Mystery NHL team puts out feelers to Winnipeg

By Ross Romaniuk, SLAM! Sports!

The dream of bringing the National Hockey League back to Winnipeg isn't dead yet.

A National Hockey League franchise has contacted city hall to inquire about possibly relocating to Winnipeg, The Winnipeg Sun has learned.

Deputy mayor Dan Vandal received a phone call last week from a representative of a United States-based NHL club, who wanted further information about the possibility of Winnipeg regaining a major-league team.

The inquiry did not come from the Pittsburgh Penguins, a franchise Vandal had courted during the past few weeks. However, the St. Boniface councillor refused to reveal which team contacted his Main Street office and left the voice-mail message while he was on vacation in Costa Rica.

"They're asking, 'How serious is Winnipeg? Because we're in trouble,' " Vandal said yesterday.

Vandal has since returned the team official's call but hasn't been able to reach him. Until he does, he won't identify the club.

He confirmed "it's a team that's not doing really well" financially.

Vandal said he plans to discuss the matter with fellow members of Mayor Glen Murray's executive committee.

"Why would we give up?" he asked of The 'Peg's hopes to put an NHL team into MTS Centre, seven years after the Jets left for Phoenix in 1996.

"There's no risk to us at this point. It's all about keeping the right position to catch a fly ball. Anyone who says we can't do that is short-sighted."

A lockout by NHL owners or strike by the players is widely expected before the start of next season, when the owners' agreement with the NHL Players' Association expires. Owners are expected to be willing to sacrifice up to an entire season to bring salaries under control.

Jim Ludlow, president of True North Entertainment, which operates Winnipeg's coming arena, said it's far too early to predict the city's NHL prospects.

Edmonton Oilers Governor Cal Nichols said he would welcome Winnipeg back into the NHL.

In Edmonton, a group of about three dozen small and medium-sized business people all own a share of the hockey team. Nichols said that formula would work well in Winnipeg.

"Hockey is Canada, Canada is hockey, and I think the game really does have legs here. Under the right economic circumstances, it can be viable," he said.

Former Winnipeg Jets general manager John Ferguson said he isn't surprised an NHL team would consider a return to the city.

"It would be an ideal situation to come back to Winnipeg," said Ferguson via telephone from Windsor. "There's a new arena being built, and the fan base is there. Winnipeg has probably the most knowledgeable hockey fans in the world.

"If some common sense comes out of the next collective bargaining agreement I don't see why Winnipeg shouldn't have a team. Hockey is the only game in town during the winter there -- you don't watch NASCAR and you're not that interested in basketball."

ABC sports hockey analyst John Davidson said Winnipeg deserves another NHL team.

"Salaries are going to come down. I'm hearing the players have already offered a 5 percent give-back, so that's the starting point for negotiations," Davidson said, adding owners will also push hard to curb the entry-level salaries of NHL rookies.

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