Relocation Revisited...Again

In the midst of all the Jarome Iginla craziness, the NHL did the smart thing and snuck a Phoenix Coyotes update in the middle of the whole ruckus. With this announcement, the big thing that Bill Daly actually admitted is that it's almost the time for relocation-- specifically Quebec City, Seattle, and the dark horse to end all dark horses, Kansas City. With the NHL saying they will talk to the players about it before the playoffs, as well as keep the line open to investors-- we could actually be heading towards an end game.

Of course, you have the front runners that are going to be Quebec City, who's arena is planned to be built by opening night of 2014, and Seattle, who will probably get an arena based on what happens with their NBA cohorts. However, the inclusion of Kansas City is an interesting one. Considering the AEG contingency own the Sprint Center and many owners wouldn't want to pay rent on it-- it leads me to believe that if there's some inkling of an ownership, Kansas City could steal this relocation.

The reason I think this is almost geographical. Consider the fact that the NHL probably won't go to Seattle if the NBA doesn't go there because it seems the NBA is the end all be-all for getting a new arena in that area. Also, take the point that Quebec City is out East with the Coyotes out west; the crazy realignment that has taken place already would be ruined. All this mean is that should the Coyotes move to Kansas City, it wouldn't completely break the realignment up and maybe allow Colorado to move to that more west division.

Granted, should Seattle actually get the Sacramento Kings (a decision to come by early to mid-April), then the obvious choice outside of keeping the team in Phoenix would be Seattle because it keeps that division together. One hurdle is whether or not the NHL thinks that the Key Arena is able to hold a hockey team in the meantime. Also should be noted that many believe that Quebec City could and should be the front-runner  thanks to the success that Winnipeg brought back to their area of the hockey world with the Thrashers moving to become the Jets. Even so, that whole realignment thing could really screw Quebec's chances now more than ever. You can't just move the Coyotes out east and realign again without screwing over the Red Wings or Blue Jackets, as well as making the Blue Jackets a target for relocation in the next five years, possibly.

Kansas City has often been a rumored site, especially since Mario Lemieux leveraged a visit to Kansas City in order to get a new arena in Pittsburgh, as well as the Predators being rumored to go to Kansas City during their turmoil in 2007. Yet, like I alluded to earlier, the fact the owner would not own the actual building may be the hurdle that KC has to overcome in order to fill that vacant arena. It is the second smartest move after Seattle if we're looking in terms of realignment, but the lack of the building ownership would be a huge turnoff.

However, this is all just speculation. The NHL is still fielding local ownership ideas first, which means the joy that is Ice Edge Holdings leader Anthony LeBlanc has re-emerged to look at buying the team and is working with Alberta investment banker George Gosbee to work out a deal for the team and then with the City of Glendale for leasing, which won't be an easy task. I wonder if other former suitors will come back into the fold again...but who's to say they will be as welcomed as they were in the past.

In a deal that has gone on two years too long, there's still not a clear finish line up front. For some reason, no one wants to let the Coyotes go to a new destination, but no one is working that hard to keeping them in the place they're at now. It's quite the rock and hard place that the NHL has gotten into; which is almost of their own making. Stalling on things doesn't make them magically disappear-- just get more troublesome with time.

Can't Jet From The Past

Something I've been hearing, and Glenn Healy hammered it home Saturday afternoon, is that there are many people who still refer to the Winnipeg Jets as the Atlanta Thrashers, mostly for their craptastic playing style and their streakiness that has come to be. It makes me wonder why this has been such a wide-spread thing and how come other teams weren't given as much flack about who they used to be after a move.

For instance, you didn't see people rag on the Avalanche for playing like the old Nordiques, but they had the benefit of scoring one of the best goalies in our era in a trade and winning the Stanley Cup their first year in Denver, which almost all but erased the Nordiques from their history.....literally.

The Stars and the Hurricanes don't get the look back at the North Stars and Whalers, but both have won a Cup and both really have a lot of different cogs from when they moved to Dallas and Raleigh. Hell, even the Phoenix Coyotes don't draw the parallels to the old Winnipeg Jets, unless it was to bring up the past of the franchise never making it past the 1st round of the playoff for the longest time, until last season. The last team to really get razzed for their organization is Wayne Gretzky calling the New Jersey Devils a "Mickey Mouse Organization." Whether that had anything to do with them moving from Kansas to Colorado to New Jersey, who knows-- but it could possibly be.

But what makes these new Jets the target of the relocation fodder?? Is it due to many of the parts from the Thrashers still being there or is it due to so many people being connected and it living on by a word being spoken, thus triggering a memory?? It could be all of it or none of it, but it's hard for these Jets to actually get a true identity with the Thrashers comparison looming over them.

Even with their local writers comparing them to their former selves, it's hard for them to avoid it. Of course, to think that it'd be a quick fix is a daunting task. In fact, they play more of a disadvantage with the division they play in, the conference they are in, and the players they still get into their organization. You'll get those kind of things when you don't make that huge splash on the ice that was made off the ice. While True North Sports and Entertainment may have a path they want to take, in a "What have you done for me lately" world, it's not going to be enough-- especially with the crazed fans pining for a team to come back having to deal with these growing pains.

Maybe the thought of them still being the Thrashers would motivate them, but it seems that the minute the lose that mantra, something always brings them back down. It may take a five-year cycle for them to actually get going and getting their own identity, but I'm sure they'll get to where they want to be-- especially if they can take advantage of the realignment and not having to travel as often as they do now.

Until then, the carry-over players (Andrew Ladd, Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, Ondrej Pavelec, et al.) will have to do their best to exorcise the demons that haunt them from their short times in Hot-lanta. If they truly want to put an identity out there for themselves, they'll find a way.

"Bett and Bals": But It's A Dry Deadline

The clock is ticking. Not just on the countdown of the new Blackberry 10, but the fact that Greg Jamison is waiting to the 11th hour in order to decide if he's going to deal with the lease agreements that the City of Glendale has set out or if he'll let it pass and hope it regroups. As it is, Gary Bettman is still rattled from the lockout and now has to put up with this. His court-ordered roommate Jim Balsillie is just mocking him without doing much of anything.

The scene is Jim Balsillie is sitting at the kitchen island, intently staring at Gary Bettman on the couch. Bettman looks around the couch to see what's behind him that Balsillie could be looking at, then starts to be come unnerved. 

Gary Bettman: What....what are you looking at??

(Jim still staring down Gary)

GB: You know you're making me feel unsettled.

(Jim starts nodding his head slightly)

GB: Fine, I'll.....I'll just turn over here....

(Jim clears his throat, still focused on Gary)

GB: OKAY, OKAY!! I SHOULD HAVE SOLD YOU THE TEAM, YOU KNOW THAT?!?

Jim Ballsillie (removes earbuds): What's that??

GB: YOU-- YOU SHOULD BE IN PHOENIX, THIS IS A DISASTER!! FIRST THE LOCKOUT, NOW THIS!!

JB: Oh, that?? I'm over that.

GB:....wait, what?? Over it??

JB: Yeah, the Blackberry 10 is coming out and people are ready to take over the next floundering team. Phoenix is passée  my man; people have their sights set on Sunrise.

GB: But the Panthers aren't going anywhere....are they??

JB: That's neither here nor there-- but I like how my old company is doing something you haven't been able to do in the same time frame-- reinvent itself. Will they actually make an impact and will people actually come back to Blackberry?? Who's to say, but at least it's not the same old song and dance that the Coyotes have been giving us for years on end.

GB: How can it change though?? We've had this whole thing set up for months-- Greg Jamison said we'd get this whole thing done. He had investors, but they lived somewhere else and I didn't know them. That's trustworthy enough, right?? Is it wrong to believe him??

JB: Maybe this isn't your fault-- maybe this is the City of Glendale going a little too sports crazy for a team that may not want to be there. Let's get to the brass tacks and say that Glendale thinks it's better than it actually is. This isn't a place where you'll get a lot of people to go just for the sake of seeing the place-- it's a pass-through town otherwise and they're trying to grab onto anything they can to get an identity.

GB: How can we get out of it?? It's just insane how this city is holding everyone by the short-hairs. It's like that awful girlfriend who won't go away and just threatens everything in order to keep you there in a loveless relationship. And you die a little each time when you give them a chance....her friends don't like you, but you provide something, so they tolerate you. But you're dying inside....you're dying and losing every time you look at her....

JB: Jesus.....you alright??

GB: First, it was Fehr and now it's the fear of actually having to do something again. But at least Quebec City is looking nice. They're building an arena already, even without a team-- and outside of the rainy Seattle climate, it provides a great backdrop. Winter Classics, a lot of French love, it's good times there.

JB: Remember a place called Kansas City?? Remember when they built an arena with no team at all?? I remember because that was a battle ground for me. If you want to do that whole expansion thing, you'd be better off in Quebec City and get more money; but what happens first-- the silliness of Glendale gets solved or a team in Quebec City?? Seattle is doing it right-- they're making sure they have a basketball team, something they actually want, before building up a new building.

GB: Right now, Kansas City could actually draw more and more than what we're doing in Glendale. At this point, I'm of the ideal that we can grease some palms and get out of this-- they have a new city council who probably doesn't want to take money from city services in order to keep a team that bilks money over and over. As much as I like the money of expansion and waiting until an arena is done-- I also like not having to deal with these people in Glendale.

JB: Is this the "hill you die on" like all the other CBA hills you've frolicked in?? Are you waiting for this team to just kill itself so you don't have to make a decision and get more hate mail?? Because as much as people would love contraction-- it's not something that's going to appear, it's got to be an executive order.

GB: Haters are going to hate-- so I couldn't get a damn about that. I'm just exhausted from getting a season done and now having to get a deal done because people can't get their money in order, AND I STILL GET THE BLAME?? It's a broken record and people are stupid because if I keep the team there, I'm screwing the league and if I don't move the team, I'm screwing the league.

JB: Can't win for losing, big guy. (Doorbell rings) Oh, that's my BB10 prototype-- you want to answer that.

GB: Oh, so this is where the T-Bomb happens?? You're going the predictable route??

JB: Just get it, stupid-- he's nowhere to be found.

GB: Okay (opens door) T-BOMB!!! BEAT YOU TO....oh...

Delivery Guy: AH!!! DON'T HIT ME AGAIN!!! (drops package)

JB: Good job, now I have go get it fixed. What is your problem, you think everyone is after you.

GB: Sorry, sorry....I'll go get it fixed.

JB: You better. (Gary picks up package and walks to the car) Wait for it. (Gary opens the car door and sits down) Almost there. (Gary puts key in the ignition, starts it up).

Judge Redfield T. Baum: (Jumps from the back seat) T-BOMB!!!!!

GB: GOOD SWEET LORD!!! (Hits the steering wheel with force, car horn goes off, airbag inflates)

JB: Long way for a tired sight-gag on a blog.

Bridging the New York Hockey Gap

The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn.

This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. The fact that the team and the town/county couldn't figure out a deal for a new arena in the Long Island area is what really pushed the team out the door once their lease is up at the end of the 2015-16 NHL season.

However, with this and the posturing around the Edmonton Oilers right now-- the last two great dynasties threatening to move out of their current position to a possible new position is a sad state of affairs for those who have grown to love and support their teams, even if they were terrible. While the Oilers move is really presumptuous and not something that will happen in the long-run, it's a chilling thought that really not many teams are safe from relocation-- especially if their owners play hardball or the city they're housed in do the same.

That said, this should be a good move for the Islanders. The Barclay Center only holds 14,500 for hockey, but in the new "smaller is better" trend we've seen in the NHL (read: MTS Centre), this should be perfect for a team still trying to get their footing underneath them. Canadian Press reporter Chris Johnston mentioned that the last time the Isles reached that average attendance was in 2002-03 when they hit 14,930. Plus, it's much closer to Madison Square Garden by 20 miles, which should be a nice little option for Rangers fans to see a game.

Yet, this all being said-- something about the old mausoleum will be missed by some. Many of the old Islanders probably will be a bit miffed if there is a name change or there's a logo change (despite the Fisherman logo that peek it's head out there), because that's been the identity of the team and what made the team famous.

In the end, this is something that's going to possible attract some players to the team and actually build up a winner. They get the shiny building they wanted and didn't have to put out much money to do so. I'm sure the lease contract could be an interesting one and whether or not the Barclay's will actually put more seats in for hockey remains to be seen. Bottom line is that Charles Wang actually following through on his promise to move the team, even if it's only 20 miles south west.

From Edmonton To Evergreen??

Daryl Katz knows what he's doing. He's doing the same thing that Mario Lemieux did during the Penguins venture for a new arena, and seeing as it worked out in Pittsburgh-- it's bound to happen in Edmonton, right??

Of course, what I'm talking about is the other crazy news out of Seattle that didn't include a touchdown/interception to end a football game. Katz and other members of the Edmonton Oilers brass went to meet with the particulars involved in the new arena in the Seattle area which will try to house a NBA and possible NHL team. This is after Katz and the Edmonton city council have been at loggerheads when it comes to the funding of this mini-city that Katz has proposed.

While the Edmonton mayor has said that the deal could be sunk by the drop-dead date of October 17th, that isn't stopping Katz from grandstanding and visiting cities that may be interested in a new tenant. You can bet that the Oilers stop in Quebec City informally a while back didn't hurt his cause either. These are cities that have been in serious consideration for getting a relocated hockey team in to their area.

Even though the odds of this happen are quite slim in the end, the fact that the Oilers have taken to Twitter to voice the fact they need a new arena in order to stay is something that has made the management team kind of fall out of favor with the fans because the Oilers are asking for more of their money. Though, you have to wonder how much that will change with Katz venturing around to other locales in order to actually gauge the interest of places elsewhere and could have new buildings when the Oilers' lease runs out in 2014.

Katz is playing the game to maybe force the hand of city council to push it through lest their beloved Oilers leave town. As a businessman, Katz knows the game and is definitely someone who could be able to sway things in his favor-- whether it be in Edmonton or elsewhere.

As it plays out, you can only imagine the leverage that Katz will have, especially since the want for relocated teams are at a pretty steady margin and probably will be out there until all the arenas are filled that need to be filled. Katz knows how much other cities could want a team and would be footing the bill, rather than him, for an arena that will be leaps and bounds ahead of the Rexall Place that is standing there now.

Of course, the fans will be upset should the Oilers actually leave rather than bluffing. The history of the team is one of the best in the NHL and have produced the many superstars along the way. Should they actually leave-- it'd be a big hit for the league, the city of Edmonton, and show the true state of franchise loyalty in cities that were thought to be untouchable.

Coyotes Job Posting Raising Eyebrows/Questions

(May as well ease the commotion of these trying times with some eye candy for you Coyotes' fans.)

With all the hoopla going on between the NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, City of Glendale, and Goldwater Institute; a posted job opening on the Team Work Online board caught my eye and probably wouldn't have gotten much attention unless the circumstances didn't merit it.

The Coyotes have posted a job opening for Legal Counsel, which is something you would think they already had, especially considering the situation they are in. Personally, the fact they are posting it online seem a little....iffy to me. As Dmitry Chesnokov pointed out, it was probably to fulfill some kind of requirement to make a it a fair job search, but at the same time-- to go online for it rather than dealing with it in-house seems like something that.....well, that the Coyotes would do actually.

Plus, it wasn't posted exclusively on Jobing.com, which may upset their arena naming rights owners. But that's neither here nor there.

Another person chimed in on the fact that the fact Greg Jamison is looking for someone is a good sign. While a valid point, the fact Jamison doesn't own the team and shouldn't have a say in it is a hurdle in that argument. Considering that Jamison has yet to come up with the funding or unveil his "secret investors" to the table, that could be more of a problem right now than trying to find some kind of legal counsel-- which the NHL and their bevy of lawyers should be able to handle.

The Board of Governors will meet today to talk about the team's future, as the league is going into Year Four of controlling the Coyotes, a plan that was supposed to take a year-- two at the most. With the schedule to come out this week, you almost wonder if they're going to be two, maybe three schedules made up in lieu of what happens next to the Coyotes.

While a lot of people think that this latest move by the Goldwater Institute isn't as effective or warranted as their other moves in the past with Matthew Hulsizer, the fact the Coyotes are under the microscope means that this will get attention and may be the thing to scare off Jamison, regardless if he has the money or not to purchase the Coyotes-- it'd be his excuse to leave.

Right or wrong, I think most hockey fans, pundits, and officials are sick of this drama being put out there and unresolved for so long. More importantly, the fact the emotions of hockey fans in Phoenix and the respective relocation destinations are running high, it's almost sedistic to keep stringing them along. New legal counsel or not, this deal has to be done in some way, shape, or form-- lest we all get sick of it and try to tell them to blow it all up and act like it didn't happen in the first place.

"Bett and Bals": Move Hitting the Eye Like a Big Pizza Guy

In the wake of Boston Pizza CEO Jim Treliving's possible tongue-in-cheek implication (skip to the nine minute mark) he could be kicking the tires for the Phoenix Coyotes (which his son is the assistant GM for), it's time to get the take on the two bobbleheads of this blog. Especially considering that the City of Glendale is able to be on "Ghost Town" watch, it could take a Canadian pizza guy to save the day.

(Gary Bettman sits on the couch as the Jim Balsillie comes in from the kitchen)

Gary Bettman: I mean, look-- they got these new all-meat wings with 18 flavors.

Jim Balsillie: Aren't all wing meat?? And who needs that much flavor??

GB: The point is this, they won't make any bones about their wings or their possible bid.

JB: That's a terrible pun, but they really haven't made a bid. Treliving is a guy who was put on the spot by a guy who turned VJ to intellectual CBC host. Honestly, how can you trust a guy saying something on a late-night, public broadcasting show that own a company that has a city that's never once been connected to pizza.

GB: But it's hope, Jim-boy. We haven't has much of that since the last guy ditched us for St. Louis....to which he couldn't follow through on that either.

JB: I mean clam chowder, sure-- but pizza?? They had a Boston cheesesteak at one point, that totally doesn't make sense.

GB: Even if it's from a guy who may or may not be serious because his kid's job is involved-- it's something we haven't had public for a while. Granted, we could have some nepotism going on-- but that worked out in Colorado, right??

JB: Hell, I could even see if lobster or seafood in general; but pizza??

GB: FOCUS, 'Sillie. We have a chance to turn this thing around. They've got two franchises down there already, we've got a Canadian tie-in without actually moving the team to Canada and have me looking miserable as I hand over the keys.

JB: While that may be, who's to say that they can come up with all these gimmicks to keep generating money to keep the team in town?? If you relocate the team, you cut ties to the anchor that has drained the city of money and screws over that whole revenue sharing thing you have in place for some teams. Heck, the other team in town is thinking of suing the city-- it's a mess and do you really want to clean it up??

GB: If I sell the team in time and hurry up the transition, it's not my problem anymore. Let the crazy pizza guy do it for himself. Maybe have 17 stores around the arena or something, I don't know. I'd rather not move this team, but if I can't get my money one way or another-- we've got to ship them somewhere.

JB: Yet, this has been a five-year plan in to almost a decade. Or at least it feels that way. It's past the point of mockery, it's past the point of hilarity, it's to the point of sadness and wanting it to end-- like SNL at times.

GB: They got Russ Tyler on there now-- he's good.

JB: Fair enough. The crazy part of this is it seems you're trying to make a point and it's not working. Atlanta moved like a thief in the night and still the Coyotes are just there waiting for something. Do you think people care anymore?? Everyone just wants this to be done because we're tired of this, it's run its course and now-- time to crap or get off the pot.

(Bettman's computer goes off, "You've Got  Mail")

JB: (Looking confused) Who uses AOL anymore??

GB: Shut it-- see, this person loves the Coyotes and enjoys the efforts. Huh, there's even an attachment....

Judge Redfield T. Baum: (Through the computer) T-BOMB!!!!!!!!

GB: GAH POP-UPS!!!! (Falls over off the couch)

JB: And there you have it.....we still find a way.

Teamless in Seattle

While the buzz about yesterday's announcement of the new arena being build in Seattle and how it could be a new relocation destination for struggling NHL teams, the fact remains that this deal may not fully go as planned for more the Pacific Northwestern faithful. There's still some red tape and issues that need to be cleared up in order to make this into a reality situation-- but it's hope for a city that didn't have much of a chance with an old arena.

First, the positives-- it's a solid market with an already ingrained rival with the Vancouver Canucks up the road. That would help both sides go back and forth and should people in Vancouver not be able to get tickets to see some teams they might want to see-- they can just shoot down to Seattle to check them out. It's something that will create jobs for the Seattle area and bring another spectacle to the Seattle area when it comes to new stadiums-- SafeCo Field and CenturyLink Field being relatively new stadiums as well.

Yet, there's still some concern when it comes to the funding, as Seattle residences are still paying for the KingDome, which has been long imploded, but still needed to be paid for. The City owns the KeyArena, which will be an issue because they wouldn't want to lose money on that if they decide to build the new arena. Not only that, but it seems that in order for the arena to start being build, the new relocated team has to be owned by someone and already moved into the KeyArena to play for a year or two because ground will be broken on the new arena. That in itself could scare away potential relocating teams, as the KeyArena is 50 years old this year and only gets some renovations here and there-- as you can bet nothing big will happen to the KeyArena for a team only staying there for the short term. For hockey alone, the building only holds 11,000-- 9,000 of them are unobstructed.

Another issue would be the 30-year bond-lease that the teams would have to sign onto, which is what got the Coyotes into their mess and may create another mess if the team doesn't get the attendance they thought they would from the on-set of this project.

That said, when you look at what the Phoenix Coyotes have been averaging-- 11,655-- and the league being frustrated with not having an owner still; they may put up with the low attendance for a season just to get them off their hands and have that debacle over with. Depending on how fast the crews can build an arena-- it'll be a short-term deal in the old barn before the new arena is set-up.

Not only that-- what will it do to effect the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds. While the team plays in Kent, Washington-- 30 minutes away from Seattle's downtown, it could take away from the team's attendance, which was just over 4,000 last season for the year in their 6,500-seat facility in the ShoWare Center. While Junior Hockey has a presence there, will the area be enough to hold two prominent franchises or could it be a death-blow for the junior hockey team in Seattle?? Time will tell, but you have to wonder what's going on with the Thunderbirds owners at this point with this news.

While the $500-millon dollar arena project hasn't give much details, the investment group who is making this deal and their lead man in this, Washington native Chris Hansen (not that one), are keen to have a new arena. That said-- Hansen is a guy who grew up with the NBA's Supersonics and you can imagine that getting basketball back will be his top option. Many hockey fans may get excited about it, but if it's not the right terms for the team or the city-- it won't happen. While hockey has a rich heritage in Seattle-- including the first US team to win the Stanley Cup-- basketball will always be the full winter sport people will remember most about.

Positivity is that there's enough people in the PacNorthwest to garner the attention and grab a pretty critical market for the NHL, one that would be a little bit more attractive than the Quebec City option, which is another city without a new arena. Whatever the outcome, the fact that there could be another option, one that the NHL would probably LOVE to have over Quebec City and Kansas City--is always good for the league and struggling owners who may want to unload their team.

19 Years of Bettman

It was 19 years ago today that Gary Bettman became the 1st and, to date, only commissioner of the the NHL. Prior to that, the leader of the sport was called the president of the league-- but either or. The fact remains that while he could be the most polarizing figure in the NHL today-- for me, he's one of the best heels the NHL has ever seen.

During his 19-year tenure, Bettman has brought about six expansion teams (Florida, Anaheim, Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus, and Minnesota), seen five relocations (Dallas, Colorado, Carolina, Phoenix, and Winnipeg), and has had control of a couple teams as well (Ottawa, Phoenix, and hand in Buffalo's first transition).

While he did try to force hockey into markets that purist didn't quite like, they have seemed to make a niche for themselves in their local area, albeit with some tough times having to be travelled in order to get to the successful area. Hell-- many of the "Sun Belt" teams have gotten the honor of hoisting the Stanley Cup-- Anaheim, Carolina, Dallas, Tampa Bay-- really making Bettman feel silently smug, I'm sure.

More over, Bettman got the NHL to the mainstream, starting with bringing the NHL to FOX in 1995 for $155M, then going to ESPN/ABC in 1998 for $600M, then moving to the OLN/Versus/NBC Sports Network contingency first for $270.5M and more recently $2.2B over the next ten years. While the bitching will always be around that it's not enough or not seen enough by people travelling or in their own market-- but he's getting the deals done in order to put it out there-- if your cable or satellite provider doesn't have it....you may want to take it up with them.

Sure, Bettman did cancel the 2004-05 season and played hardball....like his bosses the owners want....he got the salary cap the owners wanted and what they felt they needed-- although their greed really got crazy from the onset, but still-- he can't protect the owners all the damn time-- but will take their side because they are his bosses.

Many point to him being a basketball guy, but who's to say that in order to run the league and listen to the people to own the teams, you have to know the game?? I bet he doesn't know all that much about basketball when he worked at the NBA. He's a lawyer and knows how to go about things and knows how to market things (right or wrong as they may be) and knows the legal game for when it comes to collective bargaining.

He is the heel and takes the heel heat, and embraces the role well, taking it in stride. He has built up an astonishing amount of revenue for the league, for the owners, and the players-- because without the revenues, players wouldn't be getting the salary they would; though many debate on how much a player is worth on a player-by-player basis. Bettman probably has a much stronger personality than anyone you could put in there.

I, for one, will always be a Gary Bettman fan.....regardless of how infuriating some of the decisions he has made has made me. The personality is what turned me into a believer. Long Live Bettman!! Hashtag-- heel.

Second Expansion Go 'Round in Sunrise

Traveling this past week or so has been the reason for the delay on new stuff-- so apologizes or something.

As the introduction of the new Florida Panthers happen, the questions will always come up about how this new team could actually make an impact and whether or not they will actually be worth all this spending to get to the salary floor. In all honesty, I think a lot of people are rooting for them, but with the guys they brought in for how much they brought him in for-- there's not a lot of hope for this team.

This team is an expansion team for a second time. There's no way around it, but with what the Panthers have done, they will have to learn to how to play together and have to form some kind of chemistry in a short period of time in order to be somewhat competitive. In the early going, you have to think they may have a rough time about it; but they could throw some other teams off because you won't know what's going to happen when them-- though trying to sustain that for the long-term is the real task.

It was a necessary evil for the Panthers to do, however. With the team being wreck from previous GM's tenures; they don't have any "homegrown" talent. The guys they did have who they groomed from the start are off to greener pastures-- whether it's because the GM at the time didn't like them and traded them out or if they didn't feel like dishing out the money to keep them there-- something went wrong. I doubt that Dale Tallon fully expected to spend like a sailor on shore leave with this free agency season-- but at the same time; he had to. He was damned if he did, damned if he didn't in all honest. If he didn't go on this spree, people would be on his case and the Panthers case for not caring. He did make these moves and people are wondering why the hell he gave such big contracts to menial players for big dollars.

The contract length is something I can totally understand, but maybe-- just maybe-- they're giving their newly stocked prospects a chance to grow and learn the system before rushing them into the line-up-- which could be worse than inflated contracts. Odds are, with the younger kids (if they were around) they would be as bad as the veterans they signed and lack the chemistry these new Panthers would have. Plus, there's no guarentee that any of the younger kids would pan out in the NHL style and speed of play-- which could also be worse due to the fact that it could ruin their mentality when playing; being more destructive in the long-run.

While the idea is if a team can't hack it, they should be moved or even eliminated from the league-- which I think should happen-- the NHL won't do it and the NHLPA won't agree to it because it would eliminate many jobs and ruins a lot of the market the NHL has built up. The Panthers, along with the Phoenix Coyotes, are prime examples of why there should be NHL contraction-- mostly in a business sense. It has nothing to do with on-ice product (at least in Phoenix), but the mismanagement that happens off the ice-- that's what kills it for everyone and makes the common fan look down on the organizations; if they even pay attention to them at all.

The bottom-line is that the Florida Panthers, from pillar to post-- were and are in a bit if disarray. While they had some kind of building blocks come their way in the past couple days (Keith Seabrook, Sergei Shirokov, and Angelo Esposito), it's nowhere near what they could have had if they keep and grew their talent from back in the day....or did, but didn't want to dole out the money when contract time was up. Granted-- two of those three names I mentions have bounced around many organizations-- which shows that it's probably going to be even harder to develop because they can't hack it with any team much less this one.

Best of luck to the Panthers-- because they'll need it.

Is That Jim Balsillie's Music?!?

While the Winnipeg situation has been going on, we have had people question about what happened to Jim Balsillie in all of this. Well, welcome back Jimbo, as Gary Bettman has publicly said that he Balsillie could get sold a team.....if he doesn't mess things up. Oddly enough, this coincides with the fact many Blackberry advertisements showing up during the NHL Playoffs and during the Stanley Cup Finals; both on TV and online with the NHL.

Now, Balsillie has already effed up his chances three times-- Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Phoenix have all been within Balsillie's grasp; but due to his overzealous nature-- he has lost out on those teams. We all know that Balsillie is a guy who wants to have a team and probably wants them in Canada, as he lives there. The biggest question is whether or not he can actually get a team into a place he wants it to be.

Hamilton has been the destination for him for every team he's had an eye on. The biggest hurdle there is the Toronto Maple Leafs not wanting someone to infringe on their turf. So, if Hamilton isn't in the cards, is that going to be a problem with Balsillie?? While he wants to be an owner, he probably wouldn't want to be an owner if he can't get his team into his home country. I doubt he'd want to go to Quebec City, if they get their new rink build-- but if it's the only option; what do you do-- head to a place you don't want to put a team in or not have a team at all??

Yet, the biggest hurdle for Balsillie is really himself. While he's had three attempts, many people believe he'd be a good fit as a NHL owner and if he was able to contain his excitement; he'd actually be an owner by now. Odds are that even if he's sold a team, the amount of people on Board of Governors that he has rubbed the wrong way would probably be problematic for his search to be welcomed into the society of the NHL ownership brotherhood. But first, he has to get a team; which may or may not be difficult to do depending on which team comes knocking at death's door next.

The odds are definitely against Balsillie, as you can imagine he's probably the last resort for the NHL when it comes to getting rid of a team; but with the amount of teams seemingly going belly-up, he may have to be put in there quick due to the lack of suitors out there. He should be great for any team, despite the threat of relocating to Canada and will pump money into a team in order to make it a winner. Plus, the fact he's a rebel before owning a team will definitely make things interesting just to see what he'll do next; which could be good for the game in the end of it all.

Why Divisional Realignment is Silly

With the Winnipeg market pretty much assured a team (if the Board of Governors eff this up, oh boy will there be riots); the move now is what's going to happen with the Divisional alignments after the 2011-12 season. While I've touched on this recently, the more I think about it.....the more idiotic it gets.

I did the math for the distances from Winnipeg to the 29 other NHL teams using Google Maps. To no surprise, the top-1o teams were all Western Conference teams, but also, four of the last six teams on the distance list were all Western Conference teams (Anaheim, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose), then Nashville being in the middle of it all. For the East, Florida and Tampa Bay screw the pooch for the East, rounding the average to 1,600 miles for 14 teams to the 1,249 miles for 15 Western teams. Sure, air travel will help cut down on some driving routes, but still-- something to chew on when it comes to saying the East would be killer for Winnipeg to travel. It's bad, but not as bad as thought to be, especially with that new aero-plane device we've been hearing so much about. (Email me at Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com if you care about the chart)

More over, you take out Detroit from the West to the East, Western average is 1,277 and East is 1,550. With Columbus; 1,251 in the West and 1,574 in the East.

Then while doing the Face Off Hockey Show in the past weeks, I think JonnyP, Marc "With a 'C'", and myself came to realize.....the divisions don't really matter anymore. With the playoff alignment being as they are, you don't have to really play out of your division like you had to two decades ago. All the divisions mean is that you have at least on representative in the playoffs and you play those teams more often. It's not like in the '90s when you had to actually play out of your division to get to the Conference Finals; therefore making the divisional rivalries actually mean something.

To that wit, I think it doesn't matter where you put Winnipeg now. Especially with Gary Bettman saying the scheduling will be more balanced after the 2011-12 season, the ideal of divisions really don't hold the same brunt as they once did. You're still going to have to travel around North America and the distances will be extreme for some teams over others. You're still going to have the top-8 in the Conference make the playoffs, or top-7 and a divisional leader that is well behind and gets a courtesy spot.

Unless the NHL can find a way to get all the teams into four divisions (two in each conference), the idea of divisions are only for a top-3 spot in the conference standings. Personally-- you should just take out the divisional aspect of it all and actually have the best eight teams in each conference duke it out to represent for the East and West. If you can't play out of your division and have to be crowned divisional champion because of regular season triumphs-- why even have them at all??

Thrashers Migrating North

And with that-- the deal is done......for now.

The Atlanta Thrashers will be moving to Winnipeg, pending approval from the NHL Board of Governors; something that may not be too hard a sell when it comes to potential revenue. Granted, Winnipeg does have to deal with their Drive to 13,000 season ticket, but still-- with price ranges being generous-- don't see it being that hard.

And while you'll get details from the most uninspiring press conference ever-- I will only lend some words to both sides of the coin.

First, to the Thrashers fans-- I'm sorry. I'm sorry your ownership let you down, I'm sorry your support wasn't enough, and I'm sure there was no local interests serious enough to keep the team in town. It's a craptastic situation and not one many wish on their worst enemy. The disjointed ownership didn't help and with no clear plan in place for seemingly making the team better....it was almost a matter of time, but probably not this quick. There is probably nothing that will bring you solace at this point, which is why I won't try. I can only send out my condolences to the fans and team members off the ice who won't make the move.

Now, to the Winnipeg fans-- sure, enjoy it, but it's actually time to deal with the gauntlet ahead of you. While you may be keen to the team coming back now, you have to make sure you're actually there for their down times as well as the high times. If the support isn't there when the team is at their lowest-- you'll be put in the same spot you were 15 years agos. And to be honest-- there won't be a third try if that happens. There's a lot of knocks against your city and the cold winters and other intangibles-- but if you show up and show you're support like no other team out there; those will be erased or dealt with accordingly. Support your team through good or bad and while this is a great time to celebrate-- it's also time to get down to work and show you want this team and want it for the long-haul.

And with that-- we now wait. Not only for June 21st and the Board of Governors approval of this move-- but what's next. The team has to come up with a name (yet to be determined, apparently), logo, jersey, and a front-office as they have about three weeks until the Draft. Not only are the fans under pressure, but the owners-- who don't have much time to deal with everything coming at them. Yet, for some reason-- I think they'll do whatever it takes and sacrifice whatever is needed in order to make this once far-off dream and present day reality.

More Winnipeg Blogging

First off, I'm in Maryland for holidays, so who knows how much this will be updated until after the 27th. Not like I was tearing up the world with blogging, but still.

Despite the people of power saying reports of this ilk are untrue, many places are saying the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg is all but a done deal. Of course, until it's a done-deal, most of this is purely speculation and things could fall apart quickly.

Even so, the rejoice about Winnipeg goes without reality actually taking its toll, which I guess is something that is going to happen when you get someone you really want-- like a puppy for Christmas. To keep that puppy healthy, happy, and learned-- you're going to have to do many steps you never thought of before, but you don't care because you just got your puppy.

We all know Winnipeg didn't move because of attendance, it was due to the Canadian dollar being craptastic and the owners wanting to get out because they couldn't keep up. The biggest issue with this is not will the fans come, but will they keep coming if the team is bad and if the ownership doesn't want to put out the big bucks for players willing to play and stay in Winnipeg. And, as Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey pointed out-- Winnipeg has under 700k people in its metropolitan area and they will have probably the smallest building in the NHL, seating a smidgen over 15,000. While renovations could be made, the first year could be rough attendance wise, but the people will show up in droves for the first little while-- but depending on how they sell the team and ticket prices; the future could be a bit murkier.

Then it comes to competition-- the Thrashers were barely in the hunt in the Eastern Conference. When they move to the West-- there's going to be a lot of travel and lot more tougher teams to deal with. If the team isn't equipped enough or if the team can't deal with the travel-- will the fans show up for a losing squad. If they don't show up for a losing team, then we'll be right back in this situation for this franchise in another decade or so. Always good for a team to not know where they're going from contract to contract.

Finally-- the team won't be called the Jets, as I believe the Coyotes and NHL own that name. Plus, True North Sports and Entertainment didn't want that name and will probably use the Moose moniker, the same one as their AHL team. Oh, and that's another thing-- what's going to happen with the Manitoba Moose and their AHL team?? They'll probably have to lay dormant if they can't find a place to move, which kind of screws the Vancouver Canucks of an AHL team. However, no one gives an thought to that-- because it's not exciting, it's a downer-- like this post.

In the end, I feel bad for Atlanta hockey fans. Yes, they aren't as plentiful as Winnipeg fans, but they're feeling like crap right now and they have to see mostly EVERYONE celebrating their demise. It's not as drawn out as the Coyotes drama, I'm sure-- and probably would have happened sooner or later; but to have this happen to them without any notion it would go down this quick.....even worse.

In addition-- even if I loathe someone for their "journalistic" prowess, I'll give props to a good line, which is what Stupid Eric Francis put out on Twitter: "Atlanta, Georgia: supplying Western Canada with NHL hockey franchises since 1980." Good one, douchecanoe.

Realignment Assignment

Yes, the title rhymes, big whoop, wanna fight about it??

Anyway, stupid Eric Francis was on last night's Hockey Night in Canada Hot Stove segment (what'd he have to do to get that??) and he said that should the Atlanta Thrasher relocation-- not only would they have three weeks to do it, that the Detroit Red Wings wouldn't be moving to the East because it would take a Board of Governors vote and he claims that they wouldn't be able to do it in time for next season.

First off, stupid Francis doesn't realize this is the NHL-- they can do whatever they want, whenever they want and in as little time as possible. If they want to move the team, they'll have to have a vote on that, right?? Why wouldn't you actually vote on conference change as well?? Moron.

Secondly, I'll never understand why the Red Wings should be in the Eastern Conference. Sure, their fans would love it because the Western Conference is a tough conference, not just in competition, but also because of the fact of the travel isn't that rough. It's much easier for the Wings to have a field day in the East and be in contention every year. However, if the Red Wings leave, you put the Blackhawks as the only Original Six in the West and that rivalry will diminish slightly because of the infrequency of meetings.

For me, and I've said this on here and on The Show, the Columbus Blue Jackets should be moved over to the East. This way, I think they can compete a little better because the Jackets are a young team and follow into the Eastern "style", as it were. Not to mention, they're geographically closer to the Eastern Conference teams than the Red Wings; the fact they would have a hope at a playoff shot, would get the likes of Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby go into their barn more frequently (bringing the people in), and could be more desirable to a player who wants to be in the East, but with a team who has a chance of making the playoffs. The Jackets have a lot of cap room and plenty to build on.

You can read more about the ripple effect this could cause from other aspects on Pro Hockey Talk, but still-- I think if Atlanta moves and Winnipeg is the destination; Columbus goes to the East in the Atlantic, Philadelphia goes to the Southeast; Winnipeg to the Central. Logistically, it makes sense and I think it could very well go off without a hitch, but PHT does tease other things and is worth the read.

In the end, the Red Wings shouldn't be left as the only Eastern Time Zone team in the West, but at the same time; there's so many rivalries they have out West to pick from with the Wings-- it'll take a hit when it comes to Western rivalries.

Relocation or Contraction?? The Eternal Debate

DATELINE: New York City, New York: Bothered by the troubles of some teams and their inability to actually pay their bills, Gary Bettman has decided to abandon the plight to have 30 teams in the NHL. Rather than keeping fledging teams afloat, Mr. Bettman has decided to cut four teams and go ahead next season with 26 teams in the league.

That does a seem a bit of a drastic measure, but to be honest-- it would probably be a little bit better than dealing with the issues the NHL is dealing with today. We all know that Phoenix is on life support, Atlanta seems to be flat-lining, Columbus has been having issues, as Florida seems to be the next on the radar in having issues or even the Islanders if their $400M arena deal gets shot down. The amount of teams looking for ownership is amazing (Dallas, St. Louis) and while we've had success stories with teams like Buffalo and Nashville in recent years-- the fact remains that maybe the NHL can't actually sustain 30 teams.

When you look at it, there's definitely a lot of issues and legalities that would happens if they decided to contract teams, much more than if they relocated a team. But the fact remains that even if teams do move-- odds are the market they move to will embrace them for a short time, but a decade down the road; these same issues could still arise and we're back in the same boat we were before. More over than the legal issues, fighting with the other owners when it comes to revenues and the NHLPA with revenues and guys losing jobs-- it's definitely easier to relocate or keep the team in the troubled market, because then you're facing only one or two problems rather than five or six.

Yet, when you look at the ideal of contraction-- it seems like it would be a decent idea so that fans aren't going to have to deal with the off-ice issues a franchise is having and focusing on the product that's actually on the ice. It's board-play rather than boardroom antics. Of course, the fans that lose the team will always be bitter (RE: Winnipeg Jets), but at the same time-- it's almost a necessary evil for people to actually focus on hockey rather than if their team is going to be there or not. Plus, it's not toying with potential cities who could get a team, only to have local government intervene (which they would with contraction, too) and then the team is still there floundering. You take the team away, but you don't give it to anyone else-- it's gone forever.

In the end, no one is going to be happy with contraction for the time being, but the greater good will probably prevail and make the game healthier in the long-run. It's not like now because teams are having to sacrifice getting better and bringing in a new fan base because the team is winning-- only because the team is owned by the league or the team is up for sale and you don't want to put out big money for a team you're selling due to not wanting to pay the money or passing the buck to someone who may not have signed off on the deal for one reason or another. Not only that, but the trickle down of minor league affiliates being downsized due to it.

Yet, the prospects of seeing a better product on the ice could be something that may sway other hockey fans to take interest in a team outside of their market for the good reasons and not because it could be the last time you see the team in that location.

Sure, we could see another success story in many of these teams that are in limbo, but is the headache now worth the rewards that could come in the end game for this?? I don't know if you can take the risk like this with the economics being the way they are. With the Coyotes' situation-- the city government is deciding to take money that they could go to other things in the municipality that aren't sporting related to go to a team that may not be there next year. That almost seems like bad politics, but the city has pumped a lot into the arena, which the Coyotes are the only tenant-- so I guess I can understand the logic. With the Thrashers, the city doesn't want to do the same thing Glendale is doing with the Coyotes because they'll still have the Hawks there and won't take money they could put to something else for a hockey team that no one is seeing. Of course, the city sizes and appeals are different-- so it's not a good correlation, yet shows that some places aren't going to ragdoll the people of their city around with hope the team can have a White Knight come and save the team.

While I'll personally love the idea of teams actually hanging around, I always understand the reality that if they can't be profitable, they have to either move or get out completely. That's the sad reality of it all, but it seems many people don't like to think in reality a lot when it comes to sports. In the end, what will happen with these relocation rumors-- some may come true, some may be bunk, some may be strung out for five years. This does go to show that the season is winding down and there's not many games on TV-- there needs to be something to talk about. Also-- welcome to another Summer of Relocation Rumors, folks.

Friday Five: Frantic First Round

It's Friday and we've only got one series that's over with-- huzzah?? Either-- I answer questions no one asked. So-- take that.

1. With the first round shaping up as it is, what's the theme of these playoffs thus far??

It was a slow start at first, but it could be the playoffs of the high-scoring and comebacks. Whether or not both will carry on through out the duration still remains to be seen, but the fact we're seeing 6-5, 5-4 games is impressive, as is seeing many teams get too comfortable with a decent lead. The "new" NHL allows the open game and really shouldn't have any team rest on their laurels too much because as we've seen in this playoffs-- they get bit on the ass when all is said and done.

2. While the Hawks have had quite the revival-- they can't actually fully come back, can they??

The past two series have ended at United Center.....and I think the third one will to. The high that the Hawks are on is fantastic, with 12 goals in six periods and really running on emotion-- but I think the Canucks, especially Roberto Luongo, have gotten the message. If nothing else, however, this series really exposed the shortcomings of the Canucks and show they aren't really as unbeatable as many would have thought going into this series or this playoffs. Nothing is impossible, but the Canucks still won't let these dramatics play out into a seventh game.

3. With Tom Glavine trying to get into the NHL ownership game, could he have the name power and selling power to get people into the arena??

If there's a guy who knows the good in the Atlanta area, it has to be Glavine, who plays most of his career in the ATL. Plus, he was a great hockey player in his youth, even drafted in the 1984 NHL Draft by the Kings, ahead of Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille. Glavine could be a great mouthpiece and seller for whoever's group he can get into the purchase the Thrashers and help in trying to keep the team in the Atlanta region.

4. With many people knocking on Winnipeg, is it truthful or just misdirected hostility??

I think it's a little from column A, a little from column B. There's a lot of players who may have the same feeling about Winnipeg that they do about the Edmonton area. Whether or not they'll actually follow-through on their threats is another thing, but when you've played in a nice climate area for a while, you're going to hate leaving it and may not actually want to endure the harsh winter weather when you're already enduring the grind of a NHL season. That said, I think there's a lot of hostility against the area that shouldn't be there-- because it's a solid hockey town with a lot of passion and would love to have a team in their area and should be embraced.

5. Speaking of relocation, there looks to be a lot from a lot if the Winnipeg move happens and then WHL moving from Chilliwack to Victoria-- any predictions??

So, the WHL is moving to Victoria, a lot of rumors have the Manitoba Moose moving to Chilliwack if the NHL does go to Winnipeg, then you have to wonder what the ECHL's Victoria Salmon Kings, who are in the Western Conference Semis-- a game from going to the Finals-- are going to do and if Victoria can actually house two teams properly. We'll have to see what happens, but Silly Season is always an interesting and nerve-racking time for players and fans all the same.

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That's that. Hope you enjoyed it and enjoy your Easter Weekend, folks. Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com is the place to send anything you want answered or what-have-you.

What's Next 2011: Phoenix Coyotes

Didn't know it would be this early, but this is the series in the playoffs were I'll take a look at what possibly could be next for the teams that were just eliminated and what they can do in the off-season and all of that.

The Phoenix Coyotes have a lot of questions off the ice, but that's been very well documented and done to death. They have some issues on ice, as well-- as we've seen after being swept by the Detroit Red Wings.

The first thing is going to be what's going to happen with Ilya Bryzgalov. While he did have a stellar regular season, he didn't seem like he could handle the post-season this year very well and will definitely make some teams thing-- the Coyotes included. That said, the main thing is getting Bryz re-signed because he has given the Coyotes great life and the ability to get into the playoffs. One of the questions though is whether or not Bryzgalov would want to re-sign if there's uncertainty about the future of the team in the current locale. He may or may not be willing to move with the team, which could be a stumbling block-- but if they want him bad enough; the team could find a way to sway him.

Another cause of concern could be the offensive output for the team. While they passed around some of the goal-scoring, the fact is they only had one 20-goal scorer and one guy over 60 points. Shane Doan can only do so much and they do have a lot of better guys on the roster to pot some goals, but doesn't seem to happen. If they were able to get Lee Stempniak going again-- they should be able to have a solid secondary scoring besides Doan. Stempniak had 19 goals in 82 games this year with the Coyotes, while he had 14 in 18 games last year; which may be a concern for him and the team. The concern is definitely there for them when it comes to the long-run in terms of points on the board.

Defensively, the Coyotes are solid. Keith Yandle has come out as a solid defenseman and part of the new-breed of offensive defenseman that are in the league right now and will be a great asset to the team moving forward, which should yield a big raise for the RFA this year. While Ed Jovanovski will may not be back unless it's at a discount, he has molded the defensemen into a solid corp and Adrian Aucoin could pick up the role for next season if JovoCop doesn't come back. Though Rostislav Klesla could be an interesting case, going from a plus player in Columbus to a minus in Phoenix-- which may be detrimental to that side of things for the next three years.

However, the biggest question mark is the team's future in their current locale. With all the news and buzz around one way or another-- it's all going to come to a head, probably sooner rather than later. If the NHL draws this out for another couple of months-- it's a shot in the nads to the fans of the Coyotes and fans in Winnipeg for stringing them out for longer than they should have if they know what's going to happen next. It's a delicate process, but it's one that needs to be toppled as soon as possible.

It was another solid year for the Coyotes with another less than desired first-round exit, but in a swifter fashion than last year, but to the same team. They have a lot of promise and with Dave Tippett behind the bench, they'll do great things-- whether it's Arizona or Manitoba.

"Disbanding in the Desert" or "Ridding Relocation Rumors"

Is it wrong to think that if the Coyotes in fact move to Winnipeg for next season, as has been widely rumored, that this could be the end of relocation fascination for the next little while?? Are there cities out there that will be as adamant and serious as Winnipeg is to create a stir and "deathwatch" for teams in financial peril??

While you can't exclude the Quebec City flag-wavers, the fact is that unless they get a new facility, there isn't a chance they'd be included in the movement that the Winnipeg area has had in the past three or so years. Of course, we've mentioned Kansas City on this blog for a while, but that's because it has the facility for a team to move right in, but many think it could be the most Northern Sunbelt team out there, with the unknown of the support that could come from the region.

If it all comes to a head and the Coyotes do move, I think teams like the Florida Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, and a few other teams with some issues in terms of making ends meet could breathe a bit easier when it comes to the relocation news. After Winnipeg and Quebec, there's not many other cities making noise to get a team-- which is really a disadvantage to owners looking to sell the team, not only because they don't have many potential investors to buy it from them, as well as not many destinations to threaten to move to.

Yet, we do need a break from all this talk and speculation. At this point, this whole scenario has gone on for the better part of four years and it's like we couldn't take another one of these situations. Of course, I don't know how vehemently a city would try to keep a team in town like the City of Glendale has been when it comes to the Coyotes; though Glendale does own the arena and the vested interest is definitely there because they don't want to lose their tenant. The Panthers could have Broward County put up some fight when it comes to leaving the BankAtlantic Center, but probably not to the point that Glendale has. Maybe it's for the best, though.

This whole Coyotes' mess is something that has been a long time coming, though it's not a definite that we're done with it all. Hopefully, one way or another, it will be ended and soon. It's been ludicrous how long this has taken, how many places it's been supposed to be moving to, and how many owners there have been to save this team. The worse part is that the fans have been dealing with all of the shenanigans and being pained at every twist and turn. If this has been a quick-rip, then it may not be as horrific for them-- but now, it's just too much for them to bear and they have the right to been as pissed off as they have been when it comes to this. Whether it's feeling bullied by outside interests groups or saying everyone is against them, because it's hard to deny either scenario.

Let's just hope if it's coming to an end-- it's soon so we can all go on with our lives and cope with it whatever way a person sees fit.

The Lost City of Kansas City

To paraphrase Scott Levy: "What about us?? What about Kansas City??"

Lost in all the of the uproar of Winnipeg and Quebec City being the destination for the next team on the move in the NHL is Kansas City, Missouri. While the Sprint Center laying in the downtown core collecting dust when it's not arena football season, that city could be a solid location for a NHL team to come and enjoy the state of the art arena and in a city that has a somewhat solid location and is readily recognizable to the casual person.

Granted, the thought of this situation not being any better than the situation a team could be coming out of, as well as the rampant fan-base not being as on top of things like the Canadian counterparts, but it's just odd how they were very high in the bidding when it came to Nashville, Pittsburgh, recently with the Islanders, and mentioned when the Phoenix Coyotes' thing was still new; but now-- they've gone silent. There really hasn't had been much, if any, talk from Paul McGannon and his NHL 21 contingency about the recent developments on the relocating franchises.

Yet, it falls back on whether placing a team in another market that doesn't have the hockey heat as a Canadian site or another US market will always be one that looms over the Kansas City bid, though McGannon and his team are passionate in getting a team into the Sprint Center. Granted, it's an area that's close to the area airport (15 miles) has five Interstate and three US highways going into town, and is 31st in media according to Nielsen ratings system. More over, there's a lot of corporate backing possibilities with it being the home city of not only Sprint, but H&R Block, Applebee's Russell Stover's Candies, and Hallmark-- so it won't be without takers in terms of getting some kind of backing to the team. But...does that mean it'll bring in the people.

Even so, will the people show up for a hockey team in the area?? Sure, the corporations will be there, but is the area hot enough for hockey?? They'll have to deal with the Chiefs during the fall months, but is there a lack of interest in the Royals or college teams for people to clamor to the rink for a game?? That will be the biggest concern, even if there weren't other suitors for relocation. The CHL's Missouri Mavericks, who play in Independence, Missouri-- 13 miles East of downtown KC-- do have a decent amount of heat, as they are 2nd in the CHL in average attendance with 5,406 in a 5,760 venue. However, the ticket prices is drastically less in the CHL than in the NHL, which could be a deterrent to some hockey fans who follow the Mavericks. Then it boils down to is risk worth the reward??

I'm not saying that the Kansas City relocation play is good idea over Winnipeg or Quebec City; but I'm saying it's another alternative if a team doesn't want to move into Canada. They have the building, they could have the backing, but whether the fans will show up is the big unknown and in the end-- could be the deal-breaker should KC be in the fight for relocation. It's just amazing how they have really fallen off the radar in all of this mess.