NHL Oilers Owner Peter Pocklington "is putting
pressure" on a group which would buy the team and keep it in
Edmonton, as Pocklington is now opening the process for
"external bidding" from out-of-town groups, according to
Terry Jones of the EDMONTON SUN. Pocklington: "We've waited
two or three months. We said we'd give the locals until
this Friday for the bids to be in. There aren't any in."
Jones: "So what does this mean? It means Pocklington is
going to play dirty" (EDMONTON SUN, 9/11). Cathy Roozen of
Cathon Holdings Ltd., "believed to be a member of a local
group interested in buying the Oilers," would not say
"whether the group is ready to make a move." Roozen: "I'm
sure there'll be some news before the beginning of next
week" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 9/11). In the HOCKEY NEWS, Dan
Barnes reports there is "talk" that Economic Development
Edmonton President Rick LeLacheur "will take a leading role"
in a local ownership group (HOCKEY NEWS, 9/12 issue).
STRIKING OIL? Oilers Exec VP/Business Ops Doug Piper
puts the team's current season-ticket base at 13,231. Piper:
"We're now expecting 20 to 25 sellouts this year. ... Our
Oiler inventory, board signs, ice and scoreboard advertising
is sold out. ... Our Coliseum Management Inc. inventory, in
the building, has gone from about 30 percent to about 50
percent. ... There has been a phenomenal resurgency with
sponsorship for the product" (EDMONTON SUN, 9/11).
