By John Grigg

All right, I’ll say it. Jim Balsillie is the perfect NHL owner; a hockey-fanatic billionaire.

And I’d love to see another Canadian NHL team, especially in the under-served southern Ontario market. But I’m sick of Balsillie’s act.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: NHL ownership is a country club; hopeful members must apply and be invited to join. Balsillie has tried to force his way in through the side door with the Coyotes and attempted to turn the whole affair into a Canada vs. the U.S. deal, after making no friends by selling season tickets to the Hamilton Predators a couple years back, before even coming close to purchasing that team.

The saga is not entirely Balsillie’s fault; surely the league has to take some of the blame, what with the way it reacted to initial reports of problems in the desert and even the way it continues to conduct its business concerning the team. (On Sunday, the league essentially submarined the very idea of a viable Phoenix franchise by saying in regards to a relocation fee, “the notion that a team in Hamilton would be worth only $11.2 million to $12.9 million more than a team in Phoenix is patently absurd.”)

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