ? Yeah , there are more people in the Great Lakes region , sure . Would they all like to catch a game ? A lot would I'm sure . Would people outside of Hamilton support the team as much as they support , say , the Leafs ? That's pretty unlikely .

reidjr · #5 Posted **May 21, 2011, 10:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

Can they do this? Could this be the plan? Is it possible?

Can someone in the know explain how feasable it would be for True North to buy the Thrashers and then sell the team to Balsille.

No offense to Winnipeg but I don't think that they can support an NHL team. Hamilton was, and always will be the obvious choice.

Could they sure would they i doubt it but the key thing is if they did would the bog aprrove it highley unlikley.

DrJoe · #6 Posted **May 21, 2011, 11:19 AM**

Another team in southern Ontario would do the best financial by far but if you look at Winnipeg's drawing area they compare well to Edmonton and Calgary who obviously do just fine.

Gdoggy · #7 Posted **May 21, 2011, 11:32 AM**

all it takes is an existing team to move to Toronto and a 2/3 vote by the Board of Governors approving the relocation.

but i'm sure they would like a nice fat relocation fee in the 100's of millions for the GTA market.

Leafs / Sabres cannot veto such a move. Just need an owner willing to go thru the above who has the $$$$

reidjr · #8 Posted **May 21, 2011, 11:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gdoggy

all it takes is an existing team to move to Toronto and a 2/3 vote by the Board of Governors approving the relocation.

but i'm sure they would like a nice fat relocation fee in the 100's of millions for the GTA market.

Leafs / Sabres cannot veto such a move. Just need an owner willing to go thru the above who has the $$$$

They can't vetto it but it could be very hard first would the bog aprrove it then if so how much would the relocation fee be it could be they could make it to high.

thurmas · #9 Posted **May 21, 2011, 2:14 PM**

Sjtoko that is the dumbest post I have ever seen on here Hamilton is the worst sports town in Canada.The Ti-Cats draw terrible crowds the Bulldogs only drew 2800 for a playoff game two nights ago. Copps Coliseum is almost 30 years old. You would have to pay over $100 million to the leafs and sabres. It would create such national unity problems because of a scheme to promise Winnipeg a club and then give it to Eastern Canada behind our backs when Winnipeg was looking forward to the club. Finally the owners will never aprove Balisillie as an owner!

vid · #10 Posted **May 21, 2011, 4:20 PM**

There will probably be something in the purchase agreement that prevents True North from selling the team to certain people or for a certain time. Bettman has some weird vendetta against Canada and I am certain he will make it difficult to re-establish NHL hockey in Winnipeg, Québec and Hamilton.

rrskylar · #11 Posted **May 21, 2011, 4:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

Can they do this? Could this be the plan? Is it possible?

Can someone in the know explain how feasable it would be for True North to buy the Thrashers and then sell the team to Balsille.

No offense to Winnipeg but I don't think that they can support an NHL team. Hamilton was, and always will be the obvious choice.

Hamilton can barely support AHL hockey or CFL football, how would they support the NHL?

Andy6 · #12 Posted **May 21, 2011, 4:51 PM**

I don't think he has a weird vendetta against anyone. He, and the league generally, have been pursuing a vision in which the NHL becomes a major U.S. sport alongside baseball, football and basketball. To do that, you need to have a 'footprint' in major U.S. media markets that parallels the 'other' big pro sports. Places like Winnipeg (or, really, anywhere in Canada with the possible exception of Toronto) don't fit into that vision, and actually impede its achievement. If this vision could be achieved, it would make the current owners and the players a lot of money (Bettman's job).

The only flaw in the reasoning is that experience has shown, painfully, that it cannot be achieved. At some point the NHL has to recognize this and go back to the 1980-era vision of being a regional sport in the U.S. and Canada (Canada being the equivalent of a U.S. region for marketing purposes).

Andy6 · #13 Posted **May 21, 2011, 4:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Hamilton can barely support AHL hockey or CFL football, how would they support the NHL?

I don't buy that. They would support it extremely well. You'd have Toronto as your market as well. It's only 30 miles away and Leaf tickets are hard to get.

Urban_Genius · #14 Posted **May 21, 2011, 4:56 PM**

Uh I totally disagree with anyone suggesting Hamilton is a obvious choice for an NHL team. When the NHL puts another team in Southern Ontario, it won't be in Hamilton.

Secondly why on earth would True North sell the team to Jim Balsillie? First of all they don't own the team yet, until the BOG approves the sale and relocation of the team. If they wanted to sell to Balsillie, it still needs to get approved by the BOG.

Lastly, I don't think you understand that the RICHEST man in Canada is about to own the Winnipeg NHL team. Thompson is worth about 20-25 billion dollars. Comparatively Jim Balsillie is worth peanuts.

caltrane74 · #15 Posted **May 21, 2011, 5:37 PM**

Winnipeg is the smallest market in the NHL, it's also the poorest market in the NHL. The arena there is not ready for the big leagues, it's tiny and can't generate big cash.

The Teachers wanna sell for a reason:

They see the obvious, in 10 or 15 years there will be 16 or 17 million people in southern Ontario and there will be another team here.

Joshy · #16 Posted **May 21, 2011, 6:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Winnipeg is the smallest market in the NHL, it's also the poorest market in the NHL. The arena there is not ready for the big leagues, it's tiny and can't generate big cash.

This post, right here, is a gleaming example of the ignorance and arrogance of the Toronto/Southern Ontario area. Many people who clearly know nothing of what TNSE are creating in downtown Winnipeg in order to not only bring an NHL team back here, but to make it thrive. And I'm asuming our dear friend Caltrane is also ignorant enough to not have realized that Mr. Gary Betteman himself has stated, in public, that the NHL is satisfied with the Current MTS facility. But of course, Caltrane only has to see the work "Winnipeg" and because he is from Toronto/Southern Ontario, will just dismiss us automatically, like we are nothing. Sorry Caltrane, but the reality check for you is that this is happening, and as much as you write us off as a failure, we will gleefully prove people like you wrong.

reidjr · #17 Posted **May 21, 2011, 6:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

I don't buy that. They would support it extremely well. You'd have Toronto as your market as well. It's only 30 miles away and Leaf tickets are hard to get.

Yes leafs tickets are hard to get but are hardcore leafs fans going to go cheer another teamn very unlikley.

rrskylar · #18 Posted **May 21, 2011, 6:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

I don't buy that. They would support it extremely well. You'd have Toronto as your market as well. It's only 30 miles away and Leaf tickets are hard to get.

That's a baseless assumption, a second NBA team in LA has never ignited fan support. The Leafs will always be THE team in southern ON!

trueviking · #19 Posted **May 21, 2011, 6:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

No offense to Winnipeg but I don't think that they can support an NHL team. Hamilton was, and always will be the obvious choice.

what an odd statement....contrary to popular belief not everything is about southern ontario.

hamilton will likely be the last city in canada to get a team....once Qc gets their arena they will be first in line.....a second toronto team is even more likely than hamilton....

Darkoshvilli · #20 Posted **May 21, 2011, 6:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spocket

. Quebec would have a fan base stretching out right into the Maritimes .

Let's not exaggerate. Firstly, Most people living in between Quebec and the Maritimes (Chaudiere, Bas-St-Laurent, Gaspesie etc and excluding the immediate region surrounding Quebec City of course) are for the most part Canadiens fans.

Secondly, I doubt there is much of a Nordiques fan base in the Maritimes. Those areas are dominated by TOR-MTL-BOS.