Pension Plan Puppets, a Toronto Maple Leafs community

My translation from RDS: According to RDS reports, an important announcement will be made this coming Thursday or Friday about the construction of a new arena in Québec City. Régis Labeaume, the mayor of Québec, and Marcel Aubut, the former president of the Québec Nordiques held a private meeting Friday with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in New York. Bettman recently declared that the eventual return of an NHL team to "La Vielle Capitale" is inextricably linked to the construction of a new arena. Though he gave no guarantee, the commissioner added that Québec's candidature could be considered with expansion or the movement of another team. According to The [Québec] Sun, the mayor Labeaume envisions using the same space as a concert venue and a hockey arena. The project will cost an estimated $400 million. The federal government will be solicited for support. Their contributions are expected to reach $175 million. It is worth noting that it will be exactly 30 years ago on October 10 that the Nordiques played their first game in the NHL at the old Colisée. Note: this is also being reported at Radio-Canada and Le Soleil.

Third potential bidder for Phoenix Coyotes, Ice Edge LLC, ‘do not currently intend to participate' in Friday's auction The fight for the Phoenix Coyotes is down to Jim Balsillie and the NHL. In a court filing late Tuesday afternoon, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the third potential bidder, a group of Canadian and American businessmen known as Ice Edge LLC, told him they "do not currently intend to participate in the auction."

There will be no separate hearing regarding the amount for relocation, if it's determined that Balsille can move the team.

Wow. Yet another group wants into the GTA. This one is different. Instead of working to destabilise the NHL, ripping a team from a city, and basically being a bunch of jerks or being headed by the only person dumb enough to fight Wendel Clark when he didn't have to this proposal is basically run by Mother Teresa's Jamaican-born cousin. Interesting Notes: "The three will unveil how the team will honour "Canadian heroes while supporting cancer research, national scholarships and children's charities." "Tomorrow, the group will talk about its financing, donations, an economic impact review and also unveil the name of a team, arena, jersey, site plan and architect renderings." Balsillie can't even come up with a team name!

Looks like the first step in this entire ordeal is near completion. As long as the Board of Governors sticks with Bettman it looks like Jim Balsillie will have been outmanoeuvred by the commissioner once again.

Good job Gary. Build that brand.

Things just get more complicated for Bettman and the NHL

Balsillie's name lends itself so well to great headlines. It would be so great to see him land a team though, just to stick a thumb in the eye of goofballs like Bettman.. He could be the Mark Cuban of the NHL! Well, perhaps not *that* obnoxious..