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Scout
08-18-2008, 07:21 PM
Courtesy Alan Caldwell

Monday, August 18, 2008

Portland apparently is about to be rescued from their inept owners. Unconfirmed reports are that the team will be sold this week to Calgary oilman Bill Gallacher. Gallacher has been identified as a billionaire but I think that might be an exaggeration; he didn't make Canadian Business magazine's list of the 100 wealthiest Canadians last November. With only 54 identified billionaires in Canada, he shoulda made the top 100 wealthiest if he were really worth $1,000,000,000 or more. Suggestions that he would be the richest owner in the league seem to fall flat when you consider that Daryl Katz, the owner of the Edmonton Oilers and the WHL's Oil Kings, is at #15 with a net worth of $2.37 billion, and N. Murray Edwards, the majority owner of the Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen, is at #20 with a net worth of $2.12 billion. Kamloops owner Tom Gagliardi didn't make the list but his father, Bob, did in the #45 position with a net worth of $1.16 billion.

That being said, I have no doubts that as a CEO in the oilpatch, Gallacher is extremely wealthy. Really, what's the difference between a net worth of $100 million or a net worth of $1 billion....does the extra zero really change your life that much? As long as Gallacher is an improvement on Tweedledee and Tweedledum, I think Portland fans will be very happy.


It will be interesting to see what happens since apparently Gallacher plans to replace the entire hockey operations staff - new coaches, new GMs. Training camp starts next week and unless the sale is complete by then, it means coach Rich Kromm and GM Ken Hodge will be picking a team at camp which they may not get to see start the season.


Scout

patsdude114
08-28-2008, 10:21 PM
Well lets hope that Bill Gallacher steps up and buys this team, Portland is in terrible shape and needs something to get excited about and bring that franchise back to what it was 10 yrs ago when both Hossa's played there. The Winterhawks have great history and would hate to see another sorrow down there, already a few players not wanting to return for this season. Hard to stay competive when that happens.

Good luck on this situation Portland