Post by ~Jiffy~ on Mar 15, 2010 15:38:52 GMT -5
Ice Edge's LeBlanc addresses rumors, negativity
Phoenix Coyotes update:
Why all the negativity and rumors from Canada regarding the Coyotes?
Anthony LeBlanc, CEO of Ice Edge Holdings and a Canadian, looked at the big picture.
“I think what happens is people see you have two cities,” he said. “You have Hamilton and now the big rumors are Winnipeg. They think, ‘My god, we’re going to get this franchise.’ So there’s an excitement level, which is understandable. Canadians are hockey fanatics. The idea of another hockey team coming to their country is very exciting … and they don’t look at the overarching situation.
“I can say this with all honesty because I still have family that contact me, they read the Canadian newspapers and say why would you guys want to be involved in this franchise?”
LeBlanc looked at the situation realistically from the beginning.
“As I repeatedly point out to people, I’m a sales and marketing guy; my three primary partners are all Wall Street guys, they’ve spent their careers examining companies, and most of the time from an investment perspective, you examine dysfunctional companies.
“We have said this on the record, that the Coyotes, unfortunately, were a very dysfunctional business. You have that aspect, and I’ve said a million times, outside of the Toronto Maple Leafs and maybe the Montreal Canadiens, I don’t think a Canadian franchise would be in any better shape than the Coyotes if they went (since 2002) without making the playoffs.”
At the start of the season, most crowds at Coyotes games were small and said people looked at the numbers and concluced, "There’s no way this team can survive.”
LeBlanc points to what is happening now, with a winning team and growing crowds.
“People like to say, ‘Oh, well, OK, so the average attendance has gone up to maybe 11,500.’ Stop there for a second,” he said. “If the average attendance two months ago was 9,000, now it’s 11,500 that means they’re bringing in a lot of people to the games.”
LeBlanc said the average Canadian has a “very difficult” time understanding how hockey can be successful in a warm-weather climate. He said before his involvement with Ice Edge, he, too, wondered how palm trees and fans wearing shorts fit into the hockey equation.
“We’re Canadian, we expect to be bundled up, we expect to be putting on our boots and our parkas,” he said. “I say that in jest, but I think that’s the overarching thing.”
He said he is a strong believer that Canada should have more NHL franchise but through expansion.
Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 12:15 PM
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Topics: SPORTS, coyotes, NHL, LeBlanc
8 comments from 8 users
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posted by nativezonie on Mar 14, 2010 at 12:42 PM
Great article Jim! Being one of those "3,500 season ticket holders", it's hard for anyone north of the American border or outside of Arizona to grasp the inner-workings of hockey in Phoenix. This team has been so poorly run for such a long time, we're d@mn luck this team hasn't left already. However, this organization is finally on the right track to success and is totally viable in the Valley of the Sun! Go Yotes!
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posted by Sebastrooper on Mar 14, 2010 at 12:45 PM
My prediction: IEH will fall through and this team will relocate (where? I'm not sure at this point) somewhere else, likely in the States.
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posted by bobbackus on Mar 14, 2010 at 04:57 PM
I hope you are wrong about the team moving as I am planning on moving to Phoenix next year and am looking forward to becoming a Yotes season ticket holder. But I am concerned they may be planning to move because this time of year, most NHL teams are taking deposits for 2010-2011 season and the Coyotes are not. The Coyotes are apparently not able to do that as these negotiations are still ongoing. But this is a terrible mistake from a business standpoint, as this incredible success the Coyotes are currently having would certainly motivate many people to make their deposits now if they could. Some of that enthusiasm could wear off by summer if these negotiations drag on that long.
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posted by alternateego91 on Mar 14, 2010 at 05:36 PM
If I were a Coyotes fan, I wouldn't find this article reassuring in any way. He didn't even mention why the purchasing process was taking so long. Not enough money.
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posted by JimGintonio on Mar 14, 2010 at 05:59 PM
Alternate --- I posted a separate story Saturday on that topic. It is online as we speak.
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posted by TonyZamboni on Mar 14, 2010 at 08:48 PM
During the 1st intermission of the Cancks Flames games tonight on Rogers SportsNet, a discussion of the Coyotes IEH situation insued. Some of the details discussed: Mr Bettman and Mr. Daly will be in Glendale on Tuesday with IEH in hopes of finalizing the lease issues. lease term, parking and 5 games in S.S. are to be discussed. Additionally, Mr. Reinsdorf's name resurfaced, perhaps waiting in the wings to see what developes. Rogers SportsNet also stated that the Coyotes may move ahead next week with their Season Ticket Marketing plan for 2010-2011.
Perhaps IEH is simply holding the 5 S.S. games as a card to play, offering to eliminate that part of their plan in exchange for a more favroable lease negotiation with COG. It at least makes sense. The Rogers panel was very complimentary of the Yotes organization and of us fans, noting the increasing attendance and coverage our club is getting locally. They told their Western Canadian audience watching the Flames Nucks game to not buy in to the rumors in the various Canadian press outlets. Perhaps the NHL is planning to "remind" the COG that moving the team is still an outside option, they will understand that 90% of the pie is much better than no pie at all. All that said, it was a very refreshing conversation about our teams current situation from a Western Canadian TV network. They are thrilled for our teams sucesses to this point, and thrilled for us fans for being rewarded with an excellent on ice product after so much futility and negativity.
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posted by letsgocards on Mar 14, 2010 at 09:01 PM
great insight tonyzamboni
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posted by nativedevil50 on Mar 15, 2010 at 10:32 AM
Good news all around...the bottom line is the Yotes will be supported when they supply a viable product on the ice...it's that simple, this city supports winners at every level....it would appear the Yotes are close to surpassing the Suns for playoff interest becuz the Suns have no chance in the playoffs...the Yotes as the 4th seed in the West which is the most competitive Divison and are a viable playoff team than can wreak some havoc with the pre-season prognosticators, they already have surpassed expectations and are the "feel-good" story of the NHL....dont think the Yotes are satisfied yet either, they want to do some damage in the playoffs and Maloney's late season acquisitions have given the team a huge boost...it's a far cry from they way Moyes and TGO nearly destroyed the franchise!!!