Kukla's Korner Hockey
Next entry: Kane Doesn’t Say Much
Previous entry: Finding A Leader In Toronto
Creditors Want Answers From Hicks/NHL
by Paul on 08/17/09 at 09:42 AM ET
Comments (4)
from Daniel Kaplan of the Dallas Business Journal,
The more than three dozen creditors of Hicks Sports Group, the owner of the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers that defaulted on its debt in March, sent a letter to the NHL four weeks ago asking the league how it planned to help address their concerns, according to financial sources, but there has been no response.
At the same time, HSG owner Tom Hicks has suggested that he believes he can hold onto the Stars despite the default through August 2010, which is far later than the October deadline the creditors assumed existed for resolution of debt crisis, the sources said.
A process to sell the MLB Rangers is under way, but no such activities are believed to be occurring around the Stars. The situation could shape up as a major battle between the creditors on one side and the NHL and Hicks on the other.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Tom+Hicks,
Comments
I’ll bet Jim Balsillie & his lawyers are watching this with interest.
I’m sure they are, but I would think they are smart enough to know that Dallas is not the same as Phoenix, Miami, Atlanta, and Nashville, from a hockey standpoint.
Balsillie can make a big stink over Phoenix simply because he’s right—Phoenix has proven it can’t sustain a hockey team, especially a bad hockey team, whereas almost any market in Canada (and certainly southern Ontario) has shown with zeal that it can more than sustain a bad hockey team.
Dallas, on the other hand, has been fairly successful since they moved, both on and off the ice, so there’s no precedent, no reasonable argument to be made that the Stars should be moved, if Balsillie purchased them. I support Balsillie in his current efforts 110%, but if he tried to buy and move a team like the Stars, I’d be completely against it, as they’ve shown that Dallas actually is a viable hockey market. Obviously, if the Stars hit a rough patch and have a few more seasons like they did last year, that might change, but hockey in general has a surprisingly large presence in the Dallas area, not just at the NHL level, but all the way down.
Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 08/17/09 at 10:12 AM ET
I get the sense Balsillie would be willing to move any team, no matter the situation. I can’t see the Stars being in a position like the Coyotes, but wouldn’t it be interesting to see how things would change in terms of public perception if a former Stanley Cup winning club was the subject of a court battle.
Posted by James Mirtle from Toronto on 08/17/09 at 09:36 PM ET
All those bashing Bettman for his national footprint strategy for the NHL should be clamoring to have the Stars move to a “real” hockey market. Oh wait, Dallas has been a good hockey market, this can’t be it never snows. Oh well Bettman must be to blame for Hicks being the owner and going broke, somehow.
Posted by Tero from Tacoma on 08/17/09 at 10:22 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Video- Sundin And Roenick Honored By Their Respective Teams
Randy Carlyle Ready To Coach Again
Just Another Game For The Wings?
Video- Flyers Lose 5-2 At Home To Rangers
Video- Lars Eller Goal, Good Offense Or Bad Defense?
Hockey Talk In the Middle Of February
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker
Make extra cash while playing online poker. Rakeback is free and comes with rake races.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
I’ll bet Jim Balsillie & his lawyers are watching this with interest.
Posted by habscout on 08/17/09 at 10:00 AM ET