Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner, Confirms Canadian Buyer Trying to Steal Phoenix Coyotes and Move Them to Canada

• <p>Wow. This has to be the most ignorant article I've read in a long time. First, by "steal the Coyotes from the desert" you mean "return them to their proper home." I guess this guy didn't get the memo that the 'yotes were originally the Jets... up in Canada.</p> <p>As an American from the Northeast (die hard Sabres fan), it appalls me that the league is so determined to stay in these southern markets that are failing miserably considering how successful (financially) franchises can be in northern cities (Winnipeg, Hartford, Quebec, etc. - the ones the league felt were "expendable"). The only reason the 'yotes are still in Phoenix is because Bettman doesn't want to admit defeat.</p> <p>Oh, and the only American beer worth drinking is Sam Adams. The rest is shit. Go Canadian beer!</p>

• <p>Shitty Beer?<br /> Polite Fans?<br /> Moose?<br /> C'mon. Why justify an NHL team in a garbage market? I have nothing against Phoenix, and am glad that the team has fostered hundreds of loyal hockey fans. </p> <p>But if the Coyotes finished out of the playoffs this year, the building would have been near empty. Win or lose, an arena in Winnipeg - or any other Canadian city for that matter - would have been filled to the rafters. </p> <p>Now, I'm a baseball fan living in a hockey country (go Jays), but I understand that nothing unites my countrymen and women as much as hockey does. It is a way of life up here, nay, religion. This hockey psuedo-zionism is just an appropriate step in bringing the "fastest game on ice" back where it belongs... its homeland.</p> <p>As for the Shitty Beer: This is a relative opinion. Most world-wide would rather enjoy a crisp, clean Molson Canadian to what in my opinion tastes like watered-down goat piss, Budweiser and any of its other American cerivitives.</p> <p>Polite fans? Just look at what the Canadiens fans did to the city during their playoff run. Imagine what Toronto fans, (known across this country as the rudest, most abrasive fans, in one of the continents toughest city's) would do to that city if Leafs won the cup. It wouldn't be a splendid sight. </p> <p>Moose? I'll give you this one, you may see a moose or two. Maybe even a bear.</p>

• <p>Winnipeg's arena (the new one) is smaller than the old one (not by much, but since the old one was the smallest in the NHL, it poses a real revenue problem). Since the Jets couldn't keep up financially in the NHL before, the new Jets will most likely still lose money, just like the old Jets. Even with the Canadian dollar being worth more relative to the American dollar than it was when the previous owners in Winnipeg sold to the group that moved the team to Phoenix (a situation that can change very, very rapidly), the revenue stream likely won't be enough to cover operating costs, since the salary cap floor is higher than what the old owners were paying for all of the operating costs, not just player salaries. The only difference is, the new owner would be a guy who can shrug off those kinds of losses. The question is, how long will he want to do that? </p>

• <p>They'll steal the Coyotes just like they stole my idea for "Ice Road Truckers". Man, Canada is the place to be, eh?</p>

• <p>Bettman is an idiot. He's still trying to sell a product in an area nobody wants it. He really needs to give up his visions of grandeur in the respect hockey in the desert is a novel concept.<br /> Back to Winnipeg, end this experiment that has gone terribly wrong.<br /> Whatever swill they have in Phoenix I'll take a Labatts blue anytime or Molson Canadian.<br /> This billionaire will spend to the cap and put a great team back in a great town.<br /> Let the Wings/Jets rivalry begin anew.</p>

• <p>SHITTY BEER!? What an insult!!</p>

• <p>LOL typical uninformed american, what talent this newspaper has. Winnipeg has less then a third of the population base to draw from then the coyotes have and we still have about 12 times min more hockey fans. lol Thompsopns 'lurking in the dar' to 'steal' them. lololol typical remarks. U all feel threatened and u know what, you should. You can wave goodbye to our team, they are coming home. Oh and american beer is like the bush league of beers. its the worst, lol. 3% alcohol/tastes like water.</p>

• <p>Hey Douche Bag! I like how you mentioned Shane Doan or was that suppose to be some attempt at hurting Winnipeg since he used to be a Jet. You do realize that Winnipeg was the home of Team Canada in retrospect we have the Winnipeg Falcons. We had the Jets who sported the first fans to ever appear wearing all white UNLIKE Pheonix whose fans appeared to have been giving t-shirts at the door due to the fact they had no idea what a White Out Was. Our beer is great, our fans are rough and critical and I've never seen a Moose in Winnipeg except the Manitoba Moose a team that means barely anything to Winnipeggers. Phoenix get ready you're getting yourself an AHL, Winnipeg's getting the Jets back and I hope, I swear to god I pray that your AHL is a farm team for a Canadian team. Then you'll know what it feels like. And by the way, WHEN we get them back we're not going to let Gray Bettman tells us what we should be doing, and I bet you that he'll stay away from Winnipeg for a long time. He's not going to be considered some hockey god if he brings them back, we will all still hate him for what he's done to the NHL. So go have a sip of your weak beer, your suntanned, rude hockey fans and your tarantulas cause I don't think a desert is going to be able to keep ice frozen anymore.</p>

• <p>Hey James, Doan will be the first to say how excited he is to get out of that shit hole desert to drink real mens beer and mean it!!!!!</p>

• <p>This is going to be fun! I hope it stretches out to Dec. 31, then we are going to take our team back. This is our game and this is our team! Dude we put alcohol and water that doesnt taste like piss in our beer! Enjoy the show!</p>

• <p>Shitty beer eh hmmmm well you keep saying that if you want to see some cunucks piss off at you. </p>

• <p>Steal the team? Hello you stole the team from wiinipeg not the other way around. When they had the save the jets ralley they had well over 30,000 people. How many did you guys have? A whopping 250 wow!!! With 3 million people there that's a shame. And beer come on who drinks 3% beer come on put some booze in there. Hockey just like Shane Doan is yup you guessed it Canadian. </p>

• <p>"Shitty Beer"? Are you kidding? Have you ever been up there? They've got the best beer in the world, and they actually put alcohol in it. What a concept!</p>

• <p>"Trying to Steal Phoenix Coyotes" ??? LOL its just business. wait and see after Dec 31 ok? LOL</p>

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