The Lightning for sale

[Opie 308]

ESPN link

Saw this on Yahoo as well, I had no idea they were selling the lightning, I thought the club was in an alright financial situation.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Maybe Davidson sold it because hes on his way to the grave.

Itd be cool if he bought the naming rights to a new Red Wings Arena..the Ice Palace or something..

[lfd250 1]

You are probably right, they are in good shape. That's the best reason to get out. Try selling an old broken down house, you won't get much.

Some how I think Baselle or however you spell his name will get his team in expansion.

[Hank 0]

I think Ballsille has been officially black-balled from the NHL.

The only team I could see them approving a sale to him would be Phoenix.

The NHL doesn't want any of their teams moving to Hamilton.

[toby91_ca 620]

Some how I think Baselle or however you spell his name will get his team in expansion.

That will never happen, that's why he has been trying to buy an existing team.

[irishtemper14+25 11]

doesnt matter...theres an article on nhl.com, the buyers say theyre keepin it where it belongs...tampa bay

[Winged Scooter 0]

It sounds to me like Palace Entertainment might just be trying to trim some "fat" off the books...

[Legionnaire11 0]

Why No Balsillie?

because he wouldn't be able to move the Lightning. He's only interested in teams he can move. Gotta love how everyone talks him up as this guy with a huge love for the game, but he's not interested in owning a team unless it's in his back yard.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

There should never be a team in Hamilton. It is a small town, period. Small towns shouldn't have teams in a professional league. Winnepeg and Quebec are better options, the former more so. Put a team in Winnepeg and another in a Western state (Washington, Nevada, or Wisconsin) and then move the Wings to the East.

I can dream.

[Guest jaytan]

He doesn't want to move a team to Hamilton permanently. He wants to put another one in the Greater Toronto Area.... Much bigger and much more financially viable than Winnipeg or Quebec.

[MaynardJKeenan 1]

Maybe Davidson sold it because hes on his way to the grave.

Itd be cool if he bought the naming rights to a new Red Wings Arena..the Ice Palace or something..

that's what the st. pete times forum used to be called, the ice palace. I still call it that actually. Makes it hard to get directions from the people in tampa that don't remember when it was the palace.

[Guest jaytan]

Was that the place that was on a county fair grounds?

[Kp-Wings 3]

News on the situation:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=215627&hubname=nhl

The Lightning have apparently been purchased by a group of businessmen (idiots in my opinion when you look at the names in involved). The head of the group? Doug MacLean. That's right, the same Doug MacLean that has basically kept Columbus behind the 8 ball since their existance.

That's too bad. I like the Lightning to be honest. They have a good base of players, and good fans. I wish he would have bought Nashville instead, and drove them into the ground.

[Jwo 7]

There should never be a team in Hamilton. It is a small town, period. Small towns shouldn't have teams in a professional league. Winnepeg and Quebec are better options, the former more so. Put a team in Winnepeg and another in a Western state (Washington, Nevada, or Wisconsin) and then move the Wings to the East.

I can dream.

Wait you just said small towns should not have pro sports. But then you list Quebec City is a better option even though Quebec City is smaller than Hamilton.

http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/d...amp;S=3&O=D

Any ways, Jim Balsillie should not be hated for trying to make the NHL money. Now if he was trying to move teams that draw good money for the NHL then I could understand.

Edited August 7, 2007 by Jwo

[eva unit zero 271]

Wait you just said small towns should not have pro sports. But then you list Quebec City is a better option even though Quebec City is smaller than Hamilton.

http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/d...amp;S=3&O=D

Any ways, Jim Balsillie should not be hated for trying to make the NHL money. Now if he was trying to move teams that draw good money for the NHL then I could understand.

He said he would not move Nashville. He nevertheless used the Predators name and logo to collect season ticket and luxury box deposits. He refused to enter a binding agreement until the NHL approved the MOVE, something the league bylaws state cannot be done without a binding agreement. This was the SECOND time in a year Balsillie attempted to purchase a team with the sole intent of relocation. Balsillie will never own a team so long as he refuses to play by the rules. The owners run the league; the owners make the rules; the owners decide who gets to purchase a team if it gets to that stage (it never did with Nashville.) If you don't play by the owners' rules, you won't become one yourself.