Winnipeg | NHL Jets

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by trueviking

the thompson family connection is real and has been there for a number of years...they are part owners of the MTS centre through their development company osmington....they are also part owners of true north, the company who run that facility. They also own a number of properties around the MTS centre, including the old powerhouse....i think its amazing that the media hasnt picked up on the fact that they are part owners...it stems from them being the owners of the eatons building....shares in true north were given to them in exchange for the site.

I think it was mentioned at one point back in the great Eaton's building demolision debate that the site was owned by Osmington, but little to no acknowlegement was made by anyone in the community beyond those in business circles.

I would completely agree that TNALP including Osmington Inc have more than enough resouces to secure an NHL team.

[Jeff]

so what this means for us die-hard ssp fans who have no interest in sports - when is the pad over portage place adjacent to the mts centre gonna be turned into a hotel tower for this if all this talk is true?!!

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by Jeff

so what this means for us die-hard ssp fans who have no interest in sports - when is the pad over portage place adjacent to the mts centre gonna be turned into a hotel tower for this if all this talk is true?!!

Its hard to say, but one could expect the real possibility of a new hotel going up on within a short distance of the arena, if an NHL were to move to town. With that said I can almost assure you that Osmington Inc would likely want to be involved to maximize there returns. A project like this would likely be multi-demensional.

[1ajs]

so i take it cause mts center was such a succes and the hole that was creat by lack of planning by the city has created the perfect investment opertunity for the thomson family in this aspect and canad inns got in on it with their purchas of the met and the radisan

[wags_in_the_peg]

Very interesting article in today's Free Press. Thompson has been a VERY silent minority owner in True North and over the last few years, he and Mark Chipman have been slowly buying out the other minority owners, and almost jointly own the entire company! It's a privately held company that keeps very silent.... things are looking good when you got the 24th richest guy in the WORLD backing you.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/true-norths-billionaire-player-63584407.html

GO JETS GO

[1ajs]

he smells money espeacly when mts center is in the top 20 in the world and theres the no compition clause in the agreement i would bet hewill toss money into the convention center upgrades

btw wags its thomson not thompson lol

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

btw wags its thomson not thompson lol

AHHHH, IAJS is correcting my SPELLING!!!!

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

AHHHH, IAJS is correcting my SPELLING!!!!

indeed irony
btw its not i its one 1ajs everyone seems to make that mistake lol

[ILYR]

If I had a dollar for every spelling or grammatical error 1ajs made, I'd be well on my way to buying my own NHL team.

[bomberguy]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

AHHHH, IAJS is correcting my SPELLING!!!!

lol

[wayward_prince]

Originally Posted by rypinion

I'm not saying for a second that they'd be at all interested, but there are people who do have that kind of money in Winnipeg. For instance, the family right below Jim Balsillie in the "Richest in Canada" list:

http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/rich100/2008/displayProfile.aspx?profile=19

the Richardsons have never expressed interest what so ever.

[wayward_prince]

Originally Posted by Jets4Life

Not entirely sure but I think it comes down to two theories:

1. The Winnipeg franchise landed Bobby Hull, the "Golden Jet", who was to become the league superstar, and ambadassor for the new league.

2. The significance of the Aerospace industry in Winnipeg.

it was the whole 'golden Jet' thing. Hull's nickname from the NHL. Also the origional owners were good friends with the people who owned the new york Jets at the time, so that may have had an impact on the choice.

[wayward_prince]

Originally Posted by trueviking

do you think for a single second before you open your pie hole?.....everything you say is based in complete ignorance.

firstly, balsillie was rejected because he wanted to move a team into the toronto market....the situations are not comparable....had he wanted to move a team to winnipeg we would have had a team a year ago.

secondly, there are a number of extremely rich people and companies in winnipeg...as many as in hamilton, quebec, ottawa, edmonton....

thirdly, the entire point of this discussion is that an owner has apparently surfaced....the thompson family (the richest in canada).

the thompson family connection is real and has been there for a number of years...they are part owners of the MTS centre through their development company osmington....they are also part owners of true north, the company who run that facility. They also own a number of properties around the MTS centre, including the old powerhouse....i think its amazing that the media hasnt picked up on the fact that they are part owners...it stems from them being the owners of the eatons building....shares in true north were given to them in exchange for the site.

the thompson's are going to buy a team and move it to Winnipeg? Do you have any idea how many false statements you have made about practically everything on this site in the past few years and no one takes the time to point this out? The Thompsons are going to move an NHL team to Winnipeg..LMAO

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by wayward_prince

the Richardsons have never expressed interest what so ever.

I never said they were, in fact I specifically mentioned that isn't what I was saying.

You said that no one in Winnipeg has the kind of money needed to bring a team here. I was merely pointing out that your statement was incorrect, as there are people in Winnipeg rich enough - even richer than Jim Balsillie.

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by wayward_prince

the thompson's are going to buy a team and move it to Winnipeg? Do you have any idea how many false statements you have made about practically everything on this site in the past few years and no one takes the time to point this out? The Thompsons are going to move an NHL team to Winnipeg..LMAO

I believe he was just reiterating what the Free Press said today. Don't attack him, he's just stating info from other sources.

At least his statements come from places other than his head. You appear to say only whatever comes to your mind, based on your own thoughts.

[wayward_prince]

Originally Posted by rypinion

I believe he was just reiterating what the Free Press said today. Don't attack him, he's just stating info from other sources.

At least his statements come from places other than his head. You appear to say only whatever comes to your mind, based on your own thoughts.

every rumor seems so factual to everyone. I think Winnipeg will get a team eventually but pouncing on everything in the interim is a bit exhausting. Also Bettman doesn't like Balsille. Toronto could easily handle another team just look at new york/jersey. Toronto's market is 8 times that of Winnipeg. If a buddy of Bettmans wanted a team in Hamilton there would be one.

[grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by wayward_prince

every rumor seems so factual to everyone. I think Winnipeg will get a team eventually but pouncing on everything in the interim is a bit exhausting. Also Bettman doesn't like Balsille. Toronto could easily handle another team just look at new york/jersey. Toronto's market is 8 times that of Winnipeg. If a buddy of Bettmans wanted a team in Hamilton there would be one.

You're not really this thick are you sport?

Do you really get a thrill out of raining on people's parades? Did your mother ever say that if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all? Why don't you practise that?

There is not a soul in Canada that does not believe Southern Ontario could not support one or two more NHL teams. Certainly no one in this thread suggested anything of the kind. Not sure where you're coming from with your comment.

Hamilton did not get the Coyotes for two reasons. They have both been very well articulated in this thread. Suggest reading the thread.

An expansion franchise or two will surface in that area. Along with their mega-million dollar expansion fees. A team will not be transferred there if those fees are sacrificed.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

Where do you get your facts from? According to here, Jim Balsille was the 18th richest person in Canada last year. 19th belongs to Winnipeg's richest. I count only one other Winnipeger on the list of 100 richest people in Canada. Anyways, continue...

The Richardsons would have been on that list for the last 150 years. Balsillie's run is liable to be a little shorter than that, no doubt partly because he buys things like hockey teams and the Richardsons don't.

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

Where do you get your facts from? According to here, Jim Balsille was the 18th richest person in Canada last year. 19th belongs to Winnipeg's richest. I count only one other Winnipeger on the list of 100 richest people in Canada. Anyways, continue...

Oops, yes, my mistake. That was indeed my source if you look back to my original post (and my original post has the correct order). When I posted earlier today I must have switched them around by mistake.

[UrbanPlannerr]

Originally Posted by Jeff

so what this means for us die-hard ssp fans who have no interest in sports

note - I would become a die hard fan if Winnipeg got the jets back

The Thompsons are going to move an NHL team to Winnipeg..LMAO

Dude, what is with the Winnipeg hate??