Gretzky Interested in Owning a Hamilton NHL Team?

On his sports talk show on CHAM Talk 820 last Saturday, Glenn Allan said that a source told him an NHL official was seen with a document containing a plan involving Wayne Gretzky as a possible owner of a Hamilton NHL team. No other media reports have surfaced about this. The only mention of this story on the internet so far is a thread on a fan discussion board called "HF Boards" noting Glenn Allan's statement on his talk show:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=711855

That would be amazing! Problem is Bettman & Toronto ML has no intention of letting a team into Hamilton.
If anyone could pull it off though it would be Gretzky.
Go get em Wayne!!!

Back when the Coyote's thing started, it didn't sound like Gretzky was interested in coaching in Hamilton if the team moved there, so I find it hard to believe that there's much truth to this rumour.

Gretzky vs. Bettman could be the beginning of a very beautiful thing!

As an owner, you wouldn’t have live in Hamilton. Doesn’t Bob Young reside in the Carolinas somewhere?

It wouldn’t surprise me if this was true at all. Gretzky has always said he thinks Hamilton would be a great market – even during the Coyotes situation. Now, he has a bone to pick with the NHL for, basically, horking him out the door.

I still think a Rim Jim-and-others (that may include Gretz) is the best bet. Check the attendance figures around the league – it says to me that Bettman’s act is going to start wearing thin on greedy owners.

As long as Bettman has the backing of the main owners in the NHL, there won't be a team in Hamilton for a very, very long time. And no insult to Wayne but RIM Jim has a lot more clout because he has a lot more money. That being said, Bettman can bang Jim off the wall and not too many people will care but if he did that with Wayne, more people would actually get upset. So Bettman might have to be a bit careful with how he speaks of Wayne in the press me thinks. If there is any truth to this of course.

Article out of Pittsburgh pointing out that ownership of a team in this area is the next logical step for Wayne.

w ww.thefourthperiod.com/columnists/kingerski091121.html

Here we go again .....

But ya lets keep Jim outta this .. i admire him for trying and his relentless trying is something that people will not forget soon. But I think theres going to need some fresh blood and a fresh approach if the city wants to crack the NHL nut.
And Jim has been practically useless at getting a team.

In the meantime I am at the point that until there is a team in Hamilton i could care less. Hamilton has been a bargaining chip for NHL personell for way to long now.

But i chalk this upto sure anyone would want to be part of an ownership in a market that has the possibilities of the southern ontario market..

Doesnt mean he is going to try and buy one.
Look for Gretz to take a break from the NHL stuff for a while .....

The thought is that the NHL doesn't want a second team in Southern Ontario via re-location because they wouldn't make money (the owners). Now, by expansion they could charge a fortune for that team and that would be shared by the owners.

But I think relocation is likely. It's not just Phoenix that's in trouble. You could probably have your pick of a franchise.

Bettman was interviewed on the Bill Waters show this week (640AM) and he stated the NHL is not ready to expand any time soon (though 32 teams would be ideal) and they have no plans or desire to relocate any teams (cough).

But we all know how truthful and trustworthy anything is that comes out of Bettman or the League so anything said should be taken with a grain of salt.

It would be neat if Gretzky partned with Bob Young and the city on the Pan-Am Games stadium and Copps upgrades assuming Hamilton is getting an NHL team. I guess throw in the TiCats in the mix and maybe some real estate stuff with hotels/restaurants or whatever. Of course Wayne has experience owning a CFL team back in the 90's with John Candy.

BLAH BLAH BLAH >>>>>>>>>>>> :thdn: :roll:

Thanks for your contribution to the discussion.

yes and I don’t think anyone wanted him as a coach. He was by far the highest paid coach in the NHL at around $6million a year with one of the worst coaching records, but you are not allowed to criticize the Great One!! If he has money and wants to buy a team that’s great but don’t let him coach.

While the Great One might believe in the viabilty of this market to support a NHL team, he made it crystal clear that he wants no part of it during the Coyotes saga of recent months. He's in the US to stay.

An Argo-Cat fan

Thanks Earl!

Love this part:

[i]"The next phase of Wayne’s professional life should be, rather, needs to be dedicated to bringing a seventh NHL franchise to Canada, specifically southern Ontario.

No one is better positioned to force the NHL to allow a Hamilton, Kitchener or second Toronto franchise. As a southern Ontario native, Gretzky should be able to speak with passion, conviction and most importantly, credibility with regard to a seventh Canadian franchise.

Bill Daly’s recent admission, or contention, that another team could be placed in Hamilton without the approval of the Toronto Maple Leafs has opened the door. The NHL opposed Jim Balsillie’s Coyotes bid on the grounds he was not an approved NHL owner.

They could not say the same of Wayne Gretzky. Seriously, who has the stones to vote against Wayne F***in’ Gretzky?[/i]

As has already been pointed out many owners do not live in the city of the franchise they own. George Gillet lived in Colorado while he owned the Habs. Bob Young and David Braley are two CFL examples.

Until they drop the puck for the first game here,I would discount any NHL - in - Hamilton talk as rumour.

This could be Wayne's chance. In the Pittsburgh article I mentioned above and which Captain exerpted above, here's another passage:

Second, the NHL threw the “great one? under the bus when they took over the Phoenix Coyotes. He is currently owed over eight million dollars. What better way to even the score than to remove an expansion market for which the league wants to charge a gazillion dollars?

The NHL owes Gretzky not just money but probably some, not sure how to put it, dignity being who he is and how the Phoenix situation has played out. You never know.

Just another example of how the clowns that run the NHL are ruining the game and tarnishing its tradition, history and meaning.

They gotta go!