I read D-Lee's post yesterday about the current status of the Nashville Predators and who the lucky bidder will end up being. Immediately after, I began to ponder:
"What if the Hurricanes ownership decided after the 2003 season to cut their losses?"
Preds owner Jim Leopold held out as long as he could trying to successfully breed NHL Hockey in Nashville. You can't really blame him (as sad as it is to say it) for selling the team. If you spent millions upon millions only to watch the debt expand: a certain no-brainer right?
Karmanos and son, Jason, had a vision and stuck with it. The team didn't turn a profit for 8ish years. I love the fact that Pete K is so low-pro about his ownership yet at the same time active in the community through charitable contributions with PowerWare and with the team. With his partner in crime, Jimmy Rutherford, he has the longest tenured GM in the NHL and the stability obviously goes a long way.
Thanks for not giving up on Raleigh & the Carolinas.
( sorry to the Whalers fans)
