Winnipeg Jets - Page 70

RTD · #**1381** Posted **Jul 29, 2010, 6:17 PM**

Source:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2.../IEHClowns.jpg

roccerfeller · #**1382** Posted **Aug 14, 2010, 5:45 PM**

The silence from CoG THIS CLOSE to the preseason is alarming.

Dec 31 is a while away, but look at how long it took MOU's alone to be sorted out earlier this year.

Things dont take day or two...

Only The Lonely.. · #**1383** Posted **Aug 20, 2010, 4:44 PM**

MTS Centre upsizing press box
Unrelated to possible return of NHL, says True North

By: Gary Lawless | Winnipeg Free Press

Posted: 20/08/2010 1:00 AM

True North Sports and Entertainment has begun work on an expansion of its MTS Centre press box.

The current press box is not suitable for NHL hockey should True North, owners of the downtown rink and the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, make a step to the big league in the future.

An expansion, reportedly to cost somewhere in the neighbourhood of $1 million, would add a lower level to the current press box to make room for extra radio, TV and print journalists associated with major league hockey.

The first step of the expansion is being undertaken as steel is being added to reinforce the existing press box in order to support a lower level.

"To say the recent news about the possible return of the NHL to Winnipeg is behind this work is presumptuous," said True North director of communications Scott Brown. "We've long been unhappy with the press box and discussions to make changes have been ongoing for some time."

Cranes have been shifting in and out of the arena this week as work on the press box is being scheduled around concerts and other building rentals.

MTS Centre is one of the busiest venues in North America and regularly transforms from hockey rink to concert bowl several times a month.

The upper level of the press box would be reconfigured to house electronic broadcast crews while the lower level would host print journalists.

The bulked up infrastructure would enable True North to add a second level at a later date should extra room and facilities ever be needed. Work is expected to continue right up until the beginning of the Moose season in early October.

True North has entered an agreement with the NHL to purchase and relocate to Winnipeg the Phoenix Coyotes if a deal cannot be brokered to keep the team in Arizona.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has given the City of Glendale a deadline of Dec. 31 to find and close a deal with an owner willing to keep the team in the Phoenix suburb and Jobing.com Arena.

To date an owner has not been found. Recent reports have the city talking with a number of groups. Its main suitor, Ice Edge Holdings Inc., remains interested but according to Glendale has failed to document its ability to finance a purchase.

"There are others out there that are viable," said Coyotes CEO Mike Nealy, in a recent interview with the Glendale Republic.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 20, 2010 C3

roccerfeller · #**1384** Posted **Aug 20, 2010, 6:34 PM**

And there we go:

TNSE is not doing all that for NO reason... heh

Say isnt that Ice Plex opening soon?

CDDF · #**1385** Posted **Aug 27, 2010, 7:33 PM**

Ice Edge starts looking to bring pro hockey to Thunder Bay

Quote:

Ice Edge Holdings Inc. will hold a press conference in Thunder Bay on Monday to announce their plans to bring an East Coast Hockey League team to the city on the shores of Lake Superior.
...
Ice Edge has said if a new hockey rink is built in Thunder Bay, they would be interested in bringing a pro team to the city.

I wonder if this means they're throwing in the towel on their negotiations to buy the Coyotes. That can't be good for Glendale, wasn't Ice Edge the last group willing to negotiate for the sale?

JayM · #**1386** Posted **Aug 27, 2010, 9:36 PM**

Monorail. Monorail.

roccerfeller · #**1387** Posted **Aug 28, 2010, 2:10 PM**

Tuesday is CoG meeting, and Wed NHL starts pulling the 25 mil out of escrow

Scott Burnside has a great recap of the whole drama on ESPN.com

CDDF · #**1388** Posted **Aug 28, 2010, 6:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by roccerfeller

Tuesday is CoG meeting, and Wed NHL starts pulling the 25 mil out of escrow

Scott Burnside has a great recap of the whole drama on ESPN.com

It's definitely worth a read. Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/column...ott&id=5504660

A month before the season starts, season tickets are half of what was expected (though up from last year) and only one quarter of the luxury suites have been sold. Yikes.

Reed Solomon · #**1389** Posted **Aug 29, 2010, 8:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDDF

Ice Edge starts looking to bring pro hockey to Thunder Bay

I wonder if this means they're throwing in the towel on their negotiations to buy the Coyotes. That can't be good for Glendale, wasn't Ice Edge the last group willing to negotiate for the sale?

Isn't thunder bay where the Moose were previously rumoured to be going if the Coyotes came to Winnipeg?

roccerfeller · #**1390** Posted **Aug 29, 2010, 4:51 PM**

Yes, it was

But rumors (apparently confirmed rumors, as the Winnipeg Free Press has already reported) that AHL will not be going to Thunder Bay; ECHL will.

I honestly think proximity of an AHL team to Winnipeg's eventual NHL team doesn't matter one bit. 1/3 to a Half of the NHL's farm teams do not have near proximity. Fargo or Grand Forks should b considered though...much closer than Thunder Bay. Heck, Regina is nearer to Winnipeg than Thunder Bay.

Essentially guys, this week is an important week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will all be interesting days.

People have to understand why CoG is bending backwards to keep the Coyotes in AZ...they dont care about the fact that hockey isnt big there.. They just want to pay of their lease. If the Yotes move, it will be a bigger blunder for them and their debt than if they don't move.

That said, things are looking inevitable for Glendale....but "its always darkest before dawn"

This is either gonna work out for the CoG because they will bend over so hard for JR or another potential owner at the last minute...

...or they will attempt to bend hard but it will not work out, and the team will ultimately end up in Winnipeg. (Nowhere else)

DLLB · #**1391** Posted **Aug 30, 2010, 1:12 AM**

I so much want to see an NHL team in the ole Peg.

I know the individaul fan will support it, big business you have to step up to the plate.

roccerfeller · #**1392** Posted **Aug 30, 2010, 1:46 PM**

Yeah thats been the main thing holding it back, but TNSE seems confident in the business here. Its no Calgary, but it is really varied and has seem much growth since Jets flew south.

I will say that the brightest thing is the fact that if we were to get a team for the 2011-2012 season, lets say, then the business side of things will only get better...this is due to the fact that Centre Port, although a long term project, will be getting ample business by the end of the next decade. If an NHL team in Winnipeg can weather the first decade, it will be here permanently.

Mininari · #**1393** Posted **Aug 30, 2010, 6:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by roccerfeller

I will say that the brightest thing is the fact that if we were to get a team for the 2011-2012 season, lets say, then the business side of things will only get better...this is due to the fact that Centre Port, although a long term project, will be getting ample business by the end of the next decade. If an NHL team in Winnipeg can weather the first decade, it will be here permanently.

I share exactly the same sentiments. The fact that CentrePort is actually moving forward, and will seek to draw manufacturing companies via the duty free import zone, can only bolster the corporate base for supporting an NHL team long term.

Who knows... maybe the recent hype n let down of the Atlanta / Coyotes rumours is actually a good thing. It gives the city lots of attention, exposes the viable partnership between TNSE and Thomson, and 'advertises' our 'readiness' for a team to come here within a 3-4 year time frame.

Of course, that gives Quebec City plenty of time to build their new Arena too!

nordique · #**1394** Posted **Aug 30, 2010, 8:17 PM**

New ownership group close to Coyotes deal

A mystery buyer has stepped to the forefront in efforts by the National Hockey League and city of Glendale to sell the Phoenix Coyotes to a new owner who will keep the team in Arizona.

An undisclosed wealthy buyer is leading a new ownership group that is interested in buying the Coyotes from the NHL. The league has owned the team since October when it bought the Coyotes via Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

Details of the new ownership group are very limited, though Glendale and the NHL could announce details and developments soon, according to sources familiar with the situation. The ownership group has asked for the city and league to keep negotiations private. The new buyer would keep the Coyotes in Glendale and is not a household name. In addition, sources say progress on the purchase is serious and substantial.

As the new group has moved forward, another group, Ice Edge Holdings LLC, is taking a backseat in the Coyotes ownership saga.

Ice Edge announced Monday it was focused on bringing an ECHL minor league hockey team to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Ice Edge CEO Keith McCullough said in a statement Monday his investment group could have some involvement with the new Coyotes ownership group.

“We understand another party that we have become acquainted with is in advanced negotiations with Glendale and an announcement could happen soon. If this occurs, we expect to continue to be involved with the Coyotes as an adviser for the foreseeable future,” McCullough said.

The mystery buyer is not Chicago White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf who has held on-again, off-again talks with the NHL and Glendale regarding the Coyotes.

Glendale spokeswoman Julie Frisoni declined comment on the Coyotes wranglings. The NHL has set a Dec. 31 deadline for the Coyotes to be sold to new owners who would keep the team in the Phoenix market. If that deadline passes, the NHL would likely sell the team to owners who would move the Coyotes to Canada.

Privately, Glendale officials are confident they can get a deal done by the end of the year. The city has agreed to cover the Coyotes losses and costs up to $25 million this season while searching for a new owner. The NHL threatened to move the team earlier this summer unless Glendale obliged with the subsidy.

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoen...30/daily4.html

theruler462 · #**1395** Posted **Aug 30, 2010, 8:19 PM**

New ownership group close to Coyotes deal
Phoenix Business Journal - by Mike Sunnucks

A mystery buyer has stepped to the forefront in efforts by the National Hockey League and city of Glendale to sell the Phoenix Coyotes to a new owner who will keep the team in Arizona.

An undisclosed wealthy buyer is leading a new ownership group that is interested in buying the Coyotes from the NHL. The league has owned the team since October when it bought the Coyotes via Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

Details of the new ownership group are very limited, though Glendale and the NHL could announce details and developments soon, according to sources familiar with the situation. The ownership group has asked for the city and league to keep negotiations private. The new buyer would keep the Coyotes in Glendale and is not a household name. In addition, sources say progress on the purchase is serious and substantial.

As the new group has moved forward, another group, Ice Edge Holdings LLC, is taking a backseat in the Coyotes ownership saga.

Ice Edge announced Monday it was focused on bringing an ECHL minor league hockey team to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Ice Edge CEO Keith McCullough said in a statement Monday his investment group could have some involvement with the new Coyotes ownership group.

“We understand another party that we have become acquainted with is in advanced negotiations with Glendale and an announcement could happen soon. If this occurs, we expect to continue to be involved with the Coyotes as an adviser for the foreseeable future,” McCullough said.

The mystery buyer is not Chicago White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf who has held on-again, off-again talks with the NHL and Glendale regarding the Coyotes.

Glendale spokeswoman Julie Frisoni declined comment on the Coyotes wranglings. The NHL has set a Dec. 31 deadline for the Coyotes to be sold to new owners who would keep the team in the Phoenix market. If that deadline passes, the NHL would likely sell the team to owners who would move the Coyotes to Canada.

Privately, Glendale officials are confident they can get a deal done by the end of the year. The city has agreed to cover the Coyotes losses and costs up to $25 million this season while searching for a new owner. The NHL threatened to move the team earlier this summer unless Glendale obliged with the subsidy.

RTD · #**1396** Posted **Aug 30, 2010, 8:35 PM**

Apparently there is no truth to those articles according to this:

http://twitter.com/ESPN_Burnside

Source: Twitter

roccerfeller · #**1397** Posted **Aug 31, 2010, 3:00 AM**

It does seem like it could be spin, as the "point of no return" for the NHL to withdraw escrow money is this wednesday.

Tomorrow eve is a CoG city council meeting, but I expect nothing more than a confirmation they are making progress.

If things will not work out in Glendale, then they will want to keep it as positive as possible to get season tix in the hands of the hardcore...cause remember, the hardcore fans are the ones reading the blogs and articles of people like Burnside saying its gonna be tough.

Glendale is doing everything they can to keep the team there though; they have much invested in the arena and they need to pay off the lease. The $25 million they will (likely) lose in Escrow is tiny compared to their arena debt/lack of Westgate development.

Things are not looking positive for Glendale though...

DLLB · #**1398** Posted **Sep 11, 2010, 7:01 PM**

I think that Harper's offer of moeny to Quebec for a new arena so they can get an NHL team is going to hurt Winnipeg's chances big time?

Yet another example of vote buying in Quebec with the rest of the countries money.

Marc B. · #**1399** Posted **Sep 11, 2010, 7:03 PM**

^ How so?

DLLB · #**1400** Posted **Sep 11, 2010, 7:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc B.

^ How so?

Betman is not a big fan of putting teams in Canasda. If it does happen and a team goes to Quebec, I think it will be a long time before another team comes to Canada.

I was a huge Jets fan and was lucky enough to attend many games, including their last game. I would like nothing better than to see the Jets back in the old Peg.