A few interesting items in the NHL news today.
Bill Daly comments about Versus today in this article.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6465600.html
NYI Fan Central Comments:
What's interesting here is Daly's comments seem to put Versus on notice that they have to meet their agreements or the league can opt out of the deal which is something I have not read before, even though Daly downplays this. Why is the league going to run away from guaranteed money for Espn/Espn2 who will feature them around tenth in their programming lineup? It's also clear some publications are friends of powerful, political Espn and need their business to survive so they will have no problem doing articles like this for their business interest and multi-channel is one of them.
A group that includes former Jackets gm, Doug McLean has an agreement with Bill Davidson to purchase the Tampa Bay Lightning, but is subject to approval by the NHL board of governors.
http://www.thesouthern.com/articles/2007/08/07/ap/sports/d8qs62mo0.txt
NYI Fan Central Comments:
If this is approved, expect John Tortarella to be on his way out of Tampa Bay. If I recall McLean had some run-in's as Panthers coach with Tortarella.
Kings Forward Mike Cammalleri lost his arbitration hearing with the Kings and will have to scrap by on only 3.1-3.6m the next two seasons after asking for a reported six million a season, gm Dean Lombardi has already accepted the award.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/hockey/nhl/kings/la-sp-kingsducksrep7aug07,1,4765015.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nhl-kings
NYI Fan Central Comments:
Cammalleri's a very talented player, he had an 80 point year last year and a 60 point year before that, but six million a year when the Kings have won nothing at this stage for someone who is not a franchise talent? Every bad arbitration ruling or contract signing keeps driving up the player market, makes agents and their clients think they should be getting five, six, seven or more million a year. No doubt this likely keeps Camalleri in a Kings uniform for another year and a half but Dean Lombardi has the option of moving him at any time.
Msg spin doctor, Stan Fischler checks in with a bunch of things.
http://www.hockeyjournal.com/Article.php?ArtID=300967
NYI Fan Central Comments:
If Dustin Penner signed this offer sheet from Cablevision, not a prayer Fischler would write this nor would Msg allow it. Can't blindly sell anything your boss's does as positive with one face and rip other organization's for the same tactics with the other face Mr Fischler.
