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NEW YORK, June 19, 2008 (AFP) - The National Hockey League announced Thursday that it is threatening to strip ownership of the New York Rangers from Madison Square Garden after the group sued the league over anti-trust issues.
The spat comes after the league and the Rangers´ ownership have feuded over control of the team´s web site.
Madison Square Garden (MSG), which owns the famed arena where the Rangers and basketball´s New York Knicks play, sued the NHL last September saying the league violated US anti-trust laws by monopolizing control of club promotions.
But a judge ruled last November that the league was within its rights to take control of the team web site.
The NHL filed papers Thursday at US District Court in New York that included a letter from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman notifying MSG that the league has started disciplinary measures against the organization.
The NHL asked a judge to rule that MSG breached its contract with the league by challenging the web site rules and claimed that because of the move, it could now force MSG out of the league, although whether or not it would make such a move remains to be seen.
The league wants the power to "proceed with disciplinary proceedings against the ownership of the Rangers for material breaches of the team´s contractual commitments to the league and the other 29 member clubs, as well as for compensatory damages stemming from those breaches," a league statement said.
"The league will have no further comment while the case is before the court."
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