Heritage Classic Post-poned- Game Day Thoughts
Okay this is far from breaking news but the Winnipeg hosted Heritage Classic is going to be postponed. Gary Lawless broke this news and he brought up the various scenarios which have made the NHL, TNSE and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (the owner/controller of the venue) decide to postpone the event.
Slated to be in the early months of 2016, or at least that is what was believed the timing proved to be a crucial issue for both sides. The NHL wanted the game in January and TNSE new the weather would be far too harsh then and requested February. The Bombers are believed to have agreed with that but wanted the NHL to pick up the costs associated with keeping the stadium (Investors Group Field) open and operational from the 2015 Grey Cup through to the Heritage Classic. The NHL countered by proposing the game happen within weeks of the Grey Cup and the Bombers said ‘no’.
It’s not about the money, but it’s about the money.
The biggest issue here is the extra seating that will be up for the 2015 Grey Cup and the inevitable other attractions and needed features, more importantly who pays. For those that don’t know IGF is a CFL stadium holding around 32,000 people before expansion seating is added to bring it up to 40,000 capacity. However, the Bombers who control the stadium owe A LOT of money back to various levels of government who helped build it. They are not in a position to carry costs, above what they do now, with no revenue coming in to cover those costs. The NHL had a solution of playing the game closer to the Grey Cup but that’s unnaccpetable to the Bombers because of…money. Or lack of it. If the home team does not make the Grey Cup what would a “Heritage Classic… NHL game do to ticket sales of the Grey Cup?
The answer is obvious and the Bombers cannot afford to risk any penny of revenue because they are the CFL’s Greece in terms of finances and debt. The revenue from the NHL would not offset a certain drop in ticket sales of the Grey Cup is the thinking from some close to the situation. Furthermore, many believe that the locals are not going to come to the table to pay an average ticket price of $150 for event games plus all the other things that make money for the event promoters/hosts. It’s what many have feared about Winnipeg, the small market squeeze; this however is a rather extraordinary circumstance.
Agreeing to postpone is a good thing but the fundamental issue remains for the interests in Winnipeg, how to do this to get the most money for the smallest expense. Winnipeg, you never change.
Tonight the Jets host the Blue Jackets for the last game before the All-Star break. A win would mean that after 48 games the Jets had a 5 game winning streak, 60 points, and 6 or 8 point lead on 9th place in the west depending upon the LA vs SJ game. It would increase there already high 88% chance of the post season with 34 games left to play. If they went 17-17 in that time span they still would finish with 94 points and likely in the top 8.
Jacob Trouba could make his return the line up tonight and that would likely start some trade speculation with the glut of blueliners occupying the Jets roster. Byfuglien is not going back to forward so assume your defense looks like this:
Enstrom Bogosian Chairot Byfuglien Harrison Trouba Stuart (believed to be inured) Clitsome (done for year) Pardy Postma
The farm with Ellerby and Brouillette.
The interesting piece here is Stuart as he was nowhere to be seen yesterday and may have aggravated the injury that was supposed to keep him out until February. If he goes back to the IR this is all mute but there is still a lack of information on his status.
The Jets keep popping up in rumours and speculation for a 3rd line RW. Hockeybuzz alumni Travis Yost, was suggesting Sean Bergenheim on twitter yesterday and today on TSN 1290 he mentioned another name: Eric Condra.
In Yost’s view both of these players fit the mold of not huge point producers but good possession players- things teams should value. To make it more interesting Bergenheim has been a healthy scratch as Yost pointed out and knowing that could he be had for little?
Defense depth is a good thing and no GM would ever say it isn’t but there comes a point where you also have to manage that depth too. If you are Postma are you already looking forward to a roster where you can play every night? I’d say so and he’s got to be, or hopefully his agent, communicating that to Chevy. He’s most likely the odd guy out for his contract expiring and playing time and like a former RH defense last year, can the Jets afford to lose him for nothing as they did with Redmond?
Logic suggests that Postma goes, or at least is the most likely to go but does he have to be included in a deal to get a player like Bergenheim? Chevy should be talking to old friend and collegue Dale Tallon, finding out just how low the pick is to acquire Bergenheim. He should also be shopping Postma at the same time to recoup that pick, if not upgrade. If Bergenheim, the healthy scratch of late, can be had for a late pick, 5th or 6th, could Postma get something better in return? The Jets gave up a 6th for Harrison so Postma is probably worth more especially with his contract status let alone play.
It sounds simple but a GM needs a willing partner and this time he’s got to play both sides- moving Postma for Bergenheim makes little sense as you replace one expiring contract with another and are probably renting. But if you can rent, and acquire at the same time that’s what good GMs do and hopefully Chevy learned from the Redmond mistake last year. Hutch in net? We’ll find out soon and what the status of Mark Stuart is and if the return of Trouba is tonight or after the break.