Quote:
Originally Posted by Resolute 14
FWIW, the Thrashers situation had been running for years before the Coyotes mess began in earnest. It was just handled behind the scenes because there was no Balsillie bankruptcy stunt to draw it public. The league hates relocation and tries to avoid it as long as it can. And somehow Bettman and the NHL convinced Atlanta Spirit to hold onto a hockey team it wanted nothing to do with for years. The Thrashers relocated and the Coyotes didn't for a simple reason: Nobody with the ability to do so was interested in owning a hockey team in Atlanta. So when Atlanta Spirit finally said "no more", the league had to move on a relocation because there was no other option.
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Exactly. IMO, "no other option" is exactly why True North didn't have to pay as much as for an expansion franchise. And also why, if Phx or Fla reach the "no other option" stage, an owner who didn't apply for an expansion franchise could probably get in for less than $.5B. "No other option" is not a position of strength. "Give us $2M and we'll see if we even want to expand for another $.5B." is.