There was a tweet on the 19th from Mike Ozanian that caught my attention, mostly by making me laugh. It's just one line, no backstory, no substantiation, and the only mention of this anywhere: "Don't be surprised if St. Louis Blues move to Canada."

Ok, so now all teams with bad ownership situations are moving to the Great White North? How is this even practical? With the Thrashers it became increasingly apparent over time that something along the lines of a move to Canada was going to happen, as hard as it was to accept. Attendance was dropping, ownership was bumbling everything it touched. Once Phoenix went off the table for a year, it was as good as done.

Now, the Coyotes are still unstable because the chances the League is going to be able to wrangle $25 million out of the City of Glendale to cover losses on an annual basis isn't going to happen - and fans aren't exactly excited to come out for a team that they don't know will be there next season.  If there is a candidate for relocation - and I hope that there isn't another one; two in two years isn't indicitave of a well run League - it's probably the Coyotes.

But wait... the Dallas Stars are facing bankruptcy, and have a wealthy Candian, Tom Gaglardi, as the leading candidate for purchasing the team. Is he going to move them to Canada? Probably not, because of all of the past success the Dallas Stars have had in their market - they're a moneymaker, but at least there's a tie to Canada somewhere in there. 

Instead, Ozanian looked at the Blues. Why? Well, for starters there really haven't been any big investors to tie to the team as "the one to buy them." They've been up for official sale since March 17th, when Dave Checketts said he just couldn't afford them (and the Peoria Rivermen) anymore. Since then, nary a peep has come out regarding any progress on the sale. I suppose if you take that, factor in that Gary Bettman told RIM founder Jim Balsillie that if he played nice he could get his team (which Bill Daly is completely denying - because he did a swell job doing that with the Thrashers sale), and ta da. Instant news!

The Blues haven't made much ground on the sale of their team, and because Bettman told Balsillie that he could get his team, well of course the Blues are well on their way to Canada. Wouldn't be the first time there's been a rumor about this - Saskatoon Blues, anyone? And the Salomons? Come on - the team literally had three people working for them at one point. If the NHL didn't want to lose a market like St. Louis in the early 1980s, why would they now? And if the Blues can survive Nancy and Bill Laurie, you'd think they could survive this hiccup.

There's a pesky matter of the Blues being an attendance and ratings winner for the league. They were 7th in the league's attendance last season, averaging over 19,000 a game and sold out out 40 of 41 home games. You factor in the TV ratings, and the league would be insane to move.

Sure, there are state of the art arenas in Quebec City and Hamilton, but Quebec's hit a hiccup and Hamilton's smack dab in both the Toronto Maple Leafs' and Buffalo Sabres' territory.

But no, conjecture! A tweet without even a story to go with it! Balsillie! Thrashers moving! Yeah, why wouldn't the league lose one of it's top ten teams as far as attendance go to a market a fraction of the size? Makes sense to me. 

All I want to do is write something about the Blues. I've had it up to here with the leaking BS from the sinking Thrashers ship - each piece of flotsam more frustrating than the first. I'm fairly tired of people saying that it's Atlanta's fault that the team left, when you have Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien both saying ownership sucked. I just wanted to write a post today about a giant blue pantsless rat walking in the Komen 5K in St. Louis, but hell. That post'd probably get  comments on it from 12 year old 'Peggers about how St. Louis doesn't deserve hockey or some such bullshit like that, so why not write something about the Thrashers and how shady the deal was?

Bettman said that they couldn't find any local interested owners. Gearon said that the people that they had offering bids "couldn't afford season tickets."

Someone should mention that last line to Global Wellington Financial Corp. and Oriana Capital Partners, because they sounds like they can afford tons of season tickets. Heck, they sound like they can afford all three Atlanta Spirit properties - the Hawks, Thrashers, and Philips Arena. They placed a bid for $500 million for all three on May 20th, and apparently weren't taken seriously. Now they're back again, trying for the Hawks and Philips. Why you'd want to deal with the Atlanta Spirit more than once is beyond me, unless these guys really want a basketball team that badly.

Perhaps $500 million was considered too low for all three, and that's why they turned the deal down. It's funny, though, because it was still a legit bid. No mention of if due diligence was done or if any good faith negotiations were entered in to with this group. According to 36.1 (c) of the NHL By-Laws, they specifically state:

(d) Whether the present owner of the Club has made a good faith effort to find prospective purchases who are prepared to continue operating the Club in its present location and/or has engaged in good faith negotiations with such prospective purchasers.

Um, cam someone point me anywhere that the ASG has actually tried to enter into real, actual negotiations with anyone? I'm probably jumping the gun until more details of this whole thing comes out, but we're going to have a hell of a time digging our way out of this snow job by the time all is said and done.

But, of course, all of this incompetence is because of the fact that Atlanta doesn't deserve hockey.

EDIT: WSBTV has a source - who is unnamed (of course) but close to ASG who is saying that the USA Today report is false. Time for another episode of "Conflicting Reports With Atlanta And National Press!" If you don't understand why ATL fans are frustrated, I really hope that this helps.

Oh, good. Another season of making pointless "Little Nicky" jokes.

Ok, I know that I said that re-signing Matt D'Agostini should probably be the next RFA signing that the Blues cover, but this one's pretty ok too. Nikita Nikitin was one of the many (many) emergency defensive call-ups that the Blues had to rely on last season as their defensive corps were dropping like flies. Most got sent back to Peoria, but Nikitin hung around. He looked like a shaky AHL call-up initially, and then he got stronger. And stronger. And then finished out the season with the team on the third defensive pairing with either Roman Polak or Carlo Colaiacovo.

He only played 41 games (I say only - heck, that's half of the season!) with the team, netting a goal and eight assists. The Blues want to see him grow while at the same time voicing some confidence in him, so they announced today that they were re-signing him for one season in a one-way deal that'll see him get $600,000 (CapGeek says $800,000 - trying to figure out what's right).

The Blues've got themselves a solid defensive corps for next year. If they can all stay concussion/injury free. Is that so much to ask?

Five more years of helmet farts!

I've taken an unfortunate break from Blues blogging, what with all of the madness that are Thrashers relocation rumors.  Common sense has gone out the window surrounding the Thrashers/Winnipeg Whatevers - not that the franchise ever had any to begin with. People telling Thrashers fans to "get over it" less than a week after they lost their team, name calling on message boards and blogs because you disagree with a point of view... being 12 years old and never seeing a Jets game in your life but still feeling the need to laugh at Atlanta fans and play economic professor (high demand = high price until you realize that the product is average to inferior, then demand decreases and prices and attendance drop - trust me, we in Atlanta know EXACTLY how that works). Yeah, when you have people crowing on message boards that they're paying $6,000 for six games to go see the Atlanta Thrashers, who are automatically more awesome now that they're in CANADA!, you know that common sense is out the window.

This is why it's so pleasant to shift my attention back to St. Louis. Sure, the Blues might be looking for some owners, but they're not going anywhere - selling out 40 of 41 games last season helps with that. They know the assets that they have and are willing to lock them up because they believe in their team and their team philosophy. Hell, they have a team philosophy. I love the Thrashers, but other than "try not to lose as many games this year, ok?" did the organization even ponder the idea of a philosophy? A motto? Anything? Poor ownership and an easily confused front office'll do that.

The Blues' front office, though, is locked in. John Davidson re-signed a contract extension as team president, and General Manager Doug Armstrong is proactive at locking up RFAs before July 1st. What a list of RFAs the Blues have, too. Before this week's locking up of key pieces, these were the guys who were RFAs: Patrik Berglund, TJ Oshie, BJ Crombeen, Vladimir Sobotka, Matt D'Agostini, Ryan Reaves, Roman Polak, and Nikita Nikitin. Quite a core little group of guys, no?

Luckily, the Blues felt the need to secure some of their places on the team. The first was Patrik Berglund. After a dominating performance in which he scored 8 goals and two assists to finish with a +7 rating (and finished second in scoring), as well as a much improved season last year that saw career highs in goals (22) and assists (30), the Blues could not let a chance to get him re-upped pass. They re-signed him for two more seasons at a cap hit of $2,250,000 a year. Upon expiration of his current contract, he's still an RFA, which means he can re-sign for an extended period of time and push back when he tests the UFA waters.

The next guys to be locked in were Roman Polak and Vladimir Sobotka. Polak got a hefty contract extension of five years at $2,750,000 a season. He's a great shut down, stay at home defenseman who has been more than reliable for the Blues. Also, he hasn't been injury prone except when Sidney Crosby tries to give him a hand-ectomy, so that's a plus as well. The Blues' penalty kill, who went from 1st in the league in 2009-2010 to 21st last season thanks to the loss of Mike Weaver, needs more shut down guys like Polak if they want to rebound and be successful.

Vladimir Sobotka was acquired from the Boston Bruins for the rights to defenseman David Warsofsky last off-season, and what a one-way lopsided deal that was. Sobe, playing mostly 3rd and 4th line minutes, scored 7 goals and 22 assists and was a key source of energy for the Blues while Oshie was out with a broken ankle. The Blues haven't yet locked up Sobotka, but are believed to be working on a three year contract extension.

So, after Vodka, who do the Blues get re-signed. Common sense says "Oshie!" because he's a fan favorite, the team's energy core, and he has so much potential. He also showed himself to be a bit of an immature flake last season, but hopefully that will fix itself with age. Matt D'Agostini, though, would be my bet for the next to get re-signed. The negotiations probably won't be as complicated as Oshie's and with 21 goals (25 assists) the former Hab has finally become what people expected him to be. Probably more so. He finished third on the team in goals behind David Backes and Berglund, and finished with a +8. Add in the fact that he's generally a healthy guy - he played all 82 games last season - and he's yet another core piece of the team that the Blues swiped from Montreal.

Now that the sale's final, the alcohol's been drunk at various wakes around the city last night, and we've all woken up this morning to the prospect of a hockey-free Atlanta market, the Thrashers' fans have to figure out what to do next. The sale might be final - but it - and the relocation - is final pending board of governors approval. So why not show the BOG that we care? Sure, Winnipeg's having their ticket drive. But our drive for signatures is free - which automatically makes it better.

Go to this petition and put your name down. It takes literally 2.5 seconds. Let's see how many we can get to show the BOG that we do love our team.

Ok, I lied. One more thing. The Winnipeg team (whatever they are) need to sell 13,000 season tickets to show the Board of Governors that they're a viable market. Stands to reason.

Look at the prices:

My Thrashers season tickets are in the equivilant of section 111. They are $999 a year here in Atlanta. In Winnipeg?

$4,230. That's more than four times the price. The yellow seats are $1,745. Granted, yes, that's in a slightly stronger Canadian dollar, but you get the point.

Enjoy paying out the nose for a five year committment to watch this team frustrate the hell out of you.

EDIT: I decided to look up income for the 'Peg. In 2010 median income was $70,510 (Canadian). Not too shabby. The average annual expenses? The most recent data I could find gave it as $55,821. So, basically, that gives each family $14,869 worth of disposable income (roughly).

Atlanta's median income - the 7th highest in the US, with ticket prices a quarter of some of those in Winnipeg, is $51,948. I'll add cost of living for a comparable year as WPG when I can find it. The internet isn't cooperating and I'm too tired to care.

I'm too upset (UPSET, people - not drunk. Yet) to function, so no mourning post here. Instead, a press release!

PRESS RELEASE

It‟s Not Over: Social Media Keeps the Hope for Thrashers Alive

Atlanta, May 31, 2011: When young businessmen believe that keeping the Atlanta Thrashers NHL franchise

in Atlanta is in the best interest of the community, they use social media to garner the attention of local,

national, and international fans and media. The web page „KeepTheThrashers.com‟ has been providing

reliable, timely information on the pending sale of the Atlanta Thrashers through posts, videos, and links to

media sources. Chris Ciovacco, a money manager named as one of Wall Street's top executive opinion

leaders in 20101, and one of the co-founders of the www.keepthethrashers.com, believes that keeping the

Thrashers in Atlanta would be, “a financially sound business decision for Atlanta and the NHL in the long

run”. Today, the site and its sister Facebook page, with over 5,300 “likes”, are actively encouraging Atlanta

civic and political leaders to step forward and form a coalition to provide a short-term financial bridge to

keep the Thrashers playing in Atlanta next season. According to Ciovacco, “another season in Atlanta

would allow Atlanta Mayor Reed, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and the fans additional time to find a

permanent solution for keeping the Thrashers in Atlanta”. The NHL Board of Governors is scheduled to vote

June 21, 2011 on the fate of the Thrashers and indications from the NHL are that they prefer the team

remain in Atlanta with a local ownership group. Ciovacco is pleading for local corporations such as Coca-

Cola, Home Depot, UPS, Chick-fil-A, Cousins Properties, and Delta, to work with Atlanta leaders, such as

Mayor Kasim Reed, Arthur Blank, Bernie Marcus, Anne Cox Chambers, Tom Cousins, and Truett Cathy to

provide a viable short-term alternative to moving the franchise to Winnipeg for the 2011-2012 season. In

light of the recent announcement from True North/Winnipeg, fans and members of the media can access

a newly updated FAQs – The Fight for the Thrashers is Not Over at

http://www.keepthethrashers.com/faq.html Additional details providing the business case for keeping the

Thrashers in Atlanta can be found at http://www.keepthethrashers.com/

KeepTheThrashers.com was created and is currently maintained by Chris Ciovacco and Jamie Henderson.

People make snide comments about the fanbase and such. Well, scroll to 1:20 of this video, and you'll see exactly what we have to deal with.

That moron? Atlanta Spirit L.L.C. member Rutherford Seydel.

Thrashers fans have had a common refrain recently: with all of the bullshit that's happening with our franchise - all of the rumors and nonsense - where the hell is Gary Bettman? Why hasn't he been in Atlanta? Why doesn't he address the issues first, instead of letting callers on radio shows bring them up?

Better yet, where's our "we stand up for the fans" stump speech that Phoenix got?

So, on a suggestion of a friend, some fans began the #whereisbettman Twitter hashtag, with some creative results. On further suggestion of a friend, however... this was born:

This feature will track Bettman across whatever airwaves he might so happen to be on - because God knows that they won't be here in Atlanta. If the mythical figure of Santa Claus can get tracked by NORAD, then by God, so can the mythical figure of Gary Bettman.

It came out yesterday on Twitter that Anson Carter's group that is interested in purchasing the Thrashers, Hawks, and Philips Arena had an offer in for $350 million. Considering that the Hawks were valued by Forbes.com for about $295 million (23rd out of 30!), and the Thrashers at $110 million, this seems to be a bit short. Sure, Carter isn't going to get Philips Arena for free, but by the time the NHL continues to deduct money from the sale price of the Thrash to go along with the relocation fee, the Atlanta Spirit Group might break even. It irritated fans that a serious offer was brushed aside. Carter still seems interested, so with the exclusivity agreement with the former owner of the Padres gone, he might have a chance.

He might also need some extra cash. That's where we come in. By "we," I don't mean Thrashers fans. I mean hockey fans. Last night on Twitter, fellow Thrasher fan @big_momma had the idea that the owners sell shares in the team to make up the shortfall. Admittedly, our fanbase is small, so that might not raise enough cash needed. I got a vote of confidence, though, when some of my fellow Blues fans chimed in with "I'll take a share!" Friends @KingDonutI, @itsjuststarla, @grantsales, @WhoLeTheDagsOut, @JDAndTurkelton, @meltyourfaceoff, and @DanGNR all hopped in with offers to lend a hand. I realize that a lot of the sympathy coming from them is because I'm a St. Louis fan as well as an Atlanta fan.

But say what of the sympathy of Buffalo Sabres fans @3rdManIn and @hawksgirl924? Or Detroit Red Wings fan @sammyhancock?

The most interesting aspect of all of this isn't even necessarily the fact that the idea is perfectly fine and dandy according to section 34 of the NHL by-laws (scroll to section 34 - I couldn't screen grab the PDF). It's the fact that so many fans of other teams are offering up their money to help some other franchise - in some cases, a Southeast Division rival - stay in the NHL. They realize that it's bad for the game should the Thrashers leave - and it sets a precident for other teams who might be trapped in a situation with bad ownership or attendance issues.