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How the Erie Otters almost ended up in Hamilton, and are far from out of OHL limbo
Ultimately, the Erie Otters will still be in Pennsylvania next season after the Connor McDavid show wraps up its three-year rune. For fascinating reads about how tenuous the major junior hockey team's moorings still are despite managing partner Sherry Bassin buying himself time by winning a court victory over the Edmonton Oilers last month, it's hard to top The Globe & Mail report by David Shoalts that was published late Monday.
It might not new information for many in Erie, Pa., or Hamilton, but it collects a lot of information about the legal row between Bassin and Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz, who basically wanted to use the Otters franchise as a Trojan horse to get control of the hockey rights to the Hamilton market.
While Bassin's prospects for retaining the Otters initially looked bleak, the 75-year-old junior hockey solon won a court fight in December that enabled him to keep the team after a judge ruled Katz and the Oilers would have to pursue a different course in civil court. Shoalts' story lays out the lengths that Katz went to try to get what he wanted, only to be stonewalled twice. First, the the OHL saw through an obvious intimidation tactic and secondly, U.S. District Court Judge David Cercone vacated a judgement against Bassin that would have forced the 75-year-old to sell the Otters to pay back a loan to the Oilers (which still, by the way, has to be paid).
Here's Shoalts, reporting from court documents:
Things took a nastier turn in 2014 when the Otters’ lease at the rebuilt Erie arena came up. After failing in an attempt to prevent Bassin from signing a new lease, Katz wrote a letter to Branch on Oct. 9, 2014, demanding that the Otters be turned over to him.
“As matters transpired,” Katz wrote, “I am now very concerned you have not taken a leadership role in finding a hockey solution that will keep this from becoming a very public legal dispute. If this is not resolved, unfortunately, Sherry Bassin, the OHL and all the sponsors and fans of major junior hockey will witness a public legal dispute instead of looking forward to the 2014-15 hockey season.”
Katz ended the letter with a most unsubtle remark. “I am providing references of my partners in other hockey organizations,” he told Branch, and listed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Hockey Canada president Tom Renney, AHL commissioner Dave Andrews, Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison and East Coast Hockey League commissioner Brian McKenna. Court documents filed by Bassin’s lawyers indicated Bettman and the other leaders were all sent a copy of the letter.
Branch did not officially respond. He felt this was a private dispute between Bassin and his lender which did not affect ownership of the team. There was no further word from Katz.
“I thought it was, ah, I was surprised,” said Branch, who still seems bemused by the letter. “I didn’t choose to pursue it in any way, shape or form.”
Branch admits he has talked to Andlauer about joining the OHL, and not necessarily with the Otters. “The other thing that cannot be overlooked is, as a league, we think Erie is a very good hockey market,” Branch said. (The Globe & Mail, Jan. 26)
Bluff, called. As if you didn't already think the Oilers, currently 29th in the NHL, didn't deserve to win the McDavid lottery.
Where this leads is hard to say. Erie has enthusiastic support but Bassin has stated that he has never received a serious offer for local ownership. Shoalts also notes the AHL's Hamilton Bulldoogs, the Montreal Canadiens affiliate, are likely not much longer for southern Ontario. That city's 30-year-old arena, Copps Coliseum (no self-respecting Hamiltonian calls it FirstOntario Centre), might also not be longer for this world.
Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer, and while we're at it, Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, who hosted an Otters game in October, are the type of investors the OHL and Branch would love to court — just saying.
The prevailing hope should always be that a team doesn't have to move. The best advice to Erie's fans is to enjoy this season for this season, since the one sure thing is that only has McDavid for another three months or so.
Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.
