League Notes

Writer Feels Bettman Should Be Thanked By Canadians

The NATIONAL POST's Joe O'Connor wrote it is NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman -- the "cartoon villain in the Arizona bankruptcy court -- who deserves to be thanked by the Canadian public." Red Wings Senior VP & Alternate Governor Jimmy Devellano: "All this B.S. about Jim Balsillie, the pied piper of RIM, stirring up all of Ontario and making the NHL out to be against teams in Canada, all of it was B.S. This fight was never about a team in Hamilton." O'Connor noted if the Coyotes "had been deemed portable" by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Redfield Baum, "every NHL franchise would have become portable and prone to an enterprising billionaire looking to buy and relocate a club" (NATIONAL POST, 10/7).

PRICE CHECK: In N.Y., Ken Belson noted NHL teams "have raised prices by an average of just" $0.05 this season. Team Marketing Report's Fan Cost Index indicated that ticket prices "inched up by" 0.1% compared with last season to $51.41 per game. Eleven of the league's 30 teams "raised prices," while 13 teams "kept prices steady." Six team "cut prices." The average price of a non-premium ticket for the Maple Leafs is "by far the most expensive in the league" at $117.49. The Stars have the least expensive ticket at $35.66. Rangers premium tickets are the "most expensive at an average of $249.88," while the Red Wings have the "least expensive average for such tickets" at $60.89 (NYTIMES.com, 10/6).

OWNERS ONLY: PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio cited an NFL source as saying that next week's ownership meeting in Boston "will include a session limited to the principal owner of each team." It is believed that the meeting "will focus on the labor agreement, and possibly revenue sharing." Other business "will be conducted at sessions that aren't limited to the principal team owners" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 10/7).

ON TRACK: USF1 Technical Dir Ken Anderson said that the team "will be ready to test in January ahead of their debut season next year." Anderson is "confident the team will be on the grid come March." Anderson: "Our timing is according to plan, with an early November 'roller' and a finished car in time for January 2010 testing" (London INDEPENDENT, 10/8).