For the second straight year, NHL pre-season action is coming to Winnipeg. And, for the second straight year, the Tampa Bay Lightning are part of the equation. The announcement was made yesterday by True North Sports & Entertainment Limited – the same group led by David Thomson that has offered to purchase the ailing Phoenix Coyotes and move them back to the Manitoba capital where they were once known as the Jets. But so far, all the group has to show for its efforts is a pre-season game to be played at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre on September 22 between Tampa Bay and the Chicago Blackhawks. This, on the heels of last year’s matchup between the Lightning and Edmonton Oilers.
The involvement of the Chicago Blackhawks makes perfect sense. The team is, after all, the Stanley Cup Champions and its captain is Winnipeg native Jonathan Toews. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser, just like last year’s choice of the Oilers given their geographic proximity to Winnipeg. But the Tampa Bay Lightning? One could chalk it up to a purely random choice, if not for the fact that: (a) there is no obvious connection, geographic or otherwise, between the cities of Tampa Bay and Winnipeg; (b) the Lightning aren’t exactly the league’s most stable franchise from a financial perspective; and (c) this is the second consecutive year that the team has been chosen to travel to Winnipeg. In fact, the Lightning have played more pre-season games in Winnipeg in recent history than they have in their own city – last year saw the team play three road games and four neutral site contests. So what could all this mean?
Is it possible that David Thomson is hedging his bets? If his bid for the Phoenix Coyotes ultimately fails, does his back-up plan involve the Tampa Bay Lightning? Is he using the pre-season as a test to see how the team resonates with Winnipeg hockey fans? Or is all of this pure coincidence – the work of an over-imaginative hockey blogger running out of ideas for his site? Only time will tell. Nonetheless, the decision to have the Lightning travel to Winnipeg is just another piece of evidence pointing to the demise of professional hockey in the American sunbelt. As if we needed more evidence . . .
Showing posts with label Winnipeg Jets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winnipeg Jets. Show all posts
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Jets Getting Louder
During a May 11 interview on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman seemed to dismiss rumours that a franchise in Winnipeg was on the short-term radar screen. When reporter Scott Oake started talking about a potential ownership group coming forward in the Manitoba capital to relocate the Phoenix Coyotes, Bettman interrupted with “you say that’s true, but nobody has confirmed that in Winnipeg for sure”. Well, now it appears that Bettman himself has provided this confirmation.
Fast forward 17 days after the CBC interview: It’s now May 28, and Bettman is addressing the media with his annual update on league affairs prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final. Instead of dismissing the Winnipeg rumours as he did during the Oake interview less than three weeks earlier, Bettman does a 180-degree turn, confirming that “Winnipeg did make a bona fide offer” and, referencing the Jets original departure from Winnipeg in 1996 and the Nordiques move from Quebec City one year earlier, he adds “I’d like to try and fix something that I wish might not have happened in the first place”.
So, what does all this mean? The Phoenix Coyotes have yet to find a buyer that is committed to keeping the team in Arizona. The league has set a deadline of June 30 to ink a deal and there is growing speculation that none will be reached. If the June 30 date comes and goes without an announcement, the league would be in a legal position to move the team unless city council were to make good on the infamous $25 million guarantee - far from a certainty. Nonetheless, with the NHL schedule set to be released on June 22, it is highly unlikely at this point that any franchises will be on the move in time for next season. But after that, all bets are off.
Bettman’s drastic shift in message to the media in such a short period of time suggests that the league is now actively embracing Canadian relocation and that teams in both Winnipeg and Quebec City are legitimate short-term possibilities. “Winnipeg, I believe, has an NHL building,” Bettman commented, “and in Quebec, they’re talking about building one”. And at NHL headquarters in New York, you’ve got to believe that they’re seriously talking about teams coming back to Canada. They're certainly talking about it on this side of the boarder.
TONIGHT'S GAME:
Blackhawks at Flyers - Game 3, 8 p.m. (CBC)/(RDS)
Fast forward 17 days after the CBC interview: It’s now May 28, and Bettman is addressing the media with his annual update on league affairs prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final. Instead of dismissing the Winnipeg rumours as he did during the Oake interview less than three weeks earlier, Bettman does a 180-degree turn, confirming that “Winnipeg did make a bona fide offer” and, referencing the Jets original departure from Winnipeg in 1996 and the Nordiques move from Quebec City one year earlier, he adds “I’d like to try and fix something that I wish might not have happened in the first place”.
So, what does all this mean? The Phoenix Coyotes have yet to find a buyer that is committed to keeping the team in Arizona. The league has set a deadline of June 30 to ink a deal and there is growing speculation that none will be reached. If the June 30 date comes and goes without an announcement, the league would be in a legal position to move the team unless city council were to make good on the infamous $25 million guarantee - far from a certainty. Nonetheless, with the NHL schedule set to be released on June 22, it is highly unlikely at this point that any franchises will be on the move in time for next season. But after that, all bets are off.
Bettman’s drastic shift in message to the media in such a short period of time suggests that the league is now actively embracing Canadian relocation and that teams in both Winnipeg and Quebec City are legitimate short-term possibilities. “Winnipeg, I believe, has an NHL building,” Bettman commented, “and in Quebec, they’re talking about building one”. And at NHL headquarters in New York, you’ve got to believe that they’re seriously talking about teams coming back to Canada. They're certainly talking about it on this side of the boarder.
TONIGHT'S GAME:
Blackhawks at Flyers - Game 3, 8 p.m. (CBC)/(RDS)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
NHL's Tire
With the debut of the Stanley Cup Finals still two days away, hockey fans and broadcasters are no doubt bored with the excessive wait between rounds. For those counting, we’re in the middle of four straight days without any hockey on the tube and it’s starting to get tiring. So, it was with some irony that the NHL announced yesterday that it signed an “Official Tire” agreement. Granted, the deal was signed with Bridgestone Tires – as in the tires on a car – but, given the long wait between rounds, it would have made more sense to ink a deal with a mattress company.
According to the press release, the “Bridgestone brand will serve as the Official Tire of the NHL, NHLPA, and Hockey Hall of Fame for the next five years”. The communiqué goes on to list a plethora of events at which the tires will be featured and for which they will serve as a sponsor. But the real question, on my mind at least, was completely avoided: Why in the world does a hockey league need an Official Tire?
Could it be for the Zambonis? Well, the press release is quite specific with its message “for drivers who want to get the most out of their cars, it’s Bridgestone or nothing”. Cars, the text reads, not Zambonis. It must be for something else.
Maybe it’s for the moving vans when the Phoenix Coyotes finally croak and are relocated to Winnipeg. Again, the press release is quite explicit with the term “car”, but there probably won’t be enough cash left in the team’s $25 million rescue package to hire professional movers. Instead, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman may have to make a few trips with his car in the middle of the night, just like a tenant skipping out on the rent. (It’s worth noting that the Coyotes original lease at Jobbing.com Arena ran through the year 2033.) But I’m not sure Bridgestone would want to associate its brand with the Phoenix Coyotes saga – too controversial and too few people.
How about having Bridgestone on hand to replace the slashed tires of sports journalists covering the visiting playoff team in Philadelphia? Too bad for Montreal Gazette sports writer Pat Hickey that the Bridgestone announcement hadn’t been made when his 1999 Honda Accord with a Quebec licence plate was vandalized in Philadelphia after game one of the Flyers series against the Canadiens. Still, I bet there are a few dozen Chicago-area sports reporters who would be very interested in such an offer from Bridgestone. And the good news is that they still have another 48 hours before the Flyers-Blackhawks series gets underway to make arrangements.
TONIGHT’S GAMES:
No games scheduled
According to the press release, the “Bridgestone brand will serve as the Official Tire of the NHL, NHLPA, and Hockey Hall of Fame for the next five years”. The communiqué goes on to list a plethora of events at which the tires will be featured and for which they will serve as a sponsor. But the real question, on my mind at least, was completely avoided: Why in the world does a hockey league need an Official Tire?
Could it be for the Zambonis? Well, the press release is quite specific with its message “for drivers who want to get the most out of their cars, it’s Bridgestone or nothing”. Cars, the text reads, not Zambonis. It must be for something else.
Maybe it’s for the moving vans when the Phoenix Coyotes finally croak and are relocated to Winnipeg. Again, the press release is quite explicit with the term “car”, but there probably won’t be enough cash left in the team’s $25 million rescue package to hire professional movers. Instead, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman may have to make a few trips with his car in the middle of the night, just like a tenant skipping out on the rent. (It’s worth noting that the Coyotes original lease at Jobbing.com Arena ran through the year 2033.) But I’m not sure Bridgestone would want to associate its brand with the Phoenix Coyotes saga – too controversial and too few people.
How about having Bridgestone on hand to replace the slashed tires of sports journalists covering the visiting playoff team in Philadelphia? Too bad for Montreal Gazette sports writer Pat Hickey that the Bridgestone announcement hadn’t been made when his 1999 Honda Accord with a Quebec licence plate was vandalized in Philadelphia after game one of the Flyers series against the Canadiens. Still, I bet there are a few dozen Chicago-area sports reporters who would be very interested in such an offer from Bridgestone. And the good news is that they still have another 48 hours before the Flyers-Blackhawks series gets underway to make arrangements.
TONIGHT’S GAMES:
No games scheduled
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Business of Hockey
Hockey isn’t a game anymore – it’s a business – and today’s brand of hockey journalism extends well beyond the arena all the way to the boardroom. The Hot Stove League, which ran on Hockey Night in Canada from 1939 to 1957 (first on radio and then on television), brought together well-known hockey writers to gab about the evening’s game. Today’s version, renamed The Hotstove, has nothing to do with the game itself and everything to do with the business behind it. Despite valiant efforts, the show’s participants aren’t always up to the task of truly understanding the business behind their sport.
The typical panel consists of Ron MacLean (long-time junior hockey referee and host of Hockey Night in Canada), Glenn Healy (former NHL goaltender and current colour commentator), Mike Milbury (former NHL defenseman and head coach), and Pierre Lebrun (sports reporter with the Canadian Press). Although each of these four gentlemen has secondary experience in the business world, such as Healy’s involvement with the NHL Players Association and Milbury’s time as General Manager of the New York Islanders, their collective background is clearly sports first and business second. Their business knowledge is adequate, but not extensive enough to truly understand the intricate nuances being debated in the boardroom. Why? The boardroom isn’t filled with hockey people who dab in business from time-to-time. Rather, it’s filled with business people who dab in hockey from time-to-time. Let’s take a look at the principal players in the Phoenix Coyotes saga as a typical example:
Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the NHL, is the highest ranking executive in the league. But he didn’t get the job because he was a former player. Bettman’s background includes his study of Industrial and Labour Relations at Cornell University and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. He practised at the New York law firm of Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn before serving in the legal and marketing departments of the National Basketball Association. Since joining the NHL in 1993, Bettman expanded the league by four teams, relocated four other teams, and broke the player’s union during the 2004-2005 lockout. He may not be a popular figure in Canada, but Bettman’s business acumen ranks above that of the Hockey Night in Canada panel.
So does that of Jerry M. Reinsdorf, Certified Public Accountant, lawyer, real estate tycoon, owner of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls, and, if you believe rumours, possible future owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. Then there’s Canadian billionaire David Thomson – as in the Thomson Reuters business information empire kingpin – who, if you believe rumours, could eventually be responsible for landing an NHL team in Winnipeg. Finally, there’s the Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based conservative think-tank whose policies of lower taxes, limited government spending, and a reduction in government management of the economy could, if you believe rumours, serve as the catalyst for the Coyotes deserting Arizona for the Manitoba capital.
Now I won’t pretend to be in the same league as these esteemed business veterans and organizations, but my background is very much business-oriented and I can tell you that the Hockey Night in Canada panel – like all the other sports shows heavy on athletic glory but a little low on business savvy – has it wrong when it comes to the Phoenix Coyotes current ownership situation. Specifically, this week’s vote by city council to guarantee a payment of up to $25 million to the NHL does not – I repeat - does not mean the team is safe in Phoenix for at least another year.
To make a fortune – and continue to hold on to that fortune – business people have to adapt to the changing environment in which they find themselves. A few years ago, having a $25 million insurance policy underwritten by a large U.S. municipality would have probably been sufficient for Gary Bettman and the NHL. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? If Reinsdorf walks away and no one else (i.e. Ice Edge Holdings) expresses interest in purchasing the Coyotes for retention in Phoenix, the NHL would just pocket its $25 million and move the team the following year. Right? Wrong!
The 2008 financial meltdown was all about credit and defaulting on that credit. Institutions thought they were adequately protected against nightmare scenarios because they had taken out the appropriate “insurance policies” – both literally and figuratively – only to find out at their time of need that underwriters weren’t liquid enough to pay. The lesson? A guarantee may not be worth the paper on which it’s written. I believe that’s the case with the so-called $25-million “guarantee” made to the NHL this week - and not just because the municipality is in dire financial straits - and I’m pretty sure that Gary Bettman does too.
This week’s financial “commitment” to the Phoenix Coyotes was nothing more than a political stunt – both by city council and the NHL – because neither party wants to be held directly responsible for the team’s potential departure. Yes, there is always a chance that the $25 million could be paid out, but in the absence of finding a credible buyer committed to keeping the team in Phoenix, it is far more likely that one of two scenarios will emerge: Either the Goldwater Institute will file a lawsuit to block payment to the NHL, claiming the move is illegal under state law – an argument that doesn’t need to be won but just needs to take months to resolve – or the city will refuse to pay outright, once it realizes that the team’s relocation is inevitable.
Let’s do a little situation analysis. Let’s say that, before the start of next season, Reinsdorf agrees to buy the team and keep it in Phoenix. Under such a situation, activation of the $25 million insurance policy wouldn’t be requested by the NHL. It’s only if a buyer isn’t found by then that the NHL would want council to pay. But if council knows there aren’t any buyers, it also knows that the team won’t stay in Phoenix, so why would it pay the NHL and commit political suicide – particularly if the Goldwater Institute’s argument provides an easy way out?
I find it hard to believe that a business person like Gary Bettman hasn’t thought this through and realized there is no probable outcome under which the insurance policy could be practically put into play. I find it equally sad that Hockey Night in Canada – or any sports show for that matter – can’t find the right business people to see three or four moves ahead and give viewers a more thorough understanding of what is going on behind closed doors. Far from guaranteeing the Coyotes presence in Phoenix next season, all the insurance policy does is buy the NHL more time to discuss relocation plans with Thomson for the Winnipeg option and, potentially, have the same discussion with other business moguls representing the Kansas City and Las Vegas markets (uggh!). But make no mistake - the NHL isn't interested in paper contracts - it wants its money. So if Reinsdorf doesn’t buy the team, Phoenix can kiss the Coyotes goodbye – at least that’s my “guarantee”.
THIS WEEKEND’S GAMES:
Tonight
Flyers at Bruins – Game 7, 7 p.m. (TSN)/(RDS)
Saturday
No game scheduled
Sunday
Blackhawks at Sharks – Game 1, 3 p.m. (NBC)/(TSN)/(RDS)
Canadiens at Flyers/Bruins – Game 1, 7 p.m. (CBC)/(RDS)
The typical panel consists of Ron MacLean (long-time junior hockey referee and host of Hockey Night in Canada), Glenn Healy (former NHL goaltender and current colour commentator), Mike Milbury (former NHL defenseman and head coach), and Pierre Lebrun (sports reporter with the Canadian Press). Although each of these four gentlemen has secondary experience in the business world, such as Healy’s involvement with the NHL Players Association and Milbury’s time as General Manager of the New York Islanders, their collective background is clearly sports first and business second. Their business knowledge is adequate, but not extensive enough to truly understand the intricate nuances being debated in the boardroom. Why? The boardroom isn’t filled with hockey people who dab in business from time-to-time. Rather, it’s filled with business people who dab in hockey from time-to-time. Let’s take a look at the principal players in the Phoenix Coyotes saga as a typical example:
Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the NHL, is the highest ranking executive in the league. But he didn’t get the job because he was a former player. Bettman’s background includes his study of Industrial and Labour Relations at Cornell University and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. He practised at the New York law firm of Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn before serving in the legal and marketing departments of the National Basketball Association. Since joining the NHL in 1993, Bettman expanded the league by four teams, relocated four other teams, and broke the player’s union during the 2004-2005 lockout. He may not be a popular figure in Canada, but Bettman’s business acumen ranks above that of the Hockey Night in Canada panel.
So does that of Jerry M. Reinsdorf, Certified Public Accountant, lawyer, real estate tycoon, owner of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls, and, if you believe rumours, possible future owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. Then there’s Canadian billionaire David Thomson – as in the Thomson Reuters business information empire kingpin – who, if you believe rumours, could eventually be responsible for landing an NHL team in Winnipeg. Finally, there’s the Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based conservative think-tank whose policies of lower taxes, limited government spending, and a reduction in government management of the economy could, if you believe rumours, serve as the catalyst for the Coyotes deserting Arizona for the Manitoba capital.
Now I won’t pretend to be in the same league as these esteemed business veterans and organizations, but my background is very much business-oriented and I can tell you that the Hockey Night in Canada panel – like all the other sports shows heavy on athletic glory but a little low on business savvy – has it wrong when it comes to the Phoenix Coyotes current ownership situation. Specifically, this week’s vote by city council to guarantee a payment of up to $25 million to the NHL does not – I repeat - does not mean the team is safe in Phoenix for at least another year.
To make a fortune – and continue to hold on to that fortune – business people have to adapt to the changing environment in which they find themselves. A few years ago, having a $25 million insurance policy underwritten by a large U.S. municipality would have probably been sufficient for Gary Bettman and the NHL. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? If Reinsdorf walks away and no one else (i.e. Ice Edge Holdings) expresses interest in purchasing the Coyotes for retention in Phoenix, the NHL would just pocket its $25 million and move the team the following year. Right? Wrong!
The 2008 financial meltdown was all about credit and defaulting on that credit. Institutions thought they were adequately protected against nightmare scenarios because they had taken out the appropriate “insurance policies” – both literally and figuratively – only to find out at their time of need that underwriters weren’t liquid enough to pay. The lesson? A guarantee may not be worth the paper on which it’s written. I believe that’s the case with the so-called $25-million “guarantee” made to the NHL this week - and not just because the municipality is in dire financial straits - and I’m pretty sure that Gary Bettman does too.
This week’s financial “commitment” to the Phoenix Coyotes was nothing more than a political stunt – both by city council and the NHL – because neither party wants to be held directly responsible for the team’s potential departure. Yes, there is always a chance that the $25 million could be paid out, but in the absence of finding a credible buyer committed to keeping the team in Phoenix, it is far more likely that one of two scenarios will emerge: Either the Goldwater Institute will file a lawsuit to block payment to the NHL, claiming the move is illegal under state law – an argument that doesn’t need to be won but just needs to take months to resolve – or the city will refuse to pay outright, once it realizes that the team’s relocation is inevitable.
Let’s do a little situation analysis. Let’s say that, before the start of next season, Reinsdorf agrees to buy the team and keep it in Phoenix. Under such a situation, activation of the $25 million insurance policy wouldn’t be requested by the NHL. It’s only if a buyer isn’t found by then that the NHL would want council to pay. But if council knows there aren’t any buyers, it also knows that the team won’t stay in Phoenix, so why would it pay the NHL and commit political suicide – particularly if the Goldwater Institute’s argument provides an easy way out?
I find it hard to believe that a business person like Gary Bettman hasn’t thought this through and realized there is no probable outcome under which the insurance policy could be practically put into play. I find it equally sad that Hockey Night in Canada – or any sports show for that matter – can’t find the right business people to see three or four moves ahead and give viewers a more thorough understanding of what is going on behind closed doors. Far from guaranteeing the Coyotes presence in Phoenix next season, all the insurance policy does is buy the NHL more time to discuss relocation plans with Thomson for the Winnipeg option and, potentially, have the same discussion with other business moguls representing the Kansas City and Las Vegas markets (uggh!). But make no mistake - the NHL isn't interested in paper contracts - it wants its money. So if Reinsdorf doesn’t buy the team, Phoenix can kiss the Coyotes goodbye – at least that’s my “guarantee”.
THIS WEEKEND’S GAMES:
Tonight
Flyers at Bruins – Game 7, 7 p.m. (TSN)/(RDS)
Saturday
No game scheduled
Sunday
Blackhawks at Sharks – Game 1, 3 p.m. (NBC)/(TSN)/(RDS)
Canadiens at Flyers/Bruins – Game 1, 7 p.m. (CBC)/(RDS)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Networks Hold Their Breath
Will Canadian television see the return of the Jets next season? Will CBC get Canadian content in the third round of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs? Will TSN get any content? Will NBC be shutout from its marquee player? Answers to these and other questions could begin to appear as early as tonight.
On the ice, the Vancouver Canucks host Chicago in game six of their second round playoff series. A win by the Blackhawks would eliminate Vancouver and produce an all-American Western Conference Final between Chicago and San Jose. Under such a scenario, TSN would be contractually permitted to air a handful of third round games and NBC would have the luxury of not having a Canadian team drain ratings – at least for one series. But should the Canucks force and eventually win game seven, and should the Canadiens win the game seven they’ve already forced in their series against Pittsburgh, both Conference Finals would involve Canadian teams. Under this scenario, CBC would have exclusive coverage of both third round series, TSN’s playoff coverage would be over for the year, and NBC would have to choose between two series it doesn’t want – both absent of star players Sidney Crosby and previously eliminated Alex Ovechkin – before having to possibly consider the network’s worst nightmare: An all-Canadian Stanley Cup Final. This evening’s action will go a long way in determining if such a scenario could ultimately prevail.
But the action is not only limited to the rink. About 30 minutes after tonight’s opening faceoff between Chicago and Vancouver, another high drama event is scheduled to get underway in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. On the agenda at tonight’s city council meeting is the NHL’s demand that the municipality cover the Coyotes operating losses for next season. Should the city refuse, a likely albeit not guaranteed outcome, the stage would be set for the return of the Winnipeg Jets. Montreal and Vancouver may be the only Canadian teams still alive in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the biggest street party of all may be elsewhere in the Great White North.
Whatever the results of this year’s playoff bracket, both this country and its broadcasters have reason to be optimistic about the future.
TONIGHT'S GAME:
Blackhawks at Canucks - Game 6, 9:30 p.m. (CBC)/(RDS)
On the ice, the Vancouver Canucks host Chicago in game six of their second round playoff series. A win by the Blackhawks would eliminate Vancouver and produce an all-American Western Conference Final between Chicago and San Jose. Under such a scenario, TSN would be contractually permitted to air a handful of third round games and NBC would have the luxury of not having a Canadian team drain ratings – at least for one series. But should the Canucks force and eventually win game seven, and should the Canadiens win the game seven they’ve already forced in their series against Pittsburgh, both Conference Finals would involve Canadian teams. Under this scenario, CBC would have exclusive coverage of both third round series, TSN’s playoff coverage would be over for the year, and NBC would have to choose between two series it doesn’t want – both absent of star players Sidney Crosby and previously eliminated Alex Ovechkin – before having to possibly consider the network’s worst nightmare: An all-Canadian Stanley Cup Final. This evening’s action will go a long way in determining if such a scenario could ultimately prevail.
But the action is not only limited to the rink. About 30 minutes after tonight’s opening faceoff between Chicago and Vancouver, another high drama event is scheduled to get underway in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. On the agenda at tonight’s city council meeting is the NHL’s demand that the municipality cover the Coyotes operating losses for next season. Should the city refuse, a likely albeit not guaranteed outcome, the stage would be set for the return of the Winnipeg Jets. Montreal and Vancouver may be the only Canadian teams still alive in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the biggest street party of all may be elsewhere in the Great White North.
Whatever the results of this year’s playoff bracket, both this country and its broadcasters have reason to be optimistic about the future.
TONIGHT'S GAME:
Blackhawks at Canucks - Game 6, 9:30 p.m. (CBC)/(RDS)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Coyotes-Jets: Not A Zero-Sum Game
If reports from Phoenix are accurate, it looks like Winnipeg could be on the verge of getting its beloved Jets back. CBC did a good job dedicating most of its second intermission during Saturday night’s Canadiens-Penguins telecast to reviewing the latest developments from Arizona:
Although we will have to hold our breath to see whether the Coyotes move to Winnipeg in time for next season, logic dictates that NHL hockey will return to the Manitoba capital sooner or later (and I’m betting on sooner) – either in the form of the Phoenix Coyotes or one of the other half-dozen teams in the U.S. sunbelt that are burning cash. And when this happens, Canadian television networks will be grinning from ear to ear.
CBC may need to hire an additional play-by-play crew, but the addition of a seventh Canadian team would be like a gift from above for the public broadcaster. Over the past few regular seasons, Hockey Night in Canada has increased its Saturday night audience at 7 o’clock by offering more regional content – usually from both Montreal and Ottawa – and the addition of Winnipeg to the line-up would provide a greater interest in the early game to viewers west of Ontario. What’s more, given the “draft” system used to divide playoff assignments between CBC and TSN, both networks would have a greater chance of televising an additional series involving a Canadian team. And let’s not forget Rogers Sportsnet, which has regional weekday rights to five of the six currently existing Canadian teams and would be a logical broadcast partner for the reincarnated Jets.
But this is not a zero-sum game. American networks do not need to lose in order for Canadian networks to win. Whereas the presence of the Jets would give a boost to the NHL’s northern broadcast partners, the absence of the Coyotes would go pretty much unnoticed on U.S. network television. NBC hasn’t exactly made a habit of showing games from Phoenix and it’s hard to believe the broadcaster would miss having the Coyotes as an option. It’s equally hard to believe that any of the other 23 U.S.-based teams would suffer – either at the gate or via their regional television deals – by not having Phoenix as an opponent.
Although CBC’s Ron MacLean raised a valid point in the above video by suggesting that the Boston Bruins, as a typical U.S. example, wouldn’t get excited about a visit by the Winnipeg Jets, the fact remains that none of the U.S. teams can possibly view the Coyotes as a better draw. But it would sure be a better draw for the Calgary Flames . . . and the Edmonton Oilers . . . and Hockey Night in Canada . . . and 32 million hockey fans in this country . . . and the overall financial health of the game.
Let’s hope the NHL does the right thing – and sooner rather than later.
TONIGHT’S GAMES:
Flyers at Bruins – Game 5, 7 p.m. (TSN)
Penguins at Canadiens – Game 6, 7 p.m. (CBC)/(RDS)
Although we will have to hold our breath to see whether the Coyotes move to Winnipeg in time for next season, logic dictates that NHL hockey will return to the Manitoba capital sooner or later (and I’m betting on sooner) – either in the form of the Phoenix Coyotes or one of the other half-dozen teams in the U.S. sunbelt that are burning cash. And when this happens, Canadian television networks will be grinning from ear to ear.
CBC may need to hire an additional play-by-play crew, but the addition of a seventh Canadian team would be like a gift from above for the public broadcaster. Over the past few regular seasons, Hockey Night in Canada has increased its Saturday night audience at 7 o’clock by offering more regional content – usually from both Montreal and Ottawa – and the addition of Winnipeg to the line-up would provide a greater interest in the early game to viewers west of Ontario. What’s more, given the “draft” system used to divide playoff assignments between CBC and TSN, both networks would have a greater chance of televising an additional series involving a Canadian team. And let’s not forget Rogers Sportsnet, which has regional weekday rights to five of the six currently existing Canadian teams and would be a logical broadcast partner for the reincarnated Jets.
But this is not a zero-sum game. American networks do not need to lose in order for Canadian networks to win. Whereas the presence of the Jets would give a boost to the NHL’s northern broadcast partners, the absence of the Coyotes would go pretty much unnoticed on U.S. network television. NBC hasn’t exactly made a habit of showing games from Phoenix and it’s hard to believe the broadcaster would miss having the Coyotes as an option. It’s equally hard to believe that any of the other 23 U.S.-based teams would suffer – either at the gate or via their regional television deals – by not having Phoenix as an opponent.
Although CBC’s Ron MacLean raised a valid point in the above video by suggesting that the Boston Bruins, as a typical U.S. example, wouldn’t get excited about a visit by the Winnipeg Jets, the fact remains that none of the U.S. teams can possibly view the Coyotes as a better draw. But it would sure be a better draw for the Calgary Flames . . . and the Edmonton Oilers . . . and Hockey Night in Canada . . . and 32 million hockey fans in this country . . . and the overall financial health of the game.
Let’s hope the NHL does the right thing – and sooner rather than later.
TONIGHT’S GAMES:
Flyers at Bruins – Game 5, 7 p.m. (TSN)
Penguins at Canadiens – Game 6, 7 p.m. (CBC)/(RDS)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)