Atlanta Thrashers Move To Winnipeg

[Fiddy]

gotta love the rumor mill..

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Peter...ving/119/26296

Quote:

Peter Tessier Vancouver Canucks Blogger • RSS • Archive • CONTACT This started with a post by Scott Taylor of Winnipeg radio station 92 CITI FM and also of the National Post. In his post on the station's website he claims that David Thompson, son of Ken Thompson and controlling shareholder in Thompson Reuters has purchased the Atlanta Thrashers and is moving it to Winnipeg for the 2010-11 Season. This is to be announced after the Olympics. Okay now that you are all agog, the shock is settling in and the countless theories of why this will or will not work are being formulated... that's just the beginning. The Manitoba Moose, farm team for Vancouver will be moving to Saskatoon and the Saskatoon Blades WHL team will moving to Winnipeg. So it gets better... The Phoenix Coyotes will be moving to Kansas City. The NHL has apparently brokered a deal for the Coyotes to move to Kansas City. This is the crazy one. How did this happen with the iron clad lease and the wonderful relationship with the City of Glendale? I may be some one who loves to drink but I'm not even close to a bottle right now so don't tell me to put it down. I think it's all crazy. I know Mark Chipman, owner of the Moose, has been working hand in hand with the NHL to build a situation where the league feels everything is in place to support a team in the 'new NHL' but this fast? I'm putting this out there as the story is gaining some strength and it might as well get discussed, laughed at or be investigated further. Have fun with this one!

[slickdtc]

I'll believe it when I see.

Them saying next year just makes it sound ridiculous, though.

[Money99]

As soon as I saw the link was from Pecker-lend,'s "HockeyBuzz" I knew this rumor was full of hot air.
Eklund has a whopping 3% success rate.

Phoenix and Atlanta aren't going anywhere.
And the last time I checked the Blades had a great standing and won't be moving from Saskatoon anytime soon.

And as much as I'd love to see Canada get another NHL team, it won't be going to Winnipeg. That arena is new but it's not up to NHL standards. Only 40 luxery boxes and 15,000 seats.

If Canada is getting another team it'll be going to either Quebec City or Hamilton.

Finally, doesn't Atlanta have a 99-year lease?

[SPTO]

The Atlanta part may be true (The citation is Scott Taylor of the National Post who worked for YEARS at the Winnipeg Free Press) I can also buy the Atlanta rumor because even though no one talks about it a lot the prospects for moving that franchise has been the most likely out of all the "troubled" franchises in the league.

The PHX stuff? Color me skeptical.

[tyler289]

I'm hoping Atlanta and Phoenix would move, but I don't see either happening. Bettman doesn't want to admit defeat.

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by tyler289

I'm hoping Atlanta and Phoenix would move, but I don't see either happening. Bettman doesn't want to admit defeat.

Well if it's true that Thompson bought the Thrashers then I sure as hell wouldn't go up against him if I were Bettman. Thompson has an entire national newswire service at his beck and call. Thompson would be dumb not to apply real pressure by getting Reuters stories painting Bettman as the bad guy if there's a relocation fight.

[tyler289]

Quote: Originally Posted by SPTO

Well if it's true that Thompson bought the Thrashers then I sure as hell wouldn't go up against him if I were Bettman. Thompson has an entire national newswire service at his beck and call. Thompson would be dumb not to apply real pressure by getting Reuters stories painting Bettman as the bad guy if there's a relocation fight.

Not hard to do.

Would love to see Bettman get slammed.

[BunnyHardaway]

Would rather the Coyotes move to Hamilton, but KC has that brand new arena going for it.

Only downfalls for Winnepeg are that the arena there is tiny and they probably wouldn't be able to use the Jets name.