The "opening faceoff in the battle over the future of
the NHL in Canada takes place today" in Ottawa, according to
Mark Miller of the CALGARY SUN. An "all-star team of
ownership and league officials" are expected to make
presentations to the House of Commons' subcommittee on the
study of sport in Canada. NHL Board Chair and Flames co-
Owner Harley Hotchkiss will "anchor the presentation group,"
which includes NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and other team
execs. The subcommittee is to report to the House of
Commons this fall with a "definitive" study on the financial
impact of sports. Miller writes the "main concern that
prompted the committee is the tenuous existence of three of
six Canadian NHL teams -- Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa."
Bettman "created a storm of controversy earlier this month
by suggesting that government may have a role to play in
subsidizing those franchises through tax breaks" (CALGARY
SUN, 4/28). But Bettman told Red Fisher in Montreal, "I
wasn't asking for tax breaks ... and I won't be asking for
anything in Ottawa. All I had in mind was to lay out the
problems Canadian teams are facing. That's what we'll be
doing in Ottawa. We're not asking for anything, but we do
want them to understand what's going on" (GAZETTE, 4/28).
