Quote:
Originally Posted by RchW
The reason Bettman opposes Ballsille is that he considers the Canadian market captive and he wants to place an expansion franchise there so that it will generate income for the current owners in the NHL.
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Exactly right. If he can charge $400-500 million that go directly to the league owners (if the CBA remains unchanged) and not to hockey's overall revenues, he'll take that option, and the rest of the owners will back him up on it. Particularly since that means adding another franchise for balance, which means earning around a $1 billion for the league's owners to divide amongst themselves. Which is why even if the NHL fails in their "we actually own the team now" argument in bankruptcy court, there will have to be another challenge from Balsille because they will argue that he's infringing on the Maple Leaf market or something of that sort.
The other question (possibly eventually) is where a Phoenix/Hamilton goes in the divisions.
I liked EC: HAM-TOR-OTT-MON-BUF, BOS-NYR-NYI-PHI-NJD, ATL-CAR-FLA-TBL-WAS
and WC: DET-PIT-CHI-COL-NAS, STL-COL-MIN-CAL-EDM, VAN-LAK-ANA-SJS-DAL.
As far as the name, since the league wants a second Toronto team, Balsille wants a team in Hamilton, and we no longer trust the NHL to do anything right, my buddies and I came up with the Toronto Ontarians of Hamilton (ala the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).
Forgot to add, while I've thought of all this, as someone who's team was rumored to leave back in the day, I'd rather they stay in Phoenix.