CenterIce 83 Report post Posted June 10, 2009 From ESPN Insider: If Balsillie pays up, Coyotes relocating? The judge seems to be saying that, if Jim Balsillie is willing to pay enough money, he can buy the Coyotes franchise and move it to Hamilton. At a hearing today, Judge Redfield Baum told the NHL to set a relocation fee for the Coyotes so Balsillie can decide whether he still wants to pony up the money. According to the Sports Business Journal's Twitter, if Balsillie is still willing to buy the team after the relocation fee is tacked onto his $212 million offer for the franchise, then Baum would rule on the relocation issue. Baum said he'd been given more than 10 feet of documents, and Balsillie was the only person offering to buy the team. In addition, according to the SBJ Twitter, Baum said, "The facts don?t bear out that relocating teams through bankruptcy or otherwise wreaks havoc on pro leagues." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
edicius 3,269 Report post Posted June 10, 2009 Sucks for those few diehard fans in Phoenix, but it's also a stunning defeat for Bettman, which is a victory in my book. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CenterIce 83 Report post Posted June 12, 2009 More from ESPN Insider: Coyotes price tag: $400 million? Jim Balsillie may have to pay more than $400 million to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Hamilton, which is almost $200 million more than the $212.5 million he bid on the team. The NHL is threatening to add an indemnity fee on top of the relocation fee, according to the Toronto Star. "Relocation is separate from indemnity," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Star. "There may be indemnity fees owing if a franchise were ever located in Hamilton." About $100 million would be the relocation fee, and about the same amount would be an indemnity fee to the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs for moving in on their market. In comparison, the Anaheim Ducks paid a $25 million relocation fee and a $25 million indemnity fee to the Kings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingsdiehard13 33 Report post Posted June 12, 2009 The $100 million relocation fee is ridiculous. I guess the NHL is trying their best to keep a team in Arizona. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lfd250 1 Report post Posted June 13, 2009 Thinking the judge would smack that down as excesive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VM1138 1,921 Report post Posted June 13, 2009 Why is the NHL so adamant about defending a failure? What is so awful about relocation? It's happened countless times in the NHL. Why is Phoenix worth destroying your image and hampering your league for? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LIDDYGIBBY5 1 Report post Posted June 13, 2009 I think a team in Hamilton is absolutely ridiculous! They may as well stay in the desert. There is no way that a franchise can thrive that close to Toronto and Buffalo! Both teams have die hard followings that aren't going to just start cheering for, or supporting another team. I think that Milwaukee would be a good spot for a team to move to. Cheese heads love their hockey too! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evilmrt 636 Report post Posted June 13, 2009 I think a team in Hamilton is absolutely ridiculous! They may as well stay in the desert. There is no way that a franchise can thrive that close to Toronto and Buffalo! Both teams have die hard followings that aren't going to just start cheering for, or supporting another team. I think that Milwaukee would be a good spot for a team to move to. Cheese heads love their hockey too! HAHAHA! Dude, have you spent much time in the GTA and Southern Ontario in general? The market is tremendously underserved by one NHL team. This is the place where they dump water on the tennis courts in winter to play hockey. It would be VERY successful. I think Milwaukee makes sense, but it doesn't seem like anyone is interested in bringing a team there. Plus I don't think there is a suitable arena, so they'd have to build a new one.....and Hamilton has a NHL-ready arena that needs some updating...which is much quicker than building a new one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LIDDYGIBBY5 1 Report post Posted June 14, 2009 (edited) HAHAHA! Dude, have you spent much time in the GTA and Southern Ontario in general? The market is tremendously underserved by one NHL team. This is the place where they dump water on the tennis courts in winter to play hockey. It would be VERY successful. I think Milwaukee makes sense, but it doesn't seem like anyone is interested in bringing a team there. Plus I don't think there is a suitable arena, so they'd have to build a new one.....and Hamilton has a NHL-ready arena that needs some updating...which is much quicker than building a new one. The only support they would pull is fair weather fans. Leafs fans and Sabres fans aren't going to stop cheering for their teams to support the Hamilton Coyotes. They can skate on frozen tennis courts all they want. I'm not saying that they don't love hockey, I'm saying a team won't thrive there. Edited June 14, 2009 by LIDDYGIBBY5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BuckeyeWingsfan80 209 Report post Posted June 14, 2009 The only support they would pull is fair weather fans. Leafs fans and Sabres fans aren't going to stop cheering for thier teams to support the Hamilton Coyotes. They can skate on frozen tennis courts all they want. I'm not saying that they don't love hockey, I'm saying a team won't thrive there. If a team can last over a decade in Miami and nearing a decade in Atlanta, Hamilton supporting a team won't be an issue. Besides it's not like the Leafs are that hot a commodity right now anyway. The team hasn't won a Cup since the early 60s and hasn't made the playoffs in what 4 or 5 years? The area is ripe for the picking IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VM1138 1,921 Report post Posted June 15, 2009 The only support they would pull is fair weather fans. Leafs fans and Sabres fans aren't going to stop cheering for their teams to support the Hamilton Coyotes. They can skate on frozen tennis courts all they want. I'm not saying that they don't love hockey, I'm saying a team won't thrive there. They may root for the Leafs and Sabres, but when thsoe games are sold out (are they selling out?) they'll fill into the new team. And yes, there will be people defecting to the new team, especially Leaf fans, I have a feeling. There are enough people there, and a lot of die hard hockey fans, to support a new team. It won't be the most successful team in history but it will be considerably more successful than in Phoenix. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CenterIce 83 Report post Posted June 15, 2009 I keep hearing that a lot of Buffalo's fans come from that area. So, it might be the Sabres that are at the heart of this issue and not a team in Hamilton. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LIDDYGIBBY5 1 Report post Posted June 16, 2009 They may root for the Leafs and Sabres, but when thsoe games are sold out (are they selling out?) they'll fill into the new team. And yes, there will be people defecting to the new team, especially Leaf fans, I have a feeling. There are enough people there, and a lot of die hard hockey fans, to support a new team. It won't be the most successful team in history but it will be considerably more successful than in Phoenix. The Leafs haven't been successful at all lately, but their fans are just as loyal as Detroit's. Do you think that Red Wings fans would jump ship just because there is a new team a little closer to them? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
