A family sporting dynasty is drawing to a close. Well, that depends on how people define the word dynasty.
MLS side CF Montreal was brought into existence by the dairy industry-dominating Saputo family; they have since held onto control of the club for well over three decades. But even with four Canadian Championships to their name, the club never reached the heights that the family businesses have maintained.
Now, the Saputo family is punting on the opportunity to right that wrong and selling the MLS franchise, announcing it at a Monday afternoon press conference.
Even though Joey Saputo, who owned the team in representation of his family business, wants to keep the club in Montreal, he recognized the fact that he might very well have to sell to the highest bidder. If that's the case, then relocation certainly becomes an option.
For Edmonton Oilers and, by extension, the city's sports fans who follow MLS and CF Montreal's continued struggles, the news only brings back memories of a past relocation attempt.
There were two relocation attempts, but only one can be seen as comparable
There was a point where the Oilers nearly swapped home cities with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but even that crazy instalment in Harold Ballard's Humorous Tale doesn't compare to the legitimate threat of relocation that the team faced not that long afterward.
Back in the late-1990's - when Y2K was all the rage, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully achieved their best work at The X-Files, and Spongebob Squarepants was making his way onto television screens - the Oilers were quite close to being rocketed off to Houston. Even though Edmonton pales in comparison to other North American cities, Houston somewhat pales in comparison in terms of the success of their sports teams. While Houston is a city that is commonly associated with NASA Mission Control, it also is home to 27 missed three point shots, sign stealing allegations, and a blown 24-0 lead.
The team's owner at the time, Peter Pocklington, was close to completing the sale and saving his credit score at the expense of one of hockey's most well-known markets. That said, Edmonton businesspeople were able to unite and get the help of commissioner Gary Bettman to keep the team in Edmonton. Under the Edmonton Investors Group banner, local businesspeople (including the group's organizer Cal Nichols) were about to build a bid strong enough to keep the team from going south.
In the case of this ongoing bid, it is important to consider that there is no explicit desire to move the team. Saputo wants to keep the team in Montreal, but it's likely going to take multiple interested local buyers to keep the team in town, especially if higher-than-usual stadium construction costs force a more valuable bid from an external buyer.
The cost to keep the team in Montreal only increases when considering that the iconic Olympic Stadium is set to reopen soon and will seat three times more people than the club's current venue, Stade Saputo. With any potential move to the Olympic Stadium comes the possibility of more tickets sold but also a higher risk of accruing higher arena ownership/tenancy costs and/or maintenance fees.
This isn't a Montreal-only issue
Canadian MLS franchises haven't exactly been the beneficiaries of positive ownership/on-field situations. CF Montreal's struggles, which have seen even the most dedicated fan groups boycott the team's final few games of the season, are only the beginning.
Toronto FC, who are only nine years removed from an MLS Cup title, currently struggle from a bad case of MLSE. Rogers only recently acquired full control of the franchise, and it's easy to argue that they haven't exactly been willing to fully invest in the greatest on-ice/on-field product. An inability to make positive decisions as well as front office and coaching turnovers galore have only contributed to what is the Canadian sports/corporate equivalent of the New York Yankees.
At least Vancouver-based soccer fans truly have a product worth cheering for. The Vancouver Whitecaps only recently pulled off an unexpected-yet-ground-breaking move for German midfielder Thomas Müller, arguably seen as one of the best and most winningest players at that position. They've since made it to an MLS championship game and are poised to get back to that point.
That said, the Whitecaps have been faced with consistent relocation rumors, issues surrounding their tenancy of BC Place, and their own issues with regard to finding a new owner. That said, the point involving their tenancy is arguably the biggest sticking point for the team; because British Columbia's provincial government technically owns BC Place, the club only gets revenue from ticket sales and other limited sources.
Back to Edmonton, which isn't new to the soccer business
The Oilers might be a primary point of comparison here, but they're not the first team in Edmonton to be in a similar position or worse.
Though the tragedy of Canadian Premier League side FC Edmonton ended in the club being folded rather than relocated, the causes of the club being folded are relatively similar to what the Vancouver Whitecaps have gone through for the past few years and what CF Montreal is only starting to experience.
Similar to the threat of the Whitecaps being relocated, FC Edmonton's downfall was partially a result of the stadium. Concerns with regard to the club's venue - Clarke Stadium - and poor crowd numbers were part of the issue when it came to its sustainability in the city's sporting culture.
Even though Saputo's decision to sell his family's football club might not seem to be entirely based on the club's struggles, the fact that it comes after they finished last in the 2026 MLS standings (earning just 26 points in the process) does allow for the comparison with FC Edmonton to be made. The 2022 Canadian Premier League season, which acted as FC Edmonton's final campaign, saw the club earn just 20 points and four wins while finishing eighth place in the league standings. The prior campaign was no better; the club only picked up 28 points, which included six wins, while finishing in seventh place.
To bring the Oilers back into the fray, their relocation saga was similar to CF Montreal and the Vancouver Whitecaps' sagas in that it all started with a bid to sell the club. It's also similar to FC Edmonton's in terms of Pocklington's decision to use the Oilers as a means to fix his own money troubles. That said, FC Edmonton's issues came mainly because of a lack of money rather than the misuse of it.
Harold Ballard laughs on.
Peter Pocklington laughs on.
The rest of the country does not.
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