NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman did his best to deflect recent speculation of the league expansion, not by categorically denying interest of potential ownership groups in Las Vegas, Seattle, Quebec City and Toronto, but by saying that the expansion fee mentioned in the report was inaccurate.
Howard Bloom of Sports Business Journal indicated in late August plans for the league to expand to 34 teams, which would generate $1.4 Billion in expansion fees for NHL owners.
“The part of the story I found particularly difficult was suggestion we would sell four franchises for $1.4-billion is way too low,… Bettman said. “It undervalues our franchises.…
TSN’s Rick Westhead reports that the league has designs of eclipsing $1 Billion for the expansion fee for just the second team in Toronto alone.
According to NHL sources, expansion will be among the list of items to be discussed at the next Board of Governors meeting in New York later this month and that league financial advisors have indicated that an initial bid for a team in the GTA would begin at about $800 million and could easily end up over $1 Billion, dwarfing the $80 Million fee paid by Columbus and Minnesota in the late 1990’s.
The report goes on to say that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment’s role regarding a potential expansion team could become adversarial if the NHL tries to assert the right to put a second team in Toronto without compensating them financially and speculates that either Bell Media or Rogers Communications may consider buying out of their partner’s interest in MLSE to get 100% control of a new franchise.
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Leafs fans will get a chance to see 2014 top pick William Nylander in action for the first time at the rookie tournament in London, ON this weekend, but according to NHL Draft episode of "The Leaf" documentary series, the club was offered three high draft picks to move down from the eighth pick.
The St. Louis Blues offered GM Dave Nonis the 21st pick in the first round and two second rounders; 33rd and 52nd overall to move up 13 slots. The Leafs were not interested and selected the speedy Swedish forward, while the Blues chose Guelph center Robby Fabbri at 21, Moncton winger Ivan Barbashev 33rd overall and Russian Maxim Letunov with the 52nd pick.
The Leafs will probably be giving youngsters Petter Granberg, Stuart Percy and Matt Finn a longer look than normal during the pre-season, as veteran Stephane Robidas said on Monday that he does not expect to be ready to play until late in the preseason.
Stephane Robidas confirms he will see limited pre-season action as broken leg is in final stages of healing.
— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) September 8, 2014The 37-year-old Robidas broke his leg twice last season and signed a three-year, $9 Million deal with the Leafs in July.
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