Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg

[Maverick 791]

The Atlanta Thrashers will be moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba after terms of a sale were agreed upon, the Globe and Mail reported Thursday night. The deal will reportedly be announced Tuesday, with Gary Bettman in Winnipeg for the announcement.

 

If the report is accurate, this concludes a long and difficult sale process that saw the Atlanta Spirit Group repeatedly claim no local buyers were available while putting the Atlanta Hawks on the block as well. Winnipeg's True North group was reportedly the only available legit suitor.

 

No word yet on the terms of the reported deal, though the team was believed to be up for $170 million counting a $60 million relocation fee that will go to the NHL. Much more to come.

 

 

 

http://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-thrashers/2011/5/19/2180430/atlanta-thrashers-moving-to-winnipeg

[WindyCitySports 407]

Good move. No one in Atlanta likes hockey, everyone in Winnepeg likes hockey. Good move.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

I live about an hour from Atlanta, and the hockey market here is absolutely non-existent. I don't think they'll be very missed.

[blotsfan 2,112]

I don't get why the NHL has put so much effort into Phoenix but not Atlanta. Doesn't really make sense. I know their ownership situation was bad but I doubt it was much worse than the Coyotes'.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Good. Nobody in Atlanta really cares about hockey anyway. Not a surprise to see this happen.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Another Atlanta team moves to Canada.

[CARDINAL 205]

I don't get why the NHL has put so much effort into Phoenix but not Atlanta. Doesn't really make sense. I know their ownership situation was bad but I doubt it was much worse than the Coyotes'.

 

Blotsfan, if somebody knew the REAL (not the reason Gary Bettman and the NHL give) reason why they are putting so much effort into keeping a team in Phoenix even though they lose money they would be the smartest person on the planet!

Edited May 20, 2011 by CARDINALOFWISDOM

[blotsfan 2,112]

No I understand the reason. Phoenix is a very appealing market. If the NHL could make it work there, it'd be significantly more valuable to the league than any city in canada without a team. The thing is, Atlanta is a major market too. Why let them go so easily?

[RazorStar 4,025]

White Flight makes it less and less appealing by the day.

[FSUViking 184]

Fuck Winnipeg...BRING BACK THE WHALE!!!

 

 

[westbrookforsix 28]

I don't get why the NHL has put so much effort into Phoenix but not Atlanta. Doesn't really make sense. I know their ownership situation was bad but I doubt it was much worse than the Coyotes'.

Phoenix isn't great... but it's better than Atlanta. And Winnipeg deserves a team SO MUCH MORE than Atlanta does. I love seeing Canadian fans get into hockey. It also moves the NHL more West, and it is possibly going to bump the Blue Jackets or even Detroit into the Eastern Conference. It would mess with Detroit's rivalries, but I was reading that they are currently getting screwed with the time zones, and 7 PM for everyone they play against feels like 9 PM for them or something like that. It doesn't seem like it has hurt them, but it's just an interesting point I read. Plus, the NHL owns the Coyotes since they went bankrupt. This is a move made not by the NHL, but by the owner of the Thrashers.

 

Here's some financials... http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/40395-Campbell-Thrashers-on-verge-of-Winnipeg-move.html

 

What still has to be determined, according to a source, is how much of that purchase price goes to the Atlanta Spirit, a group that is hardly dealing from a position of strength when it comes to selling the team. It has been widely reported that the purchase price of the team is $110 million, with an additional $60 million going to the NHL in the form of a relocation fee.

 

Apparently, the Atlanta Spirit owner Bruce Levenson wants a bigger piece of the purchase price and is trying to get a portion of that $60 million from the NHL. It's believed the league, meanwhile, not only wants the $60 million relocation fee, but a portion of the $110 million purchase price. In fact, there's a possibility that the Atlanta Spirit might end up with only $80 million to $100 million of the purchase price.

 

So since the NHL owns the Coyotes anyway, they'll sit on them for a couple more seasons and take the 60 million dollar relocation fee (and maybe then some more).

Edited June 1, 2011 by westbrookforsix

[JetsFan4Life 542]

Bettman is currently denying this but this would be good for the NHL if it happened. I'd be interested to see how they would re-align the divisions and such. Winnipeg in the Southeast Division would not make much sense. And I think Columbus should really be the team to move to the East not Detroit. You just can't get rid of that Detroit/Chicago rivalry.

 

Oh, and Hartford is not coming back until the Islanders or Devils move.

[Turry 755]

WOOHOOO BRING HOCKEY BACK TO WINTERPEG.

[BigBen07 285]

FINALLY! Suck it Bettman! This is the first in a long line of what I hope will be possible relocations/foldings of the weak Southern U.S. teams. I'm positive Phoenix is next.

 

Like Razor said this is the second time Atlanta lost an NHL team to Canada. Why the hell would he put another team in a market that won't support them is beyond me.

 

Now let's bring teams to Hamilton, back to Quebec City, and I'm with FSU on this one, the Hartford Whalers again!

[JetsFan4Life 542]

The National Hockey League took a first step toward returning to the city of Winnipeg with Tuesday's announcement that True North Sports and Entertainment has acquired the Atlanta Thrashers, subject to an approval process by the NHL Board of Governors that will unfold in June.

 

True North Chairman Mark Chipman made the announcement, accompanied on the podium by prospective new owner David Thomson, Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and True North President and CEO Jim Ludlow.

 

"Today, on behalf of my family, our partner David Thomson and our entire organization, I am excited beyond words to announce our purchase of the Atlanta Thrashers," Chipman said. "In a sense, I guess you can say True North, our city and our province has received the call we've long since been waiting for."

 

Almost done

 

All that's left is a vote on June 21st.

[BigBen07 285]

YAHOO!!! Welcome back Winnipeg!!! Canada missed you!!! (Or, at least I did) I wish the team would be called the Jets, but the NHL still owns the right to the name, which sucks.

 

Can't wait for the voting!!!

[Turry 755]

Fuck yeah. WINTERPEG HAS A TEAM. I find it funny how we got slapped with a relocation fee.

[blotsfan 2,112]

FINALLY! Suck it Bettman! This is the first in a long line of what I hope will be possible relocations/foldings of the weak Southern U.S. teams. I'm positive Phoenix is next.

 

Like Razor said this is the second time Atlanta lost an NHL team to Canada. Why the hell would he put another team in a market that won't support them is beyond me.

Now let's bring teams to Hamilton, back to Quebec City, and I'm with FSU on this one, the Hartford Whalers again!

I know this was old, but you say that, and you want to bring back teams to all the cities that have previously failed to support teams?

[CARDINAL 205]

I know this was old, but you say that, and you want to bring back teams to all the cities that have previously failed to support teams?

 

I understand what your trying to get at but if these cities can have a strong ownership group, and a good arena to play in, then they will be successful because there is no lack of support in any place across Canada.

[westbrookforsix 28]

I know this was old, but you say that, and you want to bring back teams to all the cities that have previously failed to support teams?

It also was the quality of hockey. They drafted high a lot.

 

I do feel bad for the few Atlanta fans that were hardcore. People talk shit about the teams in the South, because unfortunately it is more about quantity of fans than quality. The people that do root for them and fell in love with the AWESOME sport of hockey are really into it. Bettman made some good moves with the Southern expansion, but he made a few moves too many. I think he should have established a few teams before just throwing them all down there all at once.

 

Honestly, if the people in the South, or people ANYWHERE give hockey a real chance (and I don't mean just on TV because TV hockey tells half the story... go to a game) they would fall in love with it. The growth of the NHL video game franchise is more than enough proof of the awesomeness of the sport of puck. It's like soccer... only faster, more line changes (more player energy), more hitting, more scoring, less diving, and way fewer stoppages... AKA better. I think soccer is a great sport when it's indoor and you have walls and the field is half the size... but you might as well just give them skates and a stick and call it hockey. The world popularity of soccer is because it is dirt cheap to play... the ultimate downfall of hockey is that it is too expensive to play, and people are convinced they can't skate before they even try it.

 

So Bettman had every reason to believe that hockey would eventually catch on in the South... but like I said... he probably put too many teams down there all at once.

[Turry 755]

I know this was old, but you say that, and you want to bring back teams to all the cities that have previously failed to support teams?

 

Quebec city won't get a team till they build a new stadium and that wont happen anytime soon. We would of still have the jets if we had the MTS Centre when they asked for it.

Edited June 2, 2011 by monstersofthemidway

[BigBen07 285]

I know this was old, but you say that, and you want to bring back teams to all the cities that have previously failed to support teams?

 

What I meant was why Bettman put a team in Atlanta again when the Flames failed there.

 

Also the main reason why Winnipeg and Quebec City were forced to leave was due to a low Canadian dollar at the time and the fact the players wanted to be paid in US dollars. With the rising salaries, the Jets and Nordiques couldn't stay, even with a lot of support. In Hartford's case the owner at that time was a greedy dick I believe. I might be wrong on that.

 

I'm sure that this new Winnipeg team (assuming of course the move is offically approved) will be around for as long as the old one, if not longer. The support is there as is the financial stability. (Canadian and US Dollars are almost at par)

 

UPDATE: WOO-HOO! Unanimous approval to move Atlanta to Winnipeg, and the team will be named the Jets once more! It's a great week for hockey in Canada! (Vancouver aside)

Edited June 25, 2011 by BigBen07