Winnipeg | NHL Jets - Page 25

DowntownWpg · #**481** Posted **Jun 5, 2009, 5:27 PM**

Okay, after about 1 minute of googling, I did find reference that the MTS Centre is now actually small for the NHL arena seating standards.

http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070529_092340_13592

Some blogs have pegged the new minimum for new and relocated teams at 17.5K seats, but nothing that is in an article I would cite.

The NHL has been smart to not have a said figure, however.

The more I think about it though, perhaps 15,003 does work in today's NHL. We'd probably be at the break-even point at best, however. NHL is seemingly in talks with Chipman, so they'd probably make an exception just to spite Balsillie. Though, that would only happen if Balsillie looks like he could actually get the Coyotes.

All that said, is anyone actually naive enough to trust Gary Bettman of all people?! Regardless what the minimum specs is for arenas to host an NHL team, they could change it or enforce in a heartbeat to screw Winnipeg.

P&M40BELOW · #**482** Posted **Jun 6, 2009, 2:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

you guys heard this rumour of the thompson family connection to chipman and his aspirations for an NHL team....i have heard it from a couple of sources and apparently vic grant dropped hints of it on cjob.

It's never been a rumour; they've been part of the equation from the beginning.

trueviking · #**483** Posted **Jun 6, 2009, 4:20 AM**

really?...i dont think so....it certainly is far from public knowledge if its true....im pretty sure the richest family in canada wanting to finance an nhl team in winnipeg would be HUGE news...it would be a headline on the front page....i have never seen it written or heard them referenced even once, until this week...where did you hear it?

who else is part of this equation that you seem to know about?

1ajs · #**484** Posted **Jun 6, 2009, 4:49 AM**

wha wha wha?

GO MOOSE GO!

newflyer · #**485** Posted **Jun 8, 2009, 8:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by P&M40BELOW

It's never been a rumour; they've been part of the equation from the beginning.

I have also heard this from time to time .... I am not sure to what extent they would be willing to finance a team in Winnipeg. My guess is they would be a small minority owner among any ownership group, if they were involved at all.

1ajs · #**486** Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 12:17 AM**

^^ who knows only time will tell

MooseJets · #**487** Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 1:16 AM**

Off the playoff map: Group was interested in buying, moving Thrashers

Monday, June 8, 2009 | Print Entry

Posted by Scott Burnside

PITTSBURGH -- With the NHL embroiled in bankruptcy court in Phoenix over the future of the Coyotes, there are spin-off stories, or at least spin-off rumors, involving the Atlanta Thrashers.

Sources have told ESPN.com that a number of groups, including one from Winnipeg, have explored the potential of buying the Thrashers and moving them out of Atlanta.

However, the reality of the situation is that there are a number of factors that likely mean the team will remain in Atlanta for the foreseeable future.

Much of the speculation stems from the fact that the ownership group, Atlanta Spirit, is nearing the end of a long court battle with former partner Steve Belkin and will have to pay a significant amount to finally disentangle the ownership situation.

As a result, Atlanta Spirit is actively looking for new investors to essentially cover the cost of buying Belkin out of his 30 percent stake of the team. That could mean bringing in someone as a full partner or someone who has a specific interest in one of the two teams owned by the group, the NBA's Hawks or the Thrashers. Atlanta Spirit also owns the teams' home, Philips Arena.

In recent weeks, there has been some discussion about an investor simply buying the team and taking it out of Atlanta, but current ownership is unlikely to agree to that. Philips still owes about $100 million in naming rights to the group, but the agreement stipulates that there be two anchor tenants at Philips, and the hockey team is one of them. The implication is that anyone looking to move the team out of Atlanta would have to factor that into the purchase price.

Similarly, even if the team continues to lose money (less than $10 million this year), it still makes more sense economically to have two major tenants than one in Philips Arena.

There is also the matter of the agreement signed between the Atlanta Spirit group and the NHL when the former took over ownership of the team a little more than four years ago. They agreed at the time not to explore relocation options for at least eight years.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4241315&name=09cupplayoffsblog

trueviking · #**488** Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 3:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by newflyer

I have also heard this from time to time .... I am not sure to what extent they would be willing to finance a team in Winnipeg. My guess is they would be a small minority owner among any ownership group, if they were involved at all.

c'mon....and you never mentioned it?...i doubt that.

both you guys are asstalkers...if you would have even heard a breath of this, im sure that somewhere in the 25 pages of this thread or the dozens of others threads that discuss this topic, you would have in passing mentioned that the richest person in canada is interested in being involved.....how many times has someone here lamented not having serious money for ownership of an NHL team?

wags_in_the_peg · #**489** Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 1:48 PM**

WOW... a secret group in Atlanta... my prediction will come true. After the NHL seasons ends (maybe tonight or later in the week) numerous clubs will be releasing their numbers on how much $ they lost. and let the buying start

1ajs · #**490** Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 11:17 PM**

it should be interesting times this summer

P&M40BELOW · #**491** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 2:37 AM**

In your zeal to know everything, the one point that you should ask yourself is... what is to be gained by showing all your cards. They have a very profitable facility, along with a population that's content with the current product; why shoot yourself in the foot by raising expectations when there isn’t even a deal on the table. Who is part of the group really doesn't matter. The point is, a very well established group has been there from day one. What hasn't changed is that 1) NHL hockey needs to make sense in this market; and that doesn't mean at any price and 2) a team hasn't been available. Good or bad, what we have here is a group of owners who prefer to work quietly and discreetly; you're not going to get headlines screaming "guess what we have". What I mentioned before is widely known; the reason why people don't talk about it is because of the very point that I made. Bettman and the NHL executive are fully aware of our local groups' capabilities, and as such consider Winnipeg a viable option.

BTW: Unless you're actually talking about the funeral home people, there is no p in the spelling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

c'mon....and you never mentioned it?...i doubt that.

both you guys are asstalkers...if you would have even heard a breath of this, im sure that somewhere in the 25 pages of this thread or the dozens of others threads that discuss this topic, you would have in passing mentioned that the richest person in canada is interested in being involved.....how many times has someone here lamented not having serious money for ownership of an NHL team?

wags_in_the_peg · #**492** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 1:26 PM**

"along with a population that's content with the current product"?

WTF you mean? I don't think 6000 people attending a MOOSE game (besides the 3 playoffs games at >10,000) would accurately say the population is content. We're a city of 650k and greater area of close to a Million (factor in part of SK, NW-O and ND). They would travel to WPG for a game.

jimsabo21 · #**493** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 3:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

you guys heard this rumour of the thompson family connection to chipman and his aspirations for an NHL team....i have heard it from a couple of sources and apparently vic grant dropped hints of it on cjob.

Hey, TrueViking ... I am on business in Europe, and stragely enough, I heard from our VP of Finance (he's based in Vancouver) that controlling interest in True North is being sold to the Thomson family.

Just wondering where you heard this from?

trueviking · #**494** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 4:16 PM**

^wow...really?...i heard it from a friend who knows the chipman boys....that is a very interesting turn of events.

the thonmpson family are the 24th richest family on earth....they would be able to afford a hockey team by checking for loose change in the cracks of their couch.....

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/bill...people_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html

1ajs · #**495** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 4:27 PM**

so quietly something is happening thats good to hear

anyhow moose won their game last night

3-2

jimsabo21 · #**496** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 4:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

^wow...really?...i heard it from a friend who knows the chipman boys....that is a very interesting turn of events.

the thonmpson family are the 24th richest family on earth....they would be able to afford a hockey team by checking for loose change in the cracks of their couch.....

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/bill...people_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html

Yep, ironically, our VP of Finance used to work for the Chipman Group prior to his relocation to Vancouver ...

He just told me this out of the blue today, and I recalled seeing your post last week ...

What do they say? Where there's smoke there's ...

drew · #**497** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 4:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

^wow...really?...i heard it from a friend who knows the chipman boys....that is a very interesting turn of events.

the thonmpson family are the 24th richest family on earth....they would be able to afford a hockey team by checking for loose change in the cracks of their couch.....

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/bill...people_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html

This is interesting news, but I have to ask what reason the Thomson family would have for buying an NHL team to relocate to Winnipeg? Do they have ties to this city at all?

1ajs · #**498** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 4:58 PM**

who knows they could just be board and want something diffrent to do for a change

ILYR · #**499** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 5:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

This is interesting news, but I have to ask what reason the Thomson family would have for buying an NHL team to relocate to Winnipeg? Do they have ties to this city at all?

From what I hear True North is profitable, whether it be the Moose or for other events. Perhaps this is simply a good investment and the Thompson family wants in. However, that being said if anyone is to bring an NHL team to Winnipeg they have to also control the MTS centre.

Biff · #**500** Posted **Jun 10, 2009, 6:03 PM**

You would have to wonder if the Thomson family has ever had any run in's with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. I'm not try be a conspiracy theorist here or anything but.....

ILYR might be right, maybe they are just looking at True North as a profitable venture and i have to say that I believe that Mark Chipman is a smart man and if true he is doing a great job in positioning his business for success - and the City of Winnipeg will certainly benefit from it.