The threat of relocation will be used. Katz used it with a fair degree of effectiveness and it did help unjam the talks for him.
I would expect that there will be very little discussion between the Flames and the City for a while. But we'll get subtle leaks of the Owners at NHL headquarters for meetings with Bettman, doing arena tours etc.
the battle for dollars is going to become a major public relations battle. We'll get pictures of Flames owners in the rinks in Kansas and Quebec and Seattle anyways with hardhats on pointing to the scoreboard.
They'll start leaking little news stories and doing interviews where they show how wretched the Saddledome is and how out of date it is.
And Nenshi will bluster like usual.
Its going to be a very unpleasant war for public support.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
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