NHL Hockey thread

[viper37]

I watched.  I'm losing my hockey pool, but I'm glad TB won

I hope the Canadiens win the next 50 Cups in a row

[Barrister]

Good grief.

Arizona hopes to hang on to Coyotes
ERIC DUHATSCHEK
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published Friday, May. 06, 2011 9:05PM EDT
Last updated Friday, May. 06, 2011 9:11PM EDT
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In a move that will likely keep the Phoenix Coyotes operating in Arizona for at least another year, Glendale city council will on Tuesday discuss a resolution that would extend the city's management agreement with the league for the 2011-12 NHL season.

According to city councilor H. Philip Lieberman, the proposal under discussion would authorize the city to secure financial mechanisms that are "reasonably necessary to satisfy the NHL's requirements to keep the team where it for another season."

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In effect, the resolution, if passed, would buy the league and the city more time to find "a qualified ownership group that will be committed to retaining the team in Glendale."

Earlier this week, Glendale paid the NHL $25-million to help cover the $36.6-million in losses sustained by the Coyotes in the 2010-11 season. Lieberman said a similar financial aid package, capped at $25-million, would be made available to the league for next year, if the measure passes.

"In my mind, it's an excellent deal," said Lieberman, who believes the measure will pass easily, either unanimously or with perhaps a single nay vote.

Just what that means for prospective Coyotes' owner Matt Hulsizer is unclear at the moment. In a short, unsourced blog item Friday, Forbes magazine reported that Hulsizer was losing interest in the Coyotes' purchase because of its complexity and might turn his attention instead to making a bid for the St. Louis Blues, another in a long list of NHL teams currently on the market. It was a report that Hulsizer's representatives denied.

"We remain committed to getting a deal done in Phoenix," said Brad Goldberg, vice-chairman of Arizona Hockey Holdings, in a telephone interview.

However, Lieberman noted that "we do not have a signed deal with Hulsizer -and there is some discussion as to whether we will ever get one or not get one. I don't personally want to give him $110-million.

"In my mind, this (proposal) will give us a year to find somebody else who may be willing to buy it and come up with much more money. Real money – instead of city money."

In an e-mail message, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly was non-committal about the details of proposal, but acknowledged: "I anticipate Tuesday's City Council meeting will be significant."

All in all, it was another crazy day in the mind-numbing, never-ending, tug-of-war for control of the Coyotes.

For weeks now, or ever since opposition from the taxpayer watchdog group, the Goldwater Institute, stopped the NHL's original deal to sell the team to Hulsizer, the league has worked feverishly behind the scenes to rework the agreement in order to keep the team operating in Phoenix.

The authorization to extend the NHL/arena management agreement is the last of 10 items on the Tuesday's council agenda. According to the city's website, the strategic goal in making the funds available to the league again is to maintain "quality economic development in the city's entertainment district."

The fear, among Glendale politicians, is that if the Coyotes leave, the Jobing.com arena would become a white elephant and negatively affect the restaurant and hotel district that has grown up around the building and the neighboring Arizona Cardinals football stadium.

Lieberman theorized if the NHL did a better job of running the building apart from just the hockey team, the losses could be mitigated.

"There the ones that rent the space for concerts, shows and what have you," said Lieberman. "They did not do an exceptional job of that last year.

"The other thing about the audience backing, instead of 12,200 in attendance, let's get the number up to 15,000. Three thousand more paid for 41 nights a year, that's a lot more money."

"I'm not against the Coyotes," concluded Lieberman. "I'm just against the city financing his purchase. I don't approve of that."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/arizona-hopes-to-hang-on-to-coyotes/article2013660/

So, we haven't been able to find a buyer for two years - lets try paying for their losses for a third.



That being said the big question is what does that mean for Atlanta.  The rumours have been very consistent - the NHL wants to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix.  And once that is done, the Thrashers are moving to Winnipeg.

They're not really going to extend the agony of three separate cities for yet another year, are they?

[viper37]

Do not underestimate this league's stupidity.

I told you the NHL would do everything it could to keep the team there.  Sending back the exact same team to Winnipeg wich you lost a few years ago, under the same management... eek.  Unthinkable for Bettman.

See, the Coyotes lots 36M$ this year.  25 of wich are covered by the city.  It's still an 11M$ loss for the NHL, at the expense of the canadian teams.
Next year won't be better.  But they'll keep doing it anyway.

Imagine yourself in Bettman shoes: would you want to admit that you seriously fucked up, not one but twice already? (moving the Jets and buying the team so it would stay there).  And then you don't just say "I'm sorry, I fucked up", but you completely reverse your decision after your organisation had a direct loss of 11M$ for one year of operation?

And who's going to negotiate the contracts? The NHL directily negotiating with players?  Lots of vets are going autonomous by the end of the year.  Without an owner to solve these contracts, many of them will play elsewhere, hence the team will be diminished next year.  Even more loss.

[Barrister]

Do not underestimate this league's stupidity.

I told you the NHL would do everything it could to keep the team there.  Sending back the exact same team to Winnipeg wich you lost a few years ago, under the same management... eek.  Unthinkable for Bettman.

See, the Coyotes lots 36M$ this year.  25 of wich are covered by the city.  It's still an 11M$ loss for the NHL, at the expense of the canadian teams.
Next year won't be better.  But they'll keep doing it anyway.

Imagine yourself in Bettman shoes: would you want to admit that you seriously fucked up, not one but twice already? (moving the Jets and buying the team so it would stay there).  And then you don't just say "I'm sorry, I fucked up", but you completely reverse your decision after your organisation had a direct loss of 11M$ for one year of operation?

And who's going to negotiate the contracts? The NHL directily negotiating with players?  Lots of vets are going autonomous by the end of the year.  Without an owner to solve these contracts, many of them will play elsewhere, hence the team will be diminished next year.  Even more loss.

You're ignoring the Atlanta angle.

Everything you say about Bettman's ego can be true, and yet the Trashers move to Winnipeg in the fall...

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Fricking Canucks are the melodrama queens of hockey. I predict they win the cup in 28 games. (most of which they will barely play at all, except for Kesler who is almost beating Nashville all by himself.) sigh... my blood pressure is taking a beating.

[viper37]

Do not underestimate this league's stupidity.

I told you the NHL would do everything it could to keep the team there.  Sending back the exact same team to Winnipeg wich you lost a few years ago, under the same management... eek.  Unthinkable for Bettman.

See, the Coyotes lots 36M$ this year.  25 of wich are covered by the city.  It's still an 11M$ loss for the NHL, at the expense of the canadian teams.
Next year won't be better.  But they'll keep doing it anyway.

Imagine yourself in Bettman shoes: would you want to admit that you seriously fucked up, not one but twice already? (moving the Jets and buying the team so it would stay there).  And then you don't just say "I'm sorry, I fucked up", but you completely reverse your decision after your organisation had a direct loss of 11M$ for one year of operation?

And who's going to negotiate the contracts? The NHL directily negotiating with players?  Lots of vets are going autonomous by the end of the year.  Without an owner to solve these contracts, many of them will play elsewhere, hence the team will be diminished next year.  Even more loss.

You're ignoring the Atlanta angle.

Everything you say about Bettman's ego can be true, and yet the Trashers move to Winnipeg in the fall...

Friday, there was a newspiece about Edmonton's gamble.  Apparently, the latest rumour are that there will soon be a Winnipeg's Oilers team

Lots of rumours around.

Last I heard, Atlanta is doing everything it can - without subsidies - to keep the team there and they are searching for investors.

This team ain't moving north for next fall.  No move before summer 2012.

[viper37]

Fricking Canucks are the melodrama queens of hockey. I predict they win the cup in 28 games. (most of which they will barely play at all, except for Kesler who is almost beating Nashville all by himself.) sigh... my blood pressure is taking a beating.

I predicted a Vancouver win in 6 games, so I'm ok for now

But I'd be worried if I was a Canuck fan.  Yesterday's game was awful... it seem to me Vancouver played 20 minutes in this game, scattered over 3 periods. 

Letting a shot on goal while in power play is bad enough, but seeing Luango let that one pass... ouch.  Oh, and scoring into your own net is never a good idea.

[Jacob]

Fricking Canucks are the melodrama queens of hockey. I predict they win the cup in 28 games. (most of which they will barely play at all, except for Kesler who is almost beating Nashville all by himself.) sigh... my blood pressure is taking a beating.

I predicted a Vancouver win in 6 games, so I'm ok for now

But I'd be worried if I was a Canuck fan.  Yesterday's game was awful... it seem to me Vancouver played 20 minutes in this game, scattered over 3 periods. 

Letting a shot on goal while in power play is bad enough, but seeing Luango let that one pass... ouch.  Oh, and scoring into your own net is never a good idea.

Fucking drama queens is right.

[CountDeMoney]

Are the Caps done? That's all I care about.

[Ed Anger]

Are the Caps done? That's all I care about.

Yep. Ovechfail.

[Neil]

Are the Caps done? That's all I care about.

Yep. Ovechfail.

To be fair, it's not so much Ovechkin as it is the fact that almost everyone else on that team is an overpaid loser.  Especially Green, who is a total bitch.

[Valmy]

Are the Caps done? That's all I care about.

Yes and it hurts so very very bad

[Valmy]

Still cannot believe that stupid loser Mike Knuble.

None of the Caps could see this coming?  The whole fucking world knew this was coming 

[Ed Anger]

Caps need...Miro Satan.

Well, not really, but I'd like to see him back in the league. Just for the puns.

[katmai]

He needs to switch careers and play for Anaheim.