Arena NHL Expansion (and Deflation)

Why? The NHL has failed once before in KC.

They went into Atlanta twice and the team is failing...again.

 

Kansas City has that Sprint Center sitting there empty, so they've got to be desperate to fill it. They'd probably prefer an NBA team, but I'm sure they'd try and convince Bettman that it's not the same hockey market it was in the early '80s. And Bettman would like to keep teams in the US, if he could.

And Atlanta is a terrible sports city, no offense to anyone from there. They consistently have attendance issues across the board, regardless of the sport.

 

With respect, that's a crummy excuse for a place to get a hockey franchise. Missouri is not hockey country.

Colorado is also showing signs that it's going to fail twice...despite the fact that the team is doing very well.

 

There are back door deals with the Kansas City situation, look up "Boots" Battaglia. Also we're getting a huge helping of Gary Bettman's ego. He'll never admit failure in Atlanta, Phoenix, and other southern state cities. I just don't understand his none movement on Canadian cities. The CDN dollar will almost be on par with the US dollar for the forseable future, and corporate support in Quebec City and Toronto would not be an issue IMO. Winnipeg might be iffy because of the arena and corporate support but even that is fixable because of the almost on par CDN dollar. Look at Edmonton and Ottawa, they are both sucking on the ice but their finances are still pretty good because the attendance is good and always will be because the cities care about their teams unlike the US teams. When they suck they don't get the attendence, when their teams are good they get better attendence, sometimes.

 

Oh, I agree it's a terrible reason, I just wouldn't be surprised if that's how something might go down. Missouri is definitely not hockey country.

 

HOT NEWS FLASH! Glendale is putting up $25 Million to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix another year. This is in the hope of a buyer. I'm afraid that all the optimist millionaires went down on the Titanic, but you can't tell some people.

Meanwhile: Columbus admits that they have lost $82 Million since the lock-out. They are trying to hold up the locals for a better deal--they want a share of parking and naming rights. The locals, being logical types, said no. Stay tuned for threats to move, which I hope will leave the city unmoved, so to speak, there being absolutely no reason why they should fund bad business decisions.

 

If I was a tax payer in Glendale I would be livid! I'm happy there is a core group of fans there and appreciate the players like playing in a warm weather state, but that team will NEVER make any money and it's been proven these past seasons where the team has been competitive and still not a lot of support.

Same goes with Columbus, the team is mediocore, and no playoffs means less money and less and less fans which leads to less corporate supoort. Just put another team in TO. Please.

 

Another in T.O., and perhaps another in Montreal. Winnipeg, Quebec City, I guess Saskatchewan is pushing it.

Perhaps Halifax?

 

Forget Sask and Halifax, no corporate support to speak of I would assume. Montreal? I'm not sure if that would work either. TO or the Greater Toronto Area could support it and the sponsers would line up for it IMO.

 

The original teams were the Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Wanderers, the Ottawa Senators, the Quebec Bulldogs, and (blinding originality here) the Toronto Hockey Team (no joke, that's just what it was called). Quebec bcame the Hamilton Tigers. The Wanderers folded when their arena burnt down (it didn't take too much in those days). The Toronto teams were eventually named the St. Pats. They used to play against the Pacific or Western Hockey Leagues, which included the Vancouver Millionaires, the Victoria Cougars, the Calgary Tigers and the Seattle Metropolitans. The first American club was the Boston Bruins in 1924. Then the WHL folded and the Cougars became the Detroit Red Wings. There were also the Pittsburg Pirates (later the Philadelphia Quakers), the Chicago Blackhawks, and the New York teams, the Americans and the Rangers.

Then the Depression hit. The Quakers folded. The Senators became the St. Louis Eagles and folded a year later. The Maroons folded in 1938. The Americans went under in 1942, due to lack of players (the War). The Habs were nearly relocated to Cleveland, Ohio, but were purchased at the last minute by three local owners. The St. Pats were rechristened the Maple Leafs in 1930.

So Toronto has never had more than one team, unless you count the Toronto Toros or the Hamilton Tigers. Montreal, OTOH, has had three NHL teams, the Canadiens, the Maroons and the Wanderers.

 

I would say economics rules here. There is a lot of money out here, and the GTA expands pretty wide including Hamilton. There are tons of people that are not Leaf fans here and would probably defect because they're haters of the Blue and White. IMO it would work here, no question. Montrealers just strike me as being Habs fans and that's it. From the time I spent there the only fans I saw there were predominately Habs fans, a lot of Leaf Fans, and some Rangers fans, oddly enough. It might work you're right, I'm just positive the GTA could support another team. Corporate support is abundant here and they'd love to get their hands on another NHL franchise because the Leafs have their corporate partners pretty set.

 

Of course, Toronto could support two teams; maybe even three. But...and it's GIANT but, the Leafs are the most profitable club in the NHL, and they have the most power, too. They also have ye giant territorial veto. Much money would have to change hands to change that vote, because why on earth should they?

One of the lot on HNIC radio have a theory: Phoenix is staying where it is for a year because--drum roll--Atlanta is in worst shape of the lot--it's quietly worse than Phoenix. There's only one possible destination until Quebec City builds that arena, and that's Winnipeg. So it will be Atlanta to Winnipeg, before the draft, he said.

I really don't know about this notion; it would assume there was some logic behind it.

 

I hope they get it over with, I can't stand all this Phoenix crap anymore. Who cares?! Really. Just move.

 

Oh, no kidding. And it just tortures the Winnipeg fans, who are desperate to get their team back.

 

If it wasn't for the CDN dollar being so low, they never would have lost the team to begin with. Hopefully the corporate sector steps up and the increases population widens the fan base.

 

They have extremely solid ownership all lined up...a local millionaire with loads of money.

 

That is first thing done then, and most importantly.

 

Why they think this re the Thrashers is that Bettman keeps trying to save Phoenix. He's making no effort at all with Atlanta.

 

It's probably because Bettman moved the Jets to Phoenix and he doesn't want to be proven wrong. Atlanta meanwhile is screwing up their SECOND franchise and they might have it moved to Canada again! Atlanta Flames to Calgary. Winnipeg Thrashers?!

Oh, and on top of all that, the Islanders are about to ask Uniondale to cough up 400 million for a new arena and they've nixed the entertainment district that they originally wanted.

As for Phoenix, I'd be upset if I lived in Glendale and was giving 25 million in tax dollars to a hockey franchise that only 50 thousand people care about. The money could be used for something a lot more important.

 

Yeah. Like infrastructure, roads, bridges, education, etc.

I know that business types say that the teams create jobs, but what sort of jobs are we talking about? Not something that can support a family, that's for sure.

 

Rumour says that the Winnipeg group has made a firm offer for the Thrashers

Of course, rumour is a liar, in general.

 

Atlanta's a large city, but a notoriously bad sports town. They really shouldn't have an NHL team. If the Coyotes are going to stay in Arizona, I hope that the Thrashers move to somewhere where they'll get fans.

 

I hate to say it but the hockey markets in the US are tapped out IMO. Kansas City? No. Vegas? No, That's enough US teams, thanks Bettman. Winnipeg and Quebec City if they get the corporate support, that's it. Then contract the Panthers, Blue Jackets, Islanders, Thrashers, Coyotes and whoever else is bleeding money and doesn't get moved to those CDN cities. That's how I see it.

 

Phoenix and Atlanta take care of Winnipeg and QC.

Toronto can take one other team. And then what? Seattle lost their basketball team and might interested. As perhaps Portland.

 

It must be horrible to have a team you support just disappear. Of course you could try changing allegiance to the place it moves to but...I would imagine it would almost be even worse. I feel sorry for the fans of the Coyotes, but the move from Winnipeg was surely crushing. It's a huge oversimplification but Hockey just...feels more right in a place like Winnipeg compared to Phoenix.