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Winnipeg back in the NHL?
| quote: | Winnipeg could have a National Hockey League team next season after all.
A Toronto newspaper is reporting that an agreement to sell the Atlanta Thrashers to True North Sports and Entertainment has been completed.
The Winnipeg group plans to relocate the franchise to the Manitoba capital in time for the 2011-12 season.
According to the Globe and Mail, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will travel to Winnipeg on Tuesday to make the official announcement.
ESPN.com and USA Today both reported Thursday night that no deal was in place.
True North Sports and Entertainment owns the MTS Centre arena in Winnipeg, which would become the NHL team's new home.
An announcement would bring to a close months of speculation and innuendo that Winnipeg — without an NHL team since 1996 — would land one of the troubled Southern U.S. teams.
Much of that speculation surrounded the financially troubled Phoenix Coyotes, but after the City of Glendale stepped in and covered $25-million U.S. of the Coyotes losses for the 2011-2012 season, the NHL decided to give the franchise another season in Arizona.
Earlier on Thursday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was reporting that the hunt for a buyer to purchase the Thrashers and keep them in Atlanta had narrowed down to one. The newspaper also reported that True North was still in the picture but neither group had entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with the Atlanta Spirit — owners of the Thrashers. |
Read more: http://www.canada.com/sports/Report...l#ixzz1MrNK8XKg
Now for the Coyotes to come to Quebec.
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