ESPN.com reported that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman refuted claims that an announcement was imminent on the sale and relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg, Manitoba.
"So people just make this stuff up, right?" said Bettman, who was attending Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks.
"Where's the accountability from all the people who a month ago were saying that Phoenix was definitely going? Whatever is being written [about Atlanta] is being made up."
That's not to say the Thrashers won't move. One reliable source told ESPN.com earlier Thursday that the Thrashers moving to Winnipeg is a distinct possibility. which is no real surprise given their financial woes..
Based on Bettman’s statements, it seems negotiations, if any, are at the beginning stages.
"The ownership is looking to sell and they have been, and that process continues," Bettman said of the Thrashers. "Is there a deal today to sell the club and move it? No."
And Bettman could not guarantee the Thrashers would stay in Atlanta.
The Thrashers have been unable to find a local buyer, which may lead them to the True North group in Winnipeg. Asked whether the Thrashers and True North had begun talks, Bettman would not comment.
"That I wouldn't comment on one way or another, because I don't do that," said the commissioner.
Bettman’s statements, however, do give a good clue to what is going on with negotiations in Atlanta. Early on, it was rumored that former Atlanta Braves star Tom Glavine and former NHL player Anson Carter both were attempting to put investment groups together to purchase the NHL franchise. It now appears those talks went south.
"You know my position on franchise relocation," he said. "But you also know that in the instances where we've moved, it's resulted in instances where nobody wanted to own a club there anymore,” Bettman said.
The Coyotes, still owned and operated by the NHL, had been rumored to move to Winnipeg but the City of Glendale, Ariz., voted to back losses up to $25 million for the NHL while the city continues to try to finalize a sale.
The Thrashers scenario is vastly different since spokesmen for Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has already stated that because of the dire financial problems facing the city, they could not mimic Glendale’s financial call to arms to retain the team.
Few remember that the Coyotes were once the NHL Winnipeg Jets before that team was sold and relocated to Phoenix.
Winnipeg has been salivating for a team since then, and many Manitoba residents felt that it would be sweet irony to get the team back that they lost years ago.
Responding to the news about the Coyotes staying in Glendale, Bettman said:
"The city obviously thinks that they are in the position to ultimately get this done," "And when a city is prepared to commit in the way that they did, you stick around and you work with them. You have a municipal building and you have a city that's ready to commit to substantial sums to keep the team there.
"Despite whatever issues there may be in terms of finishing a deal with respective new ownership, the city has made a real commitment to get this done.
"On that basis, we thought it was appropriate to deal with this situation for another year in the hopes that the city can get the outcomes it wants."
In the meantime, the fans in Winnipeg will wait, hoping the Thrashers and Atlanta do not put a similar plan in place.
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