And the winner is... Jim Balsillie. The Blackberry Baron really took being a thorn in Gary Bettman and the NHL Board of Governors' side to the next level in 2009. First there was the sliiiightly dodgy way he and Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes arranged the original sale of the team, then there was the Bettman backlash, THEN there was Make It Seven and a (mostly Canadian) PR media blitz where Jimbo seemed to be making his case to the people directly.

Did it work? Well, no. And ol'Jim may have ruined his chances of getting an NHL team by being such a ball-buster and not kissing the various rings of the NHL's board sufficiently to gain favour. But what he DID do is rile Canadian hockey fans sufficiently that now, even with Balsillie on the sidelines, Bettman & Co. are openly talking about putting another team in southern Ontario and even getting Quebec City and Winnipeg into the conversation. Jim also let fans believe that there were still guys with bucketloads of cash who are passionate about the game itslef as much as profits AND willing to pony up to own a hockey team.

Will he ever get one? Hard to say. But we're pretty damn sure Mr. Balsillie's not done trying.

(photo via the Globe & Mail)