kickingfrog Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/...ortsHockey/home Balsillie offers to buy Coyotes Article Comments (29) The Canadian Press May 5, 2009 at 8:01 PM EDT TORONTO — Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie is looking to buy the financially ailing Phoenix Coyotes and bring them to Southern Ontario. The co-CEO of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion says his $212.5-million (all currency U.S.) offer is conditional on moving the Coyotes north of the border. "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 in a statement Tuesday. "I am excited to move closer to bringing an NHL franchise to what I believe is one of the best un-served hockey markets in the world — Southern Ontario. A market with devoted hockey fans, a rich hockey history, a growing and diversified economy and a population of more than seven million people." Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, left, and RIM CEO Jim Balsillie during Balsillie's ill-fated attempt to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Mike Cassese/Reuters) Related Articles Recent KHL founder interested in buying NHL team Internet Links Make it Seven Related Information Phoenix Coyotes According to the Arizona Republic, the Coyotes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday. The team's CEO said efforts have been made to keep the team in Arizona. "Extensive efforts have been undertaken to sell the team, or attract additional investors, who would keep the team in Glendale," Jerry Moyes told the Republic. Moyes added that the City of Glendale, where the team's arena is located, is willing to "offer incentives to keep the team as a tenant in the Jobing.com arena, the lease for which is subject to rejection in bankruptcy." Moyes also said the court process will assure that the new owner and team's location will be known by June 30, though it was unclear if the NHL would still need to approve new ownership or relocation after that date. At the request of the Coyotes owner, Balsillie said he has also agreed to provide $17-million in bridge financing to allow the franchise to keep going in advance of the sale. The NHL did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Balsillie move. Balsillie made a well-publicized attempt to purchase and move the Nashville Predators to Hamilton in the spring of 2007. The deal fell through, with speculation that some in the NHL did not like Balsillie's insistence that the team be moved to Canada. But he reportedly has kept angling for a team of his own. The 48-year-old Balsillie is a huge hockey buff who still plays weekly — he's a right-winger. There was confusion last week about the Coyotes with a spokesman for the city of Glendale, where their arena is located, saying the league was in charge of the team. Coyotes president Doug Moss rejected that report. The league declined comment. Citing Glendale records, the Arizona Republic reported that the Coyotes stopped paying the city of Glendale rent, parking fees and most of its security costs at Jobing.com Arena in August. The paper also said the city was paid nearly $351,000 for past rent on Feb. 25, the day after the NHL agreed to loan the team an unspecified amount. As part of the loan agreement, the league had the right to take over the franchise if the loan was not paid, the paper said. The NHL has had little to say about selling or moving teams although the issue resurfaced recently with news that deputy commissioner Bill Daly met with a group interested in putting a second team in the Toronto area. "There is no consideration of bringing a second franchise to Toronto. We have no intention to expand in the foreseeable future, and there is no desire to relocate any of our existing franchises," the league said in a statement when asked about that meeting. Balsillie is looking for help in his bid to establish a seventh Canadian NHL team. He's asking fans who want to see a seventh NHL franchise in Canada to make their voices heard. He's asking fans to log on to www.makeitseven.ca to add their voices to his bid. "It's an exciting time for professional hockey in Southern Ontario and it has nothing to do with the playoffs," the website says. Should the Coyotes end up in Canada, it will be a homecoming of sorts. The franchise was the Winnipeg Jets from 1979 to 1996. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLofchik Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 I look forward to the Hamilton Crackberries bringing home the Cup. Woot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richyb Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 aww man i was thinking that maybe the fur market was going to go back up instead of the royal kick in the sack that it has been getting lately!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camillj Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Why not just sell him the leafs ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jediangler Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Sign up here to show your support and get email updates on the proceedings. http://www.makeitseven.ca It will be the KW coyotes soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Why not just sell him the leafs ? Because he's hoping to have a winning team Jon !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alphaalpha Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Sign up here to show your support and get email updates on the proceedings. http://www.makeitseven.ca It will be the KW coyotes soon. i love my redwings but if this happens i may have to cheer for both teams. when they play eachother it will be bitter-sweet but still great to watch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Southern Ontaro doesn't need another team. Waterloo? Kitchener? Vaughan? What a waste... Give Winnipeg or Quebec City a team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jediangler Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) No billionaire hockey fans in Winnipeg or Quebec city. Jim can afford to lose money at the rate Pheonix is losing it, he'll just write it off. Besides, they had their chance and couldn't make it work in those cities. Edited May 6, 2009 by jediangler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodsman Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Not likely to go to Hamilton. It's within an area that Buffalo can and will veto it. The league also has to approve the sale and I suspect that might be a hard sell. After Jim Balsillie started to sell tickets for a team in Hamilton which he had not yet bought or had any approval to move he ruffled a few feathers within the league. Lets wait and see how this plays out. I'd love to see a team in the Kitchener or London area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alphaalpha Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Southern Ontaro doesn't need another team. Waterloo? Kitchener? Vaughan? What a waste... Give Winnipeg or Quebec City a team. they had thier teams and couldn't make them work there. southern ontario could easily support another team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaque Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Give Winnipeg or Quebec City a team. Yeah those were the days of the league..........jets, nordiques with dale hunter, whalers........hockey was just better then, or maybe its just that i was younger and the nostalgia of thinking back makes it seem better. lol............but give me those canadian and northern U.S. teams back and im a happy camper. I cant watch anymore of this phoenix coyotes, florida panthers, tampa lightning, carolina hurricane crap!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenhawk Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 i vote London would be a good home for an NHL team.....Hamilton and Vaughn are too close to Toronto, but Waterloo isn't a bad choice, considering i live here currently lol NO SEND EM TO LONDON!!! either way would love to see another team in Canada... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outdoorguy61 Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I have strong ideals about freedom of choice and empathize with the potential owner. I also believe that any market is finite and question the long term wisdom. Should this gentleman win in this case, I do believe that Bettman will be out of a job, which I believe could be good for the game, due to some of his questionable decisions in franchise placement, viability. Just another two cents, from someone that used to love the game. outdoorguy61 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodsman Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Should this gentleman win in this case, I do believe that Bettman will be out of a job, which I believe could be good for the game, due to some of his questionable decisions in franchise placement, viability. outdoorguy61 What most don't realize is that Bettman is not the ones making the decisions. He's the owners mouth piece. Hired by the owners to represent and yes advise them. But if he goes against the owners wishes he's gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbog Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Bettman would rather see a franchise rot in the US then allow Jim B. to buy and move it to Canada. Sad but the enormous egos of two men will stand in the way of improving the fortunes of the game. The union needs to step in and assert that a move to a Canadian location REGARDLESS of who owns it will improve the financial status of everyone in this revenue share environment. The Leafs would also benefit by paying LESS in revenue share monies to dog franchises in locations that couldn't give a HOOT about hockey. I thought this was a fishing forum.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattones Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 move them to yellow Knife Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullybass Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Why not just sell him the leafs ? Why would you sell the golden goose???? Leafs will never sell with the amount of sellouts they have... and the fanbase being so loyal... it doesn't matter if they win or not... the suits are still going to buy up all the seats!!! tragic really being a leaf-fan!!! it would be nice to have ownership that cared about winning and putting a good team on the ice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosebunk Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Because he's hoping to have a winning team Jon !!! WINNER RIGHT THERE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cudz Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 League won't move to a market where there is already a strong following. They look to areas where there is a potential to increase interest in hockey and make that area fall in love with the game and end up starting up grass roots hockey and grow it that . It is a long term thing to get more people to play and take an interest in hockey. Moving a team to southern ontario will not result in more kids playing hockey and as a result making money for hockey in general. Kids/people in general already play hockey and have a great interest in it in Southern ontario. You probably can't squeeze any more water from these rocks. Tapping into a new or emerging market is the best way to increase interest ($$$$$$$$) for the game. Kind of a messed up outlook but unfortunatly that is the nature of the beast. It is all about the Benjamins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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