Hang in there folks, we’re almost into September…
The Globe and Mail has got a very interesting article up discussing the latest developments in the ongoing battle between Jim Balsillie and the NHL. At the very centre of whole controversy could be an antitrust lawsuit filed by Balsillie if he feels he can prove that the NHL was acting to protect the position of the Toronto Maple Leafs, rather than the league as a whole. If it is shown that the Maple Leafs have the right to veto such a move (and it’s speculated that the Leafs organization believes that’s the case), then that would be in violation of the antitrust law, and thus illegal.
The Toronto Star reports that the Leafs may get very little if any money at all in compensation if a new team should enter the Soutern Ontario market, a belief certainly contrary to the speculated territorial rights reaching astronomical figures as high as hundreds of millions of dollars. The article quotes findings from a recent economic investigation in saying that Leafs fans could expect lower ticket prices, but demand would likely still be high enough to sustain the sellouts.
And now a question to all the readers, particularly the ones in or around the Hamilton area: Do you support the notion of another NHL franchise in Southern Ontario, and would you consider switching and/or splitting allegiances?
