Post by WHA on Dec 8, 2010 2:43:00 GMT -5
Atlanta next in line for rumour mill
By CHRIS STEVENSON, QMI Agency
PALM BEACH, Fla. — With the Phoenix Coyotes situation seemingly close to being resolved — go ahead and roll your eyes — Atlanta looks to be the next hot spot for speculation about relocation to Winnipeg or Quebec City.
After Atlanta's viability as a sports market was questioned by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Thrashers president Don Waddell addressed his team's challenges Tuesday.
"We've heard it before. There are always things happening in our business we can't control and we just deal with it. We have a good team right now and we're trying to market and sell tickets in Atlanta," Waddell said after the NHL's board of governors meetings concluded.
"That's why I speak up about it because it does get frustrating. My job is to make sure it doesn't affect anybody below me in the organization. We deal with it as they come up and it has been coming up for three years now. It won't be the last time for sure."
The Atlanta Spirit, which owns the Thrashers, the NBA's Hawks and Philips Arena, has been looking for investors for the hockey team.
The Thrashers are third-to-last in NHL attendance, averaging 11,789, despite standing sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-10-3 record -- 8-2 in their past 10 games.
The Thrashers have cut down on the number of complimentary tickets so, while their overall attendance might be down, more people are paying for tickets, Waddell said.
"Our paid attendance is up actually, five percent. We're in a stretch now where we're playing very well. It will be a good test for our market in the next two to three weeks. All of our focus is on making Atlanta the best hockey market we can," he said.
Commissioner Gary Bettman, doggedly resistent to franchise location, played down the speculation about Atlanta.
"You know, too much is made about franchise issues at a particular point in time. Our goal is to keep all our franchises where they are. That has always been our goal and that's what we try to do," he said.
Bettman's commitment to exhausting all possibilities to keep the Coyotes in Glendale appears to have paid off. Chicago financier Matt Hulsizer appears poised to buy the Coyotes from the league pending the ratification of a lease agreement with Glendale, Ariz.
"Matt met with the (league executive committee Monday) for about 45 minutes and there was a good, healthy exchange of dialogue," Bettman said. "And when we ultimately get to the point of going for league approval, where all the clubs will vote upon him and the transaction, it will carry the unanimous recommendation of the executive committee for his approval."
In other news:
"¢ Bettman said the board approved the sale of Harley Hotchkiss' 22% stake in the Calgary Flames to his ownership partners. "This was part of estate planning for Harley, and he ... will remain active with the Calgary Flames and the league," Bettman said. Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano said there was no news regarding rumours he would sell the Sabres to Pennsylvania billionaire Terrance Pegula.
"¢ The owners were updated on how Rule 48 regarding blindside hits to the head has been implemented. "It'll continue to evolve, it's a work in progress but people were comfortable that we're on the right track," Bettman said.
"¢ Bettman said shootouts -- a contentious issue among some old-school thinkers -- are down about 50% from last season. "I don't think there's any move whatsoever to get rid of the shootout," Bettman said. "Our only concern was whether or not we were seeing too many of them ... but we're going to keep an eye on it."
"¢ The league's U.S. TV deals are up at the end of this season and Bettman said he is hopeful lucrative deals will be struck. Versus and then NBC have exclusive negotiation windows, but there has been talk ESPN could be back in the picture.
chris.stevenson@sunmedia.ca
twitter.com/CJ_Stevenson
By CHRIS STEVENSON, QMI Agency
PALM BEACH, Fla. — With the Phoenix Coyotes situation seemingly close to being resolved — go ahead and roll your eyes — Atlanta looks to be the next hot spot for speculation about relocation to Winnipeg or Quebec City.
After Atlanta's viability as a sports market was questioned by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Thrashers president Don Waddell addressed his team's challenges Tuesday.
"We've heard it before. There are always things happening in our business we can't control and we just deal with it. We have a good team right now and we're trying to market and sell tickets in Atlanta," Waddell said after the NHL's board of governors meetings concluded.
"That's why I speak up about it because it does get frustrating. My job is to make sure it doesn't affect anybody below me in the organization. We deal with it as they come up and it has been coming up for three years now. It won't be the last time for sure."
The Atlanta Spirit, which owns the Thrashers, the NBA's Hawks and Philips Arena, has been looking for investors for the hockey team.
The Thrashers are third-to-last in NHL attendance, averaging 11,789, despite standing sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-10-3 record -- 8-2 in their past 10 games.
The Thrashers have cut down on the number of complimentary tickets so, while their overall attendance might be down, more people are paying for tickets, Waddell said.
"Our paid attendance is up actually, five percent. We're in a stretch now where we're playing very well. It will be a good test for our market in the next two to three weeks. All of our focus is on making Atlanta the best hockey market we can," he said.
Commissioner Gary Bettman, doggedly resistent to franchise location, played down the speculation about Atlanta.
"You know, too much is made about franchise issues at a particular point in time. Our goal is to keep all our franchises where they are. That has always been our goal and that's what we try to do," he said.
Bettman's commitment to exhausting all possibilities to keep the Coyotes in Glendale appears to have paid off. Chicago financier Matt Hulsizer appears poised to buy the Coyotes from the league pending the ratification of a lease agreement with Glendale, Ariz.
"Matt met with the (league executive committee Monday) for about 45 minutes and there was a good, healthy exchange of dialogue," Bettman said. "And when we ultimately get to the point of going for league approval, where all the clubs will vote upon him and the transaction, it will carry the unanimous recommendation of the executive committee for his approval."
In other news:
"¢ Bettman said the board approved the sale of Harley Hotchkiss' 22% stake in the Calgary Flames to his ownership partners. "This was part of estate planning for Harley, and he ... will remain active with the Calgary Flames and the league," Bettman said. Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano said there was no news regarding rumours he would sell the Sabres to Pennsylvania billionaire Terrance Pegula.
"¢ The owners were updated on how Rule 48 regarding blindside hits to the head has been implemented. "It'll continue to evolve, it's a work in progress but people were comfortable that we're on the right track," Bettman said.
"¢ Bettman said shootouts -- a contentious issue among some old-school thinkers -- are down about 50% from last season. "I don't think there's any move whatsoever to get rid of the shootout," Bettman said. "Our only concern was whether or not we were seeing too many of them ... but we're going to keep an eye on it."
"¢ The league's U.S. TV deals are up at the end of this season and Bettman said he is hopeful lucrative deals will be struck. Versus and then NBC have exclusive negotiation windows, but there has been talk ESPN could be back in the picture.
chris.stevenson@sunmedia.ca
twitter.com/CJ_Stevenson