Canadian Government Won't Interfere With Franchise Relocations

When the NHL strong-armed former Nashville Preds owner Craig Leopold not to sell his club to Jim Balsillie's shiny head, quite a few Canadians fans and journalists were rather upset at the league's blatant attempt to deny Canada a seventh NHL club.

Not only did the NHL obviously not want a team to move from the American South up to the loving arms of The Great White North, but the nearby Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres weren't too keen on Hamilton sucking away fans from them, either.

Those two teams can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the Canadian government won't step in any day soon.

The NHL's policies "further legitimate business interests, such as preserving team rivalries, attracting a broader audience, and encouraging investment in sports facilities by local municipalities," the Competition Bureau said in a statement.

The regulator said it started the inquiry because media reports raised concerns about whether the NHL had engaged in "anticompetitive behavior," after Balsillie last year signed a letter of intent to buy the Predators. Balsillie didn't end up buying the team.

Further legitimate business interests and preserve rivalries? Sure ... who does Nashville have a rivalry with, exactly?

As much as I believe certain NHL teams would be better off if they moved to Canada, the free-market economist in me believes the NHL is in the right.

Why shouldn't the NHL, which is a privately-held, closed (minded) organization, be allowed to choose where it wants its teams located? If the NHL stubbornyly wants to keep teams in weak markets and attempt to lure in new fans, that is their prerogative. Anyone looking to get into the NHL ownership loops knows this, and shouldn't expect the government to bend the league's rules for their own interests.

So, the Maple Leafs are free to ensure the league doesn't put a team well within the Greater Toronto Area, and the NHL has even more ammunition in its fight to deny Canadian hockey fans a chance for another team. All Hail Commissar Bettman!