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
♦
Earlier: Will Muschamp comes back to Georgia — as a Gator
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249 comments Add your comment
David F
May 20th, 2011
1:18 pm
To Winnipeg =Poverty, who also likes to pose with other names (G52), youe Winnipeg bashing is getting old. I feel for you loser, that you have nothing better to do than spend as much time with your several different nicknames adding nothing but insults to this site. Frozen hickville? I dunno, its like 25C today (76F), maybe do some educating of yourself as to who we are before spouting your negativity. Get a life a..hole
bulldog steve
May 20th, 2011
1:22 pm
Atlanta has a hockey team? Who knew? Who cares?
Eraserhead
May 20th, 2011
1:23 pm
Ugh, do you know sarcasm when you see it? The Red River is a risin’, shouldn’t you be out filling sandbags now?
JustAThought
May 20th, 2011
1:25 pm
Not that it’s needed…………….but just another reason not to support the hawks! AZZ-CLOWNS!
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 20th, 2011
1:29 pm
@David F I am not the AZCentral poster you are referring to. I am not a Thrasher fan nor a Coyote fan nor Florida Panther fan. I am a fan of NHL hockey and very familiar with the NHL trying to claw its way to respectability in the U.S. and you don’t do that by moving a franchise from a top 10 U.S. market to a tiny welfare Canadian city like Winnipeg. I hate to see the NHL make another huge mistake on the business front which seems like they just can’t help themselves. Winnipeg is a joke compared to Atlanta and the people hurt in this are the players and all the ownerships throughout the NHL that just had their team values drop by moving a team to backwater Winnipeg.
Mike
May 20th, 2011
1:30 pm
@EA
About the DASG question about the Hawks, it is going to affect them deeply, I think that is the reason why DASG is now talk to John Moores about ownership of the Hawks/Phillips Arena because the backfire of this situation is going to hurt them and anything team that they still connect to. My belief is that ASG is getting out of the sport ownership business, they tried but it didnt worked.
We, Hawks fans is watching this situation as well, because off-season comes soon and we need to know what steps we need to take next.
For the Thrashers and NHL fans in Atlanta, I dont know what I can say about this, for the second time, we lose a NHL team and for what, just pick up a tab for another team problems. I hope that Thrashers stays here but if they do go, NHL should never poke their head in the State of Georgia, never again, for expansion or anything.
William Satterwhite
May 20th, 2011
1:32 pm
This is one reason why I’ve never been too down on Bettman throughout this whole ordeal, he’s known what he’s been dealing with in ASG and knows there’s only so much he can actually do in this situation. He might not be able to actually keep the team in Atlanta but he can at least make the process as painful as possible for ASG. In my opinion it’s completely justified, if the NHL would prefer to have a franchise in Atlanta but ASG has made a franchise in Atlanta completely untenable through their various actions over the years, the NHL does deserve to get as big of a chunk out of the sale as the league can get.
Mike
May 20th, 2011
1:33 pm
I wish that Hawks/Thrashers and even Braves have a person like Mr. Blank as a owner, then we wont have any of those problems. Atlanta Falcons is a very forture team.
canofpeas
May 20th, 2011
1:33 pm
Marlins struggle in the Miami market in MLB. Do you think MLB would ever allow them to be moved to Akron because a rich guy from there wanted a team?
They may abandon Miami someday…but I can guarantee if won’t be for Akron. Only in the NHL does a market shift like that make sense.
One Year Down the Road
May 20th, 2011
1:36 pm
One year down the road will the NHL take the Phoenix team to Hartford?
One year down the road will Gary Bettman still be stuffing money into his pockets from his kickback deals with Phoenix and Winnepeg?
One year down the road will Thrashers fans really care or remember?
thrasherdawg
May 20th, 2011
1:37 pm
TED TURNER SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HIMSELF. He is the cause and effect which started this going in the wrong direction when he lied to David McDavid.
TED TURNER should buy the team back and own the team until he finds a new owner to keep the team in Atlanta.
Greed and spoiled children seem to be the center piece of the problem.
Big City Television Market?
May 20th, 2011
1:37 pm
Seems to me that the NFL has gotten along just great without a football team in Los Angeles. I believe the NHL will just as well without a hockey team in the “8th Largest” market…..Please
Happy/Sad Jets fan
May 20th, 2011
1:38 pm
Some of us Winnipegers are shedding a tear for Thrashers fans before we cheer the return of NHL hockey. We know all too well how much it hurts to see your team pack up and leave – not because there wasn’t enough fan support, but because the team’s owner was incompetent and the NHL has thrown up it’s collective hands and done nothing to help.
I’m happy to have the NHL back in town, but I really feel sad for Atlanta hockey fans – you guys get screwed a second time by an incompetent owner.
2mins
May 20th, 2011
1:40 pm
So Winnipeg = Poverty , from a business stand point, since Atlanta ( and Phoenix as well ) are such good markets, why is it nobody is stepping up to buy the teams?
Also, Atlanta isn’t losing its team because of Winnipeg. If Winnipeg didn’t buy them this year, then it would have been Quebec next year, or Kansas the year after. The ASG owners wanted out, and nobody was willing to replace them.
The $60M that TNSE just paid the NHL to move the team will get split 29 ways, which means each team will have to claim $2M more income, which based on the current CBA has to also go to the players. Seems the sale of the Thrashers just caused the salary cap to go up in the future, which will help the players.
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2011
1:43 pm
Mr The Sky Is Falling — Thanks.
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2011
1:43 pm
Responsible Journalist — Good question about Byfuglien. Maybe he was OK with living in Winnipeg. I’m sure he, and certainly his agent, were aware of this possibility.
LAC
May 20th, 2011
1:44 pm
All I can say is two things, Where IS David McDavid these days ???
Second, Remember HE WON against turner in has lawsuit, yet AGAIN proving how DISHONEST asg really is !
Oh and you STUPID canada fans, what IS your problem with a Great City Like Atlanta ?
Why the hate towards us ? I have had the DISPLEASURE of having to spend three days in winnipeg in the late 90’s and in two worrds, IT $UCKS ! period, one of the most awful places I ever have been to, Never again THANK GOD !
Rich T
May 20th, 2011
1:44 pm
To the good folks of Winnipeg: Good luck. I hope you fare better your second time around than we did. And because I love the Thrashers, I’ll pull for them even if they belong to your city.
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2011
1:44 pm
Thanks, docsbro. … I know for a fact that was a concern for Kovalchuk. It really wasn’t all about money.
JACK HESS
May 20th, 2011
1:44 pm
i hope the nhl comes back manitoba we need a team too its been a long time comeing for the many people who LOVE HOCKEY
Tim Bateman
May 20th, 2011
1:46 pm
For all those who question Winnipeg, it is a beautiful that is frozen in the winter. However they will love and support their team in ways Atlanta and most the league can only dream. Atlanta is a joke and travesty.
I have watched and seen plenty of Thrasher games on TV the average in house attendance is 6000 or less. Who cares what the attendance figures are, it’s who is in the seats. You can’t create a fan base if no one shows up. I’d love to see attendance figures of fans in the seats vs tickets sold. There was a blizzard in Boston, LI, Philly, Buffalo, they still had more people in the seats than nice weather Atlanta in 26 inches of snow.
Atlanta is dump, full of the most disgraceful fans in sports, the whole country knows it. Hartford, Winnipeg, Quebec City were robbed of their franchises and other than Carolina have all failed miserably. Phoenix, Atlanta, Florida are jokes!! Sell them to cities that love the sport.
And to CANOFPEAS, you are right MLB wouldn’t let the Marlins move to Akron (because Cleveland and Cinci have teams), but they let them move to Charlotte, Portland, Las Vegas (all significantly smaller than South Florida)
Atlanta is the Murder capital of the world 2 years ago and just overall a miserable place to live, I don’t know anyone who likes Atlanta. But hey, maybe you can get Atlanta’s hero Mike Vick back.
HA Ha HA Ha HA Ha…. Let’s go Winnipeg JETS!
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2011
1:46 pm
No problem, Doc. The most important thing to keep in my with attendance is people will show up when you have a good product and feel like they can get behind ownership.
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2011
1:47 pm
Blazerdawg — I’m not even sure this potential Hawks deal with John Moores will go through, but he’s shown no inclination to buy the Thrashers.
ScottKG
May 20th, 2011
1:47 pm
FYI, Atlanta does not have a Hockey Problem
they have an OWNERSHIP problem
Attendance Figures for Atlanta Hockey Teams:
Year Team/NHL Total Average Percent Team/ECHL Attendance Ranking
2010-2011 Thrashers 552,230 13,469 72.6 Gwinnett 5128 5th out of 19
2009-2010 Thrashers 557,897 13,607 73.4 Gwinnett 5166 7th
2008-2009 Thrashers 599,673 14,626 78.9 Gwinnett 5559 4th
2007-2008 Thrashers 649,081 15,831 85.4 Gwinnett 5656 4th
2006-2007 Thrashers 665,862 16,240 87.6 Gwinnett 5624 5th
Look at the numbers for both teams…Notice Gwinnett didn’t even make the playoffs this year and was 5th in Attendance.
There are plenty of hockey fans in Atlanta.
This is truly an Ownership Problem. Also, Note: Florida Panthers/Miami averaged 15k a game and did not make the playoffs. I don’t think attendance in the Sunbelt is the problem it is ownership.
Hip Czech: I did see your comment about low attendance…especially in St. Louis. That also was after their ownership debacle. Some heirs to the Walmart family had bought the team and wanted to sell their interest….They got rid off ALL of their high salary players to lower the team’s payroll so they could sell them…in the process a team that had been in the playoffs for 25 straight years did not make the playoffs. They have been terrible the last 5-6 yrs since this happened. By the way the new ownership and management has brought back attendance — they sold out every game this year …but failed to make the playoffs! Scott
KLS1
May 20th, 2011
1:50 pm
I hope Bettman bleeds the ASG bastards dry…there is no way they should profit from running this team into the ground and then trying to unload them to the highest bidder.
Gary, we wish you would make the team stay here but if they sell them to True North please rip their nuts off at the negotiating table.
Yurtle_the_turtle
May 20th, 2011
1:54 pm
I can see an NHL Final one day consisting of the Winnipeg Hornytoads and the Tampa Bay Lightning. A record number 56,219 people will watch the Finals on TV Land. Winnipeg has so much upside! Screw Betteman and ASG.
Mike
May 20th, 2011
1:57 pm
@Tim Bateman
First of all, we aint talking about murder or whatever you are talking about it, we are talking about Hockey and the future of two cities.
I think that it was the ownership fault that we are in this position in the first place, not crime, not in playoff, record, or any thing else. Ownership didnt do its job period, for both for the Hawks and Thrashers. So at the end of the day, you have to see them as the main reason why.
If you cant see anything good, then dont say it at all, right now the last thing we need that people like you and others that is rubbing it in the fans of this team that was faithful. Besides I think you should understand that, as was Winn was like that, 15 years ago when they was move to the desert. So play nice or dont post, simply as that.
Tom Lysiak
May 20th, 2011
2:01 pm
Jeff, that’s assuming the Thrashers were actually available to Moores or anyone else locally. Were they really?
Jonny-Boy
May 20th, 2011
2:07 pm
Atlanta had one or two good years of attendance and then sunk to the bottom. The Minnesota Wild have routinely good attendance despite a comparably lackluster run (two first round exits and one run to the conference finals does not a legacy make). Facts are facts. There’s 14 teams in the NHL that are earning the league revenue, and 16 that are costing it money. The league went nuts with expansion in the past 40 years, and for all the wrong reasons. Nobody was thinking when they opened them up. Why did Phoenix, which has no winter sports tradition, get a team before Salt Lake City, which hosted a Winter Olympics? Why did they stick two teams in Florida? Even in traditional markets, they’ve over-saturated the market. New York got the Islanders just so a rival league wouldn’t pop another team in New York. That stupid move has got the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders all competing for the same market. Now you’ve got financially troubled teams all over the map. The league couldn’t save them all. They’re doubling down on Phoenix because nobody has tried hockey there before. Atlanta had hockey once before and blew it. Now Atlanta is blowing it’s second shot at hockey.
Did Winnipeg lose a team before? Yes. They also did so at a time before the salary cap and revenue sharing in the league. There’s a safety net now. Atlanta is failing a second time WITH the safety net.
I’m sorry you guys are losing your team, but frankly the league needs to shut down about ten unprofitable teams right now. It would double league revenue. If moving a team from Atlanta to Winnipeg turns a loss into a profit, then that’s business. Most of the revenue for hockey comes out of Canada.
Guffman
May 20th, 2011
2:09 pm
It’s pretty interesting that the league has the abililty to carve out a piece of the purchase price for themselves. The team is apparently worth $170M to TNSE. Why should the NHL get a cut of that? They didn’t get a cut of the action for other relocations.
This would be an interesting legal issue if ASG wanted to be aggressive with this. Who knows? Maybe this issue may break the deal and result in a lawsuit with the NHL.
DawgDad
May 20th, 2011
2:11 pm
The squabbling over money won’t forestall a move, it will just land the parties in court. With ASG that was a certainty anyway.
For the 90-millionth time, to everyone castigating Atlanta hockey fans for the imminent move, I have nothing but the utmost contempt for you. However, if Atlanta can’t produce a solid ownership group then we have no business having an NHL hockey team here.
Good riddance.
bcwflash
May 20th, 2011
2:18 pm
Winnipeg celebrates the return at another teams loss because they aren’t a big enough market to pay and build an expansion team. It is cheaper to have a team in place and move than pay and build through expansion. Having a team move is Winnipegs only means of returning to the NHL. Quebec is also in tough for expansion but once the new arena is built will be an excellent place for relocation. Hamilton could be an expansion team with all indicators showing high profits. I would like the NHL to have 36 teams with Atlanta, Winnipeg,Quebec,Hamilton,Houston,Seattle and Kansas City all being a part of the League. However most don’t feel the same way or don’t believe these teams could make money.
Guffman
May 20th, 2011
2:19 pm
“Who cares what the attendance figures are, it’s who is in the seats.” Actually, its about how much was actually paid for the seats, whether or not someone actually sits in them or not. Quoting attendance figures is pointless if you don’t also tie the revenue earned from those seats.
ward
May 20th, 2011
2:30 pm
Have not heard any comments about adding two new teams to current NHL…..add Winnepeg and another out west/leave Atlanta alone and allow Nashville (or Columbus) to move “east”..Bettman???
Jon from Montreal
May 20th, 2011
2:32 pm
Dear Thrasher fans,
As a life long Montrealer, I feel your pain. I grew up loving the Expos and the sad, slow death they endured for 10 years still hurts to this day.
As much as more hockey teams in Canada would be great, I truly believe that Atlanta coudl be a successful franchise in the medium term as long as management would improve. Hopefully something can be worked out very soon.
And about Bettman, that weasel has always been booed everytime he makes a public appearance in MTL… I encourage you to join in should the Thrashers return….
P.S. We had you in ‘94
falconsjrt
May 20th, 2011
2:34 pm
Its a very dark day in atlanta and the state of ga. the trashers are gone from atlanta. we just went through this in the 80’s when the flames moved. im big big fan of atlanta sports. but this one hurts. We the sports fans of atlanta have punished to much of all of the bad things that have happen to your teams. asg have been a cruch to the hawks and the thrashers for a long time. somebody has to step in and take control of the hawks and get them on track with ownership that cares and loves the hawks and the fans like ARTHUR BLANK does the falcons and the force.
David F
May 20th, 2011
2:39 pm
To Winnipeg=Poverty, wrong yet again with your negativity towards Winnipeg. Byfuglien has gone on record of saying he will look forward to playing hockey here. Ditto Mason, your goalie. When we had the Jets, the players liked it here. Ask Teemu Sellane, Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen (who still lives here). It’s negative folks like you who never take the time to really find out anything about a place who are the first to spout off on things they know nothing of. But, i am positive i wont be swaying your mentality so i wont bother any more. Go be miserable. We here in Wpg could care less about people like you. To the rest of Atlant and true Thrasher fans, most of us really feel for you, as we have been through this ourselves.
NHL burns in Atlanta as Thrashers jet to Winnipeg - Yahoo! Sports
May 20th, 2011
2:42 pm
[...] HearsaySportsnet.caA comprehensive guide to the ThrashersCBC.caNational Post (blog) -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -The Canadian Pressall 775 news [...]
canadoodle
May 20th, 2011
2:50 pm
Hey Thrashers fans,
Just another Canadian hockey fan saying I’m sorry to see your fine city losing another hockey team. I know that with decent ownership (and a bit more time for a winning team can emerge) Atlanta would make a really great hockey market. It’s pathetic to see the NHL bungle another franchise like this. It is so obvious that Phoenix will not be a viable market long-term but Bettman is a stubborn jackass so we have to watch good fans lose a team in Atlanta instead.
I’ve spent time visiting Atlanta and it’s an awesome city so as happy as I am to see Winnipeggers get a team back, I’m equally saddened to see Atlanta hockey fans go through this.
At least all us hockey fans can be united in our disdain for that twat Gary Bettman.
Cheers.
PMC
May 20th, 2011
2:56 pm
Jon from Montreal. Indeed, that 1994 Expos team was ridiculous with Wetteland and Alou to name too. The Braves ALWAYS had trouble with the Expos (still do really)
Ugh
May 20th, 2011
2:57 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E566G1Vj5d0
Barry
May 20th, 2011
3:04 pm
Posting from Canada: First of all, I’m sorry that Atlanta appears to be losing its hockey team. I love Atlanta. Love the city, love its people, love its architecture and natural beauty. (I didn’t love being at the Olympics, but that was only because of the organizing group’s mismanagement.) Before we Canadians get smug about Atlanta losing its franchise, let’s remember that this was a team operated my owners who didn’t give a damn about the product, yet people still supported a club that won 0 playoff games (out of just a possible 4) in 11 seasons. And before Georgians misdirect their anger towards Winnipegers, take a visit sometime, prefereably in the summer, when it’s delightful and daylight lingers until almost 10 o’clock at night. Yes, Winnipeg is cold, snowy and miserable in the winter — unbearable for people living in a sub-tropical climate. Atlanta is hot, humid and a challenge in the summer for people from the north. We’re different — something to celebrate, not throw stones about. And hockey for Canadians is akin to football for Americans — it’s that much of a religion. Having said that, I want Atlanta to have an NHL franchise again, one that can actually compete.
Let NONE in
May 20th, 2011
3:16 pm
Someone said it best the other day: The first thing you would do with this organization is get rid of every person in it including the players – they are god awful too.
Delbert D.
May 20th, 2011
3:17 pm
The puck will be just as hard to follow on TV in Winnipeg. Other than that annoyance, just adopt a team to pull for.
Ugh
May 20th, 2011
3:18 pm
Very well said Barry. There is no need for anyone to be throwing stones and insutls at one another. Lets all stay classy and agree that we are all hockey fans. I salute the real hockey fans of Atlanta for their efforts here. Having said that, go Jets go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E566G1Vj5d0
Rich T
May 20th, 2011
3:19 pm
Well written, Barry. I hold no ill will to the people of Winnipeg.
As noted earlier, I’ll be a fan from Atlanta.
I’ll probably enjoy them more because they’ll have owners who actually wanted to buy them, as opposed to owners who only took them to get the other parts of the package.
Scotty 2 Hotty
May 20th, 2011
3:21 pm
Don’t worry losers, you will get another Hockey team in a couple years that will be moved to Hamilton.
Looks like kind of a waste signing all those blacks guys though, I don’t they are allowed in Winnipeg LOL!!
Curtis
May 20th, 2011
3:23 pm
I just had a bowel movement and named it Gary Bettman before sending it on its way.
Pat
May 20th, 2011
3:29 pm
Folks, a Winnipeger here. I do feel your pain having lived this once. One thing you have to appreciate is that attendance is not the same as revenue. I went to game in Florida a few years back on a Saturday night. Paid $50 including parking, free (yes free) beer all night, and free food. And the seats were not bad at all. At the Corel Centre in Ottawa I paid $105 in the nose bleed seats and got no free anything. Average attendance is an NHL joke because some teams are virtually giving away tickets. Phoenix routinely gives away two for one tickets at $20-30 dollars. An NHL team can’t survive on that. I was paying $50 a ticket for my seasons 20 years ago…
007
May 20th, 2011
3:50 pm
Tim Bateman – I am from Wpg and I am ASHAMED of YOU!! Get out of the bottle and clear your head before commenting for Mnitobans and Winnipeggers.