even though pucks are at an all-time low right now. i think these two new ownership groups bought there teams at the right time.

now with the salary cap in place, and alot of new marketing ideas that there new marketing company they just hired. i think these new owners should make a profit soon enough.

NEW YORK (AP) -The NHL board of governors approved the sale of the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday to a group headed by Dave Checketts, the former president of Madison Square Garden.



The deal, reached March 24, transfers ownership of the Blues - the league's worst team this season - and the Savvis Center from Bill and Nancy Laurie to Checketts and his Sports Capital Partners and Towerbrook Capital Partners.

The board also approved the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes by Steve Ellman to Jerry Moyes at its annual end of the season meeting.

``All the sales were approved and things are in a position to continue move forward toward a closing,'' NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.

There is no timetable for the financial part of the reported $150 million deal to be finished, but Bettman didn't foresee any problems in its completion.

``That's really more in their control now,'' Bettman said.

Moyes will take over the Coyotes now that he has split his partnership with Ellman in the company that owns the team and the development complex around Glendale Arena. Moyes is the majority investor.

Ellman owns 25 percent and will be in charge of the planned Westgate retail project that is two years behind schedule.