Columbus, OH Mayor Greg Lashutka and Worthington Industries
Inc. founder John McConnell are "wooing" Whalers Owner Peter
Karmanos to move the club to Columbus, according to Dan Crawford
of COLUMBUS BUSINESS FIRST. Lashutka, McConnell and a "dozen"
others, including ECHL Columbus Chill President David Paitson,
met with Karmanos October 9 in Columbus and that city officials
are attempting to raise between $20-40M in private funds so that
the Franklin County Commission can place a plan for a $287M
downtown arena on the May '97 ballot. Paitson said Karmanos is
seeking local investors to purchase minority ownership in the
Whalers as part of a deal to move the club, and that Chill Owner
Horn Chen is "interested in purchasing a portion of the team."
The Whalers are under contract to remain in Hartford through '97-
98. Whalers spokesperson Chris Brown said he had "no comment on
Columbus." The City of Columbus is also "on the verge" of
applying for an NHL expansion franchise, although NHL Dir of
Communications Arthur Pincus said the league has yet to receive
an expansion application from the city. Sports marketing exec
Max Muhleman, on Columbus' chance for an expansion team:
"Columbus is on our radar screen. ... [It] is in the top five
markets that could support a major league franchise" (COLUMBUS
BUSINESS FIRST, 10/21 issue).
