Predators On The Move?

After fears that the Nashville Predators would move to Ontario with the sale of the team to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, the hockey team may still be headed north – but just slightly, to Kansas City, Mo.

William "Boots" Del Biaggio III, a California-based businessman and minority owner in the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, is thought to be the new favorite in acquiring the team from Craig Leipold, according to the Tennessean.

Del Biaggio is buddies with AEG and Los Angeles Kings President Tim Leiweke and has a deal with AEG to own an NHL team in Kansas City’s new AEG-operated Sprint Center, according to the Toronto Star.

Exclusive negotiations are over between Leipold and Balsillie so the team is up for grabs for Del Biaggio and others including a group of Nashville business owners hoping to keep the team in town. Leipold is looking for a binding agreement.

Del Biaggio has not confirmed an offer for the Predators, but rumor has it that his offer, second in the bidding to Balsillie’s, was about $190 million, below the Canadian’s reported $220 million offer.

"There’s been all this speculation because I’ve been out there very publicly saying I want to bring a team to Kansas City, either through relocation or expansion," Del Biaggio told the Tennessean, but "it’s also public that Nashville is not easy to get out of."

"There’s been all this speculation because I’ve been out there very publicly saying I want to bring a team to Kansas City, either through relocation or expansion," Del Biaggio told the , but "it’s also public that Nashville is not easy to get out of."

It seemed like a done deal when Leipold announced May 24th that he intended to sell the team to Balsillie. Terms of the sale were to be completed by June 30th.

But Balsillie hasn’t entered a binding agreement and the NHL marked his first application for ownership incomplete. Also, his actions are speaking louder than his words – and irking NHL officials. While he declined to comment on a move or the purchase, he took season-ticket deposits for the 2008-09 season in Hamilton, Ontario.

Del Biaggio and Balsillie have previous ties to hockey with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Balsillie withdrew his offer to buy the team last December after being prohibited from relocating the team. Del Biaggio was to buy the team in 2005 but they pulled out after winning the NHL draft lottery, according to the Tennessean.

Despite rumors, the NHL is not saying it favors Del Biaggio and is still sticking to its guns about not letting the team move.

"I’m not really in a position to comment on the status of Craig’s talks with anyone," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Kansas City Star. "Whoever buys the team will have an obligation to make the team work in Nashville."

The Predators have two chances to leave – if Nashville doesn’t average 14,000 in paid attendance next season and an $18 million exit fee is paid, or a $27 million payment to the city can be accepted regardless of attendance. Still, the NHL Board of Governors must OK any team moves.

Whether Del Biaggio takes the Predators away, it looks like there will be hockey in the Kansas City market – and a new arena. It was announced June 29th that an agreement was reached to have a Central Hockey League team play in fall 2009 in a new $50 million 5,800-seat arena in Independence, Mo., according to the Star.

The deal, which could be approved by July 16th, gives Kansas City a chance to jump on the bandwagon of midsized sports and concert venues – the first for the area.