Preds owner blames Canada
Aug 3, 2005 14:22:36 GMT -5
Post by Forum Ghost on Aug 3, 2005 14:22:36 GMT -5
Seems like Predators' owner Craig Leipold is not too impressed by the Canadian media...
CP: Not to dwell on the negative, but how frustrating was it to constantly have the Predators mentioned as a team that might be lost because of possible contraction when you were involved in almost all of the meetings?
Leipold: Canadian reporters were always talking about it. All of the bad raps against us are contributed to somebody in a Canadian market. Let’s face it. Canada is still upset that Nashville has a hockey team. That’s just the way it is, and we have to live with that. Logic, common sense says I would not be on the executive committee, the audit committee or the negotiating committee if anybody was thinking that Nashville would be contracted. It was never discussed. It was a non-possibility. It was frustrating because I know where ground zero of where those rumors always started. If the sun shines, you can’t have hockey. I’m a little bitter about that. I’m tired of hearing about it. Dallas is accepted as an NHL franchise. They are successful on the ice with a good program. That is what we are trying to do here. San Jose is not discussed. Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup. I think there will be stability in that market. Once we have some winning seasons and the fans stay with us like they did the first couple of years this market is going to be one of the best in the National Hockey League.
nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section=7&screen=news&news_id=43220
CP: Not to dwell on the negative, but how frustrating was it to constantly have the Predators mentioned as a team that might be lost because of possible contraction when you were involved in almost all of the meetings?
Leipold: Canadian reporters were always talking about it. All of the bad raps against us are contributed to somebody in a Canadian market. Let’s face it. Canada is still upset that Nashville has a hockey team. That’s just the way it is, and we have to live with that. Logic, common sense says I would not be on the executive committee, the audit committee or the negotiating committee if anybody was thinking that Nashville would be contracted. It was never discussed. It was a non-possibility. It was frustrating because I know where ground zero of where those rumors always started. If the sun shines, you can’t have hockey. I’m a little bitter about that. I’m tired of hearing about it. Dallas is accepted as an NHL franchise. They are successful on the ice with a good program. That is what we are trying to do here. San Jose is not discussed. Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup. I think there will be stability in that market. Once we have some winning seasons and the fans stay with us like they did the first couple of years this market is going to be one of the best in the National Hockey League.
nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section=7&screen=news&news_id=43220
