INSIDE HOCKEY

The NHL might be trying to convince everybody—including themselves—that their court battle with Research In Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie has to do with helping preserve the future of professional hockey in Arizona, but the fight with the Blackberry billionaire seems to have become personal.

Nobody in their right mind would suggest the Phoenix area is a more attractive hockey market than southern Ontario. In fact, in terms of potential sites for prospective franchises, the southern Ontario region is a virtual slam dunk. So why is the NHL fighting so hard to keep themselves away from a certain payday?

Beyond the ramifications that would result if Judge Redfield Baum rules in favor of the Balsillie camp – a potentially dangerous precedent that would potentially allow future bankrupt franchises to be purchased and relocated at the new owners’ whim – it seems the NHL is simply tired of being embarrassed by Balsillie at every turn.

Between the time Balsillie made his first attempt at purchasing the Pittsburgh Penguins to now, his modus operandi has clearly changed. When he first approached the Penguins, he appeared to do so with a willingness to help ensure the franchise’s longevity in the Pittsburgh area. According to TSN.ca, he went as far as to send a letter to Mario Lemieux following the failed bid indicating he was still “very interested in the team and in working towards an arena deal that is a benefit to the team and to the City of Pittsburgh.” Of course, the reason the bid failed was reportedly because the NHL had put in several contingencies that forced Balsillie to commit to the Pittsburgh market even if a new arena deal could not be worked out.

But since then, Balsillie has gone from team player to renegade, making no qualms about the fact he intends to displace the next team he gets his hands on; all this coming at a time when the NHL is trying desperately not to lose the limited fan support they have in certain markets already. When he targeted the Nashville Predators for purchase in 2007, he began taking deposits for season tickets at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, leaving a considerable amount of egg on the face of the NHL. This time around, he’s asking the U.S. legal system to help him force the relocation of a team that has seen their attendance drop each season since the lockout (albeit their average attendance went up slightly this year).

If there’s one thing Balsillie has demonstrated to the NHL, it’s that there is a market for the NHL in southern Ontario. Assuming the NHL can work out the issue of territorial rights with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres, it seems a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ that the region will get another NHL franchise. It would also be naïve to think that the NHL isn’t aware of the fact that they, despite what has been said publicly, have several markets that clearly aren’t working and that not all of them can be salvaged like Pittsburgh was.

But with each attempt by Balsillie to circumvent the NHL’s bylaws, it appears less and less likely the league will hand over the southern Ontario cash cow to the Blackberry billionaire when the right time finally comes along. Assuming they come out on top of this legal battle, don’t be surprised if the NHL opts to close the door on Balsillie permanently.