While Raleigh officials have yet to hear of a decision
from Whalers Owner Peter Karmanos "many indications point to
the Triangle as the new home for his team," according to
Steve Politi of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. Steve Stroud,
Chair of Raleigh's Centennial Authority, said he "expects to
hear from Karmanos on Thursday," the same day the authority
opens bids for the building of the $120M planned arena.
(NEWS & OBSERVER, 4/30). Karmanos has arranged to talk with
AHL Carolina Monarchs officials today, according to Scott
Micheaux of the Greensboro NEWS & RECORD. If Karmanos
decides to relocate to Raleigh, the Greensboro Coliseum "has
been pegged as the likely landing spot ... until a new arena
is built in Raleigh." Karmanos has also talked with
Fayetteville officials about their facility (Greensboro NEWS
& RECORD, 4/30). In Hartford, CT-businessperson Stephen
Fish "gave up his attempt to save the team," according to
Garber & Swift in the HARTFORD COURANT. Fish, who had been
spearheading a group to buy 49% of the team from Karmanos,
issued a statement saying he was giving up his efforts to
keep the team in Hartford. Garber & Swift write that
Karmanos "apparently told Fish Tuesday by phone that he
would not consider the deal" (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/30).
NUTTER TOUR: Whalers GM Jim Rutherford toured the
10,000-seat Nutter Center near Dayton, OH, on Monday "to see
if it would work as a temporary home," according to John
Futty in the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. The Nutter Center seats
9,959, as opposed to the 21,500-seat Greensboro Coliseum,
(COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 4/29). In Toronto, Damien Cox writes
that "by the time Mother's Day rolls around next month, the
NHL's landscape will likely have changed dramatically. ...
[T]he guessing is Hartford moves to Raleigh, the NHL grants
an expansion franchise to Columbus, and also adds Atlanta,
Nashville and Houston" (TORONTO STAR, 4/30).
