St. Louis Blues officially for sale (1/12 NHL "very involved" in finances)

[execwrite]

Chambers isn't the first guy to use a newspaper for his own purposes. The reporter got used and won't look too good if Chambers turns out to be a fraud.

 

[cbcwpg]

Potential St. Louis Blues owner a true man of mystery

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...s-owner-a-true-man-of-mystery/article2176613/

Chambers appears to be an international man of mystery. He told reporters he is from Calgary and the Post-Dispatch reports he is the chief executive officer of companies called Sonoma Equities and Great Northern Capital Partners.

The trouble is, next to no information on either of Chambers’s alleged companies can be found. There were no telephone numbers or addresses available nor was Chambers listed in the telephone directory.

Someone whose business involves checking out potential buyers of professional sports teams said he asked several people in Calgary, including some bankers, about Chambers. No one had ever heard of him.

 

[MaskedSonja]

Potential St. Louis Blues owner a true man of mystery

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...s-owner-a-true-man-of-mystery/article2176613/

Chambers appears to be an international man of mystery. He told reporters he is from Calgary and the Post-Dispatch reports he is the chief executive officer of companies called Sonoma Equities and Great Northern Capital Partners.

The trouble is, next to no information on either of Chambers’s alleged companies can be found. There were no telephone numbers or addresses available nor was Chambers listed in the telephone directory.

Someone whose business involves checking out potential buyers of professional sports teams said he asked several people in Calgary, including some bankers, about Chambers. No one had ever heard of him.

What is it about the people buying NHL teams they have to have a mystery novel/character of mysterious origins? Blues, Yotes, Atlanta- all have a "man of mystery"!

 

[Shawa666]

What is it about the people buying NHL teams they have to have a mystery novel/character of mysterious origins? Blues, Yotes, Atlanta- all have a "man of mystery"!

Don't forget the myseterious japanese owners of the Lightning. Yeah, that was totally legit.

 

[Polaris]

Hulsizer's the winner?

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/article_07ecb4ae-ef9a-11e0-acc2-001a4bcf6878.html

Dave Checketts has a verbal agreement to sell a majority stake in the Blues to Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer in a deal in which Checketts could remain with the club in some capacity, three sources involved in the process have told the Post-Dispatch.

 

[Fugu]

Hulsizer's the winner?

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/article_07ecb4ae-ef9a-11e0-acc2-001a4bcf6878.html

It sounds like Hulsizer would be the main investor and Checketts would remain in some managerial capacity. Earlier asking price of $190 million deemed too high by Hulsizer, so they're trying this route.

The other salient point is that Checkets as a $120 million loan to re-finance.

There has been an option all along, however, that Hulsizer could invest in the Blues and keep Checketts in charge, and according to sources, that now appears to be the plan. The details of that arrangement remain unclear.
In July, when Checketts was asked about such a configuration with Hulsizer, he said: "I haven't been approached by anybody that way. We went through that process (of finding investors to keep the current ownership intact) for awhile, and we didn't find anybody that way. I had to agree with TowerBrook that I'd put the whole thing up for sale. That's the direction it's headed."
But that appears to have changed.
Meanwhile, there continues to be some pressure to get a sale finalized soon. The deadline for Checketts' extension on his $120 million loan with Citigroup was Sept. 30, but a source says the bank is working with Checketts until a sale can be completed.

​

 

[Killion]

The article makes no mention as to what the status of Stillmans offer is; active or dead?. Chambers publicly acknowledges he's left the building but nothing from Stillman?. Perhaps he was either unable to reach accord on price & or secure financing and as an existing minority partner at 10% he either hangs in or sells off to Hulsizer I suppose. Though I must say, having watched this guys triangulations through Phoenix I wouldnt be breaking out the Champagne just yet...

 

[MaskedSonja]

Hulsizer's the winner?

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/article_07ecb4ae-ef9a-11e0-acc2-001a4bcf6878.html

Well, if this goes through, I'm enough to admit I will dine on crow with a dash a salt and a coca-cola-as I seriously wondered if Hulz would be a serious contender in an earlier post.

We will have to see it finalized of course, but this might be the end game for the Blues.

 

[sh724]

The article makes no mention as to what the status of Stillmans offer is; active or dead?. Chambers publicly acknowledges he's left the building but nothing from Stillman?. Perhaps he was either unable to reach accord on price & or secure financing and as an existing minority partner at 10% he either hangs in or sells off to Hulsizer I suppose. Though I must say, having watched this guys triangulations through Phoenix I wouldnt be breaking out the Champagne just yet...

The PHX situation is extremly different than the STL situation, any reasonable person would be willing to spend a lot more money on the Blues than the Yotes.



Personally I was hoping Checketts would not be returning, I like him when he first took over the team, but his actions during this sale process have drastically changed my opinion of him

 

[Killion]

The PHX situation is extremly different than the STL situation, any reasonable person would be willing to spend a lot more money on the Blues than the Yotes....

Yes of course, light years apart. St.Louis has much deeper roots, nowhere nearly as steep a mountain to climb in comparison to the Coyotes. Having watched the situation closely in Glendale, Mr. Hulsizer carrys with a bit of an odor, a cologne if you will, thats none too pleasing to the common senses... Boy needs Monitoring.

 

[goyotes]

Happy for you Blues fans. I really think Hulsizer will be a great NHL owner. Good news for the Blues!

 

[btn]

This must be his reward for pretending to be interested in the Yotes so the NHL could sucker the Glendale City Council into bankrolling the Yotes for another season.

 

[Killion]

Happy for you Blues fans. I really think Hulsizer will be a great NHL owner. Good news for the Blues!

Ya, if it closes cleanly, couldnt agree more, and I certainly hope your right about the guy.

 

[Retail1LO*]

This must be his reward for pretending to be interested in the Yotes so the NHL could sucker the Glendale City Council into bankrolling the Yotes for another season.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Fugu]

I was thinking the same thing.

Oddly reminiscent of Boots and the bids for Pittsburgh. His reward became the Preds.

 

[Kimota]

Oddly reminiscent of Boots and the bids for Pittsburgh. His reward became the Preds.

And the guy buying the Preds, his reward was the Minnesota market. Or is it the same guy?

 

[LadyStanley]

http://www.truehockey.com/articles/Still-Some-Work-To-Be-Done

Sources say Matt Hulsizer is “absolutely stunned” in response to a report suggesting he has a verbal agreement to purchase the St. Louis Blues.

The same source tells me “there is no definitive agreement” and plenty of work needs to be done before one is secured.
...
One person with firsthand knowledge of the talks tells me a deal has been conceptually agreed to but that’s about it.

I’m told if Hulsizer does purchase the Blues at the number TowerBrook Capital Partners is seeking, the Peabody Opera House would have to be included.

That’s where Checketts comes in. There’s more than a decent chance Checketts remains on board as the Chairman of the Peabody Opera House but as the far as the business and the hockey side of the organization Hulsizer will likely have the final vote on all matters.

This is especially the case on the hockey side where I’m told Hulsizer is expected to be “very involved”.
...
Sources close to the sale tell me if all goes well a deal could realistically close sometime in the next 30 to 90 days.

 

[Killion]

http://www.truehockey.com/articles/Still-Some-Work-To-Be-Done

Ya, ya see?. This is exactly what Im talking about with this guy. He's been talking to Checketts directly since early July, possibly earlier. Chambers pulled out last month.

We dont know where Stillmans at but tell ya what, no way does it take Hulsizer 3mnths to be still fooling around with an "at the concept stage only" line of palaver. C'mon here. Another 30-90 days is fine, though in Hulsizers case that really means 180 days and then "we'll see, its still only at the concept stage" again.

Surely there are some serious frikin players out there for the Blues beyond Mr. Procrastinator in the here & now?. Sounds to me like Checketts has got this guys number and is simply using him to buy more time with his bank so he can find someone other than Hulsizer to sell the team to.

 

[Street Hawk]

Yes of course, light years apart. St.Louis has much deeper roots, nowhere nearly as steep a mountain to climb in comparison to the Coyotes. Having watched the situation closely in Glendale, Mr. Hulsizer carrys with a bit of an odor, a cologne if you will, thats none too pleasing to the common senses... Boy needs Monitoring.

I remember back to the PHX discussions that Hulsizer's net worth was about $300 million.

That's not a lot of money to be an owner of a pro sports team in North America.

Blues will cost him about half his net worth. We've seen Moyes in Phx go under because his other non-hockey business take a dive during the recession.

Can Hulsizer's other business survive this current dip in the market and still operate the Blues the way the fans want it? Can he be like the new Buffalo owner?

 

[Killion]

I remember back to the PHX discussions that Hulsizer's net worth was about $300 million. That's not a lot of money to be an owner of a pro sports team in North America. Blues will cost him about half his net worth. We've seen Moyes in Phx go under because his other non-hockey business take a dive during the recession.Can Hulsizer's other business survive this current dip in the market and still operate the Blues the way the fans want it? Can he be like the new Buffalo owner?

This was but one of the many questions that were never answered to anyones satisfaction in Arizona with respect to Mr.Hulsizer; net worth. Reports wildly varying from $300M to $700M+, his hedge firm Peak6 notwithstanding, a lot of smoke & mirrors, and that makes me nervous. Theres absolutely no question he's a very bright guy, loves hockey, wants a place at the table, yet... how to explain his triangulations in Phoenix?. Moon shot artist or the real deal?. Is he simply waiting out Checketts to accede & collapse to his price & demands including the Opera House etc?. I find him off-putting, predatory, not right. Honestly, I hope Im' dead wrong about the guy & he does turn out to be another Pegula. I guess we'll find out soon enough...

 

[MaskedSonja]

http://www.truehockey.com/articles/Still-Some-Work-To-Be-Done

Maybe I won't have to eat that crow



Seriously, they've got to get a deal done so Blues fans can move on here.

 

[sh724]

It would be a lot harder to include the Opera House in any deal. Peabody has different investors than the Blues while Checketts runs both and is invested in both many of the investors are different

 

[The Note]

@jprutherford Jeremy Rutherford
The announcement of a purchase agreement between the Blues and Hulsizer is imminent, perhaps as soon as Thursday. More soon on STLtoday.com.

 

[AllByDesign]

@jprutherford Jeremy Rutherford
The announcement of a purchase agreement between the Blues and Hulsizer is imminent, perhaps as soon as Thursday. More soon on STLtoday.com.

They didn't say imminent did they? Way to go and jinx the whole deal.

 

[Puckschmuck*]

They didn't say imminent did they? Way to go and jinx the whole deal.

Well, if they also say the deal will get done in two weeks, it will be a sure thing