hockey's business and legal

Hockey’s Business And Legal Headlines April 1-7 with Potential Women’s Hockey Expansion in D.C.

Alec Roberson

t’s that time again when we take a look at what’s been happening in hockey’s business and legal world. Once a week we cover the big and not so big stories in this arena. We also include a featured story of the period. Let’s take a look at what has been happening this period.

Hockey’s Business and Legal News

One ECHL Team Down, One Sold and Continuing

In last period’s hockey’s business and legal highlights article we discussed that the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers and Trois-Rivieres Lions were facing financial difficulties. So much so that their continued existences were in question if a new owner couldn’t be found for both teams. Now, the Lions appear to be continuing after an agreement for sale was reached. However, the Growlers will now cease to exist after the league Board of Governors voted to terminate their membership. Players on ECHL contracts with the team became free agents.

Rogers Communications Considering TV Rights Deal with Amazon

Canadian broadcasting company Rogers Communications has two more years left on its 12-year agreement to broadcast NHL games. However, reports indicate that they may be considering a deal with Amazon to sell broadcasting rights to certain Monday night games during the next two seasons. If this deal comes to fruition, it furthers Amazon’s goal of expanding its foothold into the NHL.

CHL to Allow Russians and Belarussians Back into Import Draft

After the conflict in Ukraine began, many hockey leagues began implementing certain restrictions for Russian and Belarussian players. One of those was prohibiting Russian and Belarussian players from participating in the CHL’s Import Draft. Now the CHL announced that it will no longer be holding to this prohibition and these players will be eligible for the upcoming CHL Import Draft in July.

Arizona Coyotes Expressing their Strong Intention to Win Land Auction

While the ongoing saga regarding where the Arizona Coyotes may play in the upcoming seasons rages on, the Coyotes have released a statement regarding their intention of winning a land auction in June to build an NHL arena to house the team in Arizona. This development would include additional facilities with the intention of it being a complete entertainment district. But this is a moving target at this point with little certainty about the future of the Coyotes in Arizona remotely close to certain.

NHL Broadcasting a MultiVersus Game

The NHL began experimenting with simultaneously broadcasting a live game in the form of a real-time animation simulcast. The first happened last year when the NHL, ESPN and Disney worked together to broadcast a live matchup between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers in a simulcast format on the Disney show Big City Greens. They followed that up this season by doing the same for a matchup between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Now NHL, TNT Sports and Warner Bros. Games are teaming up to do a similar simulcast. This will feature classic Warner Bros. characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman and Bugs Bunny. The feature game will be the April 14th matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. With expanding technology and media agreements, these types of endeavors could increase league revenue. As we discussed in a previous article, increasing league revenue through television-based deals impacts the salary cap.

Hockey’s Business and Legal Updates Featured Story: Washington Capitals Owner Interested in Women’s Hockey

This period’s featured hockey’s business and legal updates story focuses on women’s hockey and a potential expansion the United States capital. With the PWHL taking off with success this year and the trailblazers of women’s hockey paving the way, current Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has expressed interest in bringing a women’s hockey team to D.C. It is just talk at this point and the failed deal to move the Capitals to Northern Virginia doesn’t necessarily give the strongest precedent for belief.

It also is important to point out that the PWHL doesn’t operate like most professional sports teams where typically each team is individually owned but operate like a joint venture with the other teams in the league. The PWHL has one owner that owns all of its member teams. This means that should Leonsis want a team in D.C., he will have to work with the PWHL more directly, assuming that is the route he elects, to explore expansion options. This would look differently than if he wanted to buy a team and relocate it or create an expansion team in the NHL.

While the hoops and hurdles still exist, the mere desire and appeal to invest in women’s hockey by a major NHL owner is a positive sign. And it shows that the potential for women’s hockey is strong and should continue to grow.

Post Image Attribution: Michael Saffle from Columbia, MD, USA, PDM-owner, via Wikimedia Commons

Alec Roberson

Alec Roberson grew up in coastal North Carolina, taking a somewhat unconventional path to hockey. With hockey being almost nonexistent in that area, Alec found his passion for the game following the success of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2001 and 2006 and later played club hockey in college. After going through law school and practicing for some time, he now continues his love for the game through writing. Find him on twitter @roberson_alec

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