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NHL
January 10, 2003
OTTAWA -- The Senators filed for bankruptcy Thursday, seeking protection from creditors while they look for a buyer. The filing allows the team to keep playing during any negotiations on a sale, majority owner Rod Bryden said.
Bryden said he is working with a potential partner on a bid to buy the minor shares of the team and the Corel Centre, where it plays.
The filing gives Bryden until Tuesday to submit a bid. If it is rejected or he fails to do so, a broader marketing plan will seek other buyers.
The club did not pay players on New Year's Day after a refinancing deal fell through. That deal would have injected $42-million to cover operating expenses, including the missed salaries.
Bryden said the filing provides $8.8-million in emergency funding from creditors to "preserve the value of the product" for its eventual sale. The money allows the team to pay players, perhaps as soon as today, along with other expenses for the next 30 days, he said.
Most of the Senators' financial problems are caused by the weakness of the Canadian dollar, worth about 65 cents in U.S. currency. Like other Canadian teams, the Senators take in revenue in Canadian dollars but pay salaries in U.S. dollars. The Penguins and Kings are the only other franchises in pro hockey, baseball, football or basketball to file for federal bankruptcy protection during the past 29 years. Commissioner Gary Bettman has held talks with all parties and said he expects a new financing arrangement soon.
BRUINS: Center Joe Thornton has an infected left elbow and will miss tonight's game. Thornton, who missed Tuesday's loss, fell on the elbow during a game Dec.23. Also, left wing Rob Zamuner is out indefinitely with a broken right foot.
CANADIENS: General manager Andre Savard was fined $50,000 and coach Michel Therrien $25,000 by the league for confronting officials after a loss to New Jersey on Tuesday. Referee Kerry Fraser disallowed a Montreal goal during the first and allowed Joe Nieuwendyk's winning goal even though goalie Jeff Hackett was knocked down by the Devils' Jeff Friesen. Savard had to be restrained from entering the officials dressing room.
SABRES: Mark Hamister is awaiting word on whether he will receive $33-million in New York government assistance by today's league-imposed deadline. Without the assistance, Hamister has said he'll relinquish his bid to buy the team, opening the potential of the team folding or moving at the end of the season.
ALL-STAR GAME: Vancouver's Marc Crawford and Ottawa's Jacques Martin will coach, and Detroit's Dave Lewis and Philadelphia's Ken Hitchcock will assist.
UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Roman Cechmanek made 24 saves for his first shutout of the season in the Flyers' 4-0 victory against the Islanders. The Flyers have won five in a row, and they ended New York's seven-game streak of earning at least one point (6-0-0-1).
Down 2-0, New York had 3:39 of power-play time during the second but did not get a shot on goal. Soon after, the Flyers made it 3-0 when defenseman Roman Hamrlik made a bad clearing attempt. The puck went to Marty Murray just inside the right point, and his slap shot found the open right side with 9:55 left.
DUCKS 5, AVALANCHE 3: Petr Sykora's second goal of the game broke a tie with 1:18 left for visiting Anaheim. Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who missed the previous three games because of a sore neck, stopped 17 shots in the third and finished with 36 saves for Anaheim, which trailed 2-0 late in the first and 3-2 late in the second.
STARS 4, BLACKHAWKS 3 (OT): Pierre Turgeon scored with 16.4 seconds left for host Dallas. Sergei Berezin scored twice for Chicago, including the tying goal with 12:18 left, as the Blackhawks rallied from a two-goal deficit. In overtime, Turgeon scooped up a loose puck in the slot and fired his 84th winning past Jocelyn Thibault to help Dallas improve to 6-0-2 in its past eight.
SENATORS 1, FLAMES 0: Wade Redden scored for visiting Ottawa, which handed Calgary its first loss in six games (4-1-1) since hiring Darryl Sutter as coach. During a power play, Todd White won a faceoff back to Redden at the blue line. He took one stride and ripped a low shot past Roman Turek on the glove side.
LEAFS 4, PENGUINS 2: Visiting Toronto allowed Pittsburgh's league-leading power play to convert only 1 of 9 chances without Mario Lemieux, out with a sore groin. Travis Green scored short-handed and set up Jyrki Lumme's goal 2:32 into the game. Nik Antropov, who had missed three games with a shoulder injury, put the Leafs up 3-2 with 8:28 left in the second when he swatted a loose puck into an open net.
CANADIENS 3, RANGERS 2: Marcel Hossa scored his second goal in as many games since being recalled from the minors for host Montreal. Hossa, recalled from Hamilton on Jan.3, scored with 13:37 left as the Canadiens ended a season-high seven-game winless streak (0-4-1-2).
New York was without center Petr Nedved, who missed his fourth consecutive game because of a hip flexor. He is day to day.
BLUES 4, SHARKS 1: Keith Tkachuk scored twice for visiting St. Louis. Vincent Damphousse put San Jose up 3:45 into the game. But Pavol Demitra tied it 43 seconds later, and Tkachuk's power-play goal with 1:53 left in the second gave St. Louis the lead.
OILERS 5, KINGS 4: Mike York scored twice as visiting Edmonton held on. York's goal 2:39 into the third gave the Oilers a 5-2 lead. Goals by Derek Armstrong and Joe Corvo got Los Angeles within one before Tommy Salo, who made 24 saves, preserved it.