But…this new team doesn’t have a name.

The option taken by Winnipeg fans has been to revert to the old name and traditions that many of us have been brought up with; the whiteout, the Queen, “Jump” by Van Halen, the Winnipeg Jets. The overwhelming response among fans has been to call this team the Jets.

Every poll that has been conducted has been at least 60% in favour of Jets. On Tuesday we saw the citizens of Winnipeg take to Portage & Main and to The Forks wearing Jets jerseys, holding Jets flags, chanting “Go Jets Go!” The spontaneous cheers of “Go Jets Go!” went on through to the late hours of the night.

Support for the Jets name isn’t Winnipeg specific. Even Don Cherry, who has been a supporter of Winnipeg for years opened his interview with True North President Mark Chipman by asking him in a near threatening tone, “are you going to name this team the Jets, or what?”

Click read more to continue reading the rest of the article

The few who are in favour of a new name, have a few common arguments that can be easily debunked:

-The Jets weren’t successful. Do you consider the Toronto Maple Leafs successful? The Chicago Cubs? Based on the recency of championships won, you could argue no. I don’t see either franchise’s fans arguing to change their name in an effort to start “new winning traditions”

-The new owners want the additional revenue stream of their own brand.  This is false; revenues from apparel & merchandise are split evenly as centrally generated revenue among the 30 teams. The Jets already have an established brand that has been around for over 30 years that is globally known. An important lesson that is taught in business school is: it is easier to take over an existing brand, than to start a new one.

-People already have Jets jerseys and won’t buy new ones. The solution to this one is simple: use the same color scheme but modernize the logo and pattern, teams do it all the time. Vancouver has changed their jerseys several times since their Stanley Cup run in 1994, what are the majority of jerseys that you see everyone wearing at the cup final? The new blue ones. I haven’t seen an overwhelming majority of skate logos or the older orcas in the crowd. Fans will want to update to what the players are wearing.

-Winnipeg needs a “fresh start” with a new name. I don’t see how this applies. The Jets should have never left, having a team return is the closest thing to Gary Bettman admitting failure. The name has stayed in our hearts and our minds for the last 15 years. Winnipeg has developed a deep emotional connection to the Jets. We didn’t want the “NHL” back, we wanted the “Jets” back.

This isn’t the first time in sports history that a city has had a franchise ripped away from them only for it to return.

In 1995 Art Modell moved the Browns out of Cleveland to Baltimore. The fans and the city revolted and struck a deal to keep the Browns’ name, colours, history, records, awards and archives in Cleveland. When Cleveland was awarded an expansion franchise, it remained the Browns. In their history and record books it states that the team was “deactivated” from the years 1996-1999.

When the CFL’s American expansion failed, the Baltimore Stallions moved to Montreal. They were reincarnated as the Alouettes. The CFL now recognizes all clubs that have played in Montreal since 1946 as one franchise, and the Stallions became defunct.

Why not have the Winnipeg Jets records, history, team colours, name and logo leave Phoenix and come back to Winnipeg. I don’t think that the owners of the Coyotes, the NHL would have much of a issue with that. Gary Bettman stated at Tuesday’s press conference that he had no problem giving back the name.

In the end it’s True North who ponied up and spent $170 million to purchase the team, they are free to choose any direction they like. However, it is the fans who will be supporting the team by buying tickets, concessions and merchandise. It is a tough situation to be in right now for True North.

No matter what this new team’s name is, the people of Winnipeg and surrounding areas will make it their own. It will be unfortunate for many of us who still love the Jets if the name will truly be put to rest.

Sound off your thoughts in the comments

May 31, 2011
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement to celebrate today’s announcement that the NHL will return to Winnipeg:
“Today is a historic day for Canada’s game.  On behalf of all Canadians, I am extremely pleased with today’s announcement that the NHL will return to Winnipeg. Hockey is Canada’s great passion and I’m excited that Winnipeg will reclaim its special role in our country’s national pastime.

“Memories of legendary Winnipeg Jets’ players such as Bobby Hull, Dale Hawerchuk and Teemu Selanne remain fresh in the minds of all Canadians.  The moments created by these players were inspirations to generations of young hockey players across Canada and I know that the new team will inspire countless young Canadians to put on their skates and carry on Canada’s proud hockey legacy.

“While hockey fans across Canada will celebrate the return of the NHL to Winnipeg tonight, Laureen, Ben, Rachel and I wish another one of Canada’s great teams – the Vancouver Canucks – every success as they resume their quest for the Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins tomorrow evening.”

However, when NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly appeared on The Illegal Curve Hockey Show on November 27, 2010, his comments on our show sparked a series of rumors about the potential relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers. Daly’s comments didn’t go unnoticed, as every major media outlet picked up on his comments as the speculation on a potential move began.

Here are Mr. Daly’s comments on our show:

Listen to the full interview here:

Bill Daly Interview

It is amazing to think that 5 months later,  it appears we are about to have NHL Hockey in Winnipeg. We at Illegal Curve are extremely excited for the week to come.

Illegal Curve touched base with Stephen Brunt on Saturday morning, he has not backed down from his position.

Interview with Stephen Brunt – May 19, 2011

We were also able to contact Darren Dreger from TSN who says that according to his sources, the deal is not done.

DarrenDreger-May19

We were then able to reminisce about old times with the former play-by-play announcer of the Winnipeg Jets, Curt Keilback

Interview with Curt Keilback May 19, 2011

What a night it was as we went off to party at Portage & Main after the show, surely a night that we will never forget.

If you go back all the way to Sunday October 14th, 1979, the then “new” NHL version of the Winnipeg Jets, the former powers of the WHA, played against one of my other favorite NHL teams (based solely on their jerseys) the Colorado Rockies coached by none other than Don Cherry.  Luckily for those Jets, as bad as they were, the Rockies were even worse and the Jets won their home opener 4-2.

But who would be an appropriate opponent  should an NHL team return to Winnipeg in 2011/12??   When the Jets left for Phoenix in 1996/97 there were 26 teams in the league but this doesn’t mean that they couldn’t have a rivalry with the expansion teams that subsequently began play following the Jets move.  Let’s take a look around the league and see who would rate as the best opponent.

Of course, considering that both Phoenix & Atlanta are in play it will be appropriate to look at if from both perspectives although as we considered when we looked at ‘Which Division a future team in the city should play in‘, rivalry is usually based on proximity.

# 5 – Detroit Red Wings:

The team that ended it all, is the team that should get it all started.  Since the Jets played that last, memorable series in 96′ against the Wings, Detroit has been burnt into the collective memory of people in Winnipeg.

#4 – Minnesota Wild:

Here is an example of a team that was founded well after the Jets had left for the desert, but one which would be a good first home opponent.  They are the closest team in terms of physical distance between Winnipeg & St. Paul.  If as discussed last week, the new team in Winnipeg ends up in the Northwest division, then the Wild will be our closest regional rival.  And if you think that the old North Stars and Jets didn’t really have much heat, check out this video.

# 3 – Calgary Flames:

The Flames had a sea of red and in response fans in Winnipeg developed our trademark Whiteout back in 1987.  The Jets only successful victories in the post season were against the Flames in 1984/85 and 1986/87.  A lot of people transferred loyalty to the Flames when our Jets left(including a number of IC writers who cheered the Flames on at Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals back in 2004).  However it won’t take long for that “transferred loyalty” to be replaced with a desire to see the Flame extinguished.

#2 – Edmonton Oilers:

While these Oilers are a lot different than the ones faced in the 80′s, many people in Winnipeg ‘s remember the 6, yes 6 losses in the post season, including  blowing a 3-1 series lead in 1989/90.  There was no opponent more difficult for our old NHL team.  With a young, up and coming Oilers team and with both cities regularly disregarded by everyone else, Edmonton is a natural rival for a new NHL team in the city.

#1 – Anaheim Ducks/Phoenix Coyotes:

Obviously this pick totally relies on which team has been moved to Winnipeg.

If the team moving is the Phoenix Coyotes, then seeing Teemu Selanne in the MTS Centre on opening night would have the crowd on it’s feet the entire game.  The only negative I can see from this, is it might be difficult to tell who the crowd is cheering, their new NHL squad or one of the greatest and most beloved players to ever slip on the Jets logo.

If you assume that the team that is going to be moved is the Atlanta Thrashers, then there isn’t any question that the first home opponent has to be the Phoenix Coyotes.  While Phoenix might be close to 33oo km’s (2000 miles) away, the disregard between the fan bases is palpable, would make for a rivalry that won’t rely on proximity to sustain it, and would finally give Winnipeg it’s true “Battle of Alberta” style opponent.

As always we welcome your opinion on this subject.  Feel free to comment (via facebook or wordpress) or send us a tweet @illegalcurve and let us know who you would pick for the Top 5 opponents to face a new NHL team in Winnipeg.

If Phoenix was to move back to Winnipeg, then clearly the team could no longer play in the Pacific Division, and unfortunately there is no longer any Smythe Division to return to.  The question then becomes where would an NHL squad playing in Winnipeg best fit?

The NHL’s Western Conference currently sits as follows;

Despite rumours that the Red Wings are itching to get out of the Western Conference (due to the horrendous travel schedule for a team based in the Eastern time zone), if the team on the move is indeed the Phoenix Coyotes, then the Wings would likely be forced to stay in the West.

Two factors we used in placing a team in a division are rivalry and travel schedule.   These would appear to be tied together since most teams which are close in proximity, generally form a rivalry.  Of course going back to the days of old, the Jets primary rivals were whomever was winning the West (Oilers in early/mid 80′s, Flames in late 80′s and Canucks in early 90′s), since they never seemed to be able to get over that hump.

In terms of proximity to teams in the West, a team based in Winnipeg is a 7 hour drive from the Wild, 12 hours from the Blackhawks and about 15 hours from the Flames.  Not exactly the  1 hour from Anaheim to Los Angeles or the 2 hours  between Calgary and Edmonton.  So we can’t exactly use proximity to create a rivalry for an NHL team in Winnipeg.

One likely move, would have the Colorado Avalanche move from the Northwest Division, into the vacancy left by the Coyotes exit in the Pacific.  This would be a return to its roots for the Avalanche which joined a 7 team Pacific Division for the 1995/96 season when they moved from Quebec to Colorado.

Then you move the new team (let’s call them the Jets for arguments sake) into the Northwest, and you basically have an all Canadian division (plus Minnesota, which is close enough).

For the Vancouver Canucks the difference between venturing to Denver, Colorado and Winnipeg, Manitoba is a grand total of 56.8 km’s or 35.3 miles.  Actual flight time difference is 5 minutes in favour of Denver, but when you factor in the international travel, Winnipeg would likely require less time then Denver.  Of course the problem with Winnipeg is that it is two time zones over from Vancouver, whereas Colorado is just one.

So the newly formed Western Conference for the 2011/12 season might look like this;

Of course if it turns out that the team on the move is the Atlanta Thrashers, then you could really switch things up.  It’s funny how short our collective memories are.  The idea of Toronto in the East seems sacrosanct but remember that from 1981-91 the Leafs used to play in the Norris Division with the Wings, North Stars, Blackhawks and Blues.

With Atlanta moving West, the most likely candidates to fill the void in the Eastern Conference are the Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators.  Both Columbus and Detroit sit in the Eastern time zone, whereas Nashville is in the Central time zone.  But if you take a look at the NHL map, there are already a glut of teams filling the Northeastern zone.  In terms of proximity to the Southeast Division, the closest team would be the Nasville Predators.

Since the move itself will be causing waves, I can see the NHL wanting to do this with as little impact as possible, and will in my estimation just switch things up within the following 3 divisions;

Which would look like so;

Of course if you did things based on time zones a future NHL could look like this;

So there you have it. Will any of this happen? From the sounds of things, we will know soon enough.  How do IC readers see division realignment happening?  Sound off in the comments section.

….the Winnipeg Jets!  This should really come as no surprise given the fact that the category was entitled Return of the Jets.  The Jets moniker, attached to the city of Winnipeg was the overwhelming favorite (65%) in our poll in which almost 500 people cast their votes.  If you consider that Manitoba Jets finished 3rd with close to 10% of the vote, the choice seems fairly clear that most want some variety of Jets to be used when a team is brought back to Winnipeg.  As I’ve previously stated, I think people just want to be able to chant “Go Jets Go”.

The 2nd choice, which barely squeaked past the Manitoba Jets, was the Manitoba Falcons.  Perhaps the idea of naming your team after an animal that is endemic to the Manitoba region and is the fastest moving creature on earth (specifically the Peregrine) had fans looking forward to a new look and a fresh start.

So there you have it.  While this poll is by no means scientific, it appears to echo the sentiments we hear and read about on a daily basis.  It would appear that most people who want to see hockey return to the keystone province, also want the nostalgia of the Jets name attached to a future NHL team here in Winnipeg.

Here are the full results and thank you to everyone who participated in the poll (click on photo to enlarge).

The name (and logo) of the Winnipeg Jets remains sacrosanct to most supporters of NHL hockey returning to Peg’.  I would guess that Jets gear (hats, Jerseys, jackets) still outsells Moose merchandise by a wide margin.  From 1972 to 1979, the WHA team was the Winnipeg Jets and that name continued in the NHL from 1979 to 1996.  As we have documented multiple times on this web site, you can pretty much go to any arena or sporting event in North America and the Jets symbol will often be represented.

The question for IC readers then becomes: how do you feel about a name other than the Winnipeg Jets?  The first response by many people I’ve posed this question to has been “let’s just get an NHL team back in the city and then we can worry about the name”, although inevitably the next statement usually has been along the lines of “but if it isn’t the Jets then that will be pretty stupid”.

There have been suggestions that TNSE (True North Sports & Entertainment) would like to use the name Manitoba Moose, since they’ve put 15 years into building the brand in the city.  Would using an AHL team name in the NHL be a mistake?  Should TNSE be expected to forgo the amount of time and money they’ve invested in building this brand into one of the top AHL logos?

Some have stated that the team would continue to be called the Jets, but replacing the name Winnipeg with Manitoba to be more inclusive to the rest of the Province.  If you close your eyes and picture Curt Keilback saying “Here come your Manitoba Jets”, it has a decent ring to it, and it still allows fans to chant “Go Jets Go”.

Then there have been those who want to throw back to an old school name like the Winnipeg Victorias (a team in the late 1890′s and early 1900′s who won the Stanley Cup before it became a professional championship) or Winnipeg Monarchs (a team that won the Gold Medal in 1935 for Canada and also won 3 Memorial Cups in 1935, 37′ and 46′).   With the Royal Wedding happening soon, perhaps the romance of the royals will woo you into a vote for these more antiquated names.

Additionally, there are those who would like to take a totally different tack, and move onto an entirely new name, one without any baggage (i.e. one that could make it past the 2nd round).  In that category we place names like the Manitoba Falcons, the Manitoba Chill or Manitoba Bears.

This is a question that requires an answer.  Which do readers prefer? We want to hear from you!

If you don’t like any of the above options, feel free to sound off in the comment section.

I’ve seen and heard all sorts of speculation about this topic since Gary Lawless wrote his piece in the Winnipeg Free Press discussing the idea that True North is expected to trigger a season ticket sales campaign in the coming weeks.

Some fans are thinking that they are going to need to ante up between $4,000.00 to $8,000.00 by next week to become a part of the new NHL tradition in the city of Winnipeg.  Others are wondering how they can pay for 3 season’s worth of Season Tickets at once.

Many NHL teams have developed creative means of allowing their fans to pay for Seasons Tickets without needing to empty the bank in one fell swoop.  Using the Detroit Red Wings as an example, they have an agreement with a company called eLayawaySPORTS.

Like traditional layaway, eLayawaySPORTS is a payment processor that allows the Red Wings’ Season Ticket Holders to customize payments for their season tickets over time.  These customized weekly or monthly payments are automatically deducted from customers’ bank accounts on a specific payment dates selected by the consumer.  The technology charges a 1.9% flat transaction fee and zero interest.

While teams might have a policy that requires fans to sign on for more than 1 season at a time, there won’t be a need to break open the piggie banks or cash those RRSP’s just to pay for Season Tickets in one lump sum.

Even the AHL’s Manitoba Moose currently allow you to pay for your seats on a monthly basis.  Richard Tapper of Sports Radio 1290 program ‘On the Sidelines’ told me that he has 2 seats which he’s splitting with 2 other guys for a total cost of $1,800.00.  The Moose split the charges 3 ways ($600.00/per) and charged each guy $100.00 a month for 6 months.

So it’s time that everyone calms down, enjoy some playoff hockey, head to Earls Main for a beer and when TNSE puts out the call, be ready to answer it in whatever capacity that requires.

Vancouver Sun:  Coyotes aren’t making any long range plans.  “Now is the time to be selling season tickets,” Maloney said. “But how can we ask for deposits when we can’t tell people the team will be there?”  From what I’ve been reading it appears the Coyotes have been soliciting STH’s to sign 2 year contracts.

TSN:  Dreger Report:  Nothing Jets related in his mailbag but he did have this interesting line at the end of the article;

Thanks for your emails. I look forward to next weeks mailbag. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend and stay close to TSN.ca as we continue to monitor all developments involving the Phoenix Coyotes. If a resolution isn’t reached today, tomorrow or Sunday, we’ll have a full update in Monday’s edition of The Dreger Report.

Toronto Sun:  New owners only solution for the Thrashers.  Gotta feel bad for Thrashers fans as they’ve only had  1 playoff appearance in over a decade of play.  However it appears that time isn’t on their side as “once the Coyotes situation is resolved, the Thrashers might have as little as six weeks to resolve their situation”.

Montreal Gazette:  Coyotes can’t win over fans.  Based on the attendance figures, you wouldn’t know that the team currently sits 4th in the ever tight Western Conference.  With 6 or 7 home games remaining it should be interesting to see how the fans in Arizona support their team.  Which will it be?

Edmonton Journal:  Peter Adler throws cold water on the notion of the Jets moving to Winnipeg.  While I don’t think this article has much value, it is always interesting to read what others have to say about our fair city. He lost me when I read the answer to his question regarding changes to the Manitoba market since the mid 90′s.  He states; “in the overall economic picture, the answer is simple: NOT MUCH.”  Actually, not much would appear to be the amount of time he spent researching this article.

“Throwing cold water on the notion of the Jets moving to Winnipeg”?  Are we supposed to be impressed that Peter Adler himself is throwing cold water on said notion?

Additionally, shouldn’t the article have been called; Throwing cold water on the notion of the Jets returning to Winnipeg?

Arizona Republic: Glendale mayor delves in Phoenix Coyotes.  The mayor says ; “The team goes, the arena stays, somebody pays.  Tell us where you want the money to come from” and she wouldn’t be wrong.  The question it appears for many Glendale residents, is why are they throwing so much money at Hulsizer.  Many, it would seem, aren’t against the Coyotes, but the manner in which they are being saved.

TSN:  Glendale could seek minor league hockey team.  It’s not a bad option since it would fill the 41 nights that the Coyotes had, although since most AHL games average 5000 it might look a little empty in 17,125 seat Jobing.com arena.

Arizona Republic:  Goldwater Institute robocall urges opposition to Glendale’s Phoenix Coyotes deal.  Both sides are preparing for the Court battle and it appears the smear campaign has begun in earnest.

TSN:  Jets Meter.  It moved again.  Up to 13 from 12 yesterday.

Winnipeg Free Press:  102 million reasons to get Coyotes.  Not sure how much longer the 29 owners are going to put up with the “dream” of a HUGE US television contract while continuing to pour money into Phoenix.  And it appears that a franchise in Winnipeg has 102 million reasons why they shouldn’t just be considering the Peg’ but running to the Peg’ with open arms.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Goldwater puts pressure back on Glendale.  Here comes the legalese!!!  Interesting to note the requirements that Goldwater would be required to meet in order to be granted an injunction.

Toronto Sun:  No Plan B to keep Coyotes in Glendale.  With all due respect, wouldn’t the present plan qualify more aptly as Plan Z?

Winnipeg Free Press:  Goldwater Institute places onus on opponents.  As well they should.  If the COG truly felt the law was on its side, why not move forward?

Phoenix Business Journal:  Coyotes deal could be delayed until end of season.  Could be a similar situation to what happened with the Nordiques.  After Quebec lost to the Rangers in the 1st round of the 1994-95 playoffs, it was announced in May that they were moving to Denver.  Of course people in QC are wanting to get back into the business of NHL hockey and many have set their sights on the Atlanta Thrashers.

TSN:  Jets Meter Rises.  The Jets meter on TSN has climbed to a 12.  Time to party?  Not just yet.  While not as exciting as when it doubled from 5 to 10 on March 14th, any increase is good if you’re a fan of the NHL returning to Winnipeg.

East Valley Tribune:  Glendale residents speak in support of Coyotes deal. Mayor Scruggs lays it out to the 70 plus residents that were granted access to last night’s town hall when she said “If the bonds do not sell the team is gone.”

Globe & Mail:  Honey we’re moving to Winnipeg.  Who is ready to hear this?

Calgary Herald:  Winning helps Coyotes ignore team’s sale drama.  I can understand Shane Doan’s point of view since he’s played with the Coyotes for 15 years, but what is Adrian Aucoin’s deal?  He states “There might be a few guys who pay attention to it, but not me.  It would be too painful.”  Aside from his 7 years with the Canucks, he’s spent no more than 3 years with any team since, including Lightning (1), Islanders (3), Blackhawks (2), Flames (2) and now he’s with Coyotes (2).  I guess when he falls, he falls hard.

Winnipeg Sun: Dying Breed, by Paul Friesen.

This article was originally published on December 4, 2010 but I thought I would post it now because it is simply a fantastic read.  After this season, the number of former Winnipeg Jets may be down to two, or even one.  Wow. Crazy.  Go Jets Go!

Arizona Republic:  Glendale seeks new investors.  Not sure if Ms. Olsen chose this figure  for the irony or not but she said she’s 99% sure that Goldwater will still sue.  Even lowering the bond amount or interest won’t change the fact (in Goldwater’s mind at least) that the deal contravenes the Arizona constitution.  Thanks to IC reader Darrell for pointing out another interesting article.

Arizona Republic:  Valley residents speak up on Coyotes deal.  It is always interesting to read what  actual residents of Glendale have to say, both for and against, the Coyotes deal.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Bettman, owners don’t like to budge.  He took a very similar tone when he called into the Illegal Curve radio show on Saturday (last 1/2 hour segment of show), and while I can understand his “cautious optimism”, I’m pretty, pretty, pretty ready to start chanting “Go Jets Go” next season.

National Review:  In Arizona, defenders of ‘Stadium Welfare’ use intimidation tactics.  The article isn’t earth shattering.  Sometimes reading the comments is more interesting that the articles themselves to gauge how ‘the people’ are feeling.

TSN has joined the party with their own Jets meter, and today it moved.  Yes, it moved and in fact, it has apparently doubled.  What does all this mean?  Not sure, although in my mind, it is still leaning a bit too much towards “throw in the towel”.  Even Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza can’t agree what this movement of the TSN Jets Meter means.

This sudden activity is especially interesting considering the cautious optimism from the league head office and apparent good news about the bond.

So which meter do you think is more accurate?  Is this just a gimmick?  Let us know where you think the TSN Meter should be.

East Valley Tribune:  ‘Biz’ no whiz with words.  Perhaps insensitive, his words sure seemed to be a completely accurate assessment of the market.

Buffalo News:  Coyotes on the move.  Nothing really new for people following the saga of the Coyotes, but worth noting that the news has moved from simply being in Winnipeg & Arizona publications to papers across North America.

CBC:  Sustainability in Winnipeg.  If you missed Scott Oake’s piece on whether the city could afford the NHL, you need to watch this video.  My favorite moment was his throwing Mike Milbury under the bus for his uninformed comments from last week’s Hot Stove.

Winnipeg Sun:  Coyotes hand grenade.  Wouldn’t entire season qualify as lame duck?

Bond Buyer:  Glendale, Arizona seeking to trim bond deal for Hockey team sale. (Registration required)  Sure it might keep the costs more in-line for the COG but still doesn’t deal with the legality of the transaction.  Our thanks to IC reader Darrell for pointing this story out.

Be sure to check back here as this we will update this page if there is any news throughout the day.

CBS:  Bettman, NHL finds quagmire in Valley.  Bettman really needs to stop the public chatter, get back to Arizona and get all the principles in the same room if he wants this deal to close.  Perhaps that’s why he’s back in NY…..

Globe & Mail:  NHL keeps Winnipeg waiting.  No surprise that the NHL will keep Winnipeg waiting.  As someone wrote the other day using the bad relationship analogy, the City is willing to take the NHL back, no matter how badly they treat us.

Toronto Sun:  Return of NHL to “Peg would be just Ducky:  Hawerchuk.  Doesn’t the picture of Hawerchuk’s face when his jersey was retired by the Yotes say it all.  Gotta love #10.  Won’t it be nice to see the #10 raised at the MTS Centre.

Arizona Republic:  ‘Tea Party’ group dissatisfied with answers on Coyotes deal.  Not sure what they were expecting.  Transparency and Government, whoever heard of that.  Although I bet they didn’t think Mayor Scruggs would take the “threat” of protest quite so far.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Business anxious for the NHL.  The revitalization of Winnipeg’s downtown will be quite the marvel if everything gets realized.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Thomson is 17th richest in the world.  I guess Mike Milbury, when he suggested Winnipeg would need a ‘sugar daddy’, wasn’t aware of David Thomson’s place on the Forbes list of billionaires.

Toronto Sun:  Coyotes grossly overvalued.  Color me surprised, the Yotes are not worth what the NHL has stated they are.

TSN:  Is the end of the Coyotes saga finally at hand?  Dave Naylor takes a look at the reality of the situation in Phoenix and says the “path back to Winnipeg has never been so clear”.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Goldwater a tough customer.   Gary Lawless talks about the principles held by the people who work for the Goldwater Institute and how they won’t compromise those ideals.

Toronto Sun:  Coyotes shell game over.  Paul Friesen says the time for talk is over and suggests the NHL Commissioner needs to put up or shut up when it comes to using the city of Winnipeg.

Forbes:  A key battle over the sports economics model.  Warren Meyer is surprised to be looking at the NHL, rather than the NFL, as the location of the battle underway challenging the very heart of the professional sports economics model.

Globe & Mail:  NHLPA keeps distance from Coyotes crisis.  David Shoalts looks at the possible involvement by new NHLPA boss Donald Fehr, who correctly asserts that this is a process that really doesn’t involve the union.

Globe & Mail:  Signing off from Glendale.  Matthew Sekers empathizes with the people in Glendale as he remembers the pain and suffering associated with losing a franchise.

Winnipeg Free Press: Thriving Peg’ ready for the NHL.  Geoff Kirbyson injects numbers into the debate as to whether or not today’s Winnipeg could support an NHL team.

If you catch any news that we haven’t posted, feel free to message us via twitter or send us an email.

Goldwater Institute to NHL Commissioner: Sports franchises not above the law

Phoenix—NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Tuesday night accused the Goldwater Institute of blocking a scheme under which Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer would receive a greater than $100 million taxpayer subsidy to buy the Coyotes. The independent taxpayer watchdog organization is not party to the arrangement but has attempted to obtain public records related to the deal to determine its legality. Bettman refused to accept the Goldwater Institute’s invitation to meet in a transparent setting open to journalists, stating, “the situation is far too serious for such game play.”

Goldwater Institute President Darcy Olsen responded, “It sounds like Commissioner Bettman is playing a game of his own: Hide the ball.” The City of Glendale has been under a court order to provide the Institute with records pertaining to the Coyotes sale since July 2009, but the city has delayed multiple requests for public documents and instructed its attorneys to “ignore” the Goldwater Institute’s public information requests.

The Goldwater Institute argues that citizens have the right to know how public officials plan to spend more than $100 million tax dollars. “We will not stop this investigation until this information comes to light,” Olsen reiterated.

Bettman added, “it fascinates me that whoever is running the Goldwater Institute can substitute their judgment for that of the Glendale city council.” Goldwater Institute President Darcy Olsen replied that, “I guess we are both fascinated. It happens to fascinate me greatly that the Commissioner thinks a handful of politicians can substitute their judgment for the rule of law.”

Olsen said the Institute will continue combing through more than 600 pages of documents provided by the city in the last few business days. Olsen said the situation could be resolved if a willing buyer agrees to buy the team with his own money, making this a win-win for Coyotes fans and taxpayers alike. “The NHL is negotiating a deal to sell the Dallas Stars right now, and no taxpayer money appears to be on the table,” said Olsen. “The Goldwater Institute is trying to protect citizens who don’t have the resources to fight city hall. We are not anxious to sue Glendale, which would be a further waste of tax dollars, but no person or city should be above the law. We hope the city will abide by the law and render further legal action unnecessary.”