NHL Hockey thread

[Ed Anger]

The Sabres are giving me an ulcer.

Miro Satan has cursed them.

[Neil]

Interesting times my friends... and this is way more interesting than anything happening on the ice.

I don't think that there were any games being played when he said that.  Otherwise, his statement would be crazy.

[Barrister]

Jets-o-Meter should be down tomorrow morning...

You are correct.

March 21:

[Barrister]

Some speculation that this is a lot of smoke and mirrors on HUlsizer's part - that the $25 mil is the $25 mil to cover the team's 2010-2011 losses which was already part of the deal, and the $75 mil is the rent that he was going to pay, only now he has "guaranteed" that money.

Report over Twitter from a known PX area reporter says that after 5 years, will review parking receipts and HUlsizer/Coyotes/Someone will make up any shortage (up to a max of $75 mil).

Be interesting to see what GWI does next.  The John McCain angle is interesting, as he is ideologically also on the right.  But is GWI more aligned with tea party types?  Does McCain carry any weight with them?

Time will tell.

[viper37]

What if it's a guarantee by the Coyotes (or whatever his holding Co. is).  That's still a guarantee.  But it's tied to the exact same asset as the bonds are.  So if the parking revenue doesn't generate enough $$$, then neither are the Coyotes, and they can always go bankrupt and get out of any such guarantee.

As I said, it depends on how the contract is worded.  Hullsizer agrees to maintain the team there for 20 years in exchange for 172million$ over 20 years.

The city hopes to generate way more than 100 million$ with the parking rights, over a 20 years period.
Goldwater says it's giving 100 million$ for nothing, because there's no guarantee the parking rights will bring in 100 million$ or more over 20 years.

So, Hullsizer makes a deal to pay this year's loss guaranteed by the city (25 million$) and he tells the city: "if you don't make at least 75 million$ with the parking rights and the arena in 20 years, I'll pay the difference between what you earnt and 75 millions".
They evaluate the arena at 40 million in 20 years.  So, I'm guessing that sold or not, the real guarantee is 35 million$.  If the city can't make 35 million$ in parking rights, Hullsizer will pay back the city 35 million$ minus whatever they earned.  And I'm betting he's sure the city will earn 35 million over 20 years with this deal.

We're certainly VERY late in the day to be making changes to the deal.  Very real deadlines are rapidly approaching.  If the deal does not get done, and the team is not sold, it is the NHL that is left holding the bag.

and the NHL doesn't want the team to move and they will extend the deadline for as long as is necessary.

[viper37]

Interesting times my friends... and this is way more interesting than anything happening on the ice.

He's delusionnal

[Barrister]

Interesting times my friends... and this is way more interesting than anything happening on the ice.

He's delusionnal

Not at all.

Every hockey game is more or less predictable.  Someone wins, someone loses.  A goal wil be scored, there will some penalties, there will be hitting.

BUt this?  The last two years?  Between Hulsizer, Moyes, Reinsdorf, Ice Edge, Bettman, Winnipeg, bankruptcy, Balsillie - there's nothing predictable about any of it.  It's been sheer WTF madness.  In order for the on-ice product to be as exciting you'd have to have the undead body of Rocket Richard take to the ice and start gnawing on the brains of the players while Elvis riding a unicorn is giving colour commentary

[Neil]

All this talking and negotiating surrounding a second-tier team is less exciting than a well-shot puck, especially if you don't care about the hockey situation in Winnipeg.

[viper37]

Some speculation that this is a lot of smoke and mirrors on HUlsizer's part - that the $25 mil is the $25 mil to cover the team's 2010-2011 losses which was already part of the deal, and the $75 mil is the rent that he was going to pay, only now he has "guaranteed" that money.

Oh, I didn't know about this.  Then the deal ain't really sweatened.

Report over Twitter from a known PX area reporter says that after 5 years, will review parking receipts and HUlsizer/Coyotes/Someone will make up any shortage (up to a max of $75 mil).

Can't be over such a short term.
More likely, they will see if they're on track in 5 years from now, to make 75 million$ - the theoritical sale price of the arena.  Then they will readjust the deal, one way or another.

[viper37]

BUt this?  The last two years?  Between Hulsizer, Moyes, Reinsdorf, Ice Edge, Bettman, Winnipeg, bankruptcy, Balsillie - there's nothing predictable about any of it.  It's been sheer WTF madness.  In order for the on-ice product to be as exciting you'd have to have the undead body of Rocket Richard take to the ice and start gnawing on the brains of the players while Elvis riding a unicorn is giving colour commentary

It was predictable that the NHL would do everything it can to prevent the team from moving, even if it meant losing money or going the socialist way.

[Grey Fox]

Sadly the Coyotes will say in Phoenix simply because Bettman never loses.

[Barrister]

Some speculation that this is a lot of smoke and mirrors on HUlsizer's part - that the $25 mil is the $25 mil to cover the team's 2010-2011 losses which was already part of the deal, and the $75 mil is the rent that he was going to pay, only now he has "guaranteed" that money.

Oh, I didn't know about this.  Then the deal ain't really sweatened.

Report over Twitter from a known PX area reporter says that after 5 years, will review parking receipts and HUlsizer/Coyotes/Someone will make up any shortage (up to a max of $75 mil).

Can't be over such a short term.
More likely, they will see if they're on track in 5 years from now, to make 75 million$ - the theoritical sale price of the arena.  Then they will readjust the deal, one way or another.

The problem is we have nothing to go off of other than HUlsizer's tv statement.  We don't know exactly what he's proposing.  It may well be little more than smoke and mirrors.  Or it might be a substantial change.

GWI is expected to give a response this afternoon.

[Valmy]

What a tool McCain is to get involved with this nonsense. 

[viper37]

What a tool McCain is to get involved with this nonsense. 

I don't understand his position.  Maybe he's friend with the mayor or someone from her office?

[Barrister]

What a tool McCain is to get involved with this nonsense. 

I don't understand his position.  Maybe he's friend with the mayor or someone from her office?

I chalked it up to "being in favour of local sports teams never hurts a politician" angle.

WIth the proviso it doesn't hurt as long as you don't have any money on the table...



And here's Hulsizer's letter.  Digesting it now...

http://www.azcentral.com/ic/pdf/0321Hulsizer.pdf