Big night tonight with a slate of ten games that could see the remaining playoff spots decided. Wins by Moose Jaw, Edmonton, and Kamloops would finish off everything....a Moose Jaw win eliminates Saskatoon AND Edmonton and clinches a spot for the Warriors, while a Kamloops win coupled with a P.G. loss to Edmonton would knock the Cougars out and clinch a spot for the Blazers.
More info on the Portland situation in today's Oregonian. Love the quote from WHL commish Ron Robison about Hawks owner Jim Goldmith also functioning as director of hockey operations: "We don't believe he's experienced or qualified for that position." Robison has told the Hawks to replace Goldsmith with somebody qualified to do the oh-so-unimportant tasks of that job, things like overseeing the draft, recruiting players and approving trades.
On the positive side though, more info about the allegations of Kevin Undershute not getting proper medical treatment from the team. Undershute is interviewed for the article and says the decision to return home to Canada instead of having shoulder surgery in Portland was HIS choice, and he has actually decided - after consulting with a surgeon - not to have surgery at all and instead to rehab his shoulder.
Another article, in the Portland Tribune, quotes WHL VP Richard Doerksen as saying that Canadian players on U.S. teams almost always return to Canada for surgery. That is the policy of Hockey Canada, and under a similar USA Hockey policy, American players are insured for surgeries in the United States. So, it would appear there is no wrongdoing here....which should put some egg on some faces.
However, the team does acknowledge some bills are not being paid, and Robison says the Hawks have the worst arena lease in the league. Issues that may be related and will have to be addressed. I know the arena folks don't want to renegotiate the lease with the team, but they also have to consider the possibility that if they don't renegotiate, that the team might just move somewhere else at the end of the lease....leaving the arena without a tenant at all. The mess is far from cleaned up....but I love team president Jack Donovan's conviction that they are just a year away from a five-year run as contenders. Rosy glasses in the rose city....
An interesting situation developing in the Manitoba AAA midget league....many of you already know that the Winnipeg Thrashers went 40-0-0 in that league this year, and Winnipeg teams have usually dominated the league. Which is not surprising since the entire province has 1.2 million people and half of that number are in Winnipeg. In the 12-team league, there are two teams from Winnipeg - so are drawing from 300,000 population each - and ten teams outside Winnipeg who are drawing from an average of 60,000 each. Of course Winnipeg teams dominate the league.
Anyway, that's going to change next year. The other ten teams are threatening to vote the two Winnipeg teams out of the league next year unless the Winnipeg Minor Hockey Association adds a third AAA midget team in the city for next year. Story in the Winnipeg Sun today. It's not really a WHL story but since most WHLers from Manitoba play in that league at some point, it's related anyway.
1 comment:
but they also have to consider the possibility that if they don't renegotiate, that the team might just move somewhere else at the end of the lease....leaving the arena without a tenant at all.
Prevailing opinion says that's exactly what Paul Allen & Co. want to happen, so their refusal to renegotiate makes perfect sense. Allen would much rather see a big box Home Depot or a strip mall next to his Rose Garden than another arena, making a profit and competing with the Garden for bookings. The year Allen's company was in bankruptcy and Global Spectrum was running both arenas proved that both venues can make money under competent management. But when the Coliseum is in the black, the City gets the profit, not Paul Allen.
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