So that's the end of the saga for now. Jim Balsillie will not be able to move the team without the consent of the NHL and the other owners that he was looking for. Sadly many don't understand that this is a good decision for the league. Jim should be given a ton of credit for that. His marketing machine did a spectacular job of averting peoples eyes from the real issues in the case. For that he should be given credit. For seeing through the smoke-screen, Judge Baum should be given credit. For trying to get the most out of a hemmoraging franchise, Moyes should be understood if not celebrated. For completely blowing this issue on a PR level the NHL needs to seriously review their recent history.

While Balsillie came across as a man of the people, Gary came across as a smug, arrogant dictator who appeared to be shocked that anyone would ever question him. Jim was a modern Robin Hood that was going to win a victory for all of the little people of Canada that were unceremoniously stripped of two teams in the 90's and wanted, Nay, DESERVES to have more representation in the sports most elite league. Gary was the Napoleaneaque head of state that felt he didn't need to explain his decisions or his reasoning because it's not the media or the fans jobs to interpret or understand the NHLs rules or bylaws and how dare anyone challenge the league's, and in turn his, word.

The fact is, neither caricature is accurate. That being said: One did a fantastic job representing himself while the other lived up to the worst anyone thought of him and it played out as badly as it could have for the league in the process.

This wasn't a Canada vs. US issue. This wasn't a wanting seven teams in Canada issue and most surprisingly it wasn't even a viability of a franchise in Phoenix issue. Jim cunningly turned it into all three, but that wasn't the issue at stake. Jim doesn't care if Canada has another team. He cares if HE has another team where HE wants it. By the same token, if things don't change in Glendale as far as the lease and health of the team in concerned, the league won't be there very long. The NHL also doesn't dislike Canada as a market. If it did, teams like Calgary and Edmonton would have been stateside already. The Balsillie group did a masterful job marketing itself and made the NHL consistently look like a cat with its paw in the fish-bowl.

The core issue was an entity attempting to skirt the rules in place in order to be able to have complete autonomy over a franchise that he wasn't approved to purchase. That's it. That was the issue. Not whether Canada has enough teams, or whether the Yotes should just be put out to pasture but a simple way to circumvent the league's bylaws. The smoke-screens set up were phenomenal in their depth and deception. The league smugly sticking to their "we're right, so deal with it" mantra was a mistake.

I agree that Jim shouldn't be able to get a team this way, but the NHL's approach sure made it difficult to defend their position. To put it bluntly, Gary has been a public relations disaster in recent weeks. He seemed to be a step behind at every turn and was either elitist or shocked into fumbling for an excuse at every turn. As far as getting what his owners wanted, Mr Bettman succeeded, but as far as being the face of the NHL he has faltered in a large way.

At the end of the day, even though it's a victory for the enforcements of the league's rules and bylaws that are in place it should also be apparent that the league should review its image in the minds and hearts of the public. A professional league should never be made to look like the keystone cops by a perspective owner...

If you want to feel bad for anyone in this mess, it's Jerry Moyes. He was a loyal subject who kept this franchise afloat as long as he could despite the fact that it continuously ate away at his bank account. Once he realized that he was likely never going to be able to recoup more than a tiny fraction of his investment he did what anyone would do and tried to maximize it.

At the end of the day the NHL has no-one to blame but themselves in what turned into a media circus at least north of the border and attracted the attention of the other major sporting leagues in North America. Once again, the NHL was getting attention for the wrong reasons... Seems to be a recurring issue...

Have a great day!
shaune.vetter@hockeybuzz.com

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