The Whalers departed for Carolina eight years ago and now property developer Gottesdiener wants to put a team in a $250 million US arena he hopes to build. He is head of Northland Investment Corp., which owns $500 million US worth of property in Hartford.
"We've got our own money, we're willing to invest in an arena and we're willing to buy a team," Gottesdiener said.
His plan calls for a publicly subsidized, 16,000-seat venue that would be home to a major hockey franchise. The University of Connecticut men's and women's basketball teams would also play some games there.
Under the proposal, the new arena would replace the Hartford Civic Center, whose future was the focus of discussions on Wednesday.
with files from Associated Press
