On Friday, the NHL Board of Governors' committee on Revenue
and Currency recommended the use of league funds to help eligible
Canadian teams deal with the disparity between the U.S. and
Canadian dollars. The N.Y. TIMES' Charlie Nobles reports that
the qualifications depend on a club being in the lower half of
league revenue -- "despite doing a good job of selling season
tickets and suites, as well as merchandising." The franchises
likely affected are Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa. NHL
Commissioner Gary Bettman said the new plan "in no way signaled
the start of more extensive NHL involvement in revenue sharing"
(N.Y. TIMES, 12/16). Bettman noted the subsidy would come out of
shared league revenues such as TV and licensing profits (USA
TODAY, 12/18). In Dallas, Terry Egan notes that currently, only
Calgary meets all requirements (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/17).
DISSENTING OPINION: In Montreal, Pat Hickey writes Canadian
fans "shouldn't take much consolation" from the plan since "it
may not offer enough assistance to save teams in Calgary,
Edmonton and Ottawa" because they might have problems qualifying
in terms of community support and suite sales. Hickey notes the
Oilers are over 4,000 season tickets short of qualifying, but
have only sold 18 of 54 luxury boxes. Hickey foresees similar
problems in Ottawa and Calgary, and notes one irony is that the
Nordiques "might have benefited." Also, the plan does not settle
disparity in other areas, such as local TV rights. Hickey: "The
bottom line is that Canadian teams are being left too fend for
themselves. ... But if that's the way things are going to work,
the NHL should say so up front and not cloud the issue with empty
promises" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 12/18).
EXPANSION NOTES: While Bettman said the league is not ready
to expand, Kevin Paul Dupont writes to look for 28 teams "by the
end of the century." Dupont reports NHL owners want Paul Allen
to own a franchise in Portland (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/17). In
Minneapolis, Sid Hartman writes, "There will be a team in town in
the near future, owned by [T-Wolves Owner Glen] Taylor and his
partners, once the city works out a deal so Taylor can own or run
the Target Center" (Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 12/17).
