Winnipeg has its eyes on another NHL team
May 3, 2011, 3:28 PM | Updated: 4:56 pm
The NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers are up for sale. Usually we couldn’t care less about that in Arizona seeing as they play in the Eastern Conference and, well, it’s offseason hockey news that doesn’t involve a big name player moving. With the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes hanging in the balance though, the news peaked our interest. That’s because the asking price for the Thrashers is significantly lower than what the NHL is seeking from Matthew Hulsizer for the Coyotes.
While the asking price for the Yotes is $170 million, due to the NHL buying the team in bankruptcy proceedings, Forbes is reporting that the Thrashers can be had by a local buyer for the bargain basement price of a $110 million. That price falls closer to the price which the Anaheim Ducks sold for in 2005, $75 million, than what the NHL is looking for in Phoenix.
The sale has another interesting local wrinkle to it. According to Sporting News, True North, the investment group looking to buy the Coyotes and move them to Winnipeg, could be interested in buying the Thrashers and relocating them.
The team’s future in Atlanta, however, depends somewhat on the future of the Phoenix Coyotes, who are engaged in their own ownership drama. A bid to keep the Coyotes in suburban Glendale, Ariz., continues to hit roadblocks, and if the deal falls through, a group based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, would attempt to purchase and move the Coyotes.
If the Coyotes stay put, it’s believed that the Winnipeg group would turn its attention to the Thrashers. That group would pay a $60 million relocation fee in addition to the $110 price tag on the Thrashers, according to Forbes.
So there you go, misery loves company and it sounds like hockey fans in Atlanta may soon know the pain and frustration that Coyotes fans have known for the better part of two years. They’ll just get to experience it with a lower price tag.
