"I am absolutely convinced there's only one way for us to get an NHL franchise," he says. "The only way this is going to happen is if it happens like Winnipeg."

The Jets, you'll recall, returned to the NHL only after owner Mark Chipman quietly worked in the shadows until everything was in place. He played the game the league's governors wanted and then waited patiently until his opportunity arrived with the failure of the Atlanta Thrashers.

His MO was the opposite of the Jim Balsillie model, in other words, which was public, loud and often antagonistic. And which ultimately landed with a thud.

"The formula for success for getting an NHL franchise for this city or any other city is: shut up," Robertson says.

So the mystery man will remain that for now. No spotlight. No attention. No contact with city hall or staff to avoid leaks. Robertson asked him on Wednesday if he'd like to go public and was told he wouldn't, yet.

Robertson's not even saying how much contact the guy's had with the NHL or whether he's made any inroads with those men who'd eventually have to vote him into the club.

"The strategy would be that there would be no public profile and no talking about it until there's something to say," Robertson says.

Even with an owner, though, there would still be plenty of challenges to finally achieving the decades-long dream of landing a team.

It seems incredibly unlikely the number of franchises added in any expansion project would be greater than two. Both Quebec City and Seattle are seen as favourites. That would seem to limit Hamilton's chances.

Robertson says one of them might end up getting an existing team — he mentioned Florida — which would keep this city in the mix.

Then there's the issue of Copps Coliseum. It isn't getting any newer and might be fine for a team for a time but a new building would probably have to be part of the discussion. That would be a political hot potato, pitting those willing to put public money into a new arena against those who'd be vigorously opposed.

On top of everything else, there's the question about how much appetite Hamilton has to go down this road again when it's been crushed by the league so many times already.

sradley@thespec.com

905-526-2440 | @radleyatthespec

Spectator columnist Scott Radley hosts The Sports Lounge weeknights at 9 on 900CHML.