Skyhawks future looking brighter?

The North Bay Skyhawks organization still doesn't have an official lease deal for '08-'09, and still needs to come to an agreement with the city and the University about whether or not the two brands of hockey can co-exist in '09-'10.

It doesn't sound like a lot of progress but still the news seems to be much more positive then it was back in early May when the Skyhawks held a press conference during their spring training camp stating they may have to fold after this coming season due to the emergence of University Hockey in the city of North Bay which is expected to hit the ice for the start of the '09-'10 season.

The Skyhawks felt it was impossible to find a way to share advertising revenue, but now Skyhawks G.M. Guy Blanchard says they want to try and work something out with the University and its private partners which include former Nipissing MPP Al McDonald.

The two sides have met over the past few weeks and Blanchard says a lease deal with the city for the coming season in imminent.

"We are going to try it but there are going to have to be some adjustments on both parts and and if Nipissing isn’t prepared to make a lot of adjustments or they want the adjustments to really roll on their end - but I don’t think the private sector of Nipissing University isn’t going to go in losing money and to be honest, I’m not prepared to lose money either," said Blanchard about negotiations with Nipissing University and its partners.

"It has to be a win-win and I don’t think the city is going to sign an agreement where they are going to lose money so I think that’s where the big road blocks are is to see what we can do to try and eliminate expenses because we are co-existing and they may have certain expenses and we may have certain expenses and if we can just put the pile together we should be able to cut off the 50 to 75.000 dollars and that’s where we are at with it."

Blanchard has even changed his tune saying that having both university and junior hockey in North Bay would be good for hockey in the city.

"I just hope we have the fans to support both," he admits.

OPJHL rumour?

Blanchard lashed out at NOJHL insider writer Randy Russon about rumours on his Osprey Blogs site stating that the Skyhawks may be joining the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League in '09-'10.

“We haven’t even thought of the OPJHL to be honest with you, I don’t know where he’s getting that. I really have no comment except to say that we are in the NOJHL and we can’t go anywhere unless the NOJHL folds, period, that’s all," Blanchard said bluntly.

Those comments put to bed the speculation that the Skyhawks would be part of a "Super League" that is being discussed between the CJHL and the OPJHL.