After Sunrise: The Panthers Lease and the Exit Door

The Florida Panthers have always been the easy whipping-boy for the "hockey doesn't belong in non-traditional markets" crowd. They are also always the first picked on by the "NHL realignment is easy, just do this...." crowd.

The reality is, they have one of the cushiest arena leases out there (and for 14 more years). So I've never put too much stock in the Panthers-to-this-city-or-that noise. But this recent article makes things a little more interesting.

Why the Noise Usually Means Nothing

Fourteen years remain on one of the cushiest arena leases out there, which is why the Panthers-to-this-city-or-that talk never carried much weight around here.

"Unsustainable," and an $80 Million Buyout

Obviously, owners of franchises always talk a lot of crap when they are trying to squeeze more "free money" out of the tax base, but when an owner starts saying thing like "unsustainable" and talks of getting a break on what would be an $80 million lease buy out, there may be a little fire to that smoke. Don't get me wrong, I still think it's mostly posturing to get the $80 million subsidy they've tried to twice in the last little while (coincidentally the same amount as the lease buyout amount)... but, my adjective has shifted to "mostly" from "totally."

Vincent Viola and the Taxpayer Money

I'm sure new owner Vincent Viola would totally take the taxpayers' money if it happens, but I also don't think it's far-fetched for him to move the team if he doesn't get an even more favorable agreement in Sunrise.

The Expansion Math

Picture if you will, an NHL where the league finally admits they are ready to expand. Thanks to crazy money being talked about for a second GTA team, and, I'm sure somewhat crazy money for a return team for Quebec City, some 1-2 billion bucks are to be split between the 30 ownership groups. If Viola can negotiate down from the $80 million he'd have to pay Sunrise to leave, plus a bunch o' new money in his pocket, it's not too far-fetched that he'd do it.

Four Maps, Four Landing Spots

Vegas, Seattle, Kansas City and Houston each get a version, with the Seattle one hinging on the arena MOU being changed to allow hockey first.

The Notes That Come With It

• Four eight-team conferences. Just like ol' Gary originally wanted until the mathematicians out there all screamed about unfair, mathematical advantages to teams in smaller conferences.
• No wild-card. That's was Gary's cop out to allow for the unbalanced conferences (that were changed back to divisions)
• Top four teams in each conference make the playoffs
• First two rounds determine conference champions... a "final four" if you will
• Final Four are reseeded based on regular season record for "Stanley Cup Semi-finals", 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3.
• Yes, this is a really good thing... With four conferences sending representatives to the semifinals instead of two conferences sending their champs directly to the final, the potential a very imbalanced dud of a final series goes down... not to mention the chance for an original-six Stanley Cup Finals goes up. New York vs. Boston for the Cup, anyone? Pens vs. Leafs... SportsNet and NBC execs have just passed out.
• I've brought back Smythe, Norris Adams, and Patrick. A bonus way to celebrate the tradition of 100 years of NHL hockey... bringing back the cool-ass, no other league has it naming structure.
• Yes, I know that I've put the second GTA team a not-Eastern Conference. Anyone willing to pay upwards of a billion dollars on expansion, is going to be okay with the stipulation that they play 23 of their 82 games (see schedule below) outside of their timezone.