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Sat May 09, 2009 1:23 pm EDT

Atlanta to Hamilton rumors, or let Sun Belt clearance sales begin!

By Greg Wyshynski

In yesterday's Puck Headlines, we pointed to a Hamilton Spectator article about a "mystery suitor" that was also interested in bringing an NHL franchise to the southern Ontario city.

The Spectator (via the Toronto Star) reports today that the franchise is the Atlanta Thrashers and the suitor is a Vancouver-based hockey group "believed to be led by Vancouver developer Tom Gaglardi," which could meet with Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger as early as Monday. From the Spectator:

A source confirmed this week that Gaglardi, president of Northland Properties, the parent company of Sandman Hotels, is the key principal in the second hockey group interested in Hamilton. Gaglardi failed in his bid to buy the Vancouver Canucks five years ago ...

One source said the Atlanta move to Hamilton would be temporary, possibly to give the group time to relocate the franchise to a more permanent site following the 2010 season.

Let's see: The Coyotes go to Kitchener, Atlanta goes to Hamilton, then you realign the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres and boom ... The Nearly All-Ontario division.

The Thrashers are a vulnerable organization because of ongoing disputes between warring factions of ownership and the financial consequences from consecutive seasons of Incredible Hulk-like leaps backwards after making the postseason for the first time. Of course, much like with the beleaguered Phoenix Coyotes, the baffling mismanagement of the on-ice product has served as the catalyst for other crippling ills.

A source in Atlanta told us: "I'm assuming there’s nothing to it until I hear otherwise." And there's absolutely zippy in the Spectator article about talks with the Thrashers or an actual offer being made, so this becomes one of about a thousand "interested parties" stories we'll read in the wake of the Coyotes' situation. (Incidentally, Puck Daddy is interested in buying the Lightning and moving them to Guam; we wait patiently for coverage from the Coconut Telegraph.)

But it's clearly poaching season on U.S. non-traditional market franchises, and the legal ramifications of the Bettman/Balsillie/Coyotes mess could affect that.

The Arizona Republic reports that Coyotes owner (or whatever) Jerry Moyes is claiming that the NHL's refusal to allow the sale to Balsillie "violates state and federal antitrust laws." Should the court find that to be true, what implications will that hold for NHL processes like Board of Governors' approval rof future owners and NHL markets?

One final thought on the Coyotes, via my conversation with Jeff Marek on HNIC Radio yesterday: Is this really about the NHL being steamed over a team relocating to southern Ontario before the League can reap the windfall of massive expansion fees for a new franchise in that region?

Related: Gary Bettman, Commissioner for Life, Rumors, scuttlebutt, innuendo

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89 Comments

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  1. Butt Pirate
    1. Posted by Butt Pirate Sat May 09, 2009 1:37 pm EDT

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    What is a kitchener?
  2. HotStacey
    2. Posted by HotStacey Sat May 09, 2009 1:38 pm EDT

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    let 'em go. who cares? matter of fact, let's get rid of about 10 teams so only the good players will be left. keep kovalchuck and let the rest play on farm teams.
  3. tippyturtle
    3. Posted by tippyturtle Sat May 09, 2009 1:39 pm EDT

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    Dear NHL
    These aren't the go go days any more. Take what you can get. More hockey teams in Canada is good. Just make sure ticket prices are reasonable. When you get more teams, you sell more jerseys. Hopefully that will help make up for not getting expansion fees. It's the economy, stupid. Deal with it.
  4. Hildymac
    4. Posted by Hildymac Sat May 09, 2009 1:51 pm EDT

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    Atlanta's a big market. A big and very FICKLE market. Anyone familiar with Atlanta sports knows that people only show enthusiasm when the product on the field, court, or ice is winning. The Hawks are playing well, so everyone here's a basketball fan. When they were horrible a couple of years ago, you couldn't give tickets away. I was at a Braves/Cardinals game a few weeks ago, and less than half the stadium was full - and half of that were Cards fans like me. The Falcons only started to sell tickets last season.
    The Thrashers had several sell-outs the season they made the playoffs, and both of the playoff games sold out as well. There are hockey fans here, but they only show up when the team wins. The last game of the season this year was a sell-out, and attendance improved the 2nd half of the year because the team started playing better. This isn't a market who will support a team through good and bad and average times. The success of a franchise in Atlanta depends upon the product on ice, and that depends on competent ownership who are more concerned about running a team than they are about fighting in court.
  5. The Presence
    5. Posted by The Presence Sat May 09, 2009 1:57 pm EDT

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    thrashers cant move because they are tied to the hawks, so unless the hamilton wants the hawks too, the thrashers arent going anywhere.
  6. The Puck Report
    6. Posted by The Puck Report Sat May 09, 2009 1:57 pm EDT

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    Let's get the league back to 24 teams and make sure at least one franchise is located in Quebec City.
    Your war is over Mr. Bettman. My condolences. The bums lost.
    http://puckreport.blogspot.com
  7. Neil
    7. Posted by Neil Sat May 09, 2009 2:03 pm EDT

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    "But it's clearly poaching season on [failing] U.S. non-traditional market franchises, and the legal ramifications of the Bettman/Balsillie/Coyotes mess could affect that."
    FTFY.
  8. Haak
    8. Posted by Haak Sat May 09, 2009 2:07 pm EDT

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    Wow, I completely forgot how successful the Jets and Nordiques were, and didn't the NHL help the Sens out when they were 1st in points, yet still went bankrupt. As a Canes fan, I love having some local rivals, but it seems the trend is more pathetic ownership than fan bases. But of course Bettman knows better who's more financial equipped to run a franchise, and how they should be run
  9. habs1rule
    9. Posted by habs1rule Sat May 09, 2009 2:07 pm EDT

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    Lets just move the NY Rangers to Moose Jaw, the Flyers are going to Medicine Hat. and the Bruins will love it in Catchacold Manitoba.
  10. habs1rule
    10. Posted by habs1rule Sat May 09, 2009 2:09 pm EDT

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    We'll have the 'Priarie dust and Tumbleweed Division"
  11. JohnB
    11. Posted by JohnB Sat May 09, 2009 2:09 pm EDT

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    Yeah, that many teams in one area isn't going to help the team, move teams to Winnipeg, or Regina, or some place other then Southern Ontario. To many teams in too small an area, got to spread it out some.
  12. Ek
    12. Posted by Ek Sat May 09, 2009 2:11 pm EDT

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    Hey the more the merrier, cause I hate the south east division. All worthless teams if you ask me. I'm from New York and I believe strongly that there should be more Canadian teams, if possible one in each province.
  13. Hildymac
    13. Posted by Hildymac Sat May 09, 2009 2:24 pm EDT

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    #12 - Yes, totally worthless. Which would explain why there are two SE teams in the semi-finals right now, 2 of the last 4 Cups were won by Southeast teams, and the last time a team from the NE won it it was NJ Devils in '03. Geographic location has nothing to do with the on-ice success of a product. If that were true, why did the last Canadian team win it in 1993? Ownership, drafting, cultivation of prospects and running a franchise correctly leads to success.
    I wish that people would stop trying to turn this discussion into Where in North America is Carmen Sandiego. The Leafs have been average for the past 10 years. Oh noes! It's all because they're in Toronto! Move them to a different city and then they're going to be WONDERFUL. Wonder why we don't hear that argument... when a traditional market city's team is horrible, we hear the blame being placed in the right spots. When a non-traditional market team has troubles, it's all the location and fans' fault. Use some common sense.
  14. nael_masood
    14. Posted by nael_masood Sat May 09, 2009 2:35 pm EDT

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    Well put, Laura. There's a double standard set when traditional market teams fail and when non-traditional market teams fail. It's ridiculous, and there's so many people that believe in that BS that anybody that calls them out on it gets drowned out in the stupid "The team failed because X is a bad hockey market!" drivel.
  15. ???
    15. Posted by ??? Sat May 09, 2009 2:37 pm EDT

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    #13 we arent talking about the talent but the fan base
  16. Cassie
    16. Posted by Cassie Sat May 09, 2009 2:45 pm EDT

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    so if failing teams are a problem, then why didn't anyone suggest moving Chicago a couple of years ago? and where's the push for moving the Islanders to Canada? and what about relocating Ottawa? none of those teams couldn't or still can't fill the seats in their arenas, so why doesn't one of them get to move to Hamilton?
  17. DJC
    17. Posted by DJC Sat May 09, 2009 2:52 pm EDT

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    If the league truly wanted to set up an expansion for Southern Ontario, and charge the $400 mil in expansion for the owners, they had plenty of time to act on it. Time and time again, they say they have no plans for expansion, and thirty "vibrant" markets. If nothing else, Mr. Balsillie has expedited the desires of thousands of fans in Southwestern Ontario who were basically given the finger by Mr. Bettman and his strategy to go to large southern cities with moderate fan bases. Should Mr. Balsillie not get the Southern Ontario franchise (for bullying the bullies), I am grateful to him for speaking up for the fans and getting this process finally moving.
    As for the Vancouver group, could this be a way for the league to convince the courts they have other offers to move into the 'underserved market,' or is this a serious rival to Balsillie for the obviously hockey-mad area? I just wonder where they have been in the past few years (if he bid on the Canucks before, is he a 'league man' doing a favour for to the league for legal arguments to get a better job later a la Leopold?)
    Either way, someone should get it done, and the team managers should be putting pressure on the commissioner to get a team there and end the slow death of franchises. And, once they finally do get a team, they should call it 'Ontario something' (wolfpack?) in order to maximize on the half dozen Southwestern cities over 100,000. I know a lot of Londoners who would find it hard cheering for a Kitchener team. And MLSE, your arguments are laughable that it will take lots of money away from your franchise. There is still a decade long waiting list to buy season tickets, and if you want a ticket (even when they are knocked out of the playoffs against another horrible team), you need $300 or you get laughed at by scalpers. A little competition would hurt you about as much as a kids lemonade stand hurts starbucks.
    Good luck businessmen and lawyers, sorry to rant.
    DC
  18. habs1rule
    18. Posted by habs1rule Sat May 09, 2009 2:56 pm EDT

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    Did you realize there are Anthropologists that recently exumbed a cave in the South area of Yosemite where mocassans were found that appeared to have "Blade' marking under them, many scientists now are exploring that Native Americans actually created Hockey first, making it an American sport, that eventually went North through Industrial expansion.
  19. MaTt
    19. Posted by MaTt Sat May 09, 2009 2:56 pm EDT

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    you know why 16? because trust me, there are hockey fans there.
    how about screw the thrashers, coyotes and all those teams.
    if there ever was a phoenix atlanta finals, (god forbid) the nhl would fall helplessly
  20. Derek J
    20. Posted by Derek J Sat May 09, 2009 3:02 pm EDT

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    once upon a time nashville was coming to winnipeg, now its phoenix to southeatern ontario and atlanta to hamilton? i'll believe it when i see it. as much as i'd love to have more canadian teams, gary bettman is still in charge. he has this crazy little idea in his mind that hopckey will catch on in the southern states. they have put together talented lubs down there too, but the fact of the matter remains there is no fan base. then there are places in canada who "have the fan base" but can't afford a team. winnipeg is one of those, as much as i hate to say it. gary bettman would be uber pissed to see a sotuhern team come up north, but i'm sure he would love to say i told you so if any canadian team fails. so to all of you in ottawa.......shape up or join the jets and nordiques
  21. James S
    21. Posted by James S Sat May 09, 2009 3:03 pm EDT

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    Habs1, That article appeared in Science Now magazine, and I thought most hockey fans were aware of that fact. Since the game was originated on the Brisish Isles, and went West , it would make the most sense that hockey started in the States, as Canada was virtually an unexplored relm until Europeans established outposts here first, than tried to civilize those in the Northern tribes.
  22. James S
    22. Posted by James S Sat May 09, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

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    BTW, Fans saying there is no fans base and population centers here for hockey in a Nation with 300 million people must not have received their latest government free medication up there, Canada has 30 million people scattered over the largest unexplored land mass besides Antartica..They dont even have population centers, just scattered chaos.
  23. habs1rule
    23. Posted by habs1rule Sat May 09, 2009 3:09 pm EDT

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    The Coyotes should move to the Yukon Territories, their mascot would be walking along the road looking for prey, Fit right in there.
  24. Neil A
    24. Posted by Neil A Sat May 09, 2009 3:11 pm EDT

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    I don't believe any of the "this team is moving" speculation that comes from any Toronto or Canada-based newspaper. If we don't hear it from the local paper, then I call shenanigans. The only reason why I even believe that there's a possibility of the Coyotes moving is because it was in the Arizona papers. If I see this Thrasher-moving story in Atlanta's paper, I'll believe that there's the possibility.

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