A group based in Toronto is looking at purchasing the NHL's struggling Atlanta Thrashers and moving them to Winnipeg, according to a Hockey Night in Canada analyst.
Despite the report, local shinny fans hoping for the return of the NHL shouldn't start budgeting for season tickets just yet. Don Waddell, executive vice-president and general manager of the Thrashers, called the reports "completely false", according to the team's website co-ordinator.
Al Strachan, an analyst on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, said during the show's Hot Stove segment that a group of wealthy individuals in Toronto are interested in buying the team and moving it to Winnipeg.
"There's still a lot of work to be done, but there's a lot of work that has been done already," he said during the broadcast.
MTS Centre is home to the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose. A spokesman for Moose governor and True North Sports and Entertainment chairman Mark Chipman declined comment on the report.
Strachan said the Toronto group has a lot of money and is willing to follow the "proper channels" in buying and moving an NHL team.
Canadian Jim Balsillie recently failed in a bid to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and move the NHL team to southern Ontario. The BlackBerry billionaire - who has tried unsuccessfully to acquire three NHL teams - has been accused of circumventing league rules and procedures for buying and moving a team.
