More to Burke's NY trip?

I was just listening to the Pratt and Taylor show on TEAM 1040, and heard a call-in by McKeachie, who said he had some unsubstantiated insight into Burke's NY trip that is supposedly to discuss Bertuzzi's contract with McCaw. Keep in mind that this is all just conjecture and speculation.

McKeachie said he was at the Vancouver Airport this morning, and heard that a private 767, currently sitting at YVR, is now being renovated to accomodate another 30-40 seats, as opposed to the 5 or 6 that it currently holds. McKeachie said that the jet is owned by none other than Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Those other 30-40 seats sounds about right for a hockey team don't they? He also brought up the fact that Burke flew a red-eye flight to NY after watching the St. Louis game last night. Why would he go all the way to NY to discuss something that's been in the owner's hands for over 10 days? What needed to be done face-to-face that couldn't be handled over the phone/fax/video conferencing? Hey, isn't the NHL headquarters situated in New York? Isn't that where Betttman's office is?

Again, this is what McKeachie just said at the end of the Pratt and Taylor show on TEAM 1040. He said that it could be huge news, and that's why he's breaking it now without substantiation. Interesting, if nothing else.

I was just listening to the Pratt and Taylor show on TEAM 1040, and heard a call-in by McKeachie, who said he had some unsubstantiated insight into Burke's NY trip that is supposedly to discuss Bertuzzi's contract with McCaw. Keep in mind that this is all just conjecture and speculation.

McKeachie said he was at the Vancouver Airport this morning, and heard that a big private jet, currently sitting at YVR, is now being renovated to accomodate another 30-40 seats, as opposed to the 5 or 6 that it currently holds. McKeachie said that the jet is owned by none other than Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Those other 30-40 seats sounds about right for a hockey team don't they? He also brought up the fact that Burke flew a red-eye flight to NY after watching the St. Louis game last night. Why would he go all the way to NY to discuss something that's been in the owner's hands for over 10 days? What needed to be done face-to-face that couldn't be handled over the phone/fax/video conferencing? Hey, isn't the NHL headquarters situated in New York? Isn't that where Betttman's office is?

Again, this is what McKeachie just said at the end of the Pratt and Taylor show on TEAM 1040. He said that it could be huge news, and that's why he's breaking it now without substantiation. Interesting, if nothing else.Things that make you go... hmmmm.

McCaw's office, and Orca Bay is situated in Seattle.

Which is why when they said Burke was going to NY, made me wonder too.

I wonder if a bidding war is starting over the Canucks seeing as if the team is competitive, its actually a strong hockey market.

McCaw's office, and Orca Bay is situated in Seattle.

Which is why when they said Burke was going to NY, made me wonder too.

I wonder if a bidding war is starting over the Canucks seeing as if the team is competitive, its actually a strong hockey market.

Apparently McCaw does spend a fair bit of time in NY as well. However, I do think you're right in that it is a little suspicious that Burke is flying cross-continent to get a yay or nay on a player contract.

Maybe the jet is simply beeing retrofitted to carry his soccer team?

Seams much more plausable than the sold rumour.

Interesting to say the least....

Don't really know what to think about it.

Maybe the jet is simply beeing retrofitted to carry his soccer team?

But why would it be in Vancouver?

Hmm, interesting piece of news to say the least. I doubt Burke would be flying to New York just to talk about the Bertuzzi contract...

I doubt Burke would be flying to New York just to talk about the Bertuzzi contract...

If the Canucks and Bertuzzi are as close to a deal as is being rumoured, why would he not fly to NY for that purpose? Lots of other GMs have taken similar trips.

If the Canucks and Bertuzzi are as close to a deal as is being rumoured, why would he not fly to NY for that purpose? Lots of other GMs have taken similar trips.

Because that is something that can be addressed over a telephone, fax machine etc. If the rumours are true, all the Canucks and Bertuzzi are waiting on is ownerships approval. Burke doesn't need to be in New York for that, but maybe he wants to. Still, I think there's more to the story...

If the Canucks and Bertuzzi are as close to a deal as is being rumoured, why would he not fly to NY for that purpose? Lots of other GMs have taken similar trips.


If Canucks and Bertuzzi are as close to a deal as is being rumored, why would Burke fly all the way to New York when all the info can be transfer through phone call and fax machine, i mean the contract is there it is a matter of McCaw putting his name on it. And not a lot of GMs have taken similar trips from Vancouver to New York to get a signature unless they are living in a stone age likes someone i know :rolleyes: .

If Canucks and Bertuzzi are as close to a deal as is being rumored, why would Burke fly all the way to New York when all the info can be transfer through phone call and fax machine, i mean the contract is there it is a matter of McCaw putting his name on it. And not a lot of GMs have taken similar trips from Vancouver to New York to get a signature unless they are living in a stone age likes someone i know :rolleyes: .

Agreed....i think you scored some points with your argument ;)

Maybe he flew to New York to go personally kick Gary Bettman's *** a few times, just for the heck of it. :dunno: Hey, I'm sure it would make his trip somewhat worthwhile. :p

Very interesting thread!

I doubt Abromovich is involved, but hey, who knows.

Let's just cross our fingers that McCaw ponies up some dough!

Why would Burek fly to NY?

Did he not say in one of the papers that the hold up on the contract has more to do with possible new CBA implications than the actually dollar amounts?

Maybe he went to NY to talk direct to Bettman to get a better feeling about what they wanted to acomplish with the CBA?

But why would it be in Vancouver?

Hmm, interesting piece of news to say the least. I doubt Burke would be flying to New York just to talk about the Bertuzzi contract...

Simple, there is a company in Vancouver who have done other retrofits, maybe they got the contract? Plane are pretty easy to move around :-)

Someone phoned Sportstalk and asked Dave Nonis about Abromavich (He mentioned that he heard it on another radio station) and if the real reason Burke went to NYC was about this. Paraphrasing but here's his response. You get real information from Sportstalk. Does that answer your question? I don't hear anything about ownership and I don't think Brian is there to talk about ownership.

So he basically denied it. Check the audio vault whenever it becomes available for around 10:48 or so.

Nonis was just on CKNW and knows nothing about it.

However, I do think you're right in that it is a little suspicious that Burke is flying cross-continent to get a yay or nay on a player contract.

Clearly, Burke and myself are the last two folks on earth not to have a cell phone. :joker:

maybe Burke is going to NY for multiple reasons... McCaw is there now, so why not meet him face to face to finalize the Bertuzzi deal... then maybe talk to him about the Abromavich situation...

and best part for Burke is that by going there, he could visit his kids in Boston - doesn't he go there often through the year, every year? NYC might just be an excuse to hit Boston for a day or so?

I think we're all reading waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much into this...

Simple, there is a company in Vancouver who have done other retrofits, maybe they got the contract? Plane are pretty easy to move around :-)

That's probably the reason for it. Just seems a tad suspicious that Vancouver would be the place for that, considering all the talk about Abramovich wanting to buy a hockey team, rumoured to be the Canucks.

I think we're all reading waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much into this...

:handclap: :handclap:

There is something to be said for tying the Bertuzzi deal to the club being on the block. From McCaw's point of view does having a committment to a higher payroll and Bert in the lineup improve or reduce the sale price you might get? If he's selling maybe he could care less what the team's long term prospects are. Right now he has a team making money at the gate, pay per view, lotto, higher building and concession revenues - and for making two rounds of the playoffs last season and the extra gate and TV money that brought, a relatively low payroll. The Canadian dollar has had the strongest uptick in ten years in the last month, lowering his payroll costs and increasing the value of the asset in yankee greenbacks.

There isn't a huge amount of financial upside left in this market and you have to wonder how big a payroll can ever be justified in Vancouver versus the big US market teams.

Burke is caught in the middle - he has to play McCaw's tune in making the business saleable and profitable, but also wants to keep together what has been the biggest project of his management career - keeping this team improving going forward. That means more money each year as his players improve and renew their contracts.

Why would McCaw care? If you assume he's lost interest or pride in hockey and is looking at it as a business matter only if Burke can convince him the franchise would lose value without tying up Bert with what's on the table. Does a new owner want a winner, or a Bettman "product". Tough to sell a bad team in this town - you gut the lineup and the season's tickets will not be renewed. The fans here won't be fooled by the kinds of promotion that may work in amercian markets. To Bettman's credit he has said he recognises that the Canadian market is critical to the league's success because of the strength of committment of canadian fans to the game. Unfortunately most of us are poorer and harder to fleece than our american cousins

The Abramovich story is scary for Canucks fans if your heart is with our current roster, but plays right into Bettman's modern business model of finding new markets to sell. Abramovich is supposed to have said he is going to create a Russian NHL product for rebroadcast into the Russian market and there must be huge money if he can sell the NHL in Russia - in that scenario Bert and the Swedes will be trade bait, but he'd probably want Bert signed anyway to go chase Fedorov or another marquee Ivan anyway.

Who knows .... my guess is they sign, and time may tell why it so happens they had to do it through New York.

[light-hearted sarcasm]
The conspiracy theory just got thicker:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=58218&hubName=nhl

Smith (a fan of Russian players) may be fired by CHI; just in time for Abranovich (sp?) to buy the team.
[/light-hearted sarcasm]

This obviously has nothing to do with the Canucks, but interesting none the less.

This obviously has nothing to do with the Canucks, but interesting none the less.

how can that be?? has nothing to do with the Canucks, but still interesting?? didn't think that was possible! :p

From the Vancouver Sun this Saturday:


It's no secret that McCaw has been actively trying to unload the Canucks for a few years now. Until recently there was little interest. However, with the remarkable turnaround on the ice and at the box office the team has suddenly become a money maker.
It's altogether possible that if there is a sale pending, a new deal for Bertuzzi would not only have to be approved by McCaw but by a new owner as well. After all, he or she would be the one stuck paying the bill.
So that is something else that may have been affecting McCaw's decision-making ability.
In the meantime, the whole Bertuzzi affair, because of the way it has dragged on, the way it has obviously affected the big right winger's play on the ice, has clearly not been a load of fun for Brian Burke.
While you will never get him to say so publicly, he is clearly annoyed with the way McCaw, and his first lieutenant, Stan McCammon, have chosen to deal with the matter.
You must understand that Burke is used to getting his way. Until this point McCaw has given him just about anything he's asked for. It is likely even more dumfounding for Burke given the job he has done of turning McCaw's flailing franchise around and finally getting it to produce a profit.
That is not to say there haven't been lots of general managers, exactly in Burke's position, who have had deals turned down by the person writing the cheques. That's certainly an owner's prerogative and it would be bad form for a GM to sulk around just because he didn't get his way on one particular contract. Still, it would be hard to imagine McCaw looking Burke in the eye and saying he wasn't going to give Todd Bertuzzi $8 million a year over three years.
Even if a deal is announced on Monday -- or sooner -- you would have to think that the frost that has settled on Burke and McCaw's relationship will take a long time to melt away. Burke has a massive ego and the fact he has been made to wait on this matter has not only been difficult for him but embarrassing as well.
Should the deal fall apart because of McCaw, all bets are off on what the future holds not only for Burke but Bertuzzi, Markus Naslund and the whole rehabilitation program that has been under way here the last several years.


As someone I know quite well said yesterday: " Burke is caught in the middle - he has to play McCaw's tune in making the business saleable and profitable, but also wants to keep together what has been the biggest project of his management career - keeping this team improving going forward."

Anybody out there speak Russian?:dunno: Burkie will need lessons.

The NHL HQ is in NY.

Brian Burke is on the CBA committee.

The CBA is up this summer.

Hmmm...maybe Burke went to NY because the NHL was having a meeting about the CBA!!!

Hasn't anyone thought about that???

What's this talk in the Sun about a "growing rift" between McCaw and Burke? That sure as hell seemed to come out of nowhere...

Assuming that Abramovich does take over and does want to Russianify the team...

Abramovich didn't get rich by being stupid. He wouldn't do anything to upset the fans and force them to abandon the team by making it unlikable. So there won't be any instant change over to all Russians. What you are likely to find is a gradual shift to a more Russian influenced team, not an all Russian team. Fans will support a heavily Russian based team, we pretty much support Team Sweden.

You will get more support by being good than being all Russian, so I doubt Abramovich would sacrafice quality Canadian players for a more Russian feel. All Abramovich needs is enough Russians to give it that Russian feel + owned by Russian = Russian support.

Who wrote the story?

From the Vancouver Sun this Saturday:


It's no secret that McCaw has been actively trying to unload the Canucks for a few years now. Until recently there was little interest. However, with the remarkable turnaround on the ice and at the box office the team has suddenly become a money maker.
It's altogether possible that if there is a sale pending, a new deal for Bertuzzi would not only have to be approved by McCaw but by a new owner as well. After all, he or she would be the one stuck paying the bill.
So that is something else that may have been affecting McCaw's decision-making ability.
In the meantime, the whole Bertuzzi affair, because of the way it has dragged on, the way it has obviously affected the big right winger's play on the ice, has clearly not been a load of fun for Brian Burke.
While you will never get him to say so publicly, he is clearly annoyed with the way McCaw, and his first lieutenant, Stan McCammon, have chosen to deal with the matter.
You must understand that Burke is used to getting his way. Until this point McCaw has given him just about anything he's asked for. It is likely even more dumfounding for Burke given the job he has done of turning McCaw's flailing franchise around and finally getting it to produce a profit.
That is not to say there haven't been lots of general managers, exactly in Burke's position, who have had deals turned down by the person writing the cheques. That's certainly an owner's prerogative and it would be bad form for a GM to sulk around just because he didn't get his way on one particular contract. Still, it would be hard to imagine McCaw looking Burke in the eye and saying he wasn't going to give Todd Bertuzzi $8 million a year over three years.
Even if a deal is announced on Monday -- or sooner -- you would have to think that the frost that has settled on Burke and McCaw's relationship will take a long time to melt away. Burke has a massive ego and the fact he has been made to wait on this matter has not only been difficult for him but embarrassing as well.
Should the deal fall apart because of McCaw, all bets are off on what the future holds not only for Burke but Bertuzzi, Markus Naslund and the whole rehabilitation program that has been under way here the last several years.


As someone I know quite well said yesterday: " Burke is caught in the middle - he has to play McCaw's tune in making the business saleable and profitable, but also wants to keep together what has been the biggest project of his management career - keeping this team improving going forward."

Anybody out there speak Russian?:dunno: Burkie will need lessons.

Gary "end all stories with one-liners" Mason.

That story will quite possibly end any and all contact he once may of had with Burke.

To me it is all simply rumour mongering, making up a story because you got nothing else. Simply bad reporting.

To me it is all simply rumour mongering, making up a story because you got nothing else. Simply bad reporting.

You hit the nail on the head... all these rumours, speculation, grasping for straws is because nobody in journalism or the public knows jack. Its the job of the journalists to find out, and they're reaching because they can't.