T-Girls & Hockey

[sensual_lover20]

Nikki and Lisa,

I have been reading up on RIM's president purchasing the Coyotes and bringing them to Hamilton. Being avid hockey fans and having to integrate t-girls, what is your opinion on stance of the Maple Leafs, NHL and Jim Balsillie? Perhaps an outcome because this is a good discussion of topics.

[tslisaparadise]

Nikki and Lisa,

I have been reading up on RIM's president purchasing the Coyotes and bringing them to Hamilton. Being avid hockey fans and having to integrate t-girls, what is your opinion on stance of the Maple Leafs, NHL and Jim Balsillie? Perhaps an outcome because this is a good discussion of topics.

well contrary to populer believe the president of mlse is friends with balsilie and they will come to an agreement on terretorial rights as for hamilton i doubt this time around they will get a team but within the next 5 years they will and balsilie wont be an owner as long as bettman is around.

[Foxy Basket]

Lisa's right, Bettman will do whatever he can to keep Balsillie out of the owner's club. It's pretty ridiculous, actually - here's a guy with plenty of money and a genuine passion for the game, someone who really wants hockey to succeed in southern Ontario, but they're turning him down? Is Glendale, AZ really that vital to the NHL's success? Let's not forget, the Coyotes used to be the Winnipeg Jets, so it was originally a Canadian franchise to begin with - why would Bettman stop us from bringing it back?

I think the schedule and the division realignment is also problematic. The Coyotes currently play in the Western Conference, but if they moved to Hamilton, they'd have to be in the Northeast division. That would push the Bruins to the Atlantic (ruining the Boston-Montreal rivalry) and create a domino effect so that one of the Eastern teams would have to move to the west. Who would it be? (It's also ridiculous that the Wings are in the Western Conference, but that's a whole other story).

Even if Richard Peddie and Jim Balsillie were best friends, it might not be enough - The Ontario Teacher's Pension Fund owns MLSE (and most of Toronto, for that matter) and they don't want to give up a penny from one of their most lucrative assets. The Leafs are, far and away, the most valuable franchise in the NHL, and the Pension Fund has had Bettman in their pocket for years specifically to guard their assets.

The Coyotes will play this season in Glendale, but after that... who knows?

[Rockheart]

The NHL's thinking is they don't need to promote hockey in Canada.
It is outside of Canada Hockey needs to be fostered.
This is true.
However Winnipeg, Hamilton & Saskatoon can all easily support an NHL team.
Yet they prefer to promote it in large American markets.
Probably to lure and maintain large american sponsors.
And to try and reach untapped markets that way.

[drdrdr]

bettmen does what the owners tell him to do...have you seen any owner in the nhl (this includes owners of canadian teams) come out in favour of another team in canada?

[aguyoutthere1]

bettmen does what the owners tell him to do...have you seen any owner in the nhl (this includes owners of canadian teams) come out in favour of another team in canada?

It's very obvious that Jim Balsillie is a very shady businessman. Rim has been caught for cooking the books and been fined on a couple (maybe a few) occasions. I'm not asying that all the other owners are squeeky clean, but why agree to do business with someone that you know will try to cheat you out of money?

I don't think Balsillie will give up though. I wish he'd just focus on his company making money and start paying out dividends to us investors. Apple and Palm are going to leave him in the dust if he doesn't get focused.

[shytom]

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me why there's a team in Phoenix let alone teams in southern US. Hockey is a sport that should be played in cold weather cities that appreciate the game. I would welcome a team in Hamilton. It won't hurt attendance in either TO or Buffalo. I think it only makes things even more interesting for fans in this section of the world.

[tslisaparadise]

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me why there's a team in Phoenix let alone teams in southern US. Hockey is a sport that should be played in cold weather cities that appreciate the game. I would welcome a team in Hamilton. It won't hurt attendance in either TO or Buffalo. I think it only makes things even more interesting for fans in this section of the world.

true enough but if hamilton got a team then so would toronto and buffalo lol

[xploring]

true enough but if hamilton got a team then so would toronto and buffalo lol

LOL Lisa

Let me say this though. If you are an owner in Florida or Nashville wouldnt you be upset at the idea that someone is going to come and move a team to such a profitable place after you have lost so much money in your market. If they are going to let one of the existing teams there are at least 3 or 4 owners who would say let me move there first. We paid our franchise fee, we lost money now for years. If a team can move into such a lucrative market it should be me not this yahoo new comer.