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More interest bubbling up in buying the Blues? Sale expected before season starts

Detroit Red Wings v St. Louis Blues

ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 12: Jaroslav Halak #41 of the St. Louis Blues reacts to giving up the game-winning goal against the Detroit Red Wings at the Scottrade Center on March 12, 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

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It’s the summer of selling teams in the NHL and for one team, hopes are high that they’ll have a deal to be bought in place by the start of the new season. While teams like Phoenix and Dallas continue to fight for attention in the wealthy sectors to be bought, the St. Louis Blues are apparently not having similar problems.

We’ve seen former attempted buyer of the Coyotes Matthew Hulsizer get his name tossed around recently as interested in buying the Blues as well as a few other names including Blues minority owner Tom Stillman. Current majority owner Dave Checketts is looking to get out of owning the team and focus his efforts elsewhere and, fortunately for him, there are people calling to get involved.

Dan O’Neill of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tells us about how the interest in buying the Blues has those closely involved feeling positive about the team’s future.

Robert Caporale, chairman of Game Plan LLC, the company retained to handle the sale of the team, said there has been a spike in activity over the past 10 days. Game Plan has identified five “very interested parties” in acquiring the National Hockey League team, potential buyers that are prepared to submit binding bids.

“Things are definitely heating up,” said Caporale, who said he expects the sale to take place before the start of the season. The Blues open the season Oct. 8 against Nashville at Scottrade Center.

Game Plan has established a data site for prospective buyers to do homework, kick the tires and determine if a business marriage is viable. The sale includes the team, the management contracts on the Scottrade Center and the American Hockey League affiliate in Peoria, Ill.


This kind of progress is huge for the Blues who have seen their fortunes on the ice fall off in recent years as they’ve missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons. With the Blues, for now, playing in the very difficult Central Division with the likes of Detroit, Chicago, and Nashville they can’t afford to have any extended slip ups during the year and unfortunately for St. Louis those other teams have all been too difficult to overcome.

While better success on the ice would help draw interest from buyers, St. Louis is a solid hockey and sports market and should things get turned around there, business should pick up fast. As it is, the Blues aren’t having problems drawing fans as they sold out every game last season and with that kind of draw for a team, especially one that’s been losing, that presents future owners a huge opportunity to get things right to get the team back to the playoffs and make demand for tickets even greater.

Still, when it comes to selling a franchise these things take time and given how we’ve seen things get bogged down with other teams (yes, Dallas and Phoenix alike) patience is required for Blues fans in the process. The Blues are a solid team in a great market that loves the team and something will get done, iit just doesn’t happen overnight unless you’re named the Atlanta Thrashers.