Putting up for sale one of Missouri’s professional sports franchises brings up speculation whether or not the team will stay put. Bill and Nancy Laurie have put the St. Louis Blues hockey team up for sale. State Economic Development Department spokesman Paul Sloca says it’s too early to even speculate if that could mean a departure from this state for the team. Part of the reason the Lauries are putting the team up for sale is the hemmorhaging of cash by the team – $60-Million in the past two years. They blame high sales and amusement taxes for the losses and cite no financial assistance from the city, county, or state. Sloca cannot say whether the state would find some kind of financial incentive to keep the team in Missouri. Sloca admits no one from the Blues has talked to the Economic Development Department about the sale.
