Its a little complicated. First the Board of Governors have to approve the sale from Nashville to Basille. Both Toronto and Buffalo have a vote in that process, so technically they can attempt to block it. They would need a lot more support to do it.
If the team is sold, Basille can try and move it to Hamilton based on a clause that allows him to move if Nashville fails to average 14000 in attendance.
The league could try and block the move but eventually the Courts would allow Basille to move it wherever he wants....Al Davis did this back in the 80's
If they do move to Hamilton, Toronto and Buffalo could agree on a Territorial Fee from Nashville. This is not enforceable and Basille could basically tell them to beat it, but realistically would pay the fee to keep everyone happy.
Even though the Nashville owner has advised the league he no longer wants them to consider the sale, Basille will likely still end up with the team.
I actually heard another team play "Brass Bonanza" when they scored this year in the playoffs (might have been the Flames). Is nothing sacred anymore????
Nashville puts the Boots to Balsillie's bid to buy
<!-- SUB TITLE 1 -->Kansas City likely next home for the NHL team as talks now focus on selling to an American
<!-- PUBLISH DATE -->June 29, 2007
<!-- AUTHOR 1 -->Kevin McGran
<!-- CREDIT 1-->SPORTS REPORTER
<!-- ARTICLE CONTENT-->
The Predators continue to be the prey.
Now, however, it's more likely the Nashville Predators will move to Kansas City, and any hopes Hamilton had of landing the franchise are either dead or dying.
Predators owner Craig Leipold, who last week pulled out of talks with Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, appears ready to enter exclusive talks with California businessman William (Boots) Del Biaggio.
Adding insult to injury, Leipold appears willing to take less money to deal with Del Biaggio than Balsillie. The Kansas City Star reported Del Biaggio is offering $190 million (U.S.) compared to the $238 million Balsillie offered.
"We are currently free to explore any and all options regarding the sale of the Nashville Predators," the club said in a statement on its website. "However, until and unless there is a binding agreement in place, we don't plan to comment on the status of the Predators' ownership. We will not comment on rumours and speculation."
The Predators can opt out of their lease after next season if they don't average 14,000 in paid attendance. The club, which had the third-best regular-season record in the NHL last season, averaged about 13,800 last season in an arena that seats 17,113.
Balsillie, the Waterloo-based CEO of BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion, had signed a non-binding letter of intent on May 24 to buy the team. Shortly after that, Balsillie raised the ire of many in the NHL for entering a lease agreement with the city of Hamilton for use of Copps Coliseum, selling season tickets in southern Ontario and paying lip-service to the idea of keeping the team in Nashville.
Balsillie had already outraged Penguins owner Mario Lemieux by making overtures to buy the Penguins last year, then pulling out on the eve of an important meeting between state officials and club brass.
Through all this, Del Biaggio has been lurking in the background. He, too, had been bidding on the Penguins last year. He has been looking for a club – through expansion or by moving an existing one – ever since he got an agreement with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the operator of Kansas City's new Sprint Center, to own an NHL club in that building, scheduled to open in October.
Del Biaggio is a venture capitalist who is friends with Tim Leiweke, president of AEG and the Los Angeles Kings. AEG owns the Kings, the Staples Center in Los Angeles Kings and operating rights to Kansas City's Sprint Center.
<!-- SUB TITLE 1 -->Kansas City likely next home for the NHL team as talks now focus on selling to an American
<!-- PUBLISH DATE -->June 29, 2007
<!-- AUTHOR 1 -->Kevin McGran
<!-- CREDIT 1-->SPORTS REPORTER
<!-- ARTICLE CONTENT-->
The Predators continue to be the prey.
Now, however, it's more likely the Nashville Predators will move to Kansas City, and any hopes Hamilton had of landing the franchise are either dead or dying.
Predators owner Craig Leipold, who last week pulled out of talks with Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, appears ready to enter exclusive talks with California businessman William (Boots) Del Biaggio.
Adding insult to injury, Leipold appears willing to take less money to deal with Del Biaggio than Balsillie. The Kansas City Star reported Del Biaggio is offering $190 million (U.S.) compared to the $238 million Balsillie offered.
"We are currently free to explore any and all options regarding the sale of the Nashville Predators," the club said in a statement on its website. "However, until and unless there is a binding agreement in place, we don't plan to comment on the status of the Predators' ownership. We will not comment on rumours and speculation."
The Predators can opt out of their lease after next season if they don't average 14,000 in paid attendance. The club, which had the third-best regular-season record in the NHL last season, averaged about 13,800 last season in an arena that seats 17,113.
Balsillie, the Waterloo-based CEO of BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion, had signed a non-binding letter of intent on May 24 to buy the team. Shortly after that, Balsillie raised the ire of many in the NHL for entering a lease agreement with the city of Hamilton for use of Copps Coliseum, selling season tickets in southern Ontario and paying lip-service to the idea of keeping the team in Nashville.
Balsillie had already outraged Penguins owner Mario Lemieux by making overtures to buy the Penguins last year, then pulling out on the eve of an important meeting between state officials and club brass.
Through all this, Del Biaggio has been lurking in the background. He, too, had been bidding on the Penguins last year. He has been looking for a club – through expansion or by moving an existing one – ever since he got an agreement with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the operator of Kansas City's new Sprint Center, to own an NHL club in that building, scheduled to open in October.
Del Biaggio is a venture capitalist who is friends with Tim Leiweke, president of AEG and the Los Angeles Kings. AEG owns the Kings, the Staples Center in Los Angeles Kings and operating rights to Kansas City's Sprint Center.
