Group with Kansas City Ties to Buy Predators

The good news for Nashville Predator fans is that it appears very unlikely that their team will be moving to Hamilton. The bad news is that doors may just have opened for a move to Kansas City.

from Randy Covitz of the The Kansas City Star

A Nashville group planning to sign a letter of intent to buy the Nashville Predators today is expected to include William “Boots” Del Biaggio, who also has a contract to own an NHL team for Kansas City’s Sprint Center.

Del Biaggio could not be reached for comment today, but was in Nashville for the announcement.

The Predators have been on the market since the end of the 2006-07 season, and owner Bruce Leipold had negotiated an offer, reported to be for more than $190 million with Del Biaggio, a San Jose, Calif., businessman, after talks were suspended with Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, who had offered $220 million.

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Kansas City promised NHL team, sources say

from Matthew Sekeres of the National Post

The National Hockey League was prepared to deliver a team to William (Boots) Del Biaggio and Kansas City's Sprint Center as part of a plan to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh, sources told the National Post yesterday.

Del Biaggio, now the frontrunner to purchase and relocate the Nashville Predators, and Tim Leiweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the company that operates the Sprint Center, aggressively pursued the Penguins late last year, offering the team a rent-free lease in the new arena.

But sources said the league, which didn't want to lose a value market in Pittsburgh, asked the Kansas City investors to back off their chase of the Penguins while indicating to the group it would be next in line for an NHL franchise.

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Yesterday, I questioned why the NHL would want to put a team in Kansas City -- the 31st largest market in the US. Today I have my answer. Apparently the NHL is rewarding the Kansas City investors for not buying the Penguins and moving Sidney Crosby to a small non-traditional hockey market. I guess in that respect, this move will help NHL tv ratings, because it keeps Crosby in a market that actually watches the sport.

Predators to Kansas City?

from Theresa Tedesco And Matthew Sekeres at the National Post

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie's deal to purchase the Nashville Predators of the NHL and relocate the team to Hamilton appears unlikely as the current owner prepares to announce an exclusive deal with a new bidder, the National Post has learned.

According to sources familiar with the events, Craig Leipold, owner of the Predators, informed Mr. Balsillie late Monday -- less than a week before their deal was to close on June 30 -- that he has decided to walk away from the US$238-million offer announced last month. Instead, he plans to pursue a less lucrative bid from California businessman William (Boots) DelBiaggio. It is widely expected that Mr. DelBiaggio will relocate the Predators to Kansas City once Nashville's lease at the Sommet Center arena expires.

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If there is one thing that will help the NHL's horrendous tv ratings, it would have to be moving a team from Nashville to Kansas City.