NHL in Hamilton?

Balsillie wants a team in Hamilton. He is the only guy that will make it happen.

I"d be surprised if Bettmen and the leaugue owners would ever let a team come to hamilton let alone the power the leafs have.
Leafs have no veto. The board of governors votes on it. Reports inidcate that Balsillie is working behind the scenes and is getting to know the owners. It's been reported that George Gillette, owner of the Montreal Canadiens, is on board.

Thing is. a team like Nashville draws the sucks the most money out of the richer teams via the equlaiztion scheme the league now has. Moving that team to Hamilton would not only eliminate that sucking of the profits from the richer teams, but all reports indicate that a Hamilton team would be among the richer teams that would donate to that welfare pool. it’s better for the entire league. That’s why other governors would and shuld support Balsillie. And that’s what it’s really about: Balsillie. Would there be a better NHL than he? I think not. A hockey through and through, with lots and lots of cake. This is what the NHL needs right now!

Someone tell me I'm out to left field here. I think Golisano wants out of the Sabres as his heart is more with the Bills and he can use the money he makes from the Sabres to help kill a Rogers/MLSE bid for the Bills when they come up for sale. Part of me thinks this, I don't know?

Hey Earl, I heard that exact same reasoning being discussed by Bufflao media on the FAN590 yesterday, so no, you are not out in left field.

Keep dreaming Hamilton To Quot the Soup Nazi "NO NHL for you "
As long as Gary Bettman is in Charge it's not going to happen..
Stop Day Dreaming and Smell the Coffee
Hamilton is Minor league town in the Eyes of the NHL.

But that's not what I'm talking about, just talking Golisano here. Someone else from the US may very well buy the Sabres and keep them in Buffalo, mabye Balsillie would prefer a franchise like Phonenix that is bleeding about $30 mill a year and he would be able to move them quicker. I doubt Balsillie is really interested in a stronger franchise like the Sabres.

I think a Hamilton team would be a good draw for all the Toronto area fans that are sick of the leafs, and believe me, there are alot of them. So you wouldn't only be drawing from Hamilton, you would also be drawing from Toronto and the rest of southern Ontario, the fans that love hockey but just can't afford to take the family to the ACC. I think an NHL team in Hamilton would be a huge hit.

Buffalo is only 6 mil away from cap so that statement insn’t entirely true

Earl this actually spreads farther than the NHL, you’ll soon see NFL owners looking to sell as President elect Obama has stated he will be raising the capital gains tax to double it’s current rate which is now sitting at 15%, so american sports team owners are scrambling to get their money out now before it costs them more to sell in the future.

Once again Earl that exact same issue is discussed in this article: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/12/ … ublespeak/

From that article:

The talks involving the possible sale of the Sabres are real and verified by impeccable sources. It could still fall through. It could still be a problem for the NHL if the price isn’t to its liking (that too was reported and ignored in the response), another prospective bidder could emerge to trump the one now making headway, but none of that takes away from the fact that the franchise is for sale and that a number of people, including well placed people in the National Hockey League know it.

... mabye Balsillie would prefer a franchise like Phonenix that is bleeding about $30 mill a year and he would be able to move them quicker. I doubt Balsillie is really interested in a stronger franchise like the Sabres.
The thing with Bufflao and Phoenix is that their arena leases are obstacles to moving those franchises. Balsillie's reported move to purchase the 27% share of the Predators would put him in a position to attend BOG meetings thus affecting agendas at meetings), and the ownership structure allows the ability to buy out the rest of the owners of a team whose lease isn't so firm.

The silence is deafening.

Interesting Half and thanks for that article Captain, interesting again for sure.

This issue, and the recent hoopla around the Bills, raises the question of question of what the true value of a professonal franchise really is. If you’re stuck in the market you’re in forever, whether you’re making a killing or losing your shirt, because the league won’t allow you to move, or to sell to someone that might want to move, a franchise might not be a very good investment.

Hard to feel sorry for these very rich people, but imagine owning a money-losing franchise that you are forced to run at a loss indefinately just so that the league commish doesn’t look foolish for granting you a franchise in the first place.

I guess that's why some owners just walk away.

Hard to feel sorry for these very rich people, but imagine owning a money-losing franchise that you are forced to run at a loss indefinately just so that the league commish doesn't look foolish for granting you a franchise in the first place.

section, another analogy here is the corporate type who hires such and such a person, and finds out later they can't do the job well and aren't that bright but leaves the person in the job since they hired them and don't want to look foolish. Ends of creating resentments in the workplace for people not making as much money as the new hire. I guess we see this everywhere out there in the world. :expressionless: