TSN: Stamkos meeting with leafs, Toronto mayor, and CEO of Canadian tire

[AngryScotsman]

Well the Mayor is Doug Ford...so anything can happen.

Oh you didn't hear...

 

[lindroshomer]

This is so baller

Toronto basically gets Canadian Tire to pay him the cash he'd get somewhere else.

It's not unwarranted though, like for him to sign a big sponsorship deal if he signs for the Leafs. It was expected for him to do so. I would imagine he'd be in play for other sponsorship deals as well, things a little more high end than "Randy's tire and lube" in Buffalo.

I would get Canadian Tire to up that price though if I was his camp, 5 million a year at least. I assume every corporate sponsor the Leafs have can throw some money into the pot and have Stamkos as a pitch man.

The guys on Overdrive were saying that it's basically a retirement plan for Stamkos to sign for the Leafs as the former captain of the Leafs can show up to events and golf tournaments and pocket a 1/4 million dollars a year for the rest of his life.

 

[ElysiumAB]

Pretty much this. Any business paying an athlete millions in endorsements will do their due diligence and have their bean counters crunch the numbers on how much Stamkos's name is worth to them in each of the 30 jerseys. If Stamkos in Toronto ends up making them 5mil a year more than anywhere else, naturally they'd pay him more if he wound up in that market. Passing along a chart that shows how much he's worth to them in each city isn't circumvention, he's still free to make the choice to go somewhere else, earn less money from Sportchek, but save more money on lower tax rates or cost of living.

I think everyone understands how endorsements work.

 

[DFC]

I highly doubt they were in the same meeting. All the post said was he was meeting with MLSE and the Mayor and he also had a meeting with the CEO of Canadian Tire. Separate meetings.

If this was a meeting set up separately by Stamkos and Meehan, then fine. Fair game. If it was set up by the Leafs, not fine.

 

[Lebanese Leaf]

It's not a loophole. It's just a violation that the league may or may not choose to overlook.

Find me which section of the rules this is a violation of.

 

[jboknows]

So, if he ends up signing in Toronto and then gets a sponsorship deal with Canadian tire later this summer, I guarantee you the owners will be lighting up Gary's phone.[/[/B]QUOTE]

Hopefully they do. And as much as I hate Betman, I hope he responds with "listen morons, Stamkos already had/has a deal in place with Sport Check... you know, that subsidiary of Canadian Tire". Unless something changed over the past year (I think the Sport Check contract was done in 2014), I see nothing wrong with this.

Here's a great quote from Stamkos himself in 2014: ""I am excited to be joining Sport Chek and the Canadian Tire family of companies. As a kid growing up in Canada, I know how Canadians admire and trust the brands," said Steven Stamkos. "It is my hope that by working with Sport Chek, we will be able to inspire millions of Canadians to live healthy, active lifestyles and gain all the positives that come from sport."

This thread has no reason to exist.

 

[HockeyGuruPitka]

So why is the Canadian Tire CEO involved in this meeting if it's not to signal to Stamkos that there's more money coming his way than the actual offer?

And yes, it's a bad trend to allow if the NHL cares about parity. This opens the door for larger market teams to offer money beyond the cap to players, which is cap circumvention.

Heres my guess. MLSE owned by Rogers and bell goes to Canadian tire and says, we will give you 4.5million dollars in add credit during the duration of Steven Stamkos's contract. You need to pay Steven Stamkos a 3.5 million/year endorsement for 7 years.

 

[Auston Marlander]

If this was a meeting set up separately by Stamkos and Meehan, then fine. Fair game. If it was set up by the Leafs, not fine.

Per you or the CBA?

 

[traffic cone]

Toronto Stamkos Network​

Fixed.

 

[bullocks]

Can we change the title to Simmons and not TSN? As no TSN guys have even retweeted what he said. Seems a little odd. It could be true but TSN saying this seems miss leading.

 

[The Thin White Duke]

I think everyone understands how endorsements work.

You're a little too optimistic for this site.

 

[syc]

This is great if true. Stamkos to the Leafs and HF with very sore bum.

 

[KPower]

He hasn't signed anywhere yet and already a Habs fan is crying

Not sure why...they got Andrew shaw for 6 years....hahaha

 

[Team Cozens]

Feels so good having filthy rich owners !

Almost every team in the league has filthy rich owners. LOL.

 

[Big Easy]

But, if its true, 29 of the leagues owners, Gary Bettman's bosses, will raise hell.

It gives big market teams a clear advantage over other markets. You don't think NYR couldn't line up 15 sponsors for him? What about the LA teams?

It creates a competitive imbalance when it comes to recruiting players beyond just rich teams vs poor teams.

So, if he ends up signing in Toronto and then gets a sponsorship deal with Canadian tire later this summer, I guarantee you the owners will be lighting up Gary's phone.

If you think this is competitive imbalance you should look at other sports leagues. The NHL already has a Hard Cap. What would you like them to do? Ban players from signing endorsement deals? No sports league has 100% competitive balance. Theres varying amounts of money to be made aside from the players salary depending on the city. Not just in the NHL, but across all leagues.

 

[Mad Brills*]

hilarious how 2 major trades break during this

 

[Lebanese Leaf]

If you think this is competitive imbalance you should look at other sports leagues. The NHL already has a Hard Cap. What would you like them to do? Ban players from signing endorsement deals? No sports league has 100% competitive balance. Theres varying amounts of money to be made aside from the players salary depending on the city. Not just in the NHL, but across all leagues.

This.

The NHL already goes above and beyond any other pro sports league in trying to create parity. But at some point, markets that care more should deservedly have a financial advantage to offer players to come. I see no problem with this.

 

[KPower]

Relax guys ...he's still gonna sign 10-11 million /year...way
More than Tampa is offering

 

[Big Easy]

Almost every team in the league has filthy rich owners. LOL.

I think he means, it feels good to have rich owners, and also have a city that has major corporate...…"opportunities."

 

[Jmo89]

I think Bobcat is full of crap with his 3.5M sponsorship package, and I don't entirely believe Simmons. That said though, if the Leafs put together a "portfolio" of companies who have reached out to them to build an eventual professional relationship with Stamkos if/when he is in a Leafs jersey, it probably isnt circumvention as per the CBA. This is of course assuming none of these corporations have anything to do with MLSE.

If MLSE offered him sponsorship through TFC obviously that would be an issue.

Also remember financial terms aren't supposed to be talked about before July 1. Maybe this is simply "welcome to Toronto, meet my very rich friend who is excited about you coming here and has no affiliation with MLSE."

I agree it's a bit shady, but it's also taking advantage of something that few teams around the league can offer: a legitimate bump in Sponsorships due to a hometown premium talent playing for an original 6 franchise.

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my opinion. Now... Whether I believe Simmons? Ehhhhh

 

[barilko05]

Dreger: MLSE employee - wrong - TSN/Bell employee
McKenize: MLSE employee - wrong again - also TSN/Bell employee
Simmons: Not technically MLSE employee - not technically...not at all - CONTRACTED
Mirtle: Not really an insider - so then who cares?

Seems like if you're trying to avoid tampering allegations, you should get your employees to not perpetuate the storyline of Stamkos heading to Toronto

None of these guys works for MLSE. They work for, or are contracted by, Bell Media, which is actually a division of Bell itself. So do I, for that matter. And so does everyone who works for the Source. And none of us have anything to do with MLSE. They don't sign my paycheque, and they don't sign any TSN cheques either. So take off your tinfoil hat and stop being so ********. They're all reporting a story, which, last time I checked, was their job, regardless of which team it pertains too.

 

[Lebanese Leaf]

I think Bobcat is full of crap with his 3.5M sponsorship package, and I don't entirely believe Simmons. That said though, if the Leafs put together a "portfolio" of companies who have reached out to them to build an eventual professional relationship with Stamkos if/when he is in a Leafs jersey, it probably isnt circumvention as per the CBA. This is of course assuming none of these corporations have anything to do with MLSE.

If MLSE offered him sponsorship through TFC obviously that would be an issue.

Also remember financial terms aren't supposed to be talked about before July 1. If this is simply "welcome to Toronto, meet my very rich friend who is excited about you coming here and has no affiliation with MLSE."

I agree it's a bit shady, but it's also taking advantage of something that few teams around the league can offer: a legitimate bump in Sponsorships due to a hometown premium talent playing for an original 6 franchise.

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my opinion. Now... Whether I believe Simmons? Ehhhhh

This.

 

[Ari91]

But, if its true, 29 of the leagues owners, Gary Bettman's bosses, will raise hell.

It gives big market teams a clear advantage over other markets. You don't think NYR couldn't line up 15 sponsors for him? What about the LA teams?

It creates a competitive imbalance when it comes to recruiting players beyond just rich teams vs poor teams.

So, if he ends up signing in Toronto and then gets a sponsorship deal with Canadian tire later this summer, I guarantee you the owners will be lighting up Gary's phone.

Stamkos doesn't need the Leafs to get a sponsorship deal with Canadian Tire. The same way Jonathan Toews didn't need the Leafs and the same way Connor McDavid didn't need the Leafs. Stamkos is already connected to Canadian Tire via another sponsorship deal he has. It's a competitive advantage if you bring corporations into the room and offer them sponsorship deals that are contingent on signing with a specific team.

Canadian Tire is already writing Stamkos a cheque via SportsChek...why is everyone assuming they're in the room to beg Stamkos to come home to Toronto so that they can write him two cheques instead of one? Isn't is just as likely that Canadian Tire is in the room to represent their existing sponsorship between Stamkos/ SportsChek and the great ideas they could use centred around a homecoming or something to that effect?

 

[bloudy]

I wonder if it will be reported that he is meeting with BUF/DET/MTL/NYR? Two days until July 1....

 

[Jmo89]

Haha, and like I said above. Don't believe Simmons. He's staying in TBay.