Sunday, June 07, 2009

50 Miles and Runnin': MLSE's Territorial Rights

The Toronto Star posted the NHL constitution and by-laws today. The NHL Constitution is here. By-laws are here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Not exactly prime reading for a Sunday afternoon but there is some interesting stuff in there, especially as it pertains to moving a team to Hamilton (or Downsview park - quit laughing, you).

According to the NHL Constitution:

Section 4, Territorial Rights defines a team's home territory as "exclusive territorial rights in the city in which it is located and within 50 miles of that city's corporate limits."

Section 4.3 Territorial Rights of Members states "No other member of the league shall be permitted to play games...in the home territory of a member without the latter member's consent. No franchise shall be granted a home territory within the home territory of a member without the written consent of such member."

Now, I'm no lawyer (much to my mother's chagrin, man was she crushed when I decided not to go to law school) but it strikes me that a team in Copps Coliseum would be in violation of section 4 of the NHL constitution.

The City of Toronto corporate boundaries follow highway 427 and Copps Coliseum is a shade over 50kms from the Gardiner and 427. As that's just 31 miles, Copps is well within the Leafs' exclusive territory rights.

Maybe when it comes to another team between Brantford (51 miles) and Coubourg (49 miles) MLSE has the hammer afterall...

5 comments:

  1. The Peterborough Coyotes has a nice ring to it...

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  2. So we'll never see the Cobourg (only one 'u'!) Cougars in the NHL? DAMMIT!

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  3. The Kawartha Killers (named for Dougie) would have the highest ratio of rednecks to "normals" in the entire league. Sales of beer and nachos would be the highest as well. They could sell lumber jackets and wife-beaters with the team's logo in the pro shop- they'd make a killing.

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  4. Anonymous12:17 pm

    The rule of law supercedes the private regulations of any group, club, league, or organization. This includes the NHL. Should the bamkruptcy court rule in favour of Balsillie, the greedy Leafs can go to hell. Toronto residents can continue to follow their bunch of perennial losers. The rest of Ontario happily and tnankfully have the Hamilton Tigers to cheer for!

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  5. Paul Steckley2:55 pm

    And we are very happy that you are not part of the Toronto fanbase.

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