Jets President Barry Shenkarow met with MN-based health care
executive Richard Burke and NY businessman Steve Gluckstern in
Winnipeg Friday to "begin the process of selling the team,"
according to Scott Taylor in the WINNIPEG FREE PRESS. Shenkarow
said Tuesday he felt obligated to give the two Americans first
right of refusal to buy the club. Burke and Gluckstern had
negotiated in May to purchase the team before a local effort
delayed those negotiations (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 8/19). In the
Twin Cities, Sid Hartman reports that Burke plans to "try to buy
the NHL team, keep it in Winnipeg this season," and hopes to get
$20M in state funding to assist a move to the Target Center for
'96-97. Burke reportedly wants to buy the team to avoid having
current Jets ownership dump its best players. Target Center
officials say it "would be almost impossible" to move the team
for '95-96 (Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 8/20). In Winnipeg, Hal
Sigurdson writes that "it's an interesting debate" on whether the
team should try to sign its top stars, or cut salaries to lessen
taxpayer-funded losses (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 8/19).
