Foligno's Nose Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 02/01/09 06:54 AM Inside the NHL Bettman?s stance on Hamilton may be good news for Buffalo Bucky Gleason Gary Bettman?s message was delivered so matter-of- factly that it was mostly overlooked or ignored in a mumbo-jumbo mass of all-star rhetoric. The NHL commissioner will forever be a lawyer first, and with him come verbal skills that make you fall asleep before realizing he just made a point. And then you ask: What did he just say? He was asked last weekend before the All-Star Game about the possibility of placing another team in Toronto or somewhere in Southern Ontario, namely Hamilton. It has been a source of concern in Buffalo because Southern Ontario accounts for some 15 to 20 percent of the Sabres? annual haul. The fear here, of course, is having another team in an overlapping market dipping into the Sabres? revenues and hurting the bottom line. Such concern has intensified with Blackberry billionaire Jim Balsillie looking to move a team up the QEW. After all, if the Sabres aren?t keeping up with the Balsillies, how long can they survive? ?Ownership is perhaps the most important thing,? Bettman said. ?Nobody has been identified as a potential owner, and nobody has a divine right to move that franchise. Frankly, if we were going to put a franchise there, we?d look at anybody and everybody who would be interested and pick the person who we think would be best.? Translation: Bettman runs the show here, not Balsillie. Bettman made that point perfectly clear. His primary interest isn?t Balsillie but what?s best for the league. That means the entire league. Bettman has the power to influence, if not decide, what teams go where and when. Sure, there are enough fans in Toronto and Southern Ontario to support another franchise, but placing one there doesn?t work for everybody. ?When you look at that market [in Ontario], there are lots of people who love hockey,? Bettman said. ?It?s a pretty vibrant, rich market. But it?s not that simple.? Bettman also knows that Buffalo, while neither the biggest nor the best, is an important NHL market. It?s a true hockey town where television ratings for major events are always among the highest regardless of whether the Sabres are participating. It?s a U. S. market with a Canadian hockey feel, one he needs to protect. Relocating any franchise requires majority approval from owners. Any new owner would need three-quarters approval before buying a team. Twentytwo of the league?s 30 owners purchased their teams under Bettman?s watch, so they?re following his lead. If they overruled his decision on a critical issue, they might as well fire him. He?s not going anywhere. Bettman has insisted he wants teams staying in their current locations, and any plans for expansion would be on hold until after the economy recovers. If the league reached a point in which relocation was necessary, Las Vegas or Kansas City appear to be in line before Hamilton or Toronto. ?I find it hard to believe that we as a league would have any appetite to go into an antiquated building ???,? Bettman said. ?I?m assuming if we ever went down that road, we?d be talking about building a new building. How is it going to be built, how will it be financed and where?s it going to be put?? Translation: Hamilton isn?t ready. It?s good news for the Sabres. I disagree. Las Vegas and KC??? You don't expand anywhere in the US before you fulfill the obvious gap by placing a team in the Hammer for the multitude of fans in the Golden Horseshoe. Toronto and Buffalo will benefit from the addition. Plenty to go around. Reward this region first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 02/01/09 06:54 AMInside the NHL Bettman?s stance on Hamilton may be good news for Buffalo Bucky Gleason Gary Bettman?s message was delivered so matter-of- factly that it was mostly overlooked or ignored in a mumbo-jumbo mass of all-star rhetoric. The NHL commissioner will forever be a lawyer first, and with him come verbal skills that make you fall asleep before realizing he just made a point. And then you ask: What did he just say? He was asked last weekend before the All-Star Game about the possibility of placing another team in Toronto or somewhere in Southern Ontario, namely Hamilton. It has been a source of concern in Buffalo because Southern Ontario accounts for some 15 to 20 percent of the Sabres? annual haul. The fear here, of course, is having another team in an overlapping market dipping into the Sabres? revenues and hurting the bottom line. Such concern has intensified with Blackberry billionaire Jim Balsillie looking to move a team up the QEW. After all, if the Sabres aren?t keeping up with the Balsillies, how long can they survive? ?Ownership is perhaps the most important thing,? Bettman said. ?Nobody has been identified as a potential owner, and nobody has a divine right to move that franchise. Frankly, if we were going to put a franchise there, we?d look at anybody and everybody who would be interested and pick the person who we think would be best.? Translation: Bettman runs the show here, not Balsillie. Bettman made that point perfectly clear. His primary interest isn?t Balsillie but what?s best for the league. That means the entire league. Bettman has the power to influence, if not decide, what teams go where and when. Sure, there are enough fans in Toronto and Southern Ontario to support another franchise, but placing one there doesn?t work for everybody. ?When you look at that market [in Ontario], there are lots of people who love hockey,? Bettman said. ?It?s a pretty vibrant, rich market. But it?s not that simple.? Bettman also knows that Buffalo, while neither the biggest nor the best, is an important NHL market. It?s a true hockey town where television ratings for major events are always among the highest regardless of whether the Sabres are participating. It?s a U. S. market with a Canadian hockey feel, one he needs to protect. Relocating any franchise requires majority approval from owners. Any new owner would need three-quarters approval before buying a team. Twentytwo of the league?s 30 owners purchased their teams under Bettman?s watch, so they?re following his lead. If they overruled his decision on a critical issue, they might as well fire him. He?s not going anywhere. Bettman has insisted he wants teams staying in their current locations, and any plans for expansion would be on hold until after the economy recovers. If the league reached a point in which relocation was necessary, Las Vegas or Kansas City appear to be in line before Hamilton or Toronto. ?I find it hard to believe that we as a league would have any appetite to go into an antiquated building ???,? Bettman said. ?I?m assuming if we ever went down that road, we?d be talking about building a new building. How is it going to be built, how will it be financed and where?s it going to be put?? Translation: Hamilton isn?t ready. It?s good news for the Sabres. I disagree. Las Vegas and KC??? You don't expand anywhere in the US before you fulfill the obvious gap by placing a team in the Hammer for the multitude of fans in the Golden Horseshoe. Toronto and Buffalo will benefit from the addition. Plenty to go around. Reward this region first. Hamilton is down on this list. There should be teams in Quebec and Winnipeg before Hamilton gets any consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR HOLLIDAY Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Hamilton is down on this list. There should be teams in Quebec and Winnipeg before Hamilton gets any consideration. Don't knock the Hammer, it would do a much better job of supporting a team, then any "who cares about Hockey" city like Phoenix and KC...........Bettman is a turd with big ears..............I would like to see a team in Winnipeg and Quebec as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleven Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Hamilton is down on this list. There should be teams in Quebec and Winnipeg before Hamilton gets any consideration. For purely geographic reasons, sure. Those cities don't have teams nearby. But Hamilton is just as legitimate by any other standard. I'm no longer worried about the future of the Sabres if a team goes to Hamilton, by the way. I don't think it will happen, but if it does, the Sabres will be just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frisky Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I heard on XM radio or something that there's been talk/rumors that there are people (ie people willing invest/buy...monied people) who are rumored to be looking at getting the Whale back. I would like to see the Nordiques return. Man, i hated them with Dale Hunter. But, the rivalry was good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Don't knock the Hammer, it would do a much better job of supporting a team, then any "who cares about Hockey" city like Phoenix and KC...........Bettman is a turd with big ears..............I would like to see a team in Winnipeg and Quebec as well. Not a knock on the fine city of Hamilton. Just would like to see some wrongs corrected before adding Hamilton. Take Nashville and Atlanta and move them to Quebec and Hamilton, return the Coyotes back to Winnipeg and Carolina to Hartford where they belong. How about this for a divisional setup? Central Buffalo Toronto Detroit Hamilton Pittsburgh East Montreal Boston Quebec Ottawa Rangers Atlantic NY Islanders Washington Hartford Philly New Jersey Northwest Edmonton Calgary Winnipeg Vancouver Minnesota South Tampa Columbus Chicago Florida St Louis Pacific Anaheim San Jose Los Angeles Colorado Dallas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 If I could move Tampa to KC and Florida to Seattle I would change the south to a Central Division with Minnesota and KC and put Seattle into the Northwest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattPie Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Not a knock on the fine city of Hamilton. Just would like to see some wrongs corrected before adding Hamilton. Take Nashville and Atlanta and move them to Quebec and Hamilton, return the Coyotes back to Winnipeg and Carolina to Hartford where they belong. How about this for a divisional setup? East Montreal Boston Quebec Ottawa Rangers Atlantic NY Islanders Washington Hartford Philly New Jersey I don't think you break up the current Atlantic division rivalries of NJ, NYI, NYR, and PHL. Swap the Rangers and Hartford, and it doesn't look bad for the East. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 SouthTampa Columbus Chicago Florida St Louis This division has the potential to be craptastically horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I don't think you break up the current Atlantic division rivalries of NJ, NYI, NYR, and PHL. Swap the Rangers and Hartford, and it doesn't look bad for the East. That would give the east the old Adams Division look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 This division has the potential to be craptastically horrible. I wanted to call that Division the Left Over Division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobody Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 This division has the potential to be craptastically horrible. Chicago would love that division for the next decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Chicago would love that division for the next decade. They could Tomahawk their way to a division championship with ease. (please insert equally offensive Native American punchline) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROC Sabres Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 They could Tomahawk their way to a division championship with ease. The guys with tickets outside the arena wouldn't be the only ones doing the scalping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad1 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 When it comes to Hamilton, I don't think Buffalo has a say in the matter. It all comes down to Toronto, and I doubt that Toronto wants any part of a team in Hamilton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 A little info on KC. I have been doing a lot of buisness in KC the last 9 months here is some info. They have a nice new area I think it is called the Sprint Arena. They have this awesome downtown disctrict called the electric light district. Bars, resteraunts probably what Buffalo would like to do with the Aud area but haven't. The Isles next preseason will play the Kings in KC. During the winter they have no other sport teams to speak of. The people I talked to about a NHL team coming there seemed pretty pumped to see hockey in KC. My thoughts are to redo the NHL. Move some of these teams south of the Mason-Dixon line back north to wear people care about hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 When it comes to Hamilton, I don't think Buffalo has a say in the matter. It all comes down to Toronto, and I doubt that Toronto wants any part of a team in Hamilton. I don't believe that is the case. In terms of territorial rights, I believe both clubs would have a say in the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I found this in a cbc article... According to NHL rules, any club moving within an 80 kilometere radius of another team is required to pay a fee. In the case of Hamilton, they would have to pay territorial rights fees to the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad1 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I don't believe that is the case. In terms of territorial rights, I believe both clubs would have a say in the matter. Technically sure, but the Leafs have much more pull than the Sabres. I don't believe that the Sabres alone could prevent a guy like Balsaille from moving a franchise to Hamilton if Toronto wasn't in the picture. The Leafs on the other hand, have much more pull to put the kabosh on Hamilton. So when Bettman talks tough about Balsaille, it's not because he's protecting the Sabres market; he's protecting the Leafs market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spndnchz Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 A little info on KC. I have been doing a lot of buisness in KC the last 9 months here is some info. They have a nice new area I think it is called the Sprint Arena. They have this awesome downtown disctrict called the electric light district. Bars, resteraunts probably what Buffalo would like to do with the Aud area but haven't. The Isles next preseason will play the Kings in KC. During the winter they have no other sport teams to speak of. The people I talked to about a NHL team coming there seemed pretty pumped to see hockey in KC. My thoughts are to redo the NHL. Move some of these teams south of the Mason-Dixon line back north to wear people care about hockey. ding, , you are now free to move about the English language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR HOLLIDAY Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 When it comes to Hamilton, I don't think Buffalo has a say in the matter. It all comes down to Toronto, and I doubt that Toronto wants any part of a team in Hamilton. Your joking right?..........I am not kidding when I say this, but Toronto could easily support two teams, The leafs and then a real franchise.............They would only want a free pay day for however would own the team in Hamilton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad1 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Your joking right?..........I am not kidding when I say this, but Toronto could easily support two teams, The leafs and then a real franchise.............They would only want a free pay day for however would own the team in Hamilton. No, I'm not. There is no way in hell the Leafs are going to share their corporate owner base, their television rights, and their merchandising stranglehold on the Southern Ontario region with another franchise, no matter what concessions they would receive from a new owner. Sure the area could support another team, and that team would make a mint (just by undercutting Leaf ticket prices by $50), but there is no way that the Teachers Union is going to give up their cash cow. If the Leafs somehow lost their minds and did give their go-ahead, however, you could be sure that Hamilton would have a relocated or expansion team at the beginning of the next season. The Sabres would get a nice check, but that would be the beginning and end of their participation in the decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleven Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Your joking right?..........I am not kidding when I say this, but Toronto could easily support two teams, The leafs and then a real franchise.............They would only want a free pay day for however would own the team in Hamilton. The Leafs blocked Buffalo from having a team for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 ding, , you are now free to move about the English language. Ding your free to be an ass hat!!! They were quick points that's all dipsh@! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spndnchz Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Ding your free to be an ass hat!!! They were quick points that's all dipsh@! Golly. Who pissed in your Cheerios? and what exactly is an asshat? By the way, it's you're not your. :nana: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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