There are some Winnipeg Jets‘ fans up in arms today over a story appearing on Comcast Sportsnet’s website just over an hour ago. The article in question alludes to conduct said to be taking place behind closed doors at NHL owners meetings, pertinently between Jets’ brass and Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs.
CSNNE's sports writer and Bruins beat writer Joe Haggerty published the article, citing a specific event which is to have transpired between Jets' representatives and Jacobs during a recent Board of Governors meeting.
Here is an except from Haggerty's article:
Winnipeg Jets representation at a recent NHL Board of Governors meeting piped up to say it was opposed to engaging in a long, bloody lockout sure to stymie their franchise’s momentum and hurt the game of hockey.
It wasn’t Winnipeg owner Mark Chipman, but rather one of the alternate governors representing the Jets.
Bruins Principal Owner and Chairman of the Board of Governors Jeremy Jacobs answered by reprimanding the Winnipeg representative as one of the "new kids on the block" and informed him that he would know when he was allowed to speak in the NHL board room.
That’s the kind of hawkish, dismissive, bully mentality that's driving the bus for the NHL lockout that's now cancelled games through the middle of December.
Oof Baboof!
This article comes merely a week after Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News reported that Philadelphia Flyers‘ owner Ed Snider is unhappy with the state of the ongoing lockout. Considering Winnipeg is a new Canadian team with some very deep pockets, it’s easy to believe that they, like many other thriving markets are just about done with the semantics of the lockout and are ready to roll up their sleeves in order to get a new CBA accomplished. At the very least, this speaks to some of the dissention that work stoppages of this nature can create.
Unfortunately, it seems as though owners meetings rely not on the ideologies of the masses, but rather who can present theirs in the loudest way possible. And Jacobs seems all too prepared to go full blown Thelma and Louise in order to get the provisions he deems necessary for the owners.
As fans, we are left to pray for a mutiny.
UPDATE: Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press has contacted Bill Daly and a team source from the Jets who claim the incident never happened, as though they would report anything else. We firmly stand behind both Haggerty and Seravalli's reporting, given the journalistic acumen both reporters exude. Choose to believe what you wish.
Got an opinion on this latest bit of lockout news? Let us know in the comments section below!
