Wayne Gretzky is "optimistic" that he and partner Steve
Ellman's $87M bid to purchase the Coyotes will "finally be
approved" by the NHL BOG after a meeting this morning with
an exec committee of seven team owners and Commissioner Gary
Bettman, according to Damien Cox of the TORONTO STAR.
Gretzky: "It's been a tough three months, but that's okay.
I guess they more or less want to make sure the financing is
in place. They want to make sure we have the wherewithal to
keep the team in Phoenix." More Gretzky, on the NHL BOG:
"These are pretty thorough people who do their homework. As
far as my partner, he's a pretty good man, a pretty honest
man, and he's done all he can" (TORONTO STAR, 12/11). In
Phoenix, Chip Scutari writes that the 30 NHL owners "are
expected to unanimously approve" Ellman and Gretzky's
purchase during meetings tomorrow. Scutari: "The future of
the Coyotes in the Valley, however, still rests on choppy
ice if Ellman can't nail down an arena-anchored deal in
Scottsdale, Tempe, or the West Valley" (AZ REPUBLIC, 12/11).
COULDN'T IT BE ALL SO SIMPLE? In Toronto, David Shoalts
reports that Ellman and Gretzky "will have to show" owners
that they have $89M in addition to the $18.5M they have
already paid to outgoing Owner Richard Burke. Most of the
$89M is in the form of a $60M loan from the Sumitomo Bank of
Japan. Shoalts also cites a report indicating that Ellman
has raised $9M by selling three shopping malls and "claims
to have" $40M from a group of investors "attracted by
Gretzky's participation." Shoalts: "If the governors
approve the deal, Ellman and Gretzky would have to go back
to Burke, settle any remaining issues and give him the rest
of the purchase price and any losses he has covered this
season" (GLOBE & MAIL, 12/11). In Toronto, Al Strachan
writes that "even though the financing is in place,"
Blackhawks Owner Bill Wirtz "can be expected to complain" at
the league meetings "on two grounds." Strachan: "First, he
is genuinely worried about Gretzky losing money in the deal.
Secondly, there's too much OPM [Other People's Money] in the
package for his liking" (TORONTO SUN, 12/11).
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: The CP cites an "unconfirmed
report" from yesterday's Le Journal de Montreal that Bell
Canada Enterprises (BCE) "will soon become" the new owner of
the Canadiens (CP, 12/11). In Montreal, Pat Hickey writes
that "no-shows have been a season-long concern for the
struggling Canadiens, with interest dropping among the well-
heeled corporate types who populate the lower bowl at the
Molson Centre." But the low turnout of 11,500 for
yesterday's team skills competition "raised the question of
whether the Canadiens are also losing appeal among the
younger set." In recent years, the building was "filled"
with 18,000-19,000 fans for the event. Canadiens
VP/Marketing Pierre Ladouceur said that a "change in
sponsorship" was one "major" factor for the lower
attendance, as the NHL signed Dodge as a leaguewide sponsor
of the event and former competition sponsor McDonald's was
"relegated to a minor role." Ladouceur, on Dodge: "They did
a good job, but they started later than usual and didn't
have quite the same enthusiasm" (Montreal GAZETTE, 12/11).
