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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Bettman Vehemently Denies NHL Is Currently Considering Expansion

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman "has vehemently denied the NHL is considering expansion," according to Bill Beacon of the CP. Sports Business News last week via Twitter reported the NHL will expand into Las Vegas, Seattle, and Quebec City while adding a second franchise in Toronto by '17, but Bettman yesterday said the report is a "complete fabrication." He "took issue with the franchise fees cited in the story" -- $1.4B, or $350M per team. Bettman: "The part of the story that I found particularly difficult is: suggesting that we would sell four franchises for $1.4 billion is way too low. It undervalues our franchises." He said that the league "is not looking to expand or relocate any franchises." He added that no teams "were looking to move, including the struggling" Panthers -- even if their new owner, Vincent Viola, "has concerns about the club's arena lease." Bettman added, "Nobody's moving. And speculation to the contrary not only is wrong, it's unfair to the team and their fans who are being speculated about." Bettman "made the remarks at an event put on by a media company, Quebecor, that hopes to bring NHL hockey back to Quebec City." Quebecor bought naming rights on a C$400M arena "due to be completed" by fall '15 in Quebec City, which hopes to land an NHL club. Bettman: "We've been very candid and up front that if in fact we go through an expansion process, the world will know about it. But we're not looking to relocate any franchises, and we're not looking to expand. We've been very clear about that since Day One when we were told about the building of the new arena" (CP, 9/3).

CITY SCAPES: In Montreal, Pat Hickey notes there is this "lingering idea that the NHL wants to go West to balance the two conferences." There are currently 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the Western Conference, and that "makes possible bids from Seattle and Las Vegas look attractive." Bettman denied that geography "would play a part in any expansion decision, but ... specifically mentioned that there was no appetite for adding another team in the East." The "big puzzle is why there seems to be more enthusiasm for a team in Seattle than in Quebec." Quebec "offers a spanking-new arena and a well-heeled if not universally loved prospective owner in Pierre Karl Péladeau." On the other hand, Seattle "has no arena and the guy who wants to build one, Chris Hansen, is interested" in the NBA, "not the NHL" (Montreal GAZETTE, 9/4).

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