Hurricanes Owner Peter Karmanos yesterday said that the fact he has put the ECHL Florida Everblades and Germain Arena "on the market should not be interpreted as an indication he wants or has plans to divest all of his hockey interests," according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. Karmanos said, "I like owning the Hurricanes." He added, "I keep saying we have one of the best arena deals in the league. We have one of the best facilities. We’re in one of the fastest-growing markets in the country. Why would we ever move?” The sale of the Everblades, the ECHL affiliate for the Hurricanes, was "announced late Monday." The 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena in which the Everblades play "also is being sold." When the deal is "completed, it will end Karmanos’ 15-year ownership of the team." Karmanos: “It was fun winning the championship last year. I just couldn’t get down to Florida as much as I would have liked. ... I’m 70 years old. I’d like to focus most of my energy on the Hurricanes.” Alexander notes Karmanos retains "majority ownership of the Hurricanes but has sold off a percentage of the team to investors" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 5/1). In Raleigh, Luke DeCock writes after winning the Stanley Cup in '06, Hurricanes President & GM Jim Rutherford has "earned the right to call his shot." The decision to leave his position "should be his -- and it will be." Karmanos is "never going to fire Rutherford." But after the Hurricanes have missed the playoffs six times in seven seasons since winning the Cup, Rutherford "has to ask himself: Is he still the right man for the job?" While he "operates under the considerable financial constraints imposed by Karmanos," Rutherford "bears ultimate responsibility for several persistent and perennial failures" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 5/1).
