Ownership situation

[Snatcher Demko]

I thought it might be wise to have a separate thread that focuses solely on Canucks ownership.

There is a big story here that is not being fully investigated by our local media and journalists.

In every past season, FA and his group had no issues impatiently spending to the moon, throwing bad money deals around like never before.

Now that the revenue flow has temporarily dried up, it seems the Aquilini either have no cash flow or funds available, or the willingness to even complete a no-brainer signing of Ian Clark. WHY?

They seem to be unwilling to pay Benning severance, essentially keeping a dead duck on the job out of pure cheapness.

No contract offer to Green (he deserves to be fired anyways). But nothing on that front.

Players seem to be confused, frustrated. Demko's public plea to bring Clark back was unprecedented.

Surely they see that players are upset and that they are spiraling into western version of the Buffalo Sabres, alienating fans, destroying the goodwill and value created by Quinn, Burke and Gillis. They are now tanking the value of the franchise itself.

 

[Fatass]

Where are the FA Tweets now?

 

[DustyMartellaughs]

It is mind blowing that the Aquilinis seem to behave as if they’re both broke and tone deaf.
Ian Clark accepting a contract offer now, after being slighted and ignored, would surprise me.
It’s likely both Benning and Green return. Ugh.
I fear this team is going to be a laughingstock and AHL-NHL tweener until someone heretofore quiet steps up and buys the team.

 

[rypper]

It was mentioned by Drance on the Vancast, but ownership also left the team's scouting staff and other front office employees flapping in the wind just like Green and the coaching staff. They've only recently been informed their contracts will be renewed but that's a lot of peole left wondering if they were going to have a job anymore, for a long time.

 

[Bettman Returnz]

I’d love to hear from FA... please step up and answer some questions or provide your reasoning...

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

It's been speculated here and on twitter that the family is embroiled in some succession-esque infighting that's left the canucks front office paralyzed. I'm not sure how else to explain the contract stuff with the coaching staff. The one thing we know about francesco is that he's a dumbass superfan; it makes no sense that he wouldn't have the club busy doing things like locking up the coaching staff for next season. If the rest of the family really is trying to sideline francesco (kendall roy with no charisma or intelligence) that would be by far the most positive thing to come out of this period.

It's so frustrating that there's no legitimate reporter in this shitty province that's actually writing about this. The sports media hacks are lucky to have jobs and they know it, and none of them have the reporting chops to investigate the business side of the aquilini family anyway. We all know the standards the NHL sets for it's owners (if you write the cheques you're in, sometimes even if you can't) so there's no hope there. The media back east doesn't care about anything that happens out here. We're screwed! Maybe Defector will write a post about it someday.

 

[DCantheDDad]

I am so confused by this organization. Everyone, and I mean everyone can see this is dysfunctional and doomed for continued failure, yet the Aquilinis seem to feel content to look around at this tire fire and say that it is fine.

 

[Diversification]

It's been speculated here and on twitter that the family is embroiled in some succession-esque infighting that's left the canucks front office paralyzed. I'm not sure how else to explain the contract stuff with the coaching staff. The one thing we know about francesco is that he's a dumbass superfan; it makes no sense that he wouldn't have the club busy doing things like locking up the coaching staff for next season. If the rest of the family really is trying to sideline francesco (kendall roy with no charisma or intelligence) that would be by far the most positive thing to come out of this period.

It's so frustrating that there's no legitimate reporter in this shitty province that's actually writing about this. The sports media hacks are lucky to have jobs and they know it, and none of them have the reporting chops to investigate the business side of the aquilini family anyway. We all know the standards the NHL sets for it's owners (if you write the cheques you're in, sometimes even if you can't) so there's no hope there. The media back east doesn't care about anything that happens out here. We're screwed! Maybe Defector will write a post about it someday.

Francesco is Roman in this analogy. The Canucks are the satellite Roman was in charge of launching.

 

[Snatcher Demko]

It's been speculated here and on twitter that the family is embroiled in some succession-esque infighting that's left the canucks front office paralyzed. I'm not sure how else to explain the contract stuff with the coaching staff. The one thing we know about francesco is that he's a dumbass superfan; it makes no sense that he wouldn't have the club busy doing things like locking up the coaching staff for next season. If the rest of the family really is trying to sideline francesco (kendall roy with no charisma or intelligence) that would be by far the most positive thing to come out of this period.

It's so frustrating that there's no legitimate reporter in this shitty province that's actually writing about this. The sports media hacks are lucky to have jobs and they know it, and none of them have the reporting chops to investigate the business side of the aquilini family anyway. We all know the standards the NHL sets for it's owners (if you write the cheques you're in, sometimes even if you can't) so there's no hope there. The media back east doesn't care about anything that happens out here. We're screwed! Maybe Defector will write a post about it someday.

This makes a lot of sense to me. There could certainly be a power struggle at the top, in terms of others wanting to wrest away control from FA and him fighting to keep it. There could be legalities involved and it would not only take time to resolve, it will get ugly as well.

I think ownership is sensitive to fan sentiment and I doubt they are sitting around thinking "this is fine".

Rather - something big has ground operations to a halt, and a power struggle fits the bill.

 

[Diversification]

Re-posting what I wrote in another thread:

*dons tinfoil cap*

Okay, here's my take on what's happening: There's an internal power struggle in the family and the Canucks Organization is a pawn in all of this. They can all see that FA is overly meddlesome and it's tanked franchise value and fan interest. But that's a feature, not a bug. To the extent that they can hang the Canucks' failures around FA's neck is the extent that they can sideline him in terms of the family business. It works because it plays to FA's ego and his need to be at the center of a public spectacle.

So the 2019 assessment by Courtnall, the follow up assessment just now, it's all just a matter of creating a paper trail; All of it to build the case that FA should not ultimately assume the mantle.

Regardless, I fear the other Aquilini siblings are all too happy to watch this team burn to the ground if it means more power for them down the road.

Or maybe I've just binge watched too many episodes of Succession.

 

[Izzy Goodenough]

I think ownership is insensitive to fan sentiment and I bet they are sitting around thinking "this is fine".

There I have fixed it for you so it reflects reality.

 

[Jyrki21]

 

[Jyrki21]

Bumping this thread, because I have a feeling we'll be needing it a lot...

 

[Bubbles]

Bumping this thread, because I have a feeling we'll be needing it a lot...

 

[Jyrki21]

I hate our ownership, but I am also a bit scared of them selling the team. I mean who is going to buy it? Won't be a local, as the cost of the franchise now is sky high. Will it be someone who maybe looks to move when the Canadian dollar goes sideways?

As long as I have necro'ed this thread, may as well bring the relevant discussion here.

I don't believe the Canucks were actually in danger of moving in the Brian Burke "one phone call" days, and I certainly don't believe they would be now.

I agree it probably isn't a local owner, but this isn't an MLS team playing in a rented stadium -- it is one of the most reliable markets in a Big Four sports league. If the Senators could find an Andlauer, I don't doubt the Canucks could find a buyer too. Whether that's some Toronto conglomerate, a Hong Kong billionaire or a new attempt by Ryan Reynolds to put together an investors' group, I think it could be done. If the Canucks ever left Vancouver, the city would automatically just become the top expansion/relocation destination with a bullet (maybe second to Houston depending on the state of the Canadian dollar).

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

I am not any kind of insider at all but I did hear some interesting things about the Aquilini family during Covid. A lot of the cheapness of the outfit comes from Luigi, not Francesco. He was the one signing off on every organizational expense in the 2020 offseason, and it was his call that Troy Stecher and Manny Malhotra wouldn't get contract offers.

 

[Brookbank]

I thought it might be wise to have a separate thread that focuses solely on Canucks ownership.

There is a big story here that is not being fully investigated by our local media and journalists.

In every past season, FA and his group had no issues impatiently spending to the moon, throwing bad money deals around like never before.

Now that the revenue flow has temporarily dried up, it seems the Aquilini either have no cash flow or funds available, or the willingness to even complete a no-brainer signing of Ian Clark. WHY?

They seem to be unwilling to pay Benning severance, essentially keeping a dead duck on the job out of pure cheapness.

No contract offer to Green (he deserves to be fired anyways). But nothing on that front.

Players seem to be confused, frustrated. Demko's public plea to bring Clark back was unprecedented.

Surely they see that players are upset and that they are spiraling into western version of the Buffalo Sabres, alienating fans, destroying the goodwill and value created by Quinn, Burke and Gillis. They are now tanking the value of the franchise itself.

Sure seems like there's trouble in the financial empire. The family is tight for money. Unlikely right enough to be forced to sell.

Galardi seems like a posh wanker but we really needed him as the owner.

 

[StreetHawk]

It's been speculated here and on twitter that the family is embroiled in some succession-esque infighting that's left the canucks front office paralyzed. I'm not sure how else to explain the contract stuff with the coaching staff. The one thing we know about francesco is that he's a dumbass superfan; it makes no sense that he wouldn't have the club busy doing things like locking up the coaching staff for next season. If the rest of the family really is trying to sideline francesco (kendall roy with no charisma or intelligence) that would be by far the most positive thing to come out of this period.

It's so frustrating that there's no legitimate reporter in this shitty province that's actually writing about this. The sports media hacks are lucky to have jobs and they know it, and none of them have the reporting chops to investigate the business side of the aquilini family anyway. We all know the standards the NHL sets for it's owners (if you write the cheques you're in, sometimes even if you can't) so there's no hope there. The media back east doesn't care about anything that happens out here. We're screwed! Maybe Defector will write a post about it someday.

That would be a fair assumption.
Luigi is around 90 if frank turns 65 this year.
Roberto and Paolo should be late 50’s to early 60’s.
Frank is estranged from his children so I don’t think they are joining the family business.
So comes down to the grandchildren lineage of R&P.
They could be as old as early 30’s or as young as teenagers.
Do any of them have interest in taking over from Frank in his Canucks role?

If they don’t have anyone interested then it may be a good time to explore moving on from the team and cashing in on their equity increase.

 

[VanJack]

I've been down on Canucks ownership for some time, going back to lackluster Benning years.

But I just can't see local owners, who made their billions in the Metro Vancouver real estate market, selling the team to a foreign buyer and standing aside while they leave town. That's a 'legacy' no local family would ever want to leave behind.

However with brand spanking new rinks in Edmonton and Calgary, you have to wonder about the future of Rogers Arena. I'm sure the Aquilini's would love to re-develop the site when the Vancouver real estate market recovers some of it's shine.

So the Canucks probably need a new building. And unlike how events unfolded in Alberta, it's doubtful they'd get any support from either the Provincial or City Governments. But it is something to watch, going forward.

 

[bossram]

I've been down on Canucks ownership for some time, going back to lackluster Benning years.

But I just can't see local owners, who made their billions in the Metro Vancouver real estate market, selling the team to a foreign buyer and standing aside while they leave town. That's a 'legacy' no local family would ever want to leave behind.

However with brand spanking new rinks in Edmonton and Calgary, you have to wonder about the future of Rogers Arena. I'm sure the Aquilini's would love to re-develop the site when the Vancouver real estate market recovers some of it's shine.

So the Canucks probably need a new building. And unlike how events unfolded in Alberta, it's doubtful they'd get any support from either the Provincial or City Governments. But it is something to watch, going forward.

Bolded makes me lean that Aqua might be more willing to sell. He doesn't want to pay for a practice rink. He's not paying to build a new damn home arena (or make significant renovations).

 

[VanJack]

Bolded makes me lean that Aqua might be more willing to sell. He doesn't want to pay for a practice rink. He's not paying to build a new damn home arena (or make significant renovations).

In fairness to Aquilini, didn't I read somewhere that the Canucks just spend a lot of money renovating Rogers Arena?

 

[bossram]

In fairness to Aquilini, didn't I read somewhere that the Canucks just spend a lot of money renovating Rogers Arena?

They changed the seats or something like that. And I guess they got the new jumbotron.

But the building itself needs a major upgrade (bigger concourses, new "hangout" spots you see in most other stadiums, etc.). That's a lot more structural work.

 

[Hit the post]

They changed the seats or something like that. And I guess they got the new jumbotron.

But the building itself needs a major upgrade (bigger concourses, new "hangout" spots you see in most other stadiums, etc.). That's a lot more structural work.

Probably needs completely replacing but that requires $$$$$'s. I hardly expect the public/government in Victoria to be in any mood the help out (eg., corporate welfare for billionaires) in this political environment.

 

[Hit the post]

Bolded makes me lean that Aqua might be more willing to sell. He doesn't want to pay for a practice rink. He's not paying to build a new damn home arena (or make significant renovations).

Gotta take a Tom Vu property course! Don't be a loser!

 

[bossram]

Probably needs completely replacing but that requires $$$$$'s. I hardly expect the public/government in Victoria to be in any mood the help out (eg., corporate welfare for billionaires) in this political environment.

Yes. Which is why I'm saying Aqua will have no appetite to pay for it, and that might make selling the team more likely.