Line in the Sand Crossed in Arizona
Race to Find Local Buyer Entering Sudden Death Overtime

With Gary Bettman recently confirming that NHL headquarters has received that bonafide offer from the Winnipeg ownership group, it may be the words that paint the NHL Commissioner into a very tight corner.

By publicly declaring the principals in the Winnipeg ownership group along with the recent "$25 million insurance" deal with the City of Glendale in which the deal testifies that the NHL has received an offer north of $165 million, the NHL now faces a very difficult balancing act.

Given the NHL's strong interest to keep intact the Southern Experiment, and their multiple efforts to "sell" the team to Jerry Reinsdorf once even before the team went into bankruptcy, it is clear in this current soap opera that their preferred team locale is the present one.

One would be OFFside to think that the NHL wants to lose the first tent peg in the southern strategy.

However, by announcing a legitimate offer for $165 million or better to another would-be owner, the NHL now cannot publicly reduce the team sale price to hold it within Arizona below that value.

To do so, would risk a huge PR storm across Canada as proof positive that the NHL would rather take a substantial Leipold-style haircut than port the team to Canada. Also consider Bettman ascertions that the NHL BOG would never lose money on the bankruptcy bailout, currently sitting at $140 purchase price, $25 to $30 in losses this past season, plus whatever the team will lose above the $25 million circus net that Glengale has offered the league. That's a total of $165 to $170 million currently. Potentially reaching $200 million by the playoffs. Thus the NHL Commissioner must pull down this sort of cash not to be wearing mud with the Board of Governors meeting around mid-December 2010.

Thus, by Bettman's own words, Reinsdorf or another well-heeled prospective owner must show the NHL this full amount to gain the team. (Aside: Does anyone any longer think that IEH have credibility left to cover this long term shaky bet?)

Knowing that Gary Bettman is always several moves ahead of the situation, the natural question is to ask "why make those statements in the first place if you knew they could harm your options later?" It is not hard to find reason. Bettman may have told Glendale that end of May 2010 was his line in the sand for the franchise. Ratching up the pressure on Glendale, the NHL may have candidly told them about the offer to leave town for Manitoba. So that if no lease deal and no owner steps forward by that day, the NHL would be taking the TNSE offer and allowing Manitoba's re-entry into the NHL. Further, should Glendale wish to extend this deadline it would be solely on Glendale's dime for the coming season. This is only fair since the previous season was solely on the NHL's dime. $25 million was roughly lost by the NHL last year so it is a natural figure to use for the next season to be fair to both the NHL and Glendale.

But why make public statements about TNSE and their offer if a private conversation with Glendale would suffice to scare the city into action? It is not outside the realm of reason that the NHL is sending a final "warning shot" across Glendale to say that they really mean December 31, 2010 as a final deadline and not one day later. It is also a way to mobilize possible last-chance local ownership groups to step into the faceoff circle. Additionally, the media and hockey fans are softened to the idea of Winnipeg's return within the next year. Most importantly, it shows that with TNSE by standing by the NHL's statements, it will no doubt be rewarded if not with the Coyotes by another soon-to-be-had later "option to purchase/expand" with the NHL BOG.

The NHL has a strong history of this sort of "righting wrongs". Just look at how Norm Green wanted to port the Stars from Minnesota to Anaheim's new rink, only to have an expansion team dropped there first. Green was given the option to move his club within 12 months to any city within the US as "compensation" for "losing" his new locale in Anaheim. His choice: Dallas, Texas.

So in the end, Gary Bettman's words offer insight into where Winnipeg sits in the NHL's collective mindset. However, this further analysis into why the statements were made, offer even more insight as to just how close the NHL is done with Arizona. And for Manitoban NHL fans, seeing how TNSE and their offer was received by the NHL BOG and the media offered a glimpse into future open-armed acceptance. Most importantly, seeing how TNSE allowed themselves to be "useful" to the NHL, also offers us a unique perspective of how gaining access to the "ultimate hockey private clubhouse" is done successfully.

We may have been very close in May 2010. We may be very close still to being a part of the world's best sport played by the best hockey players in the world!

Skate down to the forum and have your say on the matter!

Chris
President, www.myNHLincludesWinnipeg.com
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