the fall of the Phoenix Coyotes:UPDATE

[Sticksboi05]

Defense in the USA

Defence everywhere else

There are 30 teams in the NHL, 6 of which are Canadian teams. "Canada's game" needs more Canadian teams.

I think its ridiculous that Gary Bettman wouldn't move a team to hamilton because theres other teams in the area. He's got Anahein & San Jose in California, Florida and Tampa Bay in the state of Florida.

Im pretty confident that in those cities, kids dont play hockey in the street in summer and hockey on an outside rink in winter.

Im hopeful to see what happens at 4, but since the decision is left to Gary Bettman, I dont see it ending well.

All those teams have solid fanbases.

[mjah]

What is a Wild? The name in it's current form doesn't mean wilderness...if it did it would have to be wilderness to be correct grammatically, so it must be an adjective like "Wow that team sure is wild". Individuals can be wild but individuals cannot be "a" wild. What is a wild? It isn't a thing.

Missed this before. "Wild" can in fact be a noun, referring to a massive stretch of wilderness. The book/movie Into the Wild is an example. Wild isn't an adjective there; it's a place reference.

"Wild" is just another amorphous noun -- in this case a huge stretch of untamed land and everything in it. Basically they named the team after the stretches of Minnesota that have no people in them. Like many NHL arenas.

[Heisenberg]

FWIW I like the name "Wild" and I think they have a badass logo.

I also agree that getting back on ESPN should be at the top of the list as far as the NHL is concerned. There's no reason they can't be on Versus AND ESPN. The NBA does it just fine.

[Die Hard]

true, some will still be Sabres fans, but didn't they say the same thing about Ottawa? they are all Leafs or Habs fans, and look at them now, they have a rabid fan base.

You don't remember just a few short years ago (2003) that the team was about to go bankrupt? Despite a long run of success ON the ice!!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2003/01/09/senators_030109.html

Judge grants Ottawa Senators bankruptcy protection

Last Updated: Thursday, January 9, 2003 | 11:42 PM ET

With financial losses piling up off the ice, the National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators won temporary bankruptcy protection on Thursday.

Owner Rod Bryden said he hopes the team will be able to stay in the city. But he warned that one of the deciding factors will be whether fans buy tickets. If the seats can't be filled now, while the Senators are in or near first place in the league, investors will be scared away.

"This isn't the big bad banks chasing us out of town," Bryden told a news conference. Investors simply want a fair return, and are quite willing to keep the team where it is as long as they can make a profit, he said.

Ottawa Senators majority owner Rod Bryden ponders a question at a news conference in Ottawa Thursday(AP PHOTO)

Ottawa Senators majority owner Rod Bryden ponders a question at a news conference in Ottawa Thursday(AP PHOTO)

"We need to decide whether or not we are going to have a team in the city and whether we're prepared to pay for it. There is a marvellous opportunity to have this asset here at today's values, soundly funded."

After a decade in Canada's capital city, "there is more than a chance" the Senators will be sold and moved to another location, he said.

"The challenge for Ottawa is, will it benefit from those 10 years of effort and that investment?" Bryden said. "Or, will it build a marvellous asset to watch the Stanley Cup final on television?"

A court-appointed monitor, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, has been told to start searching for potential buyers for the club.

Senators get $13.7 million to pay bills

The bankruptcy request, a long-expected legal manoeuvre, was filed in an Ottawa court Thursday afternoon. After reviewing the papers, a judge agreed to give the Senators protection from creditors until at least Feb. 10. Extensions may be offered.

The team, which asked the court to keep its financial records and restructuring plans confidential, was expected to seek similar protection from creditors in the United States.

RELATED

* Coverage from CBC Sports * Coverage from CBC Ottawa

The Senators owe about $160 million Cdn, including $14 million to the NHL, $40 million to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), and $20 million to FleetBoston Financial Corp, based in the United States.

Under the deal, the Senators will get $13.7 million Cdn in short-term financing from CIBC and FleetBoston Financial. The money will be used to pay some overdue bills.

Although racking up victories in the win column this season, the Senators are in a financial mess. They haven't paid rent for months, didn't meet their last player payroll, and have reportedly defaulted on loans.

Bankruptcy protection lets a company keep operating, with its assets protected from creditors for a limited time, while it tries to make arrangements for new financing and a long-term business plan.

Filling for protection under the Companies Creditors' Arrangement Act – similar to Chapter 11 in the United States – makes it easier for the team to be sold and moved.

Ottawa's Corel Centre, where the team plays, is technically owned by Bryden. But the arena is now effectively controlled by the U.S. company that built it, Covanta Energy Corp., because the company is owed $210 million.

[Heidenreich]

I forgot about the TV deal before. THat should clearly be # 1.

I forgot because I know that the NHL is locked into this damn Versus deal until 2011.

How bad is the TV contract? I just looked up the schedule for Sunday. Game 5 of the Ducks/Wings series is not on nationally in the US.

Golf is on NBC. Indy time trials is on versus.

So I can't watch a pivotal playoff game because the NHL has the most horrific television deal ever.

When Major League Soccer has a better TV deal than you, it's time to retire.

[HighOnHendrix]

I've never, ever understood the migration of teams away from Canada and into to the southern US. Seems like a trend that should be reversed.

My thoughts exactly. ESPECIALLY to a place like Phoenix!!! WTF is that? Hockey in the desert??!! Gimme a break.

[Peeping Wizard]

Ok I get the names. But why does Florida need 2 hockey teams? I think my problem was I don't know why those cities have hockey teams. When you think of hockey, you think of Canada and the North/Northeast US. Cities like Nashville, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Ft. Luaderdale don't exactly come to mind when thinking hockey.

Tons of people who have relocated from the colder "hockey" states to Florida.

[artmonkforHOF]

You don't remember just a few short years ago (2003) that the team was about to go bankrupt? Despite a long run of success ON the ice!!

million.

Ottawa's problems came from bad finacing. They had to pay the NHL an expansion fee (cant remember teh exact amount maybe $300-$400mil, but its about double the price of a franchise) and fund part of the stadium. They simply could not afford to pay off the debt. If you factor out the debt servicing, they actually where profitable. The original owners of the franchise put down in total less than 20% of their own money and hoped that they could pay off the loans with the profits from the team but it didn't pan out that way.

Hamilton & Ballsile would not have those problems since 1) a stdium is already build and Ballsile said he would put $150 mill of his own $ into fixing it up 2) no expansion franchise fee. 3) he is not loaning any money to buy the team it's all his so there is no finacing needed. Even if he does overpay for the franchise at $212.5mill he would still be light years ahead, finacially speaking, of where Ottawa was when they stared up.

And even if for some reason the team is not "profitable" (read making less than 1% GP or breaking even) that is still a marked improvement on losing $30 to $40 mill/ year like they are lsoing in Phoenix. As another NHL owner would you rather pay $1mill + per year(and growing) to keep Phoenix alive or, worst case scenario in Hamilton, make $17,000 in yearly payments to keep Hamilton alive?

[artmonkforHOF]

My thoughts exactly. ESPECIALLY to a place like Phoenix!!! WTF is that? Hockey in the desert??!! Gimme a break.

Bettman is still holding on to the dumb idea that he can get a big US TV deal if he has a broad coverage of NHL teams serving most of the major US TV markets. I do not know when he will learn that he can not get the NBA, MLB, or NFL type deals in the US.

If he ever took his head out of his a**, he would see the only way he generates serious amounts of TV revenue is from the 3 Canadian networks, CBC, TSN & Sportsnet, since they are the only ones who pay for TV rights and actually can charge advertisers to put ads on during hockey since those networks get good rating when hockey is on.

[No_Pressure]

Missed this before. "Wild" can in fact be a noun, referring to a massive stretch of wilderness. The book/movie Into the Wild is an example. Wild isn't an adjective there; it's a place reference.

"Wild" is just another amorphous noun -- in this case a huge stretch of untamed land and everything in it. Basically they named the team after the stretches of Minnesota that have no people in them. Like many NHL arenas.

I was thinking it was like a double entendre like they are wild or they play in the wild, but then again in order to specify you are referring to the wild as a place, you have to put "the" in front of it which their team name doesn't "The Minnesota Wild" could be seen as describing literally the wilderness in Minnesota, but that is a place name not a name for a collective group of people playing ice hockey.

None of it makes any sense to me, it seems like it would be more proper to call them The Minnesota Wilderness to me, but that name sucks just as much as the original one, I was looking at it from an adjective standpoint like the team is "wild" which makes it even worse.

None the less if you are going to name your team after a place noun like that (sort of like the Capitals) it makes it horrible when it isn't a specific place and it's just a generic area. The capital is the capital, we know what it is, where it is, and what it looks like. The wild is anything, it's like naming your team the Minnesota Outdoors.

Whether I had my adjectives correct or confused (I had them confused for Heat and the other one) my point stands, those names are vague and stupid.

[SackMachine]

All those teams have solid fanbases.

They do when they're winning. And if an American state can support two teams, I dont see how obsessed Canadians can not.

[mjah]

Whether I had my adjectives correct or confused (I had them confused for Heat and the other one) my point stands, those names are vague and stupid.

No argument there.

Minnesota Powdermilk Biscuits?

[isle-hawg]

What is the ES'ers hockey fans take on the state of the NHL and the potential move to Hamilton, a hockey hotbed?

Canadians love hockey (so do I (far) behind football). I just got back (last night) from a road-trip to southern Ontario (including Hamilton) back to VA. There was more coverage of the CAPS/PENS up there than in VA thanks to CBC.

I bought this subject up with the folks I met working and patronizing your local Harley Dealer (Poole's) Wednesday. I was somewhat surprised they were far less enthusiastic about it as me, those I spoke with said no way the town could support it.

One of the guys I spoke with worked in a local steel plant and said his hours had already been cut back as have most and was worried about getting laid off.

Anyway good luck - I hope the team moves to your hometown.

[isle-hawg]

Perhaps if we could get CBC in the states hockey would grow down here?

[artmonkforHOF]

Canadians love hockey (so do I (far) behind football). I just got back (last night) from a road-trip to southern Ontario (including Hamilton) back to VA. There was more coverage of the CAPS/PENS up there than in VA thanks to CBC.

I bought this subject up with the folks I met working and patronizing your local Harley Dealer (Poole's) Wednesday. I was somewhat surprised they were far less enthusiastic about it as me, those I spoke with said no way the town could support it.

One of the guys I spoke with worked in a local steel plant and said his hours had already been cut back as have most and was worried about getting laid off.

Anyway good luck - I hope the team moves to your hometown.

No offence to the person you talked to, but that is not Ballsile's target audience. Hamilton is a steel town, with one plant shut down right now, but those are not the only people who live in the Hamilton area. Health care is one of the biggest business sectors in Hamilton, Dundas, Waterdown & Ancaster-where I grew up- are filled with Doctors, Lawyers, Executives, and Engineers and all communities to the North/East- Burlington, Oakville, Guelph- all have a large percentage of white collar jobs. (oakville being one of the most wealthy cities in Canada)

In case you didn't notice, Poole's is not in the the nicest area of Hamilton, and it wouldn't surprise me if the people around there did not think they could afford it or where downbeat in general since the economy is hitting them pretty hard. If they are over 30, they have also had the NHL carrot dangled in front of them a few other times and have learned not to get their hopes up. If you made your way into west Hamilton- or Westdale as it's called (where the University is)- you would see a completely different city.

This might come as a shock to some, but I HATE hockey, especially the NHL with Bettman at the head, but the reason this excites me is that it might not be up to the NHL to decide if Hamilton gets a franchise this time around-provided the bankruptcy filing is allowed to continue- and up to a bankrupcty judge, and I do not see anyone coming anywhere close to Ballsile's offer of $212.5 million and keep the team in Glendale, so they can loose $30mill/year, or if they are lucky, get thatn down to a $10mill loss/year.

I think Ballsile would like to build a brand new arena, maybe closer to Kitchener, but in order to put together his bid for the team, i think he needs to show that he can move the team by October and start playing inthe Southern Ontario market, so the Hamilton team might be short lived if it does happen, but man how the city, and the downtown core in particular (you drove down that concrete canyon called King street didn't you?), would get a nice shot in the arm.

[isle-hawg]

In case you didn't notice, Poole's is not in the the nicest area of Hamilton, and it wouldn't surprise me if the people around there did not think they could afford it or where downbeat in general since the economy is hitting them pretty hard. If they are over 30, they have also had the NHL carrot dangled in front of them a few other times and have learned not to get their hopes up. If you made your way into west Hamilton- or Westdale as it's called (where the University is)- you would see a completely different city.

I noticed the area surrounding Poole's was not exactly "upscale". I did not ride through west Hamilton or Westdale, so I missed out on the nicer parts of Hamilton. I did however make my way back to Niagara Falls via route 8 which was a very nice bike ride through some small towns with charming (expensive looking) houses and many scenic wine vineyards.

Like you point out Ballsile is willing to pay more than anyone else for the team. It seems to me pig-headed of Bettman to force the issue of keeping the team in Arizona where it is and will likely continue to loose money. It is not unlike what happened in baseball, when Montreal clearly was not supporting the Expos and there was a move to bring the team to DC. It took several years longer than necessary to make happen as the commissioner was against relocation of the team so the other baseball owners were forced to subsidize the team while it remained in Montreal.

My guess is when this is all settled the team will be moving to southern Ontario - and I think that will be for the better. Hockey to me seems best suited for Canada and Northern USA cities. To me it doesn't belong in places like Arizona, Florida or Carolina.

[ixcuincle]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/judge-rejects-sale-of-coyotes-to-balsillie/article1183148/

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie has lost his battle to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and move the club to Hamilton, but he could still make another attempt.

Arizona bankruptcy court Judge Redfield T. Baum ruled Monday night that Balsillie’s bid to buy the club for $212.5-million (all currency U.S.) did not meet the requirements under U.S. bankruptcy law. While Balsillie’s offer would compensate many of the creditors of the club, “such outcome does not lessen the requirements under the [bankruptcy] Code before the court can authorize the sale of estate property.“

[Dan T.]

I'm pretty sure a Steeler actually is a thing. It was an old-school way of referring to steel mill workers, just like "Packer" was an old-school way of referring to meat packers.

What the hell is a "Brown"? I know they were named after Paul Brown, but still... The Cleveland Browns?

"Wild" is just another amorphous noun -- in this case a huge stretch of untamed land and everything in it. Basically they named the team after the stretches of Minnesota that have no people in them. Like many NHL arenas.

:hysterical:

The WNBA has taken the amorphous name syndrome to ridiculous heights (or depths):

Eastern Conference

Atlanta Dream

Chicago Sky

Connecticut Sun

Detroit Shock

Indiana Fever

New York Liberty

Washington Mystics

Western Conference

Los Angeles Sparks

Minnesota Lynx

Phoenix Mercury

Sacramento Monarchs

San Antonio Silver Stars

Seattle Storm

That, and in the Western Conference, more than HALF THE TEAMS have the same names as crappy old cars (Geo Storm, Lynx, Mercury, Monarch).

[artmonkforHOF]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/judge-rejects-sale-of-coyotes-to-balsillie/article1183148/

sucks for hamilton but was a long shot anyway. judge had to take it serioiusly, since it was the only bid, now we'll see what happens and how small any offer(if there is one, NHL might have to run/buy it) is compared to Balsillie's.

I wonder what is going to happen at the "makeitseven.ca" rallies planned for Friday the 19th? lol

[SkinFaninOKC]

Some of you complain about "Wizards". While I am not a fan of the team, the "Thunder", sucks and blows. Thunder is everywhere. "I am a Thunder", yeah, that sounds pretty stupid. Hell, the team should have kept "Sonics", since OKC is the headqurarters for the burger chain anyway.