The Phoenix Coyotes or Balsillie vs the NHL

[talloola]

Honestly I would love to see a team or two come North, but I still think Balsillie isn't the type of owner anyone wants: there has to be rules, even for owners (or we end up with Salary Cap violations, etc), and he's shown no interest in abiding by them in his attempts thus far.

Canada only needs a couple of teams to come north, and we are not asking
them to go to spuzzum or newfoundland, they would be coming to markets
where the people are hungry for a hockey team, and it doesn't have to be
hamilton either. A group is suggesting another team for southern b.c., as
I guess the marketing of such an idea has turned up positive results, I wonder.
Winnipeg would be perfect because of the hockey interest and the location,
and our dollar is strong now. Not sure about quebec, don't understand why
a province such as them, allowed their team to leave, 'french canada', hockey?
doesn't make sense, they love their hockey.
I know our dollar was weak at that time, but we are doing well now, now is
now, that was history and
why can't a u.s. owner, own another team in canada, they own everything
else here, canucks were owned by a u.s. owner.

But some teams are sitting in the u.s. with fans who don't care, and owners
who are losing 'big bucks', isn't that exactly what happened here in canada,
and he had them out of here as fast as he could, drooling and smiling his little
smirk, and couldn't wait for those teams to settle in the u.s. where he wanted
them, maybe we better be careful of some of our remaining teams, he might
snatch them up too, (just kidding), but 'just' give him a reason, lets use edmonton
as an example, if they began hurting and losing money each year, they would
be GONE, and does anyone here believe he would spend all the time he has in
phoenix, who's owner is losing hundreds of millions, and let a team sit in
Edmonton under those circumstances, not a chance, it would be his chance to
snatch them up, and relocate them.

.

 

[talloola]

You can bet another team in Southern Ontario would hurt teams like Buffalo who have a fan base from Canadians who can't get into the AC. He'll not only have Balsillie ready to toss him, the owners of those teams will want his head.

It should be handed to 'whoever', on a platter.

 

[talloola]

Honestly I would love to see a team or two come North, but I still think Balsillie isn't the type of owner anyone wants: there has to be rules, even for owners (or we end up with Salary Cap violations, etc), and he's shown no interest in abiding by them in his attempts thus far.

There is no way he could violate salary cap rules, all have to abide by them,
and so would a team of his. He has tons of money, is passionate for a team,
he knows bettman will blackball him so his last resort is to come to the people,
where he will get support.
Once he owns a team, he has to play by the rules, simple, or his team won't
get to play.
Maybe the one area he needs to be more flexible is the 'location', and if he won't
move on that point, then he starts to become a little like bettman, why doesn't
he consider winnipeg, it's still in canada.

 

[MrRight]

There are two major issues, a) NHL wants to expand its fan base (i.e. playing 2 absolute useless games in Europe when they have the KHL taking over across the pond, and b) the fact that the Leafs have the biggest fan base in and outside of their home barn. So this causes a massive problem. If you have another team coming into the back yard of another team which has so much influence, such a big fan base, and the fact that they can fill out every game even tho they havent won a cup, or been to the final dance in how many years, and you get another team trying to come in and possibly take away fans, owners start to get ancy, and when you have lots of money (including Teachers pension) you have a lot of power, and influence on what goes in your yard.

 

[talloola]

There are two major issues, a) NHL wants to expand its fan base (i.e. playing 2 absolute useless games in Europe when they have the KHL taking over across the pond, and b) the fact that the Leafs have the biggest fan base in and outside of their home barn. So this causes a massive problem. If you have another team coming into the back yard of another team which has so much influence, such a big fan base, and the fact that they can fill out every game even tho they havent won a cup, or been to the final dance in how many years, and you get another team trying to come in and possibly take away fans, owners start to get ancy, and when you have lots of money (including Teachers pension) you have a lot of power, and influence on what goes in your yard.

A team in Hamilton wouldn't affect the leafs, but it might affect Buffalo.

 

[MrRight]

I think it would, you are taking away fan base ( not to mention future business meetings) when you can go to a closer game in Steel Town.