You know it is a slow week when I'm talking about hockey. You know it is the end of June when I'm talking hockey and it isn't even about the fuckin Sabres directly. A judge in Arizona came down against Balsillie and his quest for a team in SOON.
There were a myriad of legal issues to deal with, including how much the NHL would get as a relocation fee, and not much time to sort them out. There was also a tentative auction set for June 22 looming.
"Simply put, the court does not think there is sufficient time (14 days) for all of these issues to be fairly presented to the court given that deadline," Baum wrote.
Eh either way, eventually a team will be located in Hamilton or there abouts. I don't think this will effect the Sabres much either. The Sabres lately have thrived and flourished, especially in Souther Ontario, because they are cheap and near by. And cheap. If a team was added between Buffalo and Toronto it would take much more from a very under saturated Toronto market then Buffalo. Perhaps a small dent in the Sabres market and worst.
The Sabres will still be cheaper, still have a great atmosphere, and still be in close proximity. Who knows, it could even improve the Sabres bottom line. There wouldn't be a sink hole of a franchise in Phoenix, a new team 60 miles away and a potential new rivalry could be fostered, and across the board revenues for the NHL would improve.
The decision to deny Mr Blackberry of his coveted NHL came as zero surprise, really. The other three real leagues had a vested interest in the outcome of this case. If a team could secretly file bankruptcy, create a back door deal to sell the team to an unapproved owner and plan to whisk said team away in the dead of night, ala C-town, it could be potential chaos in the NFL, MLB and NBA. These leagues are worth billions and billions of dollars. The deal stunk from the beginning and certainly stunk for the league and their owners.
The only real question at this juncture is who you have your eye on next Ballsilie?
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