Howling At The Moon

“You’ve gotta deal with reality.” Comment from Saskatoon mayor Don Atchison after plans were announced that a group of investors plans to buy the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL and have them play five of their home games in Saskatoon.It’s a long ways to anything happening,” said Mayor Don Atchison. “They don’t own the hockey club yet. . . . They need to talk to (the NHL Board of Governors) and (the NHL Players Association). We’re a long ways away at this time.
This might be called "Howling At The Moon" in honor of the prairie coyotes out there because it just isn't going to happen for at least two reasons.
1) The NHL is trying to establish a hockey market in Phoenix as misguided as that concept is. Pulling five of their home games out and awarding them anywhere else just doesn't make sense. What does that say to the few loyal Phoenix fans that may come out to the games. Sorry you only get 35 home games this year, maybe 30 next year if we can find a place to put another five.
Come to think of it NHL brass just might be dumb enough to go for it.
2) The Saskatoon Blades have been a strong feeder of NHL talent. Having Phoenix here for five games won't help the local team and the NHL won't pull the rug on them for five games.
3) Ticket prices. The new group already has dollar signs in their eyes. Do they think that Saskatonians are so starved for the NHL that they will pay double what the ticket prices are in Phoenix to see this team. Well maybe they might. Ok put Wayne Gretzky on skates and they probably will.
Its kind of pie in the sky stuff. The NHL board of governors will listen politely and then probably not so politely pass on Saskatoon. The second bid for the Coyotes is supposedly 148 million dollars, just under the 150 million supposedly the Saskatoon group is willing to pay. For two million bucks difference and a commitment to play all the games in Phoenix, what do you think the NHL will chose.
Again it made for interesting news, talk shows got to discuss it, newspapers wrote about it and tomorrow will just go back to howling at the moon and wishing for that elusive NHL franchise.
Tuesday July 28th
The Coyotes coming to Saskatoon is the lead story on the sports for the second day in a row so I guess someone has been captivated by this. This announcer is even drawing comparisons to Bill Hunter's bid to buy the St, Louis Blues and bring them to Saskatoon. But I guess there is no harm in dreaming.