Inside the NHL
A sale of Sabres wouldn’t be reason to panic
Bucky Gleason
Updated: 05/11/08 6:46 AM
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- Sabres owner B. Thomas Golisano might be listening if Jim Balsillie makes an offer.
It was only a telephone call, one rich guy calling another to see how things were going and wondering if he wanted to do business. Jim Balsillie was just poking around, kicking the tires and seeing if a deal fell on his lap during a December conversation with Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano.
Rumors have percolated for several months that Golisano would be open to selling the franchise under the right conditions. Managing partner Larry Quinn issued a statement that basically said inquiries were common. He made it clear they’re not interested in selling to anybody who might relocate the franchise.
And while Quinn’s announcement was certainly honorable and worthy of praise for having his heart in the right place, it also meant little in the big picture.
The NHL ultimately determines the location of franchises, not Balsillie or another prospective owner who might have plans to move them. The league’s policy calls for a majority vote of owners to approve relocation. The policy was upheld in a March review by the Competition Bureau, an arm of the Canadian government.
“The Canadian Competition Bureau’s opinion relates to Canadian law,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said by telephone last week. “The law, I would tell you, would be exactly the same in the United States.”
Translation: If the league decides the Sabres belong in Buffalo, that’s where they stay.
“That’s correct,” Daly said.
Buffalo isn’t the best NHL city, and it’s definitely not the biggest. But you better believe that it’s an important market. TV ratings are often higher here than anywhere else in the United States. Former players and executives are scattered across the region. The Sabres have a strong fan base so long as they’re competitive.
The NHL has enough problems generating interest in markets that haven’t been established. The last thing it intends to do is yank a team from a passionate hockey town.
Simply, the Sabres aren’t going anywhere regardless of whether Golisano decides to cash in on his investment. And that remains a possibility.
Who could blame the guy?
Even conservative estimates show potential profits surpassing $50 million if the team is sold. Golisano expressed concerns about the NHL’s future if the salary cap continues rising. He would get the biggest bang from a sale after pulling the team from bankruptcy and assuming the risk. Quinn would stand to make a good buck. Presumably, Chief Operating Officer Dan DiPofi would get a slice, too.
If it were me, sorry, but I’d be selling.
That brings us to Balsillie, an avid fan and billionaire cofounder of Blackberry. He was willing to spend more than $200 million to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins and, after that failed, the Nashville Predators. The Hamilton, Ont. native has plenty of dough to buy the Sabres and would have a shorter commute than Golisano, wherever he may be.
Balsillie isn’t getting his team in Hamilton any time soon, if ever. But if he wants the next best thing, Sabres ownership should listen. After all, it doesn’t really matter who owns them. It matters how they operate.
Leafs shop for a GM
Now that Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice has been fired, team President Richard Peddie’s charge is scrolling his list of candidates for an experienced executive who can replace interim GM Cliff Fletcher. It takes a special person to handle the Toronto job given the national attention and daily scrutiny.
Anaheim’s Brian Burke was an early favorite before removing his name from consideration. Detroit reportedly declined permission for the Leafs to interview Ken Holland. Same goes for San Jose and Doug Wilson. Sabres GM Darcy Regier’s name has floated around the rumor mill, too, with little substance.
Blackhawks assistant GM Rick Dudley, among the sharpest personnel evaluators in the business, would be a strong candidate. He played a large role in building the nucleus that led Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup in 2004. He also had the big chair in Ottawa during their early years of success. He hasn’t shown any interest.
“I’m very happy in Chicago,” said Dudley, who makes his home in Lewiston. “I expect to win the Stanley Cup in the next few years. I’m not pursuing anything.”
Who’s left?
Don’t be surprised if Colin Campbell, NHL vice president and director of hockey operations, gets involved in the process. He knows the league and understands the Toronto market. For years, there has been speculation about him leaving the league office if the right job came along.
Opening for Coburn
Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn has an opportunity to take another giant leap in
his development now that steady partner Kimmo Timonen is sidelined indefinitely with a blood clot in his ankle.
Coburn evolved into one of Philly’s top defensemen this season with Timonen, whose hockey IQ is through the roof, showing him the ropes. The game plan against Pittsburgh called for them to be matched up against Evgeni Malkin. Coburn can still expect a heavy dose of Malkin and Sidney Crosby as the series goes along.
Last year, the Thrashers traded the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Coburn to the Flyers in exchange for Alexei Zhitnik. GM Don Waddell took a chance at the time in an effort to push his team going into the playoffs, but the move backfired. Coburn became a force. Les Thrash would like to ditch Zhitnik like a bad blind date.
Philly has a few veteran options in the AHL, where the Phantoms are playing the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins in an interesting coincidence.
One is Denis Gauthier, a physical player remembered here for a cheap shot on Sabres winger Thomas Vanek during the 2006 playoffs. Another is ex- Sabres good guy Rory Fitzpatrick, who was thrown into emergency detail the same year in the conference finals and lost the puck in his skates on the deciding goal in Game Seven.
Gerbe hangs tough
Give the Sabres credit for signing prospect Nathan Gerbe to the rookie maximum before a potential problem spiraled out of control, especially after the Boston College winger suggested there was a 50 percent chance he was going back to school.
Gerbe’s camp had become increasingly frustrated with the Sabres, who first attempted to lowball him in negotiations before talks became stagnant. Once it became clear Gerbe was taking a firm position, the Sabres couldn’t afford to flip a coin with a top prospect who led his team to an NCAA title and the nation in scoring.
How strong was Gerbe willing to stand?
Sources last week said before the deal was completed that Gerbe contemplated going back to college and becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer or asking for a trade so he could sign elsewhere and start his professional career. One way or another, he was determined to receive the rookie max.
Once the Sabres realized they were losing leverage, they increased their price and met his primary demands. Now, he needs to justify his bargaining position by showing the same competitiveness on the ice.
South Buffalo native Tim Kennedy appears to be on deck. He doesn’t have Gerbe’s leverage in terms of money, but he would have the free-agency option if he returned to Michigan State for his final year. That choice can be risky for both sides, so look for the winger and the Sabres to hammer out a deal.
BU bumps Bennett
Tough business, college hockey.
Williamsville native Brett Bennett was a No. 1 goaltender for one full season before Boston University released him last week, a move that apparently was based mostly on his performance under famed coach Jack Parker.
Bennett had a 16-10-3 record with a 2.63 goals-against average and an .888 save percentage with three shutouts for the Terriers. BU officials offered no reason for their decision to release him. He has the option of keeping his scholarship and staying in school, but it would mean continuing his hockey development elsewhere.
Bennett, 20, was selected in the fifth round by Phoenix in the 2006 draft after playing for two years in the U. S. National Developmental Program. He could leave the school and play one year of junior hockey. Another choice is speaking with the Coyotes and seeing if they’re interested in him starting his professional career.
