NHL Panel Hears Bid by San Diego Group

San Diego’s prospective ownership group made its presentation Wednesday to the NHL’s Board of Governors, and former San Diego Padres president Ballard Smith was among the parties speculating about an upcoming decision on expansion.

“They’ve talked about adding, what is it, eight teams?” Smith said from the Breakers hotel, where the NHL is holding its week-long meetings.

No, it’s six teams by the end of the century. But Smith wasn’t alone in his uncertainty about the direction of hockey expansion. NHL President John Ziegler was vague even as to what form the board’s deliberations will take.

Smith is one of two members of San Diego’s 12-member ownership group identified Wednesday by Harry Cooper, owner of the San Diego Sports Arena and the man spearheading the effort to bring an NHL franchise to San Diego. Cooper identified the other as developer Ron Hahn. Both joined sports attorney Scott Wolfe and Cooper at the meetings to pitch San Diego’s bid.

“It was important that they be here,” Cooper said from Florida. “Both know a number of governors and bring an important credibility to our efforts.”

Cooper is attempting to win a franchise for San Diego that would begin play no earlier than 1996-97, time enough to build a new 18,000-seat sports arena.

“Everyone knows that is our position, so there’s no confusion,” Cooper said. “If there is (a franchise awarded), we have a commitment to building a state-of-the-art arena. We see the NHL as being the most identifiable tenant.”

Each application group met privately with nearly 50 officials from the NHL, including Ziegler and representatives of the league’s 21 teams.

Wolfe, who put the ownership group together, made the 20-minute presentation, then spent another 20 minutes answering the board’s questions. None of the material presented was new, but it was the first time the full board heard San Diego’s bid, and those of seven groups still vying for a team.

Seattle withdrew its application Wednesday because of a lack of money. The Houston group withdrew its bid last week. Miami, St. Petersburg and Tampa, Fla.; San Diego and Southern California; and Ottawa and Hamilton, Canada, are battling for teams.

Cooper said he was concerned with the competition offered by former Kings owner Jerry Buss, who is deciding on whether to put a potential team in Anaheim or San Diego.

“We want to see what he’ll pull out of the hat,” Cooper said. “I think what he’s trying to do is create a competitive atmosphere either place, by making Anaheim think it’s competing against San Diego and San Diego against Anaheim.”

The governors may award two franchises today to begin play in 1992-93, they may delay a decision a week or more or they may postpone further expansion for at least a year. With the addition of San Jose--a franchise set to compete in the 1991-92 season--the NHL has already met its goal of one-team expansion set a year ago at these meetings.

If the NHL doesn’t award San Diego a franchise, Cooper said they would continue to build a hockey base in San Diego with the International Hockey League Gulls, a team he owns, and go after an existing franchise.