The job of a North American sports league commissioner is first and foremost to help the league’s owners make moar money, mostly by rattling whatever sabers he has handy, and NHL commish Gary Bettman knows this chapter and verse. So with Calgary Flames owner Murray Edwards still looking for a lucrative arena deal after backing out of their old one — oh, did you forget that Edwards still wanted a new arena just because he hasn’t mentioned it lately, you silly person! — Bettman stepped in Tuesday and fired the threat cannons:
“If we’re going to hold any league events here, there needs to be a new building,” he said.
“I don’t think that comes as a surprise to anybody.”
Perhaps it would come as more of a surprise if Bettman indicated what he meant by “league events”? Is that, like, the All-Star Game? Or … are there any other events the NHL holds other than the All-Star Game and regular league games? It’s not like the Stanley Cup is held at a neutral site, so they can’t withhold that like the Super Bowl. What the crap, man? (Here’s a Global News video of Bettman saying the above. “Ressurected” is, uh, a Canadian spelling?)
Bettman went on to say:
“I think it’s a priority for the City of Calgary, I think it’s a priority for the Flames, I think it’s a priority for the people that live in Calgary and want concerts and family shows in addition to NHL hockey.”
Does the NHL produce concerts now? I am so confused. Here’s another article, maybe this shines more light on it:
The Hurricanes’ PNC Arena is “no longer up to modern NHL standards, nor is the area around it,” according to Luke DeCock of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. Bettman said, “We like being here and I know [Hurricanes Owner] Tom [Dundon] likes being here and wants to be here. But obviously there’s work to be done to make sure that the team and the community have something that is today’s standards.”
Wait — that’s not even about the Flames, though it’s from the same day! It’s about the Carolina Hurricanes, whose owner Tom Dundon just got $81 million in exchange for extending his lease by five years until 2029, though he also has an out clause where he can leave early by paying way less than $81 million, and anyway Dundon wants the area around the arena to become a “hub of a new commercial district with offices and residences and restaurants and a sports book and an outdoor concert venue and space laser cannons” and okay I made one of those up but anyway 2029 is right around the corner, get Bettman on the case! The commissioner must have some time after his 3 o’clock press call shaking down Calgary to shake down Raleigh, right? Look, just put in on his calendar, I’m sure he’ll come up with something to say off the cuff, he’s been doing this for long enough. Thanks, we’ll send him a nice gift basket for his trouble.
You forgot about the possibility of hosting the NHL draft!
Well, Biden did just call him Batman, so he probably feels the need to do some crusading of some sort. And apparently he hasn’t thought of bringing back the Cleveland Crusaders yet.
Yet.
The NHL does have another major event in the Winter Classic but that, by its very nature, has nothing to do with Calgary’s arena. If they withheld the Winter Classic because of the Saddledome, the extortion would be too obvious.
Maybe he is also going to demand a new stadium for the Stampeders too… they are owned by the same parent company so why not?
You get real insight into Betmann’s warped thinking when he backs the Coyotes plan to play in a 5,000 seat university arena.
In fairness, ASU’s rink is probably not going to land the All Star Game.
Does Bettman remember the Los Arcos fiasco just a mile up Scottsdale Road from Tempe, the multitude of extended deadlines, the Zraket recall attempt or the middle of the night back room deal with Glendale? Enough Tempe officials do to keep their mouths shut.
Hurricanes to Greensboro.
Hurricanes “back” to Greensboro. Their home for their first two years after leaving Hartford.
Golf Shack has a lovely, huge facility near the PNC Arena but because Dundon is a Board Member of TopGolf, they get no promotional connections to the team or gameday events. Carter-Finely Stadium across the street from the PNC is good enough for the Rolling Stones, Beyonce, and U2. A small concert venue would be nice but Raleigh already has 5 of those doing great business.
I assume “residences” is the item on the list that Neil made up.
I was wondering how Dundon was going to make back the $70m or so he lost on buying Charlie Ebersol’s cashless football league a couple of years ago.
Now we know. He’s going to get the taxpayers of Raleigh/NC to reimburse him.
“Luke DaCock of the Raleigh News and Observer” has either the best or worst name in the history of journalism. Maybe both.
Former Royals outfielder (and Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall’s son) Pete LaCock was pretty good, too. Especially the one time he batted against Mariners pitcher Dick Pole.
And I remember his dad causing a stir in the MSM (all we had back then) saying the Cubs “didn’t treat his son right.”
MLB yawned…..
Well, it didn’t take Raleigh all that long to do an ‘upgrade’ to the arena. So glad I leave Raleigh in 3 weeks. https://www.wral.com/officials-vote-pnc-arena-will-get-a-modern-day-upgrade/20268060/
The thing I find so despicable about this is that us Calgarians made it very clear we are not okay with using public money for private profit by voting down an Olympic bid, the city went ahead and came up with a deal where they would pay 300 million for a new arena, with the Flames collecting pretty much any revenue the arena would generate.
The city then asked the Flames to fulfill their end of the agreement by making the arena “green friendly”; which would cost 20 million more, and at that point it became “too much” for the Flames.
So Bettman now comes into town and talks about how we need a new arena, insinuating that this is on the city to make it happen. We were going to hand the Flames 300 million dollars for nothing, asshole!
I seriously hope the Flames leave Calgary. Cities need to start standing up to these greedy owners and being okay with their sports teams leaving.