Power move? Hardly.
Last second bluster to eke out an extra minor concession or two from a REAL league? Very likely.
When you actually read the article, it looks like a hodge podge of things we've heard a hundred times before, combined with 'best case scenario' wishful thinking:
"help raise
as much as 5 billion..."
"...might also act as an emissary..."
"...would potentially become an investor..."
Is there a hard fact ANYWHERE in there?
And then you have the usual suspects:
-Rich Winter as the quarterback? Gee, there's a new development.
-WHA founder Gary Davidson is one of the investors
-6 to 8 teams? Yeah, nice backup plan for 700 out of work hockey players.
-Winnipeg, Hamilton and Quebec City mentioned as possible sites...yes, I'm sure Rupert Murdoch and Fox see a TV bonanza there.
This is just the WHA reheated. Been there, laughed at that.
Like Saskin says, many groups have come to them offering 'alternative options'. Of note in the article is the fact that it doesn't say WHEN this idea was floated to the NHLPA. It's entirely possible this concept was brought before the PA months ago, but only brought out of mothballs now via press release to serve the PA's purposes.