Subtlety is often a very effective way to make your point.

It could be something like mentioning in passing to your children that when you were a kid your dad would get you ice cream if you were good.  Or sending someone a letter and cc’ing your lawyer (more on that some other day).

Edmonton Oilers owner and drug store kingpin, Daryl Katz, and his team at his various Katz Group and Rexall companies are making an art out of subtlety.

Take the events of the past couple of days as an example. One of Mr. Katz’s employees, Patrick LaForge, (who just happens to be Edmonton Oilers President) walked into Hamilton City Council with a pitch for one of his bosses companies to take over the running of Copps Coliseum.

Katz could have sent any employee to make this pitch, but by sending Edmonton Oilers President Patrick LaForge, it sends a very subtle hint to a city council who is undoubtedly very interested in seeing an NHL hockey team moved to their city.  Even though Mr. Laforge “made clear” that there was no interest in moving the Oilers to Hamilton (where the Oilers once had a farm team), you have to think that in the back of the minds of at least a few city councillors, it would be smart for them to make friends with the President as well as the owner of an NHL franchise. (Just look at the title of this article: "Oilers in talks..." not "Rexall in talks...")

Secondly (and by their own admission) the optics of this pitch would not go unnoticed in Edmonton.  To many Edmontonians, by making this pitch it would appear the Edmonton Oilers were looking for options to relocate to Hamilton. 

From Mr. Katz’s position, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  If he were to come out and say that he was thinking of moving the team unless taxpayers gifted him a new half-a-billion arena (despite most other Canadian NHL owners buying their own), it would undoubtedly backfire. 

This isn’t 1992 anymore, and Edmonton is no longer one of the worst markets in the NHL.  In fact, Edmonton is one of the best places to have an NHL team now.  Revenues in Edmonton are above the NHL average, and they have a waiting list for season tickets.  Further, if the NHL won’t let a team bleeding red ink move from Phoenix, they would never allow a team doing well in Edmonton move.

So, that kind of direct threat wouldn’t work.  But... a subtle hint that they could move if they don’t get their way doesn’t run the entire risk of backfiring (although it should) and may play on the ignorance of current NHL economics in many Edmontonians minds.

Well played Mr. Katz.  Well played.

PS. If you haven't already, sign the petition opposing spending tax dollars on new NHL arenas.

By: Scott Hennig
Posted: June 30, 2010
Topic: Alberta

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