Maple Leafs Have No Sway With NHL Directives

Coming out of the Coyotes Bankrupcy circus today has the NHL explaining publicly that the Toronto Maple Leafs opinions do not sway the National Hockey League with a "veto power". Deputy Commish Bill Daly said so on 640 AM today during an interview with Dreger.

"It's the league's position that, no, they (the Leafs) don't have a veto power," Daly said, noting that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been very clear and consistent in this interpretation of league rules for some time.

This argument that the League has been protecting the southern Ontario market for quite some time on behalf of the Leafs has been the crux of the way Jim Balsillie has fought in hopes that he might get an anti-trust ruling in his favor.

Daly also pointed out that the commissioner has unassailable rights to interpret the league constitution as he sees fit.

Wow. so, basically Daly said here is that Bettman can do anything he wants. Wow.

I don't agree with that assessment, even if it is true. If the understanding that came out of the recent NHL lockout that the game is bigger than any one person, player, agent, or team, then how can this statement be made? Accountability at the highest levels is always necessary when any company is to remain successful.

[Via: TSN.ca]

Phoenix Coyotes Bankrupt but Find Buyer

Despite the news of a great playoff season, Jim Balsillie has put in another bid to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes - on the condition of intending to move the team to Southern Ontario Canada.

The Coyotes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. The filing included the proposed sale of the franchise to PSE Sports & Entertainment, which would move the franchise to southern Ontario.

While it is true that a stable business owner with deep pockets, the ripping apart of a hockey team and the community to which supported it is one of the cruelest scenarios that could possibly be the conclusion. If the team must move, then the only city it should go is Winnipeg.

Balsillie has offered $212.5 million for the franchise, which has spent the past 12 seasons in the desert since leaving Winnipeg, Manitoba prior to the 1996-97 season.

Duplicitous in this agreement is current owner Jerry Moyes who has agreed to put the team up for chapter 11 bankrupsy, but chose not to keep things in-house. Speculating, his attempt at selling the team will be brought to light to embarrass the entrenched NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

"The current team ownership asked that I table an offer to purchase the Coyotes and significant discussions resulted in an offer that is in the best interests of the franchise, the NHL, and the great hockey fans of Canada and southern Ontario," Balsillie said Tuesday in a statement.

And this is why Balsillie has earned the permanent moniker of "Carpetbagger" because of his desire to rob American teams away and "repatriate" them using questionable means to shirk the NHL rules in the process.

Phoenix Coyote fan support is crucial during this process. They must stand up to the bigotry of some Canadians and media elites who do not want non-traditional markets having hockey franchises.

[Via: ESPN.com]

"Carpetbagger" Claims Canadians Are For Sale

Jim Balsillie created, yet again, a big stir in the hockey world by claiming that the historic Montreal Canadians were for sale.

While both George Gillett and Gary Bettman have publicly declared that the Montreal Canadians are not for sale, the Balsillie camp now claims that he was speaking hypothetically as anything is for sale at the right price.

Perhaps if the Canadians were for sale, this would be a safer situation for Balsillie when every hockey fan knows that the Canadians could not be easily be relocated. Balsillie has notably tried to move other clubs - much to the frustrations of the developing fanbase.

[Via: Canadian Press, Sports Business Daily]