The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jeff Schultz put in work on the Atlanta Thrashers story, securing a brief interview with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Thursday's various reports and rumors. Daly repeatedly refused to guarantee the team will remain in town and insisted the NHL has acted according to its standard procedure throughout this situation -- more than a few Thrashers fans have expressed frustration that Gary Bettman has made such a show of working for the Phoenix Coyotes and other relocation threats.
A couple clips from Schultz and Daly, though the whole thing is worth a read:
Q: Can you address rumors that a franchise sale and a move to Winnipeg is pretty much done and that an announcement is imminent?
A: "There is nothing that has been done, nothing has been planned and nothing has been scheduled. Certainly, no transaction has been agreed to, not that I'm aware of."
Q: I understand that. But does that preclude you or Gary from coming to Atlanta to show support for the franchise and help the process?
A: "No, of course not. If there was some reasonable sense that a public appeal would move the process along, then something would be done. But we're not at that point."
Would it kill the NHL to go ahead and share a word on all that stuff it's supposedly been doing over the past few years of this ordeal?
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