NHL Hockey Deal is Dead!
Federal Offer to Assist NHL Franchises is Withdrawn
Dateline: 01/22/00A federal offer to help bail out Canada's NHL teams has been withdrawn, just three days after it was made.
Heavy rhetoric about hockey being the core of Canadian identity, continuous pressure from Rod Bryden, owner of the Ottawa Senators, combined with the threat that the Senators would move to the US, resulted in a somewhat reluctant offer of federal participation in financial assistance to help Canadian NHL franchises "get through a difficult financial period." That was January 18.
The reaction from Canadians across the country was so fast, negative, and strong, that on January 21, Industry Minister John Manley announced that the proposal is dead. He said it had become clear that Canadians do not support taxpayer assistance to professional hockey, and the liberal government will not pursue the issue further.
The federal offer was conditional on the participation of the provinces and municipalities in which the NHL franchises are located. In his announcement withdrawing the federal offer, Manley quoted statements from four provinces - BC, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec - that clearly indicated they did not intend to participate.
Rod Bryden now says it will take a few days, which he defined as fewer than 30, for him to decide if the Senators will be sold. He did not immediately rule out the possibility that the Senators could still stay in Ottawa.
