Season ticket drive kicks off for Hamilton's NHL dream team TheSpec.com - BreakingNews - Season ticket drive kicks off for Hamilton's NHL dream team
<!-- PUBLISH DATE <script>TimeSincePublished("2007-06-14-10:25:54","2007-06-14","Jun. 14, 2007");</script>--><!-- AUTHOR 1 -->By Steve Buist
<!-- ARTICLE CONTENT-->
There’s a spirited ticket drive under way, a lease agreement in place and renewed enthusiasm that Hamilton may finally get its foot in the NHL door.
Just a couple of small problems, though.
Hamilton’s team is still located about a thousand kilometres south of here and it hasn’t even been sold yet.
Last night, city councillors approved an agreement that would allow Copps Coliseum to become the future home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
A season ticket deposit drive kicks off this morning, and dozens of people have already contacted the Spectator for information on how to put down a fully refundable deposit in the event that the Predators head north.
Fans are being asked to ante up $1,000 for a lower bowl seat, $500 for an upper bowl seat or $5,000 to reserve a suite.
For more information, contact Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca.
However, last night’s agreement is being described as a “contingency plan” by a representative of the prospective buyer, BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie, and the deal doesn’t make Hamilton the exclusive destination for the team.
At a hastily called news conference at City Hall, Balsillie’s lawyer Richard Rodier repeatedly stressed that there’s still a lease in place in Nashville and the Hamilton agreement is a “contingency plan.
“The City of Hamilton has been kind enough to throw its hat in the ring,” said Rodier.
But when asked if the deal rules out Kitchener-Waterloo as a potential relocation site, Rodier said no.
“If a relocation application is put forward, the league would like us to look at all reasonable alternatives,” said Rodier. “Our preliminary indication is that Hamilton would be ahead of the pack.”
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger is confident that the city has adequately protected its future prospects.
“The language in the agreement prevents us from being used as a tool to go somewhere else,” said Eisenberger.
Council voted 15-1 in favour of extending a lease option to Balsillie if he is successful in purchasing the team and decides to relocate the franchise.
Russ Powers was the only councillor to vote against the proposal.
The agreement released late last night was a stripped down version of the lease plan that was released publicly last month. It contained no financial information about lease payments or planned improvements to Hamilton Place and the convention centre that have been included in the agreement.
The motion approved last night by councillors said that an attached management agreement “contains technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied to the city in confidence” which could affect the competitive position of the city or Balsillie.
Balsillie, co-CEO of Waterloo-based Research in Motion, has reportedly reached a tentative agreement to purchase the Predators from Wisconsin businessman Craig Leopold for $238 million US.
He submitted a formal purchase application to NHL Tuesday but the sale of the team has to be approved by the league’s board of governors.
Rodier said Balsillie’s planned purchase of the team will not be put in front of the NHL’s board for several months.
Eisenberger said that Hamilton taxpayers will not be on the hook for any relocation fees the team might have to pay or any costs for improvements to Copps Coliseum.
“Taxpayers of Hamilton have already invested in Copps Coliseum,” said Eisenberger. “Future costs would be borne by the operator of an NHL team.”
A very preliminary figure for renovating the arena, Eisenberger speculated, might be in the range of $50 million.
The option agreement that was released publicly last night says only that the city must be satisfied that Balsillie’s renovation and retrofit plans for Copps “are substantive in nature.”
The new agreement now expires on Dec. 30 if Balsillie has not been successful in acquiring a team by that date.
The city can also opt out of the agreement with 30 days notice if Balsillie enters into lease negotiations elsewhere.
Rodier said the season-ticket drive that begins in Hamilton today is a move that needs to be taken to show that Hamilton could be a viable market if the Predators need to be moved.
“We all know the Golden Horseshoe is the greatest hockey market in the world,” said Rodier.
Rodier also pointed out that the other suitor for the Predators has also started a ticket campaign in Kansas City, where he’d consider a possible relocation.
Balsillie still faces a significant fight to get the Predators out of Nashville.
Nashville’s Tennessean newspaper reported yesterday that the local Metro government believes some outstanding legal issues prevent the Predators from invoking a clause that would allow the team to escape its arena lease.
Nashville’s government argues that the Predators wouldn’t be allowed to leave the city until 2009 at the earliest.
sbuist@thespec.com
905-526-3226
<!-- PUBLISH DATE <script>TimeSincePublished("2007-06-14-10:25:54","2007-06-14","Jun. 14, 2007");</script>--><!-- AUTHOR 1 -->By Steve Buist
<!-- ARTICLE CONTENT-->
There’s a spirited ticket drive under way, a lease agreement in place and renewed enthusiasm that Hamilton may finally get its foot in the NHL door.
Just a couple of small problems, though.
Hamilton’s team is still located about a thousand kilometres south of here and it hasn’t even been sold yet.
Last night, city councillors approved an agreement that would allow Copps Coliseum to become the future home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
A season ticket deposit drive kicks off this morning, and dozens of people have already contacted the Spectator for information on how to put down a fully refundable deposit in the event that the Predators head north.
Fans are being asked to ante up $1,000 for a lower bowl seat, $500 for an upper bowl seat or $5,000 to reserve a suite.
For more information, contact Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca.
However, last night’s agreement is being described as a “contingency plan” by a representative of the prospective buyer, BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie, and the deal doesn’t make Hamilton the exclusive destination for the team.
At a hastily called news conference at City Hall, Balsillie’s lawyer Richard Rodier repeatedly stressed that there’s still a lease in place in Nashville and the Hamilton agreement is a “contingency plan.
“The City of Hamilton has been kind enough to throw its hat in the ring,” said Rodier.
But when asked if the deal rules out Kitchener-Waterloo as a potential relocation site, Rodier said no.
“If a relocation application is put forward, the league would like us to look at all reasonable alternatives,” said Rodier. “Our preliminary indication is that Hamilton would be ahead of the pack.”
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger is confident that the city has adequately protected its future prospects.
“The language in the agreement prevents us from being used as a tool to go somewhere else,” said Eisenberger.
Council voted 15-1 in favour of extending a lease option to Balsillie if he is successful in purchasing the team and decides to relocate the franchise.
Russ Powers was the only councillor to vote against the proposal.
The agreement released late last night was a stripped down version of the lease plan that was released publicly last month. It contained no financial information about lease payments or planned improvements to Hamilton Place and the convention centre that have been included in the agreement.
The motion approved last night by councillors said that an attached management agreement “contains technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied to the city in confidence” which could affect the competitive position of the city or Balsillie.
Balsillie, co-CEO of Waterloo-based Research in Motion, has reportedly reached a tentative agreement to purchase the Predators from Wisconsin businessman Craig Leopold for $238 million US.
He submitted a formal purchase application to NHL Tuesday but the sale of the team has to be approved by the league’s board of governors.
Rodier said Balsillie’s planned purchase of the team will not be put in front of the NHL’s board for several months.
Eisenberger said that Hamilton taxpayers will not be on the hook for any relocation fees the team might have to pay or any costs for improvements to Copps Coliseum.
“Taxpayers of Hamilton have already invested in Copps Coliseum,” said Eisenberger. “Future costs would be borne by the operator of an NHL team.”
A very preliminary figure for renovating the arena, Eisenberger speculated, might be in the range of $50 million.
The option agreement that was released publicly last night says only that the city must be satisfied that Balsillie’s renovation and retrofit plans for Copps “are substantive in nature.”
The new agreement now expires on Dec. 30 if Balsillie has not been successful in acquiring a team by that date.
The city can also opt out of the agreement with 30 days notice if Balsillie enters into lease negotiations elsewhere.
Rodier said the season-ticket drive that begins in Hamilton today is a move that needs to be taken to show that Hamilton could be a viable market if the Predators need to be moved.
“We all know the Golden Horseshoe is the greatest hockey market in the world,” said Rodier.
Rodier also pointed out that the other suitor for the Predators has also started a ticket campaign in Kansas City, where he’d consider a possible relocation.
Balsillie still faces a significant fight to get the Predators out of Nashville.
Nashville’s Tennessean newspaper reported yesterday that the local Metro government believes some outstanding legal issues prevent the Predators from invoking a clause that would allow the team to escape its arena lease.
Nashville’s government argues that the Predators wouldn’t be allowed to leave the city until 2009 at the earliest.
sbuist@thespec.com
905-526-3226
