Balsillie, Bettman, the NHL and Coyotes

By some reports, Balsillie is done, the judge ruled against him, it's over. No team in Hamilton. Now, take a look at the MakeItSeven website. Well, that clears things up... right?

While I think a team in the Hamilton area would do well, it's hard to see Balsillie getting his way. Unfortunately, that means Bettman might get his way. I realize that Bettman has done some good things for the game as a business, but as a sport, he's probably done more to hurt it that any previous commissioner. The game is all about the money now. The NHL worries about the leagues finances and keeping teams happy. There seems to be much less caring for the fans. And if I hear Bettman say one more time that they don't run out on cities, I may hunt him down and beat him. Can you believe that ignorance?

Let's look at this a bit more objectively, if we can.

Hamilton, population 692,000 (metropolitan). Not a large city in comparsion to Phoenix's 4.2 million (metropolitan). But, now let's consider, as a comparison, southwestern ontario with arizona. Arizona's population is 6.5 million people. Southwestern Ontario? If you exclude Toronto, roughly 3.2 million. Add Toronto, and we are close to hitting 10 million (aka, 90% of Ontario's population). So, the markets are close to the same size when you consider that Southwestern Ontario would also include the Leafs (which, it must be said, sell an ungodly amount of tickets at expensive prices and have diehard fans... kind of like the Yankees, but less successful on the field of sport).

So population wise, it's pretty even... right? Except that Phoenix can't maintain the minimum numbers of ticket sales to allow for money from the rest of the NHL's teams. 6.5 million people can't fill an arena a few times over the year? Well, I guess part of the problem is playing ice hockey in the desert. It's not really a sport that fits the region's weather. Some mention that Buffalo also might be an impedement, but of the people in the area, most who go to Buffalo games from Canada are from the region right around Buffalo. I don't see that really changing that much, but it's hard to predict what would happen to the Sabres. I think the Sabres have far more to worry about than the Leafs in this regard.

Team wise? Losing $300 million (the number thrown around by current owner Moyes) in 10 years is pretty impressive... or ridiculous. Yes, I realize that the city of Glendale help build a city for the team and (apparently) has a lease for a ridiculous 25 years... but I'm almost wondering if the team still wouldn't make more moving to Hamilton and paying for the lease... and then sublease the arena to whomever they want.

So, there are some good arguments in bringing the team to Hamilton. Canada has always been a haven for ice hockey. Southwestern Ontario, I feel, could easily manage another team in the region.

Will it happen? I highly doubt it. Bettman is, if nothing else, a control freak. And I doubt he would like having someone like Balsillie, who's a bit of a maverick, in the leagues board of governers. However, I can't see why the league's owners wouldn't want a man with deep pockets ($2 billion+ net worth) and a passionate love of hockey, in their group.

Maybe it's because too many of the don't care about the sport, but just the business?