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Travis Prince: Out with the old Generals, in with the new
by Dan Feldman | The Flint Journal
Saturday August 15, 2009, 4:48 AM
The Flint Generals are no more.
But don't worry. A new minor-league hockey team will replace them:
The Flint Generals.
That's at least how Travis Prince describes situation. Prince said he and Brandon Bordeaux are the team's new owners. They replace The Perani Group, which they both belong to.
"The Generals of the past are not of the present," Prince said. "The old Generals are gone."
Prince appears intent on moving past the difficulties of last season — including the team's debt.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to put no more money into the old Generals," Prince said.
But former Generals assistant coach Steve Pronger isn't ready to move on as quickly. Pronger's attorney, Matt Anderton, said the Generals owe his client $7,000 for the final three months of his contract, which expired at the end of May. And he doesn't think the new ownership affects the Generals' responsibilities.
"If they have taken over the Flint Generals, and they own the Flints Generals, then that means they take over all assets and liabilities," Anderton said. "So, they would be liable for that."
Pronger is the second former Generals employee in the last month to go public about unpaid wages. Robert Roe, who did media relations and other front-office work for the team, said in July that he's owed about $3,200.
Prince said he doesn't know how much, but he assumes both are owed money. That hasn't kept him from moving forward, though.
The Generals recently hired Jason Muzzatti as head coach and Peter South as general manager.
"It's kind of contradicting that they would go ahead and say that they're going to have a hockey club, and then sign a contract with a new coach and general manager, and not pay the employees they still owe," Anderton said. "That doesn't mesh to me. And that's problem Steve is having. He feels they crossed a bridge of integrity by doing that."
Prince sees a different reason Pronger went public. Prince said he had initial talks with Pronger about becoming the Generals' head coach once Bobby Reynolds departed after last season.
"Steve was all excited about it," Prince said. "Everything was going to be forgiven, and he was going to be the coach."
But, based on the advice of former TPG member Ron Sanko, the Generals hired Muzzatti.
"This made Steve mad," Prince said. "That's why Steve's being bitter right now — because he was not hired as coach. That's the only reason Steve is being mad."
Pronger, a Generals assistant the last two years, insists he has no ill will toward the team.
"It's their right not to hire me back as a coach," said Pronger, whom the Chicago Blaze of the All American Hockey League hired to be their head coach next season. "That's fine. But at the same time, they have to fulfill the obligation to the contract."
Prince said in July that The Perani Group was considering filing bankruptcy. Reached Friday, he didn't provide an update on that decision. But he compared the Generals' situation to that of General Motors, which filed bankruptcy in June.
"There's a lot of people that's going to get hurt with General Motors filing bankruptcy," Prince. "And the same as us — there's people going to get hurt."
But Anderton doesn't think Pronger would be one of those hurt if TPG filed bankruptcy.
"It wouldn't have any impact," Anderton said. "I would just file a complaint against Mr. Prince and Mr. Bordeaux."
Anderton said it's "not likely" his client will get the full amount he's owed and a settlement is Pronger's top option. Although Anderton said his client is considering filing a lawsuit, Pronger hasn't.
"Basically, he's pushing Steve," Anderton said. "Steve didn't want to go to the paper, and he didn't want to file a lawsuit. He just wanted to get what, legally, he's owed."
This might push Pronger even more: Prince estimated he has spent between $10,000 and $20,000 on new computers, new offices, carpeting and painting the locker room and getting the team store cleaned and ready.
"We're thinking positive, and everybody else is thinking negative," Prince said. "And I wish everyone would start getting a little bit more positive."
Prince said if the Generals don't succeed financially this year, the team will fold. But he thinks the club will draw well.
"What have we got in Flint for people to go to?" Prince said. "There's not much here anymore.
"I hope you guys don't cut us up too much, because we are trying to bring something to Flint. And I think it will go if everybody gets on the same page. If everybody starts cutting us down, then I'm sure it's going to fail."
Prince also said the Generals' phone line, which has been disconnected, will be functioning again Monday. The "new" Generals will even have a new phone number.
"If you call the old number, they're supposed to forward it over because it costs me so much a month to do that," Prince said.
Maybe Prince can't escape paying for the old Generals, after all. |
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