NHL Heading Back To Winnipeg

When I wrote my post about the Atlanta Thrashers starting five African descended players, I noted that ownership had been trying to sell the team since 2005.

Well, it happened. A deal was concluded on Tuesday that will bring the Atlanta Thrashers north to Winnipeg.  

For the first time since the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996, they will be back on the NHL hockey map starting in the 2011-12 season.


True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd.ponied up $170 million plus a $60 million relocation fee to purchase the Thrashers.  The announcement of the deal set off a several hour celebration in the city and congratulatory commentary from Canadian politicians.   A season ticket drive has been launched with a goal of selling 13,000 tickets by June 21. 

The deal is even sweeter for True North Chairman and co-owner Mark Chipman.   He was part of the group of Winnipeg businessmen that tried to put together a deal to save the Jets back in 1996 and keep them in town.  15 years later, he's got his team. 


"It is clear that times have changed for Winnipeg as an NHL market. And this is a wonderful time to add a club to Canada," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

Funny, you didn't feel that way when a Hamilton based businessman was trying to buy the Phoenix Coyotes.

This is the second NHL franchise that the city of Atlanta has lost to a Canadian city.   The Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary in 1980, and now it looks like the Thrashers are a lock to be playing north of the border as well in the MTS Centre next season. With 15,015 seats the arena is small by NHL standards and smaller than the Philips Arena where the team used to play, but I'm willing to bet it'll be packed every night. 

The Jets were one of the original teams in the World Hockey Association that my Houston Aeros played in back in 1972 and battled for AVCO Cup supremacy.  When the WHA folded the Jets joined the NHL in 1979. 
         

The deal still has to be approved by the NHL Board of Governors at their June 21 meeting.   As for the new name of the team, True North owns the Manitoba Moose of the AHL and co-owner David Thomson considered transferring the name to the soon to be relocated NHL franchise.

But sentiment of Winnipeggers and Manitobans has been building to rename them the Winnipeg Jets.  The NHL owns the rights to the Jets name and should the new ownership want it, will probably make it available.

The Thrashers aren't the Jets (yet), but Winnipeggers don't care.  They'll have an NHL  team of their own to cheer for this fall whatever its name, and it's past time it happened..  

Renee, Can You Say Threepeat?

It may be your game, and Canada has won the International Ice Hockey Federation women's title nine times, but when it comes to what have you done lately in the IIHF world championships, that trophy has stayed on our side of the border since 2008.

The 13th annual women's International Ice Hockey Federation championship concluded today with a overtime goal by Hilary Knight to secure a hard fought 3-2 Team USA win over Team Canada. for our third straight IIHF women's world title and fourth overall.

USA! USA! USA! 

And to underscore our growing star spangled superiority in 'your game', peep the most recent IIHF Women's world hockey rankings:   

The top ten of the World Ranking is as follows:
1 USA 2970
2 CAN 2930
3 FIN 2800
4 SWE 2700
5 RUS 2670
6 SUI 2620
7 KAZ 2475
8 SVK 2470
9 CHN 2385
10 GER 2355


Don't worry, you'll get another chance to take that title away from us next year.    And Sochi is only three years from now.

Team USA Women vs Team Canada For 2011 World Championship Gold

There will be two familiar foes skating against each other for the 2011 Women's World Ice Hockey Championship in Switzerland on Monday night.. (1 PM CDT) 

The defending back to back world champions Team USA got off to a slow start in their semifinal rematch with Russia and gave up an early goal, but unleashed 33 first period shots to erase that early deficit and take a 2-1 lead over the upset minded Russians at the end of the first period.  Team USA continued to show off their offensive firepower as they advance with a 5-1 win and get a shot at a Women's World Ice Hockey Championship threepeat    .

Team USA won the previous IIHF Women's titles in 2008 and 2009.

Meanwhile in the Canada-Finland semifinal rematch with Finland the good news was Finnish goaltender Noora Raty stopped 74 Canuck shots.    Unfortunately for them four got past her to propel Team Canada to a 4-1 victory and another clash for women's hockey supremacy between Team USA and Team Canada..

The Finns and Russians will battle each other for the bronze medal on Monday night .

USA! USA! USA!

Canada's going down on Monday!
 

Hey Renee, Canada's Going Down In The 2011 IIHF Women's Ice Hockey Championships

Was flipping through the various cable channels a few nights ago when I stumbled upon the third period of the USA-Sweden match in the IIHF women's hockey tournament.     Had forgotten the tournament was happening this month in Zürich, Switzerland.and started on April 16.

Don't care if it is 'your game', in this tournament Team USA are the two time defending champs and so far are playing like it.

Team USA was in Group A in the preliminary round and knocked off Slovakia 5-0, Russia 13-1 and Sweden in the aforementioned match 9-1 to win their group and get the bye to the semifinals.

Your Canadian women were in Group B, and beat the host Swiss 12-0, Kazakhstan 7-0 and Finland 2-0  to win their group and also earn a bye into the semis.

The semifinals happening today are group play rematches.  Canada plays the Finns while we get the Russians with the winners going to the gold medal match.

The semifinal losers will play for the bronze.medal. 

But you know who we want in the gold medal match and it'll be on like Donkey Kong again.

USA! USA! USA!.