Updated: Another suitor for the Thrashers?
In response to a television report that once again named a filmmaker as an interested party in purchasing the Thrashers, team president Don Waddell issued the following statement on Friday afternoon. It indicates that another party this week expressed an interest in the Thrashers to keep the team in Atlanta.
Here is the statement:
“Along with all other groups who have expressed an interest in pursuing an ownership opportunity, which has happened as recently as earlier this week, we have said continuously that ‘until an agreement is signed and approved by the board of governors, it’s never too late but they will have to move very quickly and decisively. Ownership still is committed to selling at a greatly reduced price to anyone committed to Atlanta.’ ”
The potential suitor stepped forward Thursday and would be considered in the preliminary stages of interest. The introduction of the possible suitor to the Spirit may have come from a season-ticket holder. A great deal of work would need to be done, if proven a serious suitor, and time is an issue.
As I reported Friday, negotiations with True North to sell and relocate the Thrashers to Winnipeg continue, but a deal is not done. Should it be completed, it won’t be done before Tuesday following the Memorial Day weekend.
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384 comments Add your comment
Smart Goat
May 30th, 2011
9:57 am
@ G52PIM228……what an angry little man you just be. I can just picture you, sitting at your 386 Pentium computer at your Mom’s house…….platform shoes right at the door to slip on when you do run out to 7-11 to pick up your take out supper (You get 10% off cause your job is to make sure the coffee is fresh at 7-11 on your graveyard shift ), cell phone with a dead battery because nobody calls you anyways, and your 1974 Gremlin with rusty wheel rims waiting in the driveway for “daddy” to take it for a spin. Yep – LOSER.
Tim
May 30th, 2011
10:00 am
@G52 – It’s “genius”.
@Mr Bill
May 30th, 2011
10:23 am
How do I know tickets are 5 bucks each at Thrashers games? Because I paid for the damn ticket myself. Any city anywhere that you can get lower bowl tickets from SCALPERS for FIVE BUCKS does not deserve a team. And I paid 5 bucks a ticket for a game in Phoenix – but City Council isn’t as stupid in Atlanta as they are in Phoenix. YOu will never EVER get a ticket for five bucks to a Winnipeg game.
Anfe
May 30th, 2011
10:35 am
RealKyper Nick Kypreos
#NHL news. Barring any last minute changes the plan is to formally announce #Thrashers moving to #Winnipeg as early as 10 am tomorrow.
H
May 30th, 2011
10:50 am
How about a deal to keep them in Atlanta and build an arena in the northern suburbs…..the place would be close to a sell out for every game. Winnepeg brings nothing new to the table…Atlanta on the other hand is a growing market. As the years go by and more people move here from northern states the interest is going to grow. Leaving Atlanta is just plain dumb. You think hockey is just going to walk into the south and be popular all at once?? This is a process. You have to build this from the ground up…starting at the youth level. This is in the area of the country where most people care about college football and college football only. You put a competitive product on the ice for a few years and see what kind of growth you can get in this area. It would be tremendous. This is long term…this is growth of the sport. You want a team in Winnepeg, use an expansion franchise..but moving it out of a new growth opportunity market is an epic fail by the leadership of hockey.
philalamo
May 30th, 2011
10:51 am
Thrashers are NOT moving to whinnypeg. NHL BoG have advised Bettman that no relocation will be approved. Moving the NHL to a small, outpot Canadian hamlet is NOT in the best interest of the NHL.
The Thrashers will be staying in Atlanta people.
Andrew51
May 30th, 2011
11:13 am
@philalamo
Ignorance is bliss, isn’t it?
This deal has been completed for months now.
There’s nothing that even *remotely* resembles hockey equipment remaining in Philips and the entire Blue Crew has been re-assigned to the Varsity.
David
May 30th, 2011
11:18 am
As long as the new owner market this team well to make money instead of what the Atlanta Spirit did not what to do, I believe that the team deserves to stay here. Now, they need to find a sound ownership one that will make this team better on and off the ice. We need something similiar to the Atlanta Falcons owner a homer one that stays very close to the team.
2mins
May 30th, 2011
11:35 am
2 new tweets from Bob McKenzie from 1 minute ago:
Quote:
WPG lawyers signed off on their end. ATL lawyers doing their due diligence now. Soon as they sign off, deal is done, pending board approval.
Quote:
If ATL lawyers sign off today, announcement tomorrow morning. If ATL lawyers don’t sign off today, drags out another day or two.
Brad
May 30th, 2011
11:42 am
Keep dreaming for a hero to ride in on a horse and save your team. Ain’t happening.
Go Jets Go
May 30th, 2011
11:48 am
Word out of the peg as of this morning are of rumbles that all is not going well in negotiations with ASG. This may be due to the potential of a new offer made by a local individual/contingent. Does not look good for anything getting done any time soon.
Don Wadell
May 30th, 2011
11:50 am
Good rideance to bad rubbish!
Don Wadell
May 30th, 2011
11:57 am
The thrashers are comparable to a dumpster fire!
Wendell
May 30th, 2011
12:06 pm
The problem with Winnipeg is that they have no media market and lack an NHL size arena. Don’t think the BoG will be thrilled about the prospect of killing a top ten media market in exchange for the Alaskan outback. This relocation will never be approved, even if a sale to true north does get done, which is looking more and more unlikely by the day.
Atlanta Thrashers update: Some reports indicate announcement could come Tuesday | ProHockeyTalk
May 30th, 2011
12:10 pm
[...] second group (referred to only as a “filmmaker” who might be a season ticket holder) showed some interest in keeping the Thrashers in Atlanta. That possible new suitor stepped forward on Thursday, according to Chris Vivlamore. Here is what [...]
Brad
May 30th, 2011
12:10 pm
I love how all you typical clueless americans think Wpg is a small igloo village inhabited only my seals
Do some research on the interwebz before posting…you’ll look less stupid.
JOHN SMITH
May 30th, 2011
12:12 pm
G52PIM228
I Like how you call us loserpeg lmao. Look at where it is coming from. Winniopeg rocks!!! a place you have probably never been to. Ive been to Atlanta and it’s a sh## Hole. run down. So before you come on here about the great white north where us Canadians live breath and die for hockey. Might i add support a nhl team with only half the population as ATL. If you did a little reaserch Winnipeg lawyers have signed off on all the deals on TNSE side. All that is left is for ASG to get there lawyers to sign off. Which i might add there doing that today. Worken through the holiday how nice. Board of goveners to approve the deal and wait to seee how many season tickets holders there will be. You guys had 200 people show up for a last “ditch effort to keep your lonly thrashers” Winnipeg will have i can count on it 30 to 40 THOUSAND people on Poratge and main when the Annoucment is made. So before you trash us look where its coming from. Nobodys. When we lost the jets due to the canadian dollar we had thousands show up in the rally. I was 10 at the time. Ive never seen people so upset. Like i said we live breath hockey. hockey is a canadian Game. We have proven that over many of years. So keep your Thrasher tash talks to your self. Cause it will get you no where. Maybe you showed do another rally maybe this time you will get 205 people. Ill even come wearing my Jets Jersey. TNSE all the way. BYE BYE ATLANTA THRASHERS> WELCOME TO THE TRUE NORTH. WHERE YOU WILL HAVE 17000 PEOPLE EVERY NIGHT CHANTING. WIN OR LOSE US “CANADIANS OF WINNIPEG WILL BE THERE FOR YOUR SUPPORT. WELCOME BOYS.
HAHAHAHAHAHA.
A
May 30th, 2011
12:21 pm
is it true Justin Bieber is part of the group to purchase and keep the Thrashers in Atlanta?
@G52PM228
May 30th, 2011
12:21 pm
What a piece of work you are. I can just picture you sitting in front of your television, eyes glazed over, gun in your lap, as you watch NASCAR.. cars going round and round and round and round. Now THAT’s humiliating.
To G52PM228
May 30th, 2011
12:35 pm
Your the piece of work. Number one Nascar sucks number two your the funking piece of work. Trashing canada winnipeg must make you feel so good about yourself. tash us all you want you duumg red neck trailer park piece of hilbily SHI#. i read all your post and you actually think you no something about everything. I don’t no who you are or do i really give a dam. Call us lodserpeg, snopw monkeys whatever makes you feel good. but at the end of the day your a piece of shi#. And at least us canadians can go places without being attacked cause you are a prime example of why other countries hate americans. your the asshol# that goes to these country saying im a canadian.
hahahaha.
TNSE WILL EGT THE DEAL DONE. HATE TO BREAK IT TO YOU BUT HE IS THE RICHEST MAN IN CANADA AND 17 RICHEST IN NRTH AMERICA/ 19 RICHEST IN THE WORLD./ THEY HAVE 19 BILLION IN ASSESTS. YOUR INTRESTED LOCAL BUYERS CANT MATCH WHAT CHIPMAN AND THOMPSON HAVE.
Anfe
May 30th, 2011
12:36 pm
Some people here are really cute.
- no media market: Maybe
- lack an NHL size arena: A bit smallish yes.
- prospect of killing a top ten media market: Not worth much when folks don’t watch. Might as well expand to Mexico City, Cairo or Tokio.
- This relocation will never be approved: You also believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny?
Anfe
May 30th, 2011
12:42 pm
pegcityguy, I followed the Thrashers for much of their history. Your Leafs nation reference is spot on.
pegcityguy
May 30th, 2011
12:43 pm
TSN and sportsnet both have articles up claiming its a done deal with aanouncment tommorow Its over Give it up Atlanta.some of you sound more dillusional than leaf nation when they opened the season with five wins.
TO ANFE
May 30th, 2011
12:47 pm
Lots of media market in winnipeg.
MTS center was built for the roof can come off to expand for when this day came.
Relocation will be approved the nhl is getting 60 million dollars out of the deal. and ASG is getting 110 million this deal will go through. ui can promise by thursday a deal will be made public. Friday June 4 all you Fan come to winnipeg thats when the party is set to happen on portage and main and in the forks.
Anfe
May 30th, 2011
12:55 pm
pegcityguy, which is the best forum or blog to follow the team in the future?
to Everyone of you dilutional Atlanta Fans.
May 30th, 2011
1:07 pm
BY SPORTSNET STAFF
sportsnet.ca
A formal announcement will be made on Tuesday that the Atlanta Thrashers are moving to Winnipeg.
Winnipeg’s True North Sports and Entertainment has been working for several weeks on a deal with the Thrashers owners to bring a National Hockey league franchise back to Winnipeg.
It reportedly has agreed to pay US$110 million for the team and another $60 million to the NHL as a relocation fee.
Michael Gearon Jr.,and Bruce Levenson are the lead owners in a group which also owns the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and operating rights to Philips Arena, which is home to both teams.
RELATED
True North working on details
Just a matter of time
The ownership group claims the hockey club has lost more than $150 million since 2005.
The Thrashers’ average attendance this season was 13,469 — 28th out of 30 teams.
Jets Fan
May 30th, 2011
1:27 pm
Hockey fans anxious for word that the NHL is returning to Winnipeg could soon get good news.
CBC News has been told by True North Sports and Entertainment to have technical people ready to set up possibly late Monday for something early Tuesday.
True North has been in negotiations with Atlanta Spirit, the owners of the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, to move the franchise to Winnipeg. But until now neither organization has hinted a deal was close.
The latest from #gojetsgo
Join the conversation Paul Jordan, chief operating officer at The Forks, told CBC News he has been told to have the popular meeting place ready for a party on Tuesday.
Jordan said he’ll be given four hours official notice but he is already getting everything ready, trying to prepare for something spontaneous.
“That’s exactly what we’re dealing with. So we’ve got talent on hold, we’ve got you know, the stage on hold, we’ve got television screens on hold, and we’ve got DJs on hold. We’ll put something together,” he said.
The buzz on the Twitter universe Monday reflected the speculation that a formal announcement was near, with some pinpointing the time as 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday.
As well, two of Canada’s largest sports networks — TSN and Sportsnet — reported the deal is as good as done.
“The Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg situation has narrowed to a point where it’s quite possible there could be an announcement as early as Tuesday,” stated TSN.
“Lawyers on the Winnipeg side have signed off on the deal and the Atlanta legal team is doing their due diligence today. If they sign off on the deal, the sale will go through, pending league approval.
“If there is no announcement Tuesday, the next likely target would be Thursday.”
‘We’ve got talent on hold, we’ve got you know, the stage on hold, we’ve got television screens on hold, and we’ve got DJs on hold.’
—Paul Jordan, COO at The ForksThe report on Sportsnet.ca was nearly identical, stating: “A formal announcement will likely be made on Tuesday that the Atlanta Thrashers are moving to Winnipeg.”
Tuesday has been cited as an ideal day because it comes just before the puck drops for the start of the Stanley Cup final series between Vancouver and Boston.
Hundreds of hockey fans converged at Winnipeg’s famed downtown intersection of Portage and Main on May 19 after the Globe and Mail initially reported an agreement had been struck.
Since then, speculation has been rampant as to when an announcement might come and it reached a point last week where feverish fans reported seeing NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in the city.
But every sudden spike in expectation has been followed by an equally sudden silence.
Until now
ultimatethrasherfan
May 30th, 2011
1:58 pm
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/05/30/mb-hockey-fans-winnipeg.html
doesn’t look good folks…
litz
May 30th, 2011
2:12 pm
this is something like the 4th or 5th time in the last 3 weeks “it’s been a done deal”.
Matt Pearl, with WXIA, has been in contact with Daly who says no deal. As have people from TSNE.
The press has jumped over ANY rumor they get, to drum up stories. Stories = readers/viewers. Which, in turn, = ad revenue. They don’t care one whit about inflaming the passions of fans on either side, to them it’s just cold, hard cash.
So … whatever you hear in the press … until you hear in from the NHL itself (and by that, I mean Daly or Bettman, not the NHL.com newswire), I wouldn’t go celebrate in the streets.
In either city (moved or not).
Darren
May 30th, 2011
2:16 pm
I hope that we get a team back in Winnipeg, but Bettman will just screw us again like the way he is screwing Atlants. Lets all move to Phoenix and enjoy dessert hockey. I personally think atl and wpg will both be without a team next year regardless to what the media is saying. We are all hockey fans that shouldnt be kept in the dark by TNSE and ASG, or should I call them Bettmans bitch puppets.
Smart Goat
May 30th, 2011
2:48 pm
@ G52PIM228 – What does PIM stand for?
P…lease….
I…live with my
M…other???
I think she must have taken your computer privledges away. Likely read some of your “saucy” comments and sent you to your room.
Truth is, this is beginning to take on a life of it’s own, and you are not going to like the outcome. So, best stay in your little hovel, under your bed, and have Mommy bring you snacks from time to time. The sun will come up again….don’t worry.
Morris Lukowich
May 30th, 2011
2:50 pm
WE’RE BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!
GO JETS GO!
litz
May 30th, 2011
2:53 pm
Again, as noted above — don’t celebrate until you hear it from Bettman or Daly.
New Tucker article : http://bit.ly/kCrVnR
Puck Like A Porn Star
May 30th, 2011
3:03 pm
If there’s no big announcement tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day, THEN what?
ThrasherSTH
May 30th, 2011
3:48 pm
I think ASG is afraid to sign this deal with a much larger portion of their business still left here in Atlanta (ie the Hawks and Philips Arena events) EVERYONE knows that it would entirely be ASG’s fault if the Thrashers left town because their remaining Atlanta businesses would suffer dearly. They may be completely ignorant about hockey but not about business. Why else havn’t they signed the documents? They obviously leaked the story originally to try to get someone to buy the team and keep it here sooner rather than later.
Responsible Journalist
May 30th, 2011
3:50 pm
“No deal is imminent but expect a deal imminently”. Great job as always, C-Viv.
litz
May 30th, 2011
3:51 pm
Then it’s the same exact thing as the last two weeks.
This is the third time major press have stated “an announcement is due tomorrow”.
Hasn’t yet, to date, happened. It MAY happen tomorrow, or not.
Point is, until you hear it directly from the parties involved that a deal is reached …
And *THEN* directly from the NHL Commissioner’s Office that the deal is *approved* …
Until BOTH those items occur, there is NO DEAL.
Now mind you … this’ll probably send the Winnipeg folks dancing in the streets yet again.
But until it’s official by the NHL, there is no deal, and it would really suck for them to go dancing in the streets and have the rug pulled out yet again.
Go read the NHL constitution and bylaws — this is a very long, drawn out, complicated process. It is NOT, as some have stated, a “rubber stamp”.
litz
May 30th, 2011
3:57 pm
ThrasherSTH – that is a very astute observation … with a pending NBA lockout, they may have been gambling on someone to take over the hockey franchise, thereby guaranteeing them 41 days of income at the arena …
Without a hockey team, and no NBA … that’s 82 dates the arena sits empty.
@Puck like a porn star
May 30th, 2011
3:58 pm
Who cares??? We’re BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
@litz
May 30th, 2011
4:03 pm
yes Litz, it is a very long drawn out and complicated process but this is the END of the process. We’re BACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
Northern Tech
May 30th, 2011
4:07 pm
This will be the heading @ ESPN and TSN (Canada).
Atlanta Thrashers sold to the True North. Team will be relocated to Winnipeg Manitoba. As the first order of business Team President Don Waddell and GM Rick Dudley have been removed of their duties to be replaced by the The Manitoba Moose Mascot Moosy and our Stick boy. See ya Atlanta, last one out shut off the lights please.
ThrasherSTH
May 30th, 2011
4:15 pm
Did anyone hear Blake Wheeler on NHL Home Ice today around 1PM? I just got back from the lake and was unloading the truck and the palm went to the forehead because I turned off the XM for about an hour. If someone could find the link it would be appreciated. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wheeler may be a little excited about the news reports with Winnipeg being that much closer to his hometown.
betterlucknexttime
May 30th, 2011
4:23 pm
Two words: ATLANTA FLAMES.
Ugh
May 30th, 2011
4:25 pm
as much as i have been skeptical myself, all signs are to something happening here in Wpg and at any time now. Seems like a lot of quiet preperation going on here, the police on notice, stage being set up at the Forks (Wpg meeting place), buses on notice for re-routing, and a lot of press stuff and tweets going back and forth. Even us skeptics cannot ignore that something is up here. Wpg will go nuts, something like if Atlanta won the Super Bowl or something like that. Watch for 50,000 to pour into the streets when this is announced. Sorry to ther real and true Thrasher fans. i know this sucks for you, but there just are not enough of you unfortunately. Here, the team will be embraced and supported.
portagenmain50below
May 30th, 2011
4:28 pm
if it is a hockey reference PIM is Penalties In Minutes
JoshuaPrayedFervently
May 30th, 2011
4:32 pm
OK I feel bad for ATL loosing their team but people saying Winnipeg has nothing to offer, … . BOG ar elooking forward to put a NHL team into Winnipeg and at the moment Winnipeg has mor eto offer the NHL than ATL. And Winnipeg will have a well balanced franchise for years to come. Its hockey any Valid Canadian market will beat 75% to even 80% of all the US based teams in attendance and revenue. More $ for tickets higher interest in th esports itself. Sad to see the Thrashers go but Canada is the market to be for the NHL to make money and be profitable.
G52PIM228
May 30th, 2011
4:40 pm
My new home
http://webcam.theforks.com/market-tower.cfm
jimcee
May 30th, 2011
4:49 pm
If it is announced tomorrow then it still has to be approved by league owners.
As a result of the dearth of interest by anyone in Atlanta to purchase the Thrashers of course it will be approved by the NHL Board of Governors! What choice do they have? Contraction? Owning a second franchise along with the Coyotes?
Winnipeg is certainly not the first choice for the NHL but given Kansas City isn’t ready as a market even with their beautiful 18,000 Sprint Center,Seattle lacks a new arena,Houston isn’t ready,Quebec City needs a new arena,Portland isn’t ready and Cleveland is not a given as an NHL market then the ‘Peg makes a lot of sense.It really is too bad for Atlanta but Winnipeg will certainly support the Thrashers/Jets/Moose/Falcons/Blizzard and rank as a solid member of the NHL family with respectable 15,000 person crowds and will not feature those wince inducing crowd shots that we see on NHL TV highlights from certain markets.
JoshuaPrayedFervently
May 30th, 2011
4:52 pm
@jimcee … KC give me a break they will only get the Blues if noone comes forward and buys them. I could see Seatle Portland or Spokane land an NHL team before KC also Hartford would get consideration before KC.
JoshuaPrayedFervently
May 30th, 2011
4:57 pm
Cleveland no go due to Columbus, Houston is a big ? due to current Dallas issues Portland and Quebec are two most likely markets and that is the next logical move for the NHL and th eteam to go there most likely is PHX. Now I am not aware of a group in Portland so no comparison how deep the pockets are but Quebecor has pockets that are mighty deep with a province that goes cooky for hockey.