[Locke]

Oilers owner Daryl Katz said he will not meet with councillors in public to explain why they need millions of dollars more in public funding for the rink, and called on Mayor Stephen Mandel to show leadership.

"Mayor Mandel, this is an opportunity for Edmonton to be bold and forward-looking, and it warrants your support and leadership."

Katz, in the letter, also accused the politicians of trying to corner his NHL team into accepting a lopsided deal.
A cost-shared deal to build the rink was actually struck a year ago by the Oilers and the city.

But it came off the rails last month, when Katz said he had looked at the numbers again and needed more public money, including an extra $6 million a year from taxpayers, to offset the cost of running the building.

Councillors rejected the new demands and the two sides have been sniping at one another through the media ever since, prompting Mandel to set the Wednesday deadline.

University of Alberta sports economist Brad Humphreys urged fans to strip away the rhetoric.

"It's the way the game is played," said Humphreys, who has authored numerous reports on sports economics and has advised the U.S. Congress on the issue.

"In the bargaining procedure you try to get it however you can get it, and part of that is coming back and making requests like, 'Oh, by the way, I'm going to need $6 million (a year) in operating expenses."'

Under the original deal, city taxpayers and ticket buyers would pay to build the arena, which was initially pegged at $450 million. But with land, borrowing and surrounding infrastructure factored in the price is now at $700 million and rising.

The Oilers would keep all profits from NHL games, trade shows, concerts and other events for 11 months out of the year. The team would also keep naming rights for the building (worth up to $3 million a year), along with $2 million a year from the city for a decade for advertising.

Concession sales alone are pegged at $20 million a year.

In return, the Oilers would pay the city $5.5 million a year for 35 years and pay to operate and run the arena, pegged at $10 million a year.

Katz, however, said the franchise is bleeding money.

Along with the $6 million, the Oilers are also reportedly seeking tax breaks and a casino licence.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=407513

Thats all I'll post as excerpts, but its a good article also referencing the shifting of dollars rather than the creation of new dollars, but I think with what you can read there you can fairly identify that Katz isnt negotiating truthfully and that hes basically asking the City to bend over and lube up.