RealGM

Celtics_Champs wrote:Wait what?

I thought we were talking about Phoenix moving there...

Nolan wrote:Wow this really just came out of nowhere.

The first two callers to Bettman’s show, broadcast on satellite radio and the Internet, were Thrashers fans. The first said Atlanta will support a hockey team if ownership meets the fans halfway by putting a competitive product on the ice.

“I understand and respect that,” Bettman said, “but the key to this may be, in the final analysis, whether or not somebody wants to own the team in Atlanta. In the absence of either the current ownership group continuing to own and operate or somebody stepping forward who wants to buy the club, that becomes the situation that concerns us or any sports league.

“We’ll only leave a market ­- in this case Atlanta, picking up on the caller’s statements – if we have to. And hopefully the current ownership group will figure a way out of this that makes sense for everybody,” he said.

The caller told Bettman that the Thrashers drew strong crowds in their first five seasons and that a fan rally will be held Saturday to show support for the team.

Noting that the Thrashers have ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance the past two seasons, Bettman said: “I understand that there may be dissatisfaction there, but demonstrating your dissatisfaction by not going to games is an interesting strategy. It’s your absolute right. But if it becomes a turnoff for anybody who might want to buy the franchise, the long-term consequences could be severe.

“It will be interesting to see how many people show up at the rally on Saturday,” Bettman said.

WEFFPIM wrote:Guys, there is one source reporting this has happened. A Canadian media source.

How about we wait until the NHL actually says it's happening, eh?

trwi7 wrote:This is a done deal. Ton of other people reporting it, people in Winnipeg partying in the streets, nhl.com even has the report up. Why would nhl.com put up the report if there wasn't at least a little truth to it?

"It's simply not true, it's not a done deal," a source from True North -- the group negotiating with the Thrashers to bring the team to Winnipeg -- told ESPN.com.

A source at True North did, however, confirm to ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun Thursday night that negotiations are ongoing with the Thrashers.

trwi7 wrote:TNSE has been trying to get two teams either the Coyotes or Thrashers for how long now? I doubt they want to say anything until they're announcing that the Thrashers are moving there at a press conference.

Bettman probably doesn't want attention being taken away from the playoffs.

Just wondering though, how many times have the people of Winnipeg been out in the streets celebrating? There have been plenty of rumors about a team going there with reports of deals being "close to done" yet I don't remember hearing or seeing anyone outside celebrating.