One day after the NHL announced expansion by four teams
and league realignment, Joe Lapointe of the N.Y. TIMES
writes that "with a few bold strokes, Commissioner Gary
Bettman brought his owners $320 million in expansion fees,
broadened the league's geographical television footprint and
guaranteed labor-management peace until at least 2004 with
an extension of the collective bargaining agreement" (N.Y.
TIMES, 6/19). In Toronto, Gare Joyce: "In the long run, the
NHL will survive expansion and may even thrive because of
two significant factors: First, NHL teams have only
recently begun to tap Europe as a source of talent; and
second, the number of American-born prospects will continue
to rise until Canada and the United States are on nearly
equal terms. Bigger won't be better, but it won't
necessarily be bad at all" (GLOBE & MAIL, 6/19).
MARKET NOTES: In K.C., Kent Pulliam writes on the legal
dispute between the Columbus ownership group, as ownership
execs John McConnell and Wolfe Enterprises have filed a
lawsuit seeking to obtain a franchise without Lamar Hunt's
involvement. Hunt issued a statement yesterday saying that
"the participation of the Hunt Sports Group in the venture
is still being discussed." But some close to Hunt
characterized him as "as mad as they have ever seen him"
(K.C. STAR, 6/19)....In Nashville, Kristen Hallam wrote on
sponsor interest in the team and added that BellSouth
"hasn't made a financial commitment and won't do so until
[the] franchise is formally voted on by the NHL Board of
Governors" (BANNER, 6/18).
