NEW YORK (AP) -Without a binding agreement between Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold and Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, talk of the team relocating to Canada is strictly premature.
That was NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's stern message Wednesday after a meeting of the league's board of governors.
Leipold and Balsillie, the co-CEO of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, agreed to a term sheet for the transfer of ownership of the club, but that is nonbinding. The delay in closing the deal prevented the sale from being up for vote by the league's 30 teams before this weekend's draft in Columbus, Ohio.
Balsillie has already started a process to move the Predators to Hamilton, Ontario, should a potential out in the team's lease with the arena in Nashville be exercised after the sale's completion. Leipold announced May 24 he was selling to the team to Balsillie.
"Currently there isn't a fully completed application before the board of governors," Bettman said. "As a result I think people are getting a little bit ahead of themselves on this entire issue.
"It isn't in any shape or form close to being ready for consideration as it relates to approval of an ownership change. I'm not exactly sure why people are focused on the Nashville Predators being anywhere other than in Nashville at this particular point in time."
Bettman: Talk of Predators to Canada is premature
06-20-2007, 10:30 PM
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