No News is (?) News
Sometimes no news can be good news. In this case it depends on your take of the proposed take-over of the Florida Panthers by an investment consortium. Good thing, bad thing? No one really knows. Will it even happen? No one knows. Certainly, if anyone does know; they are keeping a tight lid on things.
Apparently the rumors of the franchises sale were just that – rumors. At least for now, that is. It doesn’t mean the deal is dead in the water, merely that more time is needed. However, the fact that it has taken so long in the first place, makes the deal less likely you would think. If it had been a straightforward investment takeover it would have been done by now. Makes you wonder what exactly is going on, doesn’t it?
Perhaps the whole Phoenix situation is also playing a part in the delays?
After all, potential buyers might be interested to know whether they can move the franchise without the full blessings of the NHL in the future. Indeed, if the Coyotes are relocated it could set a dangerous future precedence for hockey fans in South Florida. The Panthers are not the hottest name, on an already crowded local sports market, and there are other hockey areas crying for a team of their own.
Better then with an owner, Alan Cohen, that you already know?
Perhaps, but then again new owners could provide a greater impetus to succeed, to plow money in to the roster and go all out in search of on-ice success; which could very well (if sustained and significant enough) rejuvenate the franchise and endear it to more sports fans in the region. There is some untapped potential here, that’s for sure.
Again – no news so far; just speculation. And we’ll probably have to sit in the silence for some while; whilst little newsdroplets trickle out one at a time. Nothing looks, unlike what the Herald may have claimed earlier, imminent at this time in space anyway.
Meanwhile, LW Ville Peltonen, has gone over to the KHL to play for Belorussian outfit Dynamo Minsk. The team ended dead last in the league last season, but have now decided to invest heavily in to the playing squad. Ville is one in a line of foreign signings that will try and help the capital club find some success. And good luck to him!
I was hoping that Peltonen would stay for another season… His presence and hard work has counted a lot this last season, and I hate to see him go now, when there’s such a gap in the roster to begin with …