Competing bid for Predators in the works

Nashville-area investors aim to counter Balsillie's efforts to move hockey team away

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

NashvillePost.com has learned that a group of local businessmen, including some from the healthcare sector, is putting together an ownership proposal for the Nashville Predators. The bid would be offered only if current owner Craig Leipold's deal with Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie falls apart.

Those familiar with the deal acknowledge that they have not presented a proposal to Leipold and are prohibited from doing so while Balsillie's offer is on the table.

In the last few days, Balsillie has more than rankled the feathers of city leaders, Leipold, National Hockey League president Gary Bettman and members of the NHL Board of Governors with his insistence that the relocation of the team be considered at the same time his ownership application is considered. Also, Balsille has reportedly cut a deal with the city of Hamilton, Ontario that should the Preds move, it would be to Hamilton's arena.

Predators insiders have told NashvillePost.com that Leipold and Bettman were "irked" and not happy with Balsillie's actions and that Leipold especially was caught off-guard by Balsillie's moves.

Those same insiders have said that they have not had any discussions with any other possible owners and are barred from doing so because of the tentative agreement for the sale of the team by Leipold and Balsillie.

The potential suitors to the Predators are in the process of identifying additional members of their group. They are said to want to make sure that corporate and public support would be in place should they have the opportunity to make a run for the team. A representative of the would-be investors spoke to NashvillePost.com on condition of anonymity.

They acknowledge that community efforts to boost the team's average attendence above the 14,000 mark next season are helpful to their cause, but say that it will take leadership from the corporate community to make any bid and retention of the team a success.

Legally, Leipold can back out of the deal with Balsillie. Also, the NHL Board of Governors could reject Balsillie's ownership application. If either of those events occur, this local group would be free to discuss ownership possibilities with Leipold. But so would the business consortium attempting to obtain a team for Kansas City, or any other group for that matter.

Metro Nashville's Sports Authority will meet tomorrow morning at the Sommet Center, home to the Predators. The conversation ought to be lively, given the current climate of professional sports in the city.