Posts Tagged Bill Daly
Kovalchuk’s agent calls KHL … Why Mitchell didn’t sign with the Sharks, Canucks … Fehr in as NHLPA leader?
Posted by Mark Easson in NHL News, NHL Rumors on August 26th, 2010
- Dmitry Chesnokov via twitter: According to @plysenkov and their mutual sources, the league is looking for a 13 year contract for Kovalchuk.
- Craig Custance via twitter: KHL president Alexander Medvedev said that he received a call from Jay Grossman, Kovalchuk’s agent, and he remains hopeful that the KHL is still an option.
- James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail: Medvedev is still hopeful that his club, SKA St. Petersberg can sign Kovalchuk. “Ilya knows that our proposal is still on the table,” Medvedev said. “Actually, I got a call from his agent. I will call (him back) after I finishing the discussion with you.” Gary Bettman said yesterday that the NHL did not reject a second contract between the Devils and Kovalchuk (reports were that the ‘framework’ had been rejected). Bill Daly said he thinks that Kovalchuk will stay but league will stand by their rejection of the contract even if Kovalchuk leaves for Russia.
- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: Heika thinks the Stars and Nicklas Grossman are close on a 2 year deal around $2 million a season.
- David Pollack of the San Jose Mercury News: The San Jose Sharks, and at least 2 other teams were unwilling to offer Willie Mitchell a multi-year deal, money wasn’t the issue. A front-office source says the Sharks won’t be bringing back Owen Nolan. Sources also tell Pollack that the team isn’t interested in Antti Niemi.
- Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province: With the Canucks over the salary cap by around $3 million, they couldn’t offer Mitchell a lot. They were offered him a one-year deal in the $1.8-$2 million range.
- James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail: Sources are saying that Donald Fehr will be taking over as the executive director of the NHLPA. Fehr stepped down from the MLBPA last year, and has been link to the NHLPA for months. The NHL 30 player reps will put it to a vote, which may not be completed until after the season starts.
NHL Admits Second Team in Southern Ontario Possible
Posted by Derek in NHL News, NHL Rumors on November 9th, 2009
“NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged Monday morning that the establishment of a second franchise in Southern Ontario is a possibility.
And if the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t like it, Daly said in so many words, they can lump it.
However Daly would not speculate on when this could happen.
“I suppose, without talking about time frame, there may be,” he said of the possibility.”(source-David Shoalts, Globe Sports)
After all the speculation as too the possible reasons for why the NHL was so intent on blocking billionaire Jim Balsillie from re-locating The Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton during the off season, it’s still somewhat unclear what was really going on.
What is clear is that the league already had designs on putting a team in southern Ontario, and it’s more likely than not that it was the expansion fee that would be collected from the potential buyer(s) that was the real motivator to block Balsillie.
The expansion fee amount is speculated to be in the neighbourhood of $500 million (US Dollars), which is over double what Balsillie was bidding for the Coyotes.
It’s hard to say what’s really going on behind the scenes when you’re talking about the NHL front office, but this had the feel of lawyers all over it and it truly re-enforces the fact that hockey (all major sports for that matter) is really a business.
That’s not to suggest that I ever had any other impression of the reality here, but it does sting a bit with the whole “make it 7″ campaign that Balsillie was trumpeting. For me that whole thing wasn’t about Canada or patriotism per say, it was about the feeling that the fans had a voice and Balsillie was listening.
What a novel idea?
To actually listen to the people who fill the stands, gather in bars and restaurants, crowd around the television at home and friends houses to watch the product your selling. The same people who are wondering why the NHL is so opposed to what seems so obvious to them. Why wouldn’t the NHL want to listen to the voice of the passionate hockey fans who only want something to cheer for?
There’s no doubt that Balsillie was looking to make money too but at least he gave the impression that he was interested in serving the southern Ontario hockey fans with an option other than the Toronto Maple Leafs. The NHL is giving an entirely different impression.
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