There's been a ton of spin on why there are back to back games in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 54 years. And the correct answer has nothing to do with the sudden popularity of hockey, the sad state of affairs at NBC or Gary Bettman's suggestion that we (the NHL) thought we would try something new.
The correct answer is Conan O'Brien.
NBC told the NHL last fall that they would not schedule a weeknight NHL playoff game during Conan O'Brien's premiere week on The Tonight Show. The network wants a killer rating this week to generate a ton of publicity for Conan. And the Peacocks want to do as few weeknight games as possible during O'Brien's debut month to let other programming drive sampling to The new Tonight Show. With all of the talk about the value of franchises around here, remember this...The Tonight Show, now in it's 55th year on NBC is the most profitable franchise in the history of broadcasting. It is the crown jewel of NBC. There is no room this week for a triple overtime hockey game that pushes the Tonight Show back to 1AM.
So that created a problem for the NHL. To gain momentum, the league didn't want to bounce back and forth between NBC and Versus too many times during the finals. While the NBC arrangement is a profit sharing that currently returns about $3MM a year to the NHL, it is still crucial in giving the league mass exposure that Versus can only dream about. And while the NHL could not have envisioned the huge increase in viewing and interest it is experiencing this year, the leagued always views these things in a glass half full way.
The league had a couple of options -- start the finals on or after June 6th, shuffle games between NBC and Versus or play a back to back if they wanted two games in a row on NBC.
Well OK. Putting the Finals off until June 6th would have worked if the Conference Finals were compelling and drawn out. This year, they weren't.
So given the choice of a momentum killing 10 day intermission, the NHL decided that playing back to back on the first weekend of The Finals wasn't such a bad thing. Saturday is the worst night of the week for television viewing and NBC has made a habit of burying as many NHL Finals games there as possible. That's the bad news. The good news is that the league was able to get NBC to schedule Game 2 on Sunday night. Sunday is the highest viewing night of the week. The total audience is usually more than twice as large as an average Saturday. It also marked the first NHL Finals game on a Sunday night in many, many years (I can't find the last one but 54 or 55 years would be a good guess) The NHL also got an extra break when the NBA Lakers eliminated Denver on Friday giving the NHL a clean shot at the sports audience.
Don't underestimate how important a Sunday night game will be to the NHL. On Saturday night, the Red Wings & Penguins game did a 1.7 rating (Adults 18-49) and won the night. If the Sunday game holds form and does something north of a 3.0 it will be a huge win for hockey. Now the league goes back into the witness protection program for games 3 and 4 but the resulting buzz for hockey will be very good this year. If the Penguins and Wings stretch to 6 or 7 games, this series could be a seminal event for the NHL.
Why a seminal event? Because the NHL is talking with ESPN about returning the sport to the big tent of cable TV. ESPN wants to take a big leap by having a professional sports championship won on its' network. Every year, ESPN handles all sorts of sports events but when it comes time for the big one, another network, usually a broadcast network, gets the honors. The NHL would benefit greatly from the added exposure that ESPN could provide and my broadcasting friends tell me that the network is more ready to talk then they have been in the last few years. A great Finals this year with a solid Sunday night rating could push the ESPN negotiations over the top.
NBC would like to keep their hands on hockey for at least another year to cross promote the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Beyond that, NBC can take or leave hockey. The NHL would be wise, incredibly wise, to walk out that door and bring the Finals as well as other hockey programming to ESPN. The income to the teams would be better and the exposure would be immeasurably better.
And they will look back at that Sunday night in 2009 as a night when the league proved it could drive a great rating, create interest in the sport and maybe, just maybe, start reestablishing itself as the fourth major sport in the US.
Update Monday 2:45 PM -- The Sunday night game did good but not great ratings. The game averaged a 3.5 Household rating and a 2.0 (Adults 18-49) The game won the night for NBC and won 4 of 6 half hours, only trailing repeats of The Simpsons and Family Guy.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Cut To The Chase!
So what did we learn today? Well, we now know that Judge Redfield Baum can shake up the lines pretty well. By moving the hearing on the possible relocation of the team from June 22 to June 9, he surprised both sides, stripped away most of the other issues and set up a win or go home scenario for Jim Balsillie. Baum set earlier deadlines for the filing of briefs, moved the oral arguments up almost two weeks and promised that he would rule on the core issue of whether the team can be moved as part of the bankruptcy procedure shortly after the June 9th hearing.
For Balsillie to get control of the team and leave Phoenix behind, he'll need a favorable ruling from Judge Baum. If the judge rules that movement of the franchise cannot be considered as part of his bid to buy the team out of bankruptcy, it's game over for Balsillie. Thanks for playing Jim, drive home safely.
On the other hand, if he rules in favor of the Canadian, it will set off a series of court tests that could last for years and years. The NHL and the City of Glendale will appeal any ruling that does not give them what they want out of this deal. The NHL wants to preserve their constitution and bylaws that give the owners territorial protection and the right to pick their partners. The City of Glendale wants to keep their major tenant. Both the appeals and the injunctions that are certain to follow in rapid sequence would almost certainly keep the team in Arizona for at least the short term and would likely take years to resolve.
It's hard to get a line on Judge Baum. On one hand, he noted that Balsillie's offer is the only offer he's seen or heard of to this point. Conversely, he made it clear to Moyes' legal team that they will need some pretty strong arguments to overcome some of the bankruptcy issues that may not give Moyes a clear title to do what he pleases with the franchise. He would also be getting into an area -- franchise law -- where bankruptcy courts have long respected the contractual rights of the franchisor. That's why he makes semi-large judge bucks, I guess.
One of the issues settled today was the control of the team. Essentially the NHL and the Moyes group agreed to joint management of the asset and agreed to let the bankruptcy play out. With the team certain to be sold, there was less to gain by trying to establish control of the franchise. Interestingly, Toronto newspapers initially trumpeted this as a big win for Moyes and Balsillie but later pulled down those stories. The judge has made it clear that relocation, not control, is the primary issue. If anything, Balsillie lost a chance to be a part of the conversation because a mediator was not used and he was not invited to the control conversation.
Earlier today, the Arizona Republic broke major news that Sports Properties, a New York base investment firm was deep in negotiations with Glendale and the NHL to purchase the franchise when Moyes slipped the team into bankruptcy. Sports Properties has a blue chip leadership team that includes former Disney Sports CEO Tony Tavares, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and baseball legend Hank Aaron. Sports Properties has been on the prowl to buy a major sport franchise after raising $215MM in a public offering last fall. Sports Properties will not be bidding Blackberry dollars for the franchise but assuming they are still interested, they offer the hope of stable, well financed ownership as well as manager (Tavares) with a strong arena management background.
June 9th will be a huge day for the future of hockey in Phoenix. The hearing, and the determination that follows will either help maintain a hockey presence in The Valley (hopefully for many years to come) or set off a legal war that will ultimately wind its' way to the United States Supreme Court. I'd love to bet on the good guys here but as I've often been told, there is no sure thing in the courts.
For Balsillie to get control of the team and leave Phoenix behind, he'll need a favorable ruling from Judge Baum. If the judge rules that movement of the franchise cannot be considered as part of his bid to buy the team out of bankruptcy, it's game over for Balsillie. Thanks for playing Jim, drive home safely.
On the other hand, if he rules in favor of the Canadian, it will set off a series of court tests that could last for years and years. The NHL and the City of Glendale will appeal any ruling that does not give them what they want out of this deal. The NHL wants to preserve their constitution and bylaws that give the owners territorial protection and the right to pick their partners. The City of Glendale wants to keep their major tenant. Both the appeals and the injunctions that are certain to follow in rapid sequence would almost certainly keep the team in Arizona for at least the short term and would likely take years to resolve.
It's hard to get a line on Judge Baum. On one hand, he noted that Balsillie's offer is the only offer he's seen or heard of to this point. Conversely, he made it clear to Moyes' legal team that they will need some pretty strong arguments to overcome some of the bankruptcy issues that may not give Moyes a clear title to do what he pleases with the franchise. He would also be getting into an area -- franchise law -- where bankruptcy courts have long respected the contractual rights of the franchisor. That's why he makes semi-large judge bucks, I guess.
One of the issues settled today was the control of the team. Essentially the NHL and the Moyes group agreed to joint management of the asset and agreed to let the bankruptcy play out. With the team certain to be sold, there was less to gain by trying to establish control of the franchise. Interestingly, Toronto newspapers initially trumpeted this as a big win for Moyes and Balsillie but later pulled down those stories. The judge has made it clear that relocation, not control, is the primary issue. If anything, Balsillie lost a chance to be a part of the conversation because a mediator was not used and he was not invited to the control conversation.
Earlier today, the Arizona Republic broke major news that Sports Properties, a New York base investment firm was deep in negotiations with Glendale and the NHL to purchase the franchise when Moyes slipped the team into bankruptcy. Sports Properties has a blue chip leadership team that includes former Disney Sports CEO Tony Tavares, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and baseball legend Hank Aaron. Sports Properties has been on the prowl to buy a major sport franchise after raising $215MM in a public offering last fall. Sports Properties will not be bidding Blackberry dollars for the franchise but assuming they are still interested, they offer the hope of stable, well financed ownership as well as manager (Tavares) with a strong arena management background.
June 9th will be a huge day for the future of hockey in Phoenix. The hearing, and the determination that follows will either help maintain a hockey presence in The Valley (hopefully for many years to come) or set off a legal war that will ultimately wind its' way to the United States Supreme Court. I'd love to bet on the good guys here but as I've often been told, there is no sure thing in the courts.
Breaking News From Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is breaking an important piece of news concerning the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes this morning.
The Republic is reporting that Sports Properties Investment Corp., a New York investment firm put together for the express purpose of purchasing major league sports team(s) was working with Jerry Reinsdorf to buy the Coyotes prior to the team filing for bankruptcy protection.
Sports Properties has raised $215 million in capital markets to buy sports and leisure properties. Sports Properties had been rumored to be kicking the tires on the Coyotes prior to the Balsillie bid but had reportedly passed on the opportunity. The publicly traded firm was subsequently reported trying to acquire the NHL's Florida Panthers.
The Republic also reports that Tony Tavares, a former arena management and baseball executive who runs Sports Properties Acquisition Corp., signed an agreement May 4 with the city of Glendale, where the Coyotes play their home games at Jobing.com Arena.
The is great news for Coyotes fans. Tavares is a seasoned executive who served as the President and CEO of Disney Sports Enterprises, successfully launching and operating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He also served as the CEO and President of SMG, a company manages stadiums, arenas, theaters and convention facilities worldwide. He has served as president of several Major League Baseball franchises, most recently the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals.
And Sports Properties has money. Real money. They are sitting on a war chest of over $200MM raised through their public offering. They bring much needed cash, expertise and experience to the table. They also have arena management experience that can help stop the bleeding on that side of the ledger.
Here's the complete AZ Republic story...
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/2009/05/26/20090526spt-coyotes.html
The NHL and the Moyes legal team return to court today to tell the judge how they have agreed to run the team until the sale of the franchise is consummated. The judge had instructed both parties into mediation to resolve the issue of who controls the team. The Toronto Star is reporting that the NHL and the Moyes team have agree to run the team together until a sale is completed. The Star is reporting that Don Maloney will continue to run the hockey business, the NHL will foot the bills and any disagreements will be brought to the court for resolution.
Here is the complete story from the Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/641093
The Republic is reporting that Sports Properties Investment Corp., a New York investment firm put together for the express purpose of purchasing major league sports team(s) was working with Jerry Reinsdorf to buy the Coyotes prior to the team filing for bankruptcy protection.
Sports Properties has raised $215 million in capital markets to buy sports and leisure properties. Sports Properties had been rumored to be kicking the tires on the Coyotes prior to the Balsillie bid but had reportedly passed on the opportunity. The publicly traded firm was subsequently reported trying to acquire the NHL's Florida Panthers.
The Republic also reports that Tony Tavares, a former arena management and baseball executive who runs Sports Properties Acquisition Corp., signed an agreement May 4 with the city of Glendale, where the Coyotes play their home games at Jobing.com Arena.
The is great news for Coyotes fans. Tavares is a seasoned executive who served as the President and CEO of Disney Sports Enterprises, successfully launching and operating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He also served as the CEO and President of SMG, a company manages stadiums, arenas, theaters and convention facilities worldwide. He has served as president of several Major League Baseball franchises, most recently the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals.
And Sports Properties has money. Real money. They are sitting on a war chest of over $200MM raised through their public offering. They bring much needed cash, expertise and experience to the table. They also have arena management experience that can help stop the bleeding on that side of the ledger.
Here's the complete AZ Republic story...
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/2009/05/26/20090526spt-coyotes.html
The NHL and the Moyes legal team return to court today to tell the judge how they have agreed to run the team until the sale of the franchise is consummated. The judge had instructed both parties into mediation to resolve the issue of who controls the team. The Toronto Star is reporting that the NHL and the Moyes team have agree to run the team together until a sale is completed. The Star is reporting that Don Maloney will continue to run the hockey business, the NHL will foot the bills and any disagreements will be brought to the court for resolution.
Here is the complete story from the Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/641093
Monday, May 25, 2009
Next Coyotes Coach?
So if Wayne Gretzky is not part of the organization moving forward, who will coach the Coyotes?
This post isn't intended as a referendum on that issue. Any Gretzky decision will be made by the incoming owners of the team. Much has been speculated that he is in with some potential owners and out with others.
I'll be content to let others decide that. If he leaves the organization or accepts a reduced role, a new coach will need to be located. It's likely that Don Maloney will be making that decision and if he is called to do so, here are some of the options that he will be looking at.
The requisites for the job will be good with young players, proven winner and (likely) NHL experience. This is a team that needs to move from playoff contender to playoff participant. The margin for error here is very small. A relationship and history with Don Maloney probably wouldn't hurt either.
All signs point to one logical candidate -- Tom Renney. Renney coached the New York Rangers from 2004 until this spring and made the playoffs in each of his three full seasons with the Rangers. He's cerebral, very patient and worked closely with Maloney when both were with the Rangers.
Maloney is a prepared and measured manager. No doubt he has already thought about this possibility and built a short list of candidates that he feels can move the team forward. Much like general managers scout players, they are always looking at coaching talent along the way. Many of these names are likely on his list. So are others known only to him.
Coaching changes happen more often in hockey than any other major sport. This year. three of the four teams in the conference finals changed coaches during this season. The average life of an NHL bench boss is less than three years. Should Don Maloney have to change coaches this off-season it will no doubt be the most critical change he will make in the organization this summer and will have a profound impact on the future of the franchise. He is no doubt prepared and may get a chance to make the most important hire of his career.
Update Monday 12:05PM -- TSN is reporting that Pat Quinn has been named the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers and Tom Renney will join him in Edmonton as associate head coach . While Renney could still be a candidate to be head coach in Phoenix, it is much less likely under this scenario.
This post isn't intended as a referendum on that issue. Any Gretzky decision will be made by the incoming owners of the team. Much has been speculated that he is in with some potential owners and out with others.
I'll be content to let others decide that. If he leaves the organization or accepts a reduced role, a new coach will need to be located. It's likely that Don Maloney will be making that decision and if he is called to do so, here are some of the options that he will be looking at.
The requisites for the job will be good with young players, proven winner and (likely) NHL experience. This is a team that needs to move from playoff contender to playoff participant. The margin for error here is very small. A relationship and history with Don Maloney probably wouldn't hurt either.
All signs point to one logical candidate -- Tom Renney. Renney coached the New York Rangers from 2004 until this spring and made the playoffs in each of his three full seasons with the Rangers. He's cerebral, very patient and worked closely with Maloney when both were with the Rangers.
Of course, Renney is also a prime candidate for other coaching vacancies. The Edmonton Oilers have reportedly asked for permission to interview him for their open position. By the time the Coyotes situation is clarified, his availability could be moot.
There are other potential NHL coaches who could be recycled in Phoenix. Peter Laviolette won a Stanley Cup three years ago in Carolina. He's an intense coach who may not be the best match for a young team. Bob Hartley also won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche but struggled when he was hired to right the Atlanta Thrashers. Marc Crawford is another former Cup winner in Colorado but he couldn't get a young Los Angeles Kings team moving before he was dismissed after last season. Craig MacTavish spent eight years in Edmonton and had a great playoff run in 2006 but he could only get in the playoffs three times in eight years. The Coyotes need better than that.
One intriguing former NHL coach could be Pat Quinn. Quinn never has had a great reputation with young players but this year he addressed that issue head on by winning the World Junior Championship with Canada's best young talent. He's 66 but he also has a long history of building competitive teams. In 19 seasons as an NHL coach he has only missed the playoffs twice and some of those teams had no business making the playoffs. He's also colorful and could help raise the profile of the Coyotes.
With the success of Dan Bylsma in Pittsburgh and Bruce Boudreau in Washington, hiring coaches from the American Hockey League may prove to be a new vogue in the NHL. If Maloney chose to go with a proven minor league coach, two current and two former AHL coaches could emerge.
Manitoba Moose head coach Scott Arniel was the coach of the year in the A and has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the open Edmonton position. Kevin Dineen has coached the top prospects for both the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks in Portland, ME and his name pops up whenever there is an NHL opening.
Two Former AHL coaches; Randy Cunneyworth and Don Lever also could merit consideration. Cunneyworth spent several years coaching the Rochester Americans before joining the Atlanta Thrashers as an assistant this year. He's been considered a prime NHL coaching prospect while developing many of the Sabres young players. Lever spent 10 years as Lindy Ruff's assistant in Buffalo and won a Calder Cup in Hamilton (delicious irony there!) with the Montreal Canadiens prospects. He just completed the season as an assistant to Guy Carbonneau and Bob Gainey for the Habs and is considered a head coaching candidate in Montreal. His age, 57, may work against him as a first time NHL coach.Maloney is a prepared and measured manager. No doubt he has already thought about this possibility and built a short list of candidates that he feels can move the team forward. Much like general managers scout players, they are always looking at coaching talent along the way. Many of these names are likely on his list. So are others known only to him.
Coaching changes happen more often in hockey than any other major sport. This year. three of the four teams in the conference finals changed coaches during this season. The average life of an NHL bench boss is less than three years. Should Don Maloney have to change coaches this off-season it will no doubt be the most critical change he will make in the organization this summer and will have a profound impact on the future of the franchise. He is no doubt prepared and may get a chance to make the most important hire of his career.
Update Monday 12:05PM -- TSN is reporting that Pat Quinn has been named the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers and Tom Renney will join him in Edmonton as associate head coach . While Renney could still be a candidate to be head coach in Phoenix, it is much less likely under this scenario.
Don Maloney: "Business As Usual"
With all attention being focused on the Coyotes bankruptcy/sale/move/new ownership, the hockey side of the business has been operating in relative obscurity during the past month. I thought it would be fun and also a little cathartic to shine the spotlight back on the ice. I recently had a chance to visit with Don Maloney about some of the challenges he is facing in building the hockey team for the 2009-10 season.
Most importantly, Don made it clear directly and in his responses that the hockey side is conducting "business as usual" in approaching the upcoming draft, free agency and considering improvements to the team.
The Coyotes have the 6th and 36th picks in this years draft, but are unlikely get the additional 1st round draft choice that is coming from Calgary as part of the Olli Jokinen trade. "It looks like Calgary will take their pick in 2009 so we will have their 2010 pick" Maloney did however indicate that "I will consider trading this pick (Calgary's 1st in 2010) if a deal makes sense."
One possibility to watch for is Maloney combining his own 2009 2nd with the Calgary 1st to move into the lower half of the 2009 first round. The 2009 draft is considered to be a very deep and this becomes more likely if the Coyotes like a player who is sliding in the 1st round.
In assessing the Coyotes roster, Maloney cited the need for more scoring as his top off season concern. "We need to find more offensive production from our forward group which may result in adding a little more experience. This is not to suggest we are abandoning our young players, rather, I felt we were a little too young as a forward group last season to have success." Depending on the dollars Maloney has available, he will have a wide variety of players, both free agents and under contract to other teams that will be available to him.
Maloney also indicated that he is looking for help on the back end. "We could use a good defenseman, preferable someone who can play the right side". Numerous veterans, including former Coyote Derek Morris, will be available either by trade or free agency to fortify the defense. Young defensive prospect Nick Ross, who signed with the Coyotes last year, will turn pro after being the Yotes 1st round draft choice (30th overall) in 2007 and could contend for a position. Jonas Ahnelov could also figure in the mix. Ahenlov had a strong training camp last year before breaking his hand right at the end of camp.
A potential trading partner for the Coyotes could be the New York Rangers, who have six right handed defensemen on their roster.
Most importantly, Don made it clear directly and in his responses that the hockey side is conducting "business as usual" in approaching the upcoming draft, free agency and considering improvements to the team.
The Coyotes have the 6th and 36th picks in this years draft, but are unlikely get the additional 1st round draft choice that is coming from Calgary as part of the Olli Jokinen trade. "It looks like Calgary will take their pick in 2009 so we will have their 2010 pick" Maloney did however indicate that "I will consider trading this pick (Calgary's 1st in 2010) if a deal makes sense."
One possibility to watch for is Maloney combining his own 2009 2nd with the Calgary 1st to move into the lower half of the 2009 first round. The 2009 draft is considered to be a very deep and this becomes more likely if the Coyotes like a player who is sliding in the 1st round.
In assessing the Coyotes roster, Maloney cited the need for more scoring as his top off season concern. "We need to find more offensive production from our forward group which may result in adding a little more experience. This is not to suggest we are abandoning our young players, rather, I felt we were a little too young as a forward group last season to have success." Depending on the dollars Maloney has available, he will have a wide variety of players, both free agents and under contract to other teams that will be available to him.
Maloney also indicated that he is looking for help on the back end. "We could use a good defenseman, preferable someone who can play the right side". Numerous veterans, including former Coyote Derek Morris, will be available either by trade or free agency to fortify the defense. Young defensive prospect Nick Ross, who signed with the Coyotes last year, will turn pro after being the Yotes 1st round draft choice (30th overall) in 2007 and could contend for a position. Jonas Ahnelov could also figure in the mix. Ahenlov had a strong training camp last year before breaking his hand right at the end of camp.
A potential trading partner for the Coyotes could be the New York Rangers, who have six right handed defensemen on their roster.
One place defensive help will not be coming are the team's two outstanding defensive prospects, Chris Summer and Maxim Goncharov. "Chris Summers is returning to Michigan for his senior year." according to Maloney and "Maxim Goncharov has one year remaining on his Russian contract." Because of the lack of a transfer agreement with the Russian Hockey Federation, the Coyotes will retain Goncharov's rights. Goncharov in particular bears watching in the future. After a breakout performance in the World Junior Tournament this year, he was ranked as the 21st best prospect outside of the NHL by The Hockey News.
The Coyotes also have to deal with eight restricted free agents from last years team: Enver Lisin, Dan Winnik, Petr Prucha, Nigel Dawes, Joakim Lindstrom, Keith Yandle, Scottie Upshall and Josn Tordjman. Maloney is "not in any hurry" to sign his RFAs. Players in this category have to receive a qualifying offer by June 25th and Upshall and Yandle are the most likely to be qualified. Prucha may not be qualified at his $1.6MM 2009 salary but could resign with the Coyotes for a lower amount.
Tordjman has a breakout season for the AHL San Antonio Rampage this year and may be in the teams plans. Without mentioning him by name Maloney stated that"we will look hard at our backup goaltending position", which could mean bringing in a veteran to battle with Tordjman and Al Montoya for the backup job behind Ilya Bryzgalov.
The Coyotes have 16 players who finished this season with the big club under contract and the 6 players still on entry level contracts. That gives Maloney a lot of salary flexibility for summer retooling. Assuming that the team will stay close to the NHL salary floor, Maloney still has the flexibility to add a couple of veteran chips to strengthen the team.
In a future post, I'll take a look at the salary cap and floor implications of the current roster.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
