The first week of the NHL season is supposed to be a feel-good time for everybody, when optimism reigns supreme. But controversy is never far from the surface when it comes to the NHL. Here are some that have been in the news this week, along with some views.
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| Predators fans should take advantage of watching Jason Arnott while they can. (AP) |
Views: Commissioner Gary Bettman and Nashville owner Craig Leipold say they are still optimistic about a deal working out by the Oct. 31 deadline, but the principals in the would-be group of purchasers aren't quite as sure. And that's really not all surprising despite enthusiastic, if not quite adequate local ticket sales that took place over the summer.
The potential buyers' offer seemed tentative at the outset, and had several conditions attached to it. Most notable was the group's insistence that the city make new concessions to the team's lease for its arena, which is already the most favorable in the league. And that isn't going over too well in Nashville, where there is a newly elected mayor and city council reluctant to commit even more public money to the team than it has.
The bottom line is that despite having one of the best and most exciting teams in the past few seasons, there just isn't enough widespread support in this non-traditional market to make this a viable, self-sustaining franchise. If city officials give in and effectively make this team a publicly subsidized enterprise, it will remain in Nashville, but the chances of this team ending up in that new building in Kansas City are looking better with each passing day.
News: MSG sues the NHL in a marketing dispute.
Views: As if the Garden's lawyers don't have enough to do with Isiah and the pending sexual harassment suit by one of the Rangers ice dancers, now comes word that the hockey team is taking on the NHL for the right to maintain and market its own website.
You can't blame the Rangers for wanting to control the way they target their fans, especially considering the feeble marketing efforts by the league as a whole. The NHL wants every team's website under its own umbrella, which would mean that revenues would go into league coffers and be eligible for revenue-sharing distribution.
The Rangers believe they should retain some advantage of being in the league's biggest market. It's not a trivial dispute and more importantly, it is a sign that the unified front being displayed by all member teams since the lockout might not be as strong as it appears.
News: Ducks general manager Brian Burke takes the gloves off against Oilers GM Kevin Lowe.
Views: Burke is a great general manager, arguably the best in the league. He knows how to make good television, too. But going on Canada's top-rated national sports newscast to say that Lowe ran his team into the sewer doesn't really reflect well on him or the organization that is defending the Stanley Cup.
Burke is still peeved that Lowe stole Dustin Penner from him this summer with an outsized offer sheet, but that's part of the business and Lowe used a legitimate tool. It was one thing for Burke to react angrily when the deal was made over the summer -– back then he claimed Lowe was "gutless" and was desperate to keep his job -- but three months after the fact, it's time to move on.
Fat chance.
