Unlike the MLB, the NHL doesn’t have a lucrative TV deal to help pad each teams bottom line. The $43M for each team next year, most of that is coming from the fans.

This is a HUGE jump from the $39M maximum the NHL had as a salary cap after the lockout (2005-2006) season. And more importantly, the minimum of $27M…

Could you imagine if the Phoenix Coyotes ‘revenue loss’ was replaced with a Hamilton team that was a ‘revenue generator’? Then the salary cap would probably be $62M-$64M with a minimum floor between $44M – $46. Might not seem like a big deal but remember the Atlanta Thrashers had trouble making the minimum three years ago when it was only $34M…now at $40 that is an exta $6M and the fan base in Atlanta isn’t going to make up that amount.

This increase is going to make things crazy…more and more bloated contracts are floating around the NHL. (Tim Thomas, $5 million cap hit * 3 years; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray, $5.4 million * 2years, and many more)

With five teams struggling to get under the cap and another six NFL teams strugling to make the floor…what is the state of the NHL?

Phoenix is averaging less the 12K fans per game and that is at discounted ticket prices…I wonder how the Players Union feels about the ‘yotes bringing down the NHL salary cap? Mind you if the cap goes up…at least 3 more NHL teams will face bankruptcy.

Here is what is wrong with the Ice Edge deal:

- Bankers are balking at financing this venture after they learned financier Jeffrey Vinik paid only about $100-million in cash for the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are asking hard questions about why the Coyotes would be worth 60 per cent more.

- The Ice Edge principals will not discuss their finances in detail, but a banking source says they have only a relatively small amount to put into the proposed deal. As a result, bankers are not queuing up to lend money.

Thanks to David Shoalts at the Globe and Mail for a great article on the failuer of the Ice Edge bid.

Is anyone REALLY surprised this deal fell apart? Mr Balsillie did you see this coming? I am sure you did…

My next prediction, when Mr. Suck gets handed his walking papers it will be over two things… a bad deal with the Players Union last strike AND the ‘cotes. Mr. Sucks successor will try and distance himself by letting Balsillie put a team in Hamilton!

Ho Ho Mr. Suck you’ve got to go!

]]> http://www.garybettmansucks.com/help-mr-balsillie-the-nhl-needs-you/feed/ 3 http://www.garybettmansucks.com/phoneix-coyotes-real-attendence-numbers/ http://www.garybettmansucks.com/phoneix-coyotes-real-attendence-numbers/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:26:50 +0000 admin http://www.garybettmansucks.com/?p=111 This is a great piece of information relating to the possible move of the Phoneix Coyotes to Hamilton.

James Mirtle wrote a nice post showing that the ‘coyoes only had 11K people go through the turnstiles, on average, every night. That is over 3K less then they announce at actual games…

http://www.fromtherink.com/2009/6/3/897211/the-coyotes-attendance-figures

Read the ‘good news’ from his post…

The good news? A lot of those tickets that weren’t used were at least paid for (this season anyway). Paid attendance figures are actually up significantly from where they were in the first season after the lockout, when the team apparently sold just 11,340 per game and yet announced attendance of 15,570.

Paid tickets went up this year? Something fishy about this…

Mr. Suck what else aren’t you telling the NHL fans…are the $200 a seat tickets in Toronto subsidizing the ‘coyote?

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