For about the tenth time this week, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has refuted that a sale to True North Sports and Entertainment is complete, or even near completion. On his radio show Thursday night, Bettman dispelled rumors that he has been in Winnipeg recently, and also took a swipe at media outlets who have reported the demise of the Thrashers more times than you can count:
"If you keep saying [the move will happen] enough, you might ultimately be right. But the level of accountability, in terms of the willingness to just put anything out there in terms of a news story, is really just ridiculous."
Bettman also addressed the concept of moving from such a large city as Atlanta:
"The only time we move is when we don't have a choice, and that typically happens when nobody wants to own a club there anymore. The prospect of leaving Atlanta isn't something that I'm particularly fond of ... We respect the importance of Atlanta as a city. It's a big market, but this is a franchise that's got a problem in that market."
That, ladies and gentlemen, is as close as Atlanta has gotten to good, decent, support from the commish. Uh... thank you?
Check back with SB Nation Atlanta's frequently updated Thrashers sale StoryStream for the latest updates. For discussion, join Bird Watchers Anonymous, SB Nation's Atlanta Thrashers community or head to one of our 34 other hockey communities. For more hockey, visit SB Nation's NHL hub.