Five cities are vying for Phoenix Coyotes
Does Saskatoon stand a chance at landing a National Hockey League hockey franchise? A number of cities or ownership groups are vying for an NHL team.
The StarPhoenix asked Glen Hodgson, Conference Board of Canada chief economist and co-author of an ongoing series on the Canadian sports market, for his take on the contenders.
Here's a roundup of each of the interested parties by David Hutton and SP intern Andrew Downing.
PHOENIX
Population: 226,721 (Glendale); 1,445,632 (Phoenix)
Arena: Jobing.com Arena (17,125)
Context: The Coyotes, relocated from Winnipeg 15 years ago, lose $20 million or more annually and only fill 70 per cent of the arena on average, the second last in total NHL attendance. They are owned by the NHL, with three potential bidders. Last year, the City of Glendale put $25 million into the team.
The Players: The NHL's first priority is keeping a team in Phoenix. A deal with Greg Jamison, ex-CEO of the San Jose Sharks, is reportedly going through final approvals and due diligence. There also needs to be negotiations with the city of Glendale, which owns Jobing.com Arena. But Jamison, the NHL and Glendale are close to a final deal, a number of sources told Phoenix TV in February. Jeremy Roenick is reportedly involved. If a deal falls through with Jamison, the NHL may look to sell the Coyotes to another ownership group led by Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Phoenix attorney John Kaites, reports suggest. A decision on the Coyotes future is expected by late April.
Key quote: "I have unequivocally denied (several times) that we have a deal with Jamison, (much less that the Board has approved him). I hope it gets done with Jamison, but there is a long way between here and there." the NHL's deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in February.
Glen Hodgson: "The (Glendale) arena is in the wrong end of town. The money in Phoenix is in Scottsdale and Mesa, which is a 45-minute drive across town. It's a very long haul.
The Coyotes did OK when they were downtown. The building is spectacular, but there's a question about market appetite for hockey. At what point does the NHL say enough of this? It's nice to have a sugar daddy in the City of Glendale, but it starts to really hurt your brand as a league."
SEATTLE
Population: 608,660 (city), 3,344,813 (metro)
Arena: Key Arena (15,177); new arena project proposed.
Context: The Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma in 2008. Chris Hansen, a San Francisco hedge fund manager and his investment group, is planning to raise $290 million toward his proposed $490-million sports and entertainment arena proposal with the top priority bringing back the NBA.
The Players: Hansen is seeking a partnership with another group to lead the NHL franchise developments. Seattle is studying the feasibility of Hansen's financing proposal and is meeting with experts on sports facility management and public-private partnerships. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn made it clear Hansen must first secure an NBA franchise or there would be no arena. Hansen says a different ownership group would have to bring the NHL. A Hansen company has already bought $21 million worth of land in Seattle's stadium district.
Key quote: "This isn't about Chris Hansen," Hansen told the Seattle Times. "This is about an NBA team and a new arena."
Glen Hodgson: "It's a good sports town with impressive facilities, but it's also a very crowded market space. Seattle already has NFL, baseball, a soccer team and they are trying to get the NBA back. You might be saturating the market. The Key Arena isn't ideal for hockey, so an owner would have to lose money until a facility was built."
KANSAS CITY
Population: 459,787 (city), 2,035,334 (metro)
Arena: Sprint Center (17,500)
Context: Opened in 2007, the city's Sprint Center holds 19,000 spectators with 17,500 for hockey. But the Arena Football League's Command is the only permanent tenant. Kansas City has been in active negotiations with the NBA and NHL to bring teams to a city that has not seen hockey since 1976 when the Scouts moved to Colorado.
The arena was sold out for an exhibition game in late-September between the Los Angeles Kings and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Players: AEG, the arena owner, has not identified an individual or group willing to step up and bring a franchise to Kansas City.
Latest news: At the NHL general manager meetings this week, commissioner Gary Bettman said there are no contingency plans for a Coyotes move, according to CBC.
An anonymous NHL executive told CBC there's a "dead heat between Quebec City, Seattle and Kansas City" for a team.
Key quote: "Kansas City can take its time," Tim Leiweke, whose company manages the Sprint Center, told the Kansas City Star after the pre-season game."The key is you can chase a team, but you're going to end up not making a great deal and maybe being disappointed. Or you can wait and not only try to find the right situation, but economically make the right deal. We're not chasing and I love the mayor's attitude, which is: 'Under our terms.' "
Glen Hodgson: "The Kansas City Royals have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball at $36 million. That's already an indicator the market is not far from a saturation point. There's a burning passion for hockey in Canadian cities and Kansas City had the chance and they couldn't demonstrate the passion. What's the passion for hockey in the market? That would be the big question mark for me."
QUEBEC CITY
Population: 516,622 (city), 765,706 (metro)
Arena: Colisee Pepsi (15,176); new 18,000-seat arena proposed
History: The Nordiques relocated to Denver in 1995. With Winnipeg luring the Jets back to the Prairies, the Quebec capital has been attempting the same.
Players: Pierre Karl Peladeau, CEO of media giant Quebecor, is leading the charge. He said recently that Quebecor has "all the tools" to attract a team.
Latest news: Quebecor recently won a contract to manage the $400-million arena and is working to bring an NHL team back to the provincial capital. The arena will be built for 2015. The city council this week approved a $7-million refurbishment of the aging Colisee if an NHL team is approved.
Key Quote: "We're ready for whatever decision the National Hockey League makes," Quebec Mayor Regis Labeaume told reporters this week. "We have people in the midst of drawing up the modifications that need to be made to the existing Colisee. We'll be sending out tenders in April, everything is calculated to the last penny, on time, on target and on budget, I hope."
Glen Hodgson: "Quebec City is ready for a team right now. They're really committed to creating a space where they could watch the return of the Nordiques. But they need a franchise. What you're seeing happen in Winnipeg could easily happen in Quebec City."
HAMILTON
Population: 519,949 (city), 721,053 (metro)
Arena: Copps Coliseum (17,000)
Context: The city opened Copps Coliseum in 1985, offering a 17,000-seat venue to an NHL franchise, which never came). The arena would need a major revamping to house a modern hockey team. Research in Motion founder Jim Balsillie made a big public pitch to bring Phoenix to Hamilton in 2009, but that bid was rejected. As with the last attempt to land an NHL team, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres have very pricey territorial rights and the NHL can veto any move into a new market. The Conference Board of Canada recently said Hamilton can successfully support an NHL team.
Players: Three entertainment and events firms are bidding to run the Hamilton Entertainment Convention Facilities Inc. (HECFI), which includes Copps Coliseum, Hamilton Place and the Hamilton Convention Centre. The groups aren't promising to bring the NHL, but "all have stated their willingness to put their expertise and skills at the city's disposal," writes the Hamilton Spectator's Andrew Dreschel
Key Quote: "Hamilton has the huge benefit of being located near Toronto, where 286 large corporations have their head offices," says the Conference Board of Canada report. "A new NHL franchise in Hamilton could likely count on the support of at least some of the large corporations based in the Greater Toronto Area."
Glen Hodgson: "We would put Hamilton next on the list. Hamilton also has a lot of the market attributes, but they would have to pay royalties to Toronto and Buffalo."
SASKATOON
Population: 225,000 (city), 260,600 (metro area)
Arena: Credit Union Centre (15,195)
Context: In 1983, Bill Hunter came close to leading the relocation of the St. Louis Blues to Saskatoon, but the move was blocked by the NHL.
Players: On Ice Management Group Inc. (John Graham)
Latest news: On Ice has approached municipal government in Saskatoon and the Saskatchewan provincial government about its proposal to the NHL. But Graham, a Toronto promoter and part-time race car driver, has said the group won't comment until something is final. The group has received support from CBC hockey commentator Don Cherry, former NHL coach Barry Melrose and Winnipeg Jets co-owner Mark Chipman, who preached patience as Saskatoon chases a franchise.
Key quote: "I don't have any doubt the province of Saskatchewan could support an NHL hockey team," Chipman told The Star-Phoenix. "That, I have no doubt whatsoever. I'm familiar with the strength of the economy, and the knowledge and passion for the game out there is as strong as any geographic area in our country. The only question is how far will people drive to get to a game? That's the only question I have in my mind."
Glen Hodgson: "Population is the big question. It's not a question of passion for hockey in the market. There is even a growing number of head offices and income levels. The issue is really are people prepared to drive four hours through a snowstorm for a hockey game? There are 41 (home) games in a year so it's not like the Riders with nine games. With a smaller building fans are also going to pay a premium. But right now in Saskatchewan hope springs eternal. That's the beauty of Saskatoon. This is your time. So why not try for a hockey team?"
Source: The StarPhoenix
Cities Most Likely to get Phoenix Coyotes
