The Business of HockeyDiscuss the financial and business aspects of the NHL. Franchise sales, valuations, TV contracts, ratings, expansion, relocation, the CBA and work stoppage discussion goes here.
I can't understand why the voters and taxpayers in Glendale have allowed their city government to spend millions directly subsidizing a professional hockey team.
In Canada, in 2000 the federal majority government of Jean Chrétien proposed providing a direct subsidy to Canada's NHL teams. The policy was announced by Industry Minister John Manley in direct response to the lobbying efforts of then Ottawa Senator owner Rod Bryden. Chrétien had a majority in the Canadian Parliament, meaning the Opposition parties had to ability to stop the proposal.
The Canadian public reacted to this proposal with mass outrage across the country. The outrage and was so widespread that within hours of the policy being announced government Members of Parliament reported being inundated with comments from angry Canadians. Several government MPs broke ranks and said they would never vote in favour of such a proposal in the House of Commons. The anger was so massive that within 48 hours the Chrétien government reversed course and cancelled the proposal.
Is Glendale between elections or something and at the mercy of their city council? I just find the whole situation to be bizarre to say the least.
You have to admit the NHL has done what it said it would, no more no less. The city on the other hand, looks into withdrawing funds from the escrow account. Did they ask Gary if that would be ok?
So does anyone actually believe a deal to save the Coyotes and keep them in AZ will actually happen today as predicted awhile back?
With a new CBA I thought the NHL would try and sell the team to an AZ investor in the fall. Yesterday explosion could not have been predicted and is a wet dream for Nordiques fans.
There have been 4 interested buyers in the Coyotes:
1- Reinsdorf... he was clearly the man the NHL preferred to buy the team...he tried to work on an agreement with glendale but was asking for way too much....not really the NHLs fault.
2. Hulsizer- if Goldwater did not interfere the bonds would have sold and he would have bought the team (very debatable if the deal was good or bad overall for glendale) ... so its not really the nhl's fault that deal collapsed.
3. Jamison- there are too many unknowns about him, his group and the potential lease/offer to make proper judgement about him... could he have been used by the NHL simply to make it appear someone is interested to buy the team? its possible but hard to say with certainty
4. ice edge.... if i was the mayor this is where I would be most pissed at the NHL.... its very evident that they had no business wasting anyones time trying to buy an NHL team...they are barely qualified to buy a minor league team...the NHL should have done their diligence and booted them out immediately... instead they allowed ice edge to waste everyones time and gave glendale false hope....the league knew there was no chance in hell ice edge could afford a team but went along with the charade simply to give fans/glendale a reason to support the team. Considering the amount of money Glendale had invested the NHL should have been more straight forward with them.
at the end of the day everyone deserves a share of the blame:
Gary Bettman and the NHL
Mayor and Council
Beasley and Tindall
The economy
The market and lack of fan base
Steve Ellman/Moyes and the initial boneheaded decision to build the arena in the suburbs
With a new CBA in the fall I thought the NHL would try and sell the team to an AZ investor in the fall. Yesterday explosion could not have been predicted and is a wet dream for all Nordiques fans.
What I want to know is, how does Scruggzie think Glendale will get around paying that last 5 million? Haven't they already contracted into paying the full 25 mill? Withholding the final 5 just gives the NHL basis for legal action, no?
At the end of the day everyone deserves a share of the blame:
Gary Bettman and the NHL
Mayor and Council
Beasley and Tindall
The economy
The market and lack of fan base
Steve Ellman/Moyes and the initial boneheaded decision to build the arena in the suburbs
Agree. However, if Daly did mislead the CoG on the potential sale of the Coyotes and the need for the $25M, then they are guilty as hell.
They are "guilty as Hell" Kevy. No question about it as far as Im concerned.
They've been playing the COG, they played the BK. Merchants of false hope...
And The Bobcat opens Primetime Sports with the story. A lot of the sporting public in Canada will know this now and start getting excited for Quebec.
Nice!
I immediately tuned in after reading your post but McCown had moved on. He will probably have David Shoalts on at 5 when he has both the radio and TV audience.
He will probably have David Shoalts on at 5 when he has both the radio and TV audience.
... that should be entertaining, provided SportsNet Pacific airs it at 5pm. Not a big fan of the show however in light of the explosions down south, might be interesting.
... that should be entertaining, provided SportsNet Pacific airs it at 5pm. Not a big fan of the show however in light of the explosions down south, might be interesting.
I immediately tuned in after reading your post but McCown had moved on. He will probably have David Shoalts on at 5 when he has both the radio and TV audience.
Yeah the last hour when most people will be listening is when I expect it. Glad to see this story got picked up.
If the NHL was "extremely upset" with Quebec City for announcing their new arena, I wonder how they're feeling right now about Scruggs and the COG.
I'm sure they're beyond furious.
It will be much harder to keep up the charade that they're still hoping for a local buyer.
Pretty darn irritating to the NHL when someone goes off and talks in public like that without their permission! A lot of work, too. Now they might need a whole new stack of lies . . . sorry . . . I meant to say "talking points"!
