Bettman wants to make Thrashers’ sale hurt for Spirit
Hockey fans in Winnipeg aren't waiting for the official announcement: They were already celebrating the Thrashers' expected arrival on Thursday night. (AP photo)
Somebody who I trust — because he has been telling me that the Thrashers probably are going to wind up moving to Winnipeg for almost two years now — offered something else recently.
While it’s almost certainly too late to stop the train to Manitoba, Gary Bettman’s disdain for Bruce Levenson and the Atlanta Spirit is so great that wants to make it hurt financially for the Spirit.
I know. The last thing you really want to do right now is choose sides between Bettman and Levenson. Can they run into each other head first?
But if you’re looking for one microscopic scintilla of a possibility that the Thrashers’ move gets momentarily derailed, here it is: Bettman may be playing hardball. He not only wants the $60 million relocation fee that the NHL is mandating from True North Sports and Entertainment, he may want a share of the $110 million reportedly going to the Spirit for the purchase price.
Again, the possibility of this financial tug-of-wear stopping the Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg remains a long shot. (The Globe and Mail has reported it’s a done deal, although all parties are denying it.) But it’s worth noting that all franchise purchases — and certainly relocations — must be approved by NHL’s Board of Governors.
In short, Bettman has the hammer here.
Ken Campbell of The Hockey News has posted a blog outlining the exact thing I just addressed. But he takes it one step further, writing that not only is Bettman seeking a share of the Spirit’s possible $110 million, but Levenson is countering by seeking a share of the NHL’s would-be $60 million.
From Campbell’s blog:
What still has to be determined, according to a source, is how much of that purchase price goes to the Atlanta Spirit, a group that is hardly dealing from a position of strength when it comes to selling the team. …
Apparently, [Levenson] wants a bigger piece of the purchase price and is trying to get a portion of that $60 million from the NHL. It’s believed the league, meanwhile, not only wants the $60 million relocation fee, but a portion of the $110 million purchase price. In fact, there’s a possibility that the Atlanta Spirit might end up with only $80 million to $100 million of the purchase price. It should be noted that the relocation fee for the Thrashers seems to have come out of nowhere. There was no relocation fee when the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993, when the Quebec Nordiques moved to Colorado in 1995, when the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996 and when the Hartford Whalers relocated to Raleigh, N.C., in 1997.
And the NHL is completely in the driver’s seat on this one. … In reality, Levenson is faced with the prospect of taking what the NHL lets the Atlanta Spirit have or absorbing crushing losses for at least one more season.
Thrashers fans: Your best hope is that neither side backs down and this goes on so long that it will be too late to move the team this year. But don’t count on it.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
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249 comments Add your comment
One Year Down the Road
May 20th, 2011
11:24 am
In one year who will really care that the Thrashers have moved to Winnipeg?
In one year will Phoenix still have only 11,000 butts in the seats?
In one year what city will Bettman be courting to take the Phoenix franchise that was once Winnipegs?
In one year will Phoenix move to Hartford and become the Whalers? THIS IS MY BET!!
In one year wouldn’t the folks in Winnepeg rather have the team that was their original franchise return to their true Jets roots instead of taking the useless ASG’s Thrashers?
In one year, Give the real Jets back to Winnepeg and if the Thrashers have not improved, send the ATL’ers off the Hartford!
Problem solved — in one year down the road..
Frankly Scarlett, I don’t give a damn!
Sherry Taylor
May 20th, 2011
11:30 am
If Bettman gets his cut it doesn’t make me feel any better. It doesn’t pay season ticket holders back for all of the years of low investment by the owners. It doesn’t get our money back or unbreak our hockey-loving-hearts.
Clearly, this doesn’t have anything to do with people in seats at home games, it doesn’t have anything to do with the fans or the players, it has to do with owners who had no intention of owning a hockey team but took them because they were a part of the deal. Kind of like the man who loves his girl friend, but in order to get her to marry him, he has to accept her two kids as part of the deal. The difference is the team and the fans were treated like the step-children. We were unwanted and we knew it, and Levenson and Gearon can tell us they wanted to make it work all they want, but we’ve seen the truth every time we’ve watched the Thrashers step on to the ice.
brad
May 20th, 2011
11:30 am
just a question about Winnepeg..what makes them think they will hold on to another NHL team? Second will they puts the Jets name back on their new team or will they choose another name?
And one more thing…Atlanta has lost two hockey teams now..one to Calgary and one to Winnepeg…how freaking embarrassing.
PMC
May 20th, 2011
11:31 am
Since the league has made it clear that their original team Phoenix is not available, the spirit really should raise the price. Make it 150 million if they want.
Sherry Taylor
May 20th, 2011
11:33 am
I@AGTFan53: I think I’ve watched my last NHL game until Gary Bettman is no longer the commissioner. At the very least.
2mins
May 20th, 2011
11:36 am
“Everyone know that a Canadian isn’t anything more than an American who thinks he’s a European.”
Nope. A Canadian is a European who knows he is not an American.
D. Scott
May 20th, 2011
11:36 am
For those who want Levinson to hold up the True North Group forget about it, in this power struggle the strength lies with the buyer. He has a product that he can’t afford to own and has no buyers except one, that is also why the NHL is going to take him out to the woodshed and “make it hurt”. It looks to me like the NHL is going to make an example of him to other existing and potential owners, too bad Atlanta is paying the price but the league may come out of this stronger.
PMC
May 20th, 2011
11:37 am
Brad, why would it be embarassing? The Flames simply left. Nothing you can do about that. The owner wanted to move the team.
The Thrashers, same deal, the owners didn’t want the team.
Losing a hockey team to Canada is hardly embarassing. Now, losing a football team to Canada… THAT would be embarassing.
Let NONE in
May 20th, 2011
11:37 am
I think ASG has a valid point. Sounds to me like a law suit is being written up to be filed. Don’t think ASG won’t do it either. LOL.
Snoman
May 20th, 2011
11:39 am
Hey Atlanta Thrashers fans, it is time to start talking in the only language that the A$$ CLOWNS understand – Class Action Lawsuit!! If they sell the team to move it, they will have plenty of money that really belongs to the fans of Atlanta who have only been given incompetent management and been lied to about commitment to winning for seven grueling years. Let’s give them what they deserve for once and get our piece of the pie that they are taking away from us. Season ticket holders and fans of the last seven years unite!! Fight back in A$$ CLOWN language!!
DMR
May 20th, 2011
11:40 am
Does it really shock anyone that the way this thing will end is exactly how it began? The Atlanta Spirit Group doing everything bassackwards; except this time, it looks like the ASG is really going to take it in the shorts. Not that I care.
Michael S
May 20th, 2011
11:40 am
From what I’ve heard (and Stephen Brunt may have heard similar) the deal is done from the cost perspective of TNSE. The deal is most certainly NOT done from the revenue perspective of the AS and the NHL. The question remains: How can you close a deal when the two beneficiaries squabble about who gets what?
Sayonara
May 20th, 2011
11:43 am
See ya Thrashers, no one likes hockey here, let it go back to Canada where they have nothing else to do with their time.
Let NONE in
May 20th, 2011
11:43 am
It’s not done then. Levinson has leverage the Canadians are more than willing to overpay for this piece of crap franchise. Let them pay for it out the nose for it. Leveinson won’t turn it down.
gt
May 20th, 2011
11:46 am
When hockey leaves the value of the Philips Arena goes down so they get a double shot in the shorts.
R. Stroz
May 20th, 2011
11:47 am
ASG = Anal Sucking Group
Steve-o
May 20th, 2011
11:49 am
Sayonara May 20th, 2011
11:43 am
See ya Thrashers, no one likes hockey here, let it go back to Canada where they have nothing else to do with their time.
———————————————————
Sayanara, we’ve heard that sentiment from the red-neck contingent. Sayonara to you. Bye bye. Troll somewhere else. BTW, are you happy about the loss of jobs for employees at Philips Arena, the loss of money to area businesses, etc? And I bet you’ve never even been to a Canadian city. There is plenty for them to do there in addition to hockey.
neekel
May 20th, 2011
11:53 am
can they take the HAWKS?????
Jimfromwinnipeg
May 20th, 2011
11:53 am
We feel your pain. If it’s any consolation well take good care of yours/our team!
BirdsStaySouthThisWinter
May 20th, 2011
11:58 am
Seems to me if Bettman wants to stick it to the ASG, he would make them retain ownership until a local buyer is found…whether thats this week, this year, or longer. Then ASG would really be desperate and a local investor who actually cares would get a bargain to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta.
Hillbilly Deluxe
May 20th, 2011
11:58 am
The ASG makes the Smith’s (former owner of the Falcons) look like geniuses.
When ol’ Rankin owned the Falcons, they were pretty bad on the field but they made money. Of course, a blind hog could make money with an NFL franchise.
EMerckx69
May 20th, 2011
11:58 am
What is that guy in the picture waving the Jets flag wearing? Are those Capri jean shorts? I guess Winnipeg and University of Florida fans have similar taste.
Atlanta fan
May 20th, 2011
11:59 am
The following things killed the Thrashers: Waddell, Patrick Stefan, Heatley’s immaturity, Hossa and Kovy leaving, Lehtonin’s injury woes. In short, the drafting has been awful-the capital to retain players non-existent and the fan support, tepid at best.
docsbro
May 20th, 2011
12:00 pm
Thank you Jeff for staying with this story. It is sad…grew up a Flames fan and now the Thrashers are going to the Great White North as well. Thanks for the link to the Kovy article I believed ALL along that he didn’t want to be here because he knew this was coming. This is obviously the reason they weren’t able to sign Ladd to a long term deal as well. Buff just wanted to get his payday…as this is probably the height of his value(plus he is from Minnesota which isn’t much different than Manitoba.
Again thanks for writing these articles and Levinson can GO!! He hates this town and ALL it’s fans. Gearon has good intentions(I do believe it) but he DOES not have the cheddar to make it happen. Ted Turner should take a little heat in this too(remember David McDavid) he was instrumental in assuring ASG would get these teams….
ten+cups
May 20th, 2011
12:02 pm
Stop blaming the Coyotes for the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers; the financial position of the Thrashers ownership, the lack of success in Atlanta regarding the marketing of the team to local businesses and fans, the lack of making the playoffs and how close you ear yearly in getting there, and then, how close the team is to winning in the playoffs (which is how all teams are ultimately judged, like it or not) are the key measures regarding keeping the team in Atlanta, or not. A better comparison to the Thrashers viability in the south are the teams in Tampa Bay and Nashville; non-traditional hockey markets who have owners who “get it” and have had success in the areas that Atlanta has not—(see above). The Phoenix issue has more to do with the stupid financial arrangements with the rink and the initial owner who screwed the team from the beginning—he was the problem–Eleman—he set up deals that were not financially sustainable for the team (like charging them high rent in the area for team offices, when he could have had them office in the rink for free..and it goes downhill from there), and paying a guy $6M annually to coach the team (instead of making him buy into the equity of the team more—to get his value on sale of the team, rather than annual salary)–that took the team down. It was not the fans or the City of Glendale; it was the NHL who let this go on, as the team went downhill financially for the first 10 years of their existence in Phoenix. Now, they are on the upswing, with a new owner with real passion for the game, with the financial means to invest further in marketing, etc, and a large fan base that does show up when the team is winning. None of which is the case for Atlanta.
Billsen
May 20th, 2011
12:06 pm
I hope to see the bulk of you at the tailgate/rally/wake tomorrow. Let’s not go down with apathy – DO SOMETHING. The CBC and TSN are going to have reporters there to interview fans.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124735637607320
Big Wally
May 20th, 2011
12:10 pm
All these Winnerpeggers chiming in our board to rub our faces in it and jumping for joy over us losing the Thrashers, reminds me of those pictures of Arabs rejoicing when the planes crashed into the World Trade Towers.
EMerckx69
May 20th, 2011
12:11 pm
@GaVaHokie
Is there no window of opportunity for a Local bidder to step in now and make an offer that see’s ASG profit more than from relocation?
It would seem ASG stands to gain more by just accepting a $110 million offer locally.
________________________________________________________________________
That is the only hope I have of the Thrashers staying in Atlanta. The possibility of a financial tug of war between Bettman and Levenson and if the one unreported group trying to keep them in Atlanta can make an offer that would be more beneficial to ASG than True North. Of course True North could always raise their offer.
The one thing I don’t want is for the season to start here in Atlanta and then they are sold to True North early in the year for a lame duck season.
Guffman
May 20th, 2011
12:13 pm
I was just listening to a radio interview of Scott Taylor (he’s a journalist/radio personality from Winnipeg who has been covering sports there for… oh… at least 20 years) on the Fan 590 in Calgary. He had some comments that may be of interest here:
1. Stephen Brunt, the Globe and Mail writer who broke the story yesterday of the sale to Winnipeg, is one of the most respected sports writers in Canada. He’s been in the business for 30 years, and apparently, he hasn’t broken many stories in his career as he’s one of the cautious writers who makes sure his facts are correct (unlike other writers who recant on their stories two days later). The chief financial backer the Winnipeg bid owns the Globe and Mail. Scott Taylor speculates that information was passed down from the Thomson camp to their lead sports writer to break the story, to poke a stick at other media groups, like TSN and the National Post. LOL. There is no doubt in Scott’s mind that what Brunt reported is 100% true.
2. Scott Taylor reports that Chipman is a huge fan of the GM he has for the Manitoba Moose (his AHL team in Winnipeg). This GM has kept that team in contention for a number of years. Scott believes that he will become the GM for the Winnipeg team, and that Dudley and Waddell will not be retained.
3. Scott believes that Winnipeg will be a break-even proposition at best for the owners given the lack of corporate support in this city. What Chipman/Thompson are doing is a huge risk for them and should be viewed as philanthropy.
4. What stuns Scott Taylor is that the NHL would take a team from Atlanta and move it to a city 1/10th of Atlanta’s size. If it went to another major US city, then he could understand, but to move the team to Winnipeg is a CLEAR signal that the sunbelt US experiment has failed. He points to other struggling teams like Columbus, Phoenix, Nashville, Florida, and Dallas. There are a lot of teams that are struggling financially. Atlanta was merely the first to jump ship. Expect more to do the same in the near future.
WTF?
May 20th, 2011
12:14 pm
To those trying to make comparisons with the Blackhawks’ losing seasons and attendance: just because fans didn’t turn out during the lean Blackhawks seasons was never a cause to pull the plug and sell the team. The team has history, tradition, and oh yes 4 Stanley Cups!!!! The Thrashers have no history other than losing and letting the best players in the league come through for a season then go on to greatness. Why would anyone in Atlanta want to pay the high price of tickets to see the team lose on a regular basis? Another thing that ruined it for the Thrashers is how nearly one half of Philips Arena is set aside for the ultra wealthy with VIP boxes, suites, club seating, etc. Go to Nashville, Chicago and other arenas and you don’t see this. That’s because they know how bad it looks to have one half of your arena empty each night because the corporate goons buy those club seats and never use them. That looked so bad each home game in Atlanta. ASG just wanted pre sales and forget about everything else. The other NHL teams want people in the seats, not just a pre sold ticket. Maybe the 3rd time around Atlanta willl get it right. In the meantime, better start looking for Predators jerseys and hats so you can be ready to support your new team in October!
EMerckx69
May 20th, 2011
12:14 pm
@hip czech
Absolutely stinks that the Thrashers are being sacrificed to keep hockey in Phoenix.
What exactly does the word ‘covenant’ mean to you Mr. Bettman?
________________________________________________________________________
We are being sacrificed, because Phoenix has a new arena that was built in 2003 and there is nothing else except hockey in that arena. That’s why the government in Glendale is paying $25 million to help with their operating cost next year.
Dr. Phil
May 20th, 2011
12:17 pm
Atlanta sports fans, like those everywhere, except for the pitiful, cursed Cubbies’ fans, will not support a team that consistently loses. The Thrashers have been terribly mismanaged. Comparison to the Braves of the 70’s is accurate. I was certain back then that Ted wanted the Braves to lose as a tax writeoff. The same may well apply to the Thrashers. We may compare the firing of Bob Hartley to Ted’s firing of Joe Torre in the 1980’s. It will be a shame for the Thrashers to leave because fans in the southeast will support a decent hockey team.
doc
May 20th, 2011
12:18 pm
thanks for the numbers jeff, very revealing the phoenix team that was saved by bettman has worse numbers than atl and the blackhawks were below us in attendance as well until their resurgence last year. i still remember how strong hockey started here with the flames and now to have seen poor management and downside economics allow another franchise to slip out is sad.
blazerdawg
May 20th, 2011
12:22 pm
JS- Thank you for posting the attendance – makes me madder though- Atlanta’s attendance historically and relatively is not only not bad, but pretty good.
Is there any way that the purchaser of the Hawks would be interested in the Thrashers with another investor? Could the NHL award TNSE an expansion franchise? (for much more than the relocation fee)
Atlanta and Philips are too good for the NHL to walk away from.
Einsteindawg
May 20th, 2011
12:23 pm
I’m thinking that the former owner/partner from Boston (Belkin?) realized what clowns these Spirit boys were, and made out like a bandit in court. Too bad this will probably affect the Hawks.
CT in CP
May 20th, 2011
12:28 pm
The question isn’t whether they are going to Winnipeg. The question is where they will move after they fail there again, too.
Responsible Journalist
May 20th, 2011
12:32 pm
Why no support from our redneck UGA fans, ghetto Falcon / Hawks fans and the crowd of Chippers kids at Braves games? You waterheads relaize this can affect the city of Atlanta, right? That includes “your” teams, especially the Hawks. A city should rally around their sports franchises, it should be a blessing to have each major sport represented here, instead we get the dale junior ricky bobby jo’s glad they’re leaving.
OHL
May 20th, 2011
12:39 pm
Blondie, you asked a very smart question. How does Thrashers attendance compare to the league? Unfortunately people say that when the Thrashers doen’t do as well as an Original 6 it is apples to oranges or that Chicago was blacking out home games so it is tough to compare apples to oranges again. There’s always something that throws things off. But there is 1 case where you can truly have apples to apples. Atlanta and Columbus. Both came into the leauge in the same year, both have had 1 playoff appearance and neither have ever won a game in the playoffs. So you can’t use the argument of “we had bad ownership” although some have tried to say that there is nothing else in Columbus other than Ohio State (which unfortunately for you is an argument to move the team to Winnipeg where there is nothing else). Onward. Lets look at attendance rankings year by year.
Year CBJ Atl
’01 12 23
’02 08 28
’03 11 28
’04 15 22
’05 NA NA
’06 17 23
’07 19 21
’08 28 22
’09 25 29
’10 22 28
’11 27 28
It is only in the last few years that Columbus fell in attendance. But they were in the top 10 in attendance at the same time when the Thrashers were owned by Ted Turner. Atlanta has been at the bottom from the start. In addition, Columbus has local tv ratings for Blue Jackets games in the top 10 markets. They only get beat by traditional markets like Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Detroit. Atlanta on the other hand can only beat out Miami and is in the bottom 2-3 year after year.
When looking at other hockey events, Columbus 2 years ago was the #4 market for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals and was tied for 7th for Game 2. As well, they were the #10 market for this year’s Winter Classic. Atlanta is nowhere to be found in those tv ratings/market rankings. What you also have to consider is that the 2 teams involved in those games will always place #1 and #2. So to be #3 is really like being #1 in some aspects and to be #7 is like being #5.
So there is an expansion market out there that deserves new ownership and has shown it can be a hockey town. But it is not Atlanta. It is Columbus. If Atlanta had put up numbers and support like the city of Columbus, I highly doubt True North would have targeted them months ago.
Fans cheer reports of Thrashers moving to Winnipeg - CTV.ca
May 20th, 2011
12:40 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
R. Stroz
May 20th, 2011
12:42 pm
OHL – The first season every game was a sellout. STFU or get that facts right.
I’ll let you do the research for the other seasons….if you are capable.
R. Stroz
May 20th, 2011
12:47 pm
BTW, the first Thrasher season was 1999.
blazerdawg
May 20th, 2011
12:51 pm
OHL, you are a great example about the saying about everyone having an opinion.
Your representation of ATL vs. single-team, snow bound COL is ridiculous. The difference in attendance in each of those seasons is just a few hundred, w/ ATL having some very, very bad teams to endure as well as labor issues, which do not sit well here.
Bottom line – attendance shows ATL supports hockey well enough, and TV HHs (not share) show as many folks watching as in most comparable markets.
When the Flames left, ATL missed them. I think this time it will be the NHL that regrets not having ATL when the league is made-up of the Original 6 and a bunch of towns like Columbus, Winnepeg, and other places with roller derby franchises.
OHL
May 20th, 2011
12:52 pm
R. Stroz, the link that someone on a blog provided only went back to the ‘01 year. it was from ESPN so I know it’s accurate. I apologize that the information for the 2 previous years was not available but I can’t form conclusions on information that is not available..
On that note though, if your only good year was the first year you came into the league, then that is a poor argument on your behalf. Why would an owner want to buy a team that had 1 good year and then tanked? If Atlanta had put up numbers and support like Columbus has, do you think it would be easier for Tom Glavine to find some co-owners? Who would want to own a team in a market where they don’t show up to games and don’t watch hockey on tv? If Tom Glavine wanted to own a team in a good market, he should make a pitch for Columbus (pun intended).
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 20th, 2011
12:58 pm
I love the picture of all the financially poor Winnipeg farming hicks celebrating the potential return of NHL hockey to nowhere town. Says plenty of what kind of dull life they live doesn’t it? I wonder how much money that True North will be willing to lose in frozen hicksville before they start going to the NHL looking for financial help? I think it will probably be after only 3 seasons.
OHL
May 20th, 2011
12:58 pm
Here is the link someone provided on another blog. http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance/_/year/2001
So the 1999-00 year is missing, but all other years are there. Again, if your only good year was the first when the excitement of a new team in town was there, then you are making a bad argument. How did you go from selling out every game your first year in the 99-00 season to dropping to #23 in the 00-01 season? Columbus stayed in the top half until the strike and even this year gets top 10 tv ratings for hockey events like the Winter Classic and has great local ratings for their own games.
Born2Buzz
May 20th, 2011
1:07 pm
Don’t know how it can be done, but the ASG needs to be forced to sell both the Thrashers AND Hawks and Philips Arena Operating rights to one Atlanta owner. These guys should be ashamed at what they’ve done to both franchises and their total disdain for the fan base. If they had an ounce of respect for the City of Atlanta they would get out of town and turn the franchises over to someone who cares.
I could tell folks that the ASG offices are at 101 Marietta St. but any protesting at their offices will only hurt the poor folks that work for these clowns, trying to do the little things necessary to run pro sports franchises. I’m sure the ASG principals rarely if never set foot in the door. Losers!
Gwinnett Fred
May 20th, 2011
1:07 pm
A player gets cut – It’s just a business
A player gets traded – It’s just a business
A franchise leaves town – It’s just a business
Yes, it certainly sucks – but in these days and times where you have to worry about crime, terrorism, $4 for a gallon of gas, double digit unemployment – folks need to remember, there are far worse things going on right now to be concerned about.
I will miss going to games, but my family budget will certainly benefit from not spending the $2000 or so I spend going to games every year.
I can look in the mirror with no regrets. I’ve taken my family to 10-12 games every year for the past 7 seasons (since my youngest was old enough to want to go). If every “serious hockey fan” would have taken a family of 3 to 10-12 games a year, the team wouldn’t be leaving. So my hats off to season ticket holders (I have NO IDEA why you are one, I was for one year on the half season plan and didn’t see any real benefit) and to those that actually went to games.
Not sure how – but it would be nice if Winnipeg could somehow honor the Thrashers the way Calgary did the Flames. I still think using the old Flames “A” logo as their patch for their assistant captains is one of the classiest things a franchise has ever done.
Wavedy Goat
May 20th, 2011
1:12 pm
Word is the new Winnipeg team will be called the WinniPIDS and a Pig will be the mascot. That’s what I head.
timthebrave
May 20th, 2011
1:12 pm
When the Atlanta Thrashers leave I will never watch another NHL hockey game for the rest of my life….F U Spirit Group
Born2Buzz
May 20th, 2011
1:16 pm
OHL, maybe hockey just doesn’t belong in ATL. Come here and you will realize there are too many things to do and weather that is too nice to sit inside watching hockey on TV. It’s been proven over and over, if there is a good product to watch Atlantans will fill up the seats, no matter what the sport is.
I loved going to Thrashers games, because watching hockey live is great. It won’t be such a big deal if I don’t get to go to a hockey game 10 times a year. I’m just mad that this loser bunch of owners so bungled the thing that they are having to sell at a loss and it will also impact the Hawks.