Not every NHL governor rejected Jim Balsillie as an owner in July. Three abstained

Not every NHL governor rejected Jim Balsillie as an owner in July. Three abstained – the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins. It isn't clear why Toronto and Buffalo abstained, but Pittsburgh? Pens owner Mario Lemieux is no fan of Balsillie because of the BlackBerry tycoon's failed bid for the club in 2006, but court filings reveal Lemieux didn't want to "be on record as to anything that might look or be portrayed by others as anti-Canadian."

— Paul Waldie, The Globe and Mail

2 months ago James Mirtle 34 comments 0 recs |

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:facepalm:

You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.

by zyllyx on Sep 4, 2009 6:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

When we first heard that 3 abstained I said Ott, Tor and Buf,
Off by one.
The leafs and sabres were advised to stay out of the vote so no one can come back at them and say that you are against a team in Hamilton. Tough on the optics.

Leafs selling hope to the hopeless since 1967

by Toe Blake Hockey on Sep 4, 2009 7:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

And that’s why Mario is awesome. He’s a natural born leader with the confidence to stand up and dissent from the empire when need be. The force is strong with this one.

by puckreport on Sep 4, 2009 7:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

So he could stand up to the empire?

But the thought of Canadians coming after him made him tuck his tail between his legs.

All your tshirt needs.

by twoeightnine on Sep 4, 2009 7:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

An empire in the hand

is worth two in the bush.

twitter.com/kaner88

by Original Six on Sep 4, 2009 8:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Canadians are very frightening.

by J. Michael Neal on Sep 4, 2009 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The beaver, which has come to represent Canada as the eagle does the United States and the lion Britain, is a flat-tailed, slow-witted, toothy rodent known to bite off its own testicles or to stand under its own falling trees.

June Callwood

I've been looking at the sky

by Back In Black on Sep 4, 2009 10:55 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Obfuscating Stupidity

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Sep 5, 2009 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, crap, he’s on to us!

I've been looking at the sky

by Back In Black on Sep 5, 2009 3:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, please. They can know we’re coming all they want. They still won’t be able to stop us when our day comes.

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Sep 5, 2009 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, but your nefarious plot will be foiled when you forget to convert miles to kilometres on the maps, and the Newfies shoe up a half hour too early.

by J. Michael Neal on Sep 5, 2009 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Curses! The same dastardly measurement system that fouled up more than one space mission will surely be the undoing of us all!

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Sep 6, 2009 2:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And you thought that Americans were just sticking to miles and pounds because they were resistant to change (and despised science students, as they have to be unit-bilingual anyway).

"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill

by Baroque on Sep 6, 2009 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You mean Americans don’t hate science? I thought some states were still trying to teach creationism and its bastard son, intelligent design.

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Sep 6, 2009 2:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I really try to pretend that those aren’t real states.

by J. Michael Neal on Sep 6, 2009 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

We’re trying to convince them to secede and set up their own ignorantocracy. Then the rest of the US can practice actual biology and genetics and physics and chemistry and other logic-based enterprises in peace. (Hopefully.)

Border security might be an issue, though.

"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill

by Baroque on Sep 6, 2009 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe then you can also convert to metric like civilized countries. ;)

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Sep 6, 2009 5:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Personally, I’d love to. I even spell metre and litre like that (despite the attempts of spellcheck to tell me that I’m wrong).

"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill

by Baroque on Sep 6, 2009 7:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Their insidious Canadianess is seeping over the border.

by J. Michael Neal on Sep 6, 2009 11:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And before you know it, you’ll be adding u’s to words like honour and colour, and spelling “centre” like that, too.

All in good time, my friends. All in good time.

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Sep 7, 2009 2:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have for years – partly because of reading too many novels published in Britain when I was in college, partly just to mess with people. :)

"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill

by Baroque on Sep 7, 2009 5:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

and partly just to spell correctly . :)

by yrmom on Sep 7, 2009 10:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, the Brits are doing excellent work for us. :)

(Unless it’s all secretly part of their plan to re-establish the empire…oh no, we’re being used!)

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Sep 7, 2009 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tim Horton’s was only the initial strike, my friend. Prepare yourself for Canadian Tire.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Sep 7, 2009 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What, we’re going to crush them with fad tools and terrible service?
Or should we just send that guy with the beard to drive them insane?

by yrmom on Sep 7, 2009 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Beard Guy is secretly the Devil. You can even see his tail in some scenes, when the cameraman’s not paying attention.

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Sep 7, 2009 5:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Obviously a case of “stand up and not be counted”…

by Matthew McCallum on Sep 4, 2009 7:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice Spin

Perhaps Mario abstained so as not to be drawn into the bankruptcy case.
Besides he was in a massive conflict of interest during the lock out as an owner and a player.

by Exit716 on Sep 4, 2009 9:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Was he still a player during the lockout?

by yrmom on Sep 4, 2009 10:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kind of. He played 10 games in the 03-04 campaign, and 26 in 05-06.

http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.

by IAmJoe on Sep 5, 2009 2:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I forgot he played that late.

by yrmom on Sep 5, 2009 11:08 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Buffalo and Toronto don’t want to alienate their Hamilton fans by saying that Hamilton can never have a team. They also don’t want to alienate Ball-Silly as if he somehow manages to win this situation and get the team in Hamilton, they will be able to perhaps get better terms from him to relocate into the Sabres/Leafs neighborhood…

Let's go Caps!

by MikeL-Caps on Sep 5, 2009 6:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think the antitrust issues are what kept the Leafs and Sabres from abstaining. The league likely instructed them to.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Sep 5, 2009 8:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would have thought Mario and the Pens might have abstained due to conflict of interest (given their previous relationship with Balsillie and the failed buyout).

Nice to know Avery has some company in the turtle department, though.

You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.

by zyllyx on Sep 6, 2009 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs