A case for NHL in Houston!

[OG6ix]

Now, I'm not from Houston nor have I ever really cared for the city, but I think the NHL should put a team there and here is why.

If you look at your WHA history (the REAL WHA and not the one that pops up every few years) the Aeros were one of the premiere teams in that league, they folded because the owner had the sight to see that the WHA was a dying league and he demanded the team enter the NHL or he'll just fold the team.

Texas is the largest state in the US with the most hockey teams! There is so many kids playing hockey in that state, even the Canadians/Northern appologist have to respect it.

Now we all talk about the other WHA markets that had teams that fled (Hartford, Winnipeg, Quebec), but Houston deserves their due too.

Here is a good site about Houston's hockey history... http://houstonhockey.net/

PEACE!

Click to read more...

 

[Crosby87.*]

No.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

It doesn't snow in Houston.

 

[Jazz]

Houston would work - much better than Kansas City as well.

 

[DownFromNJ]

Do they have a useable Arena?

 

[Rob]

Considering Dallas has been the one successful southern franchise I believe it would only make sense that Houston should get the Pens. Makes more sense than KC or Oklamhoma City(god forbid)

 

[kdb209]

Do they have a useable Arena?

Yes - the nearly brand spanking new (opened 2003), state of the art, 17,800 seat (for hockey), 2,900 premium club seat, 103 luxury box Toyota Center.

They also have a prospective owner - Les Alexander, owner of the Houston Rockets (NBA) who conveniently enough controls the master lease on the Toyota Center, and who has on several occasions expressed an interest in bringing an NHL franchise to Houston.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

With the amount of empty seats in Dallas during the NHL AllStar game... that alone to me speaks volumes about the validity of hockey in Texas. Sure it is packed when the Stars are Stanley Cup contenders, but otherwise...

Like Bill Parcell's leaving the Cowboys was the only sports news in Dallas on the day of the AllStar Skills, Young Guns - and the NHL was pushed to page 10 of the news.

The same city that lost an NFL team once before in football mad Texas.

And I know some will get all defensive about what I'm saying. And so be it. It's the truth.

 

[Atlas]

I'm from Maryland originally and now live in Austin, TX. A team would probably do well in Houston...it's so damn big and the Stars have done real well up in Dallas. But it's plain ridiculous to have an NHL team in Houston and to not have a team in Quebec City and Winnipeg and Pittsburgh (if). The spirit of ice hockey is all over QC and Winnipeg...and Pitt has supported the Pens well over the years...I dunno man...the quality of the product just isn't the same as it was in the 70s and 80s...maybe it's better in some ways but a game between two hot weather cities is low intensity...some fans "get it" in those cities but infinitely more "get it" in the northern cities.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

Who is John Galt?

 

[Rob]

With the amount of empty seats in Dallas during the NHL AllStar game... that alone to me speaks volumes about the validity of hockey in Texas.

Well we are talking about the worst hockey game of the year. I can't blame them for wanting to sit out this one.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

Well we are talking about the worst hockey game of the year. I can't blame them for wanting to sit out this one.

Really the worst? You have supposedly the best player of each team - of course minus Jagr, Kovalchuk, and Fitzpatrick.

And can't sell it out? I remember the Joey Moss Cup selling out in Edmonton last summer. It would sell out in any Canadian city, Philly, NY, Detroit, Boston, San Jose....

But hey, let's cut them some slack, it's only the first ever game of Crosby and Ovechkin. In fact, let's put a team in Houston. They might equal half this output!

 

[OG6ix]

This is the same owner that wanted an expansion team, and when he didn't get it was going after the oilers. You gotta realize that those empty seats weren't for real fans, but the guys who paid big bucks.

 

[Brad*]

No.

Right, because it would be a much smarter decision to put a team in Badger Titty, Alberta or some other little Canadian "city," right? Because they're real fans! At least they get snow!

 

[Jarko2004]

Really the worst? You have supposedly the best player of each team - of course minus Jagr, Kovalchuk, and Fitzpatrick.

And can't sell it out? I remember the Joey Moss Cup selling out in Edmonton last summer. It would sell out in any Canadian city, Philly, NY, Detroit, Boston, San Jose....

But hey, let's cut them some slack, it's only the first ever game of Crosby and Ovechkin. In fact, let's put a team in Houston. They might equal half this output!

Actually he's right. The Allstar game is the worst game of the year, including exhibition. Best players? Who cares. It's not a game. There is no defense. It's a mean nothing joke.

That being said, please no more teams in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico or God knows where.

 

[Hank19]

Now, I'm not from Houston nor have I ever really cared for the city, but I think the NHL should put a team there and here is why.

If you look at your WHA history (the REAL WHA and not the one that pops up every few years) the Aeros were one of the premiere teams in that league, they folded because the owner had the sight to see that the WHA was a dying league and he demanded the team enter the NHL or he'll just fold the team.

Texas is the largest state in the US with the most hockey teams! There is so many kids playing hockey in that state, even the Canadians/Northern appologist have to respect it.

Now we all talk about the other WHA markets that had teams that fled (Hartford, Winnipeg, Quebec), but Houston deserves their due too.

Here is a good site about Houston's hockey history... http://houstonhockey.net/

PEACE!

I completely agree with everything you say. The only negative I have about another team in Texas might seem silly but I think it's valid; ice conditions. I know that the ice makers for the Stars do a tremendous job but there's only so much they can do. And I've heard several players complain about it.
I'd like to see hockey return to Quebec and maybe somewhere in the Dakota's.

 

[AdmiralPred]

I completely agree with everything you say. The only negative I have about another team in Texas might seem silly but I think it's valid; ice conditions. I know that the ice makers for the Stars do a tremendous job but there's only so much they can do. And I've heard several players complain about it.
I'd like to see hockey return to Quebec and maybe somewhere in the Dakota's.

The Dakotas? Minot, Rapid City, Souix Falls, Grand Forks, Bismark, Fargo? Is there a facility in Crosby? That could be an enticing move, from a marketing perspective, for the Penguins. At least it snows there.

 

[MuzikMachine]

It doesn't snow in Houston.

Oh?

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=snow+houston&m=text

I think Houston would be a good possiblity for relocation, just not the Pens. If they ever met Dallas in the playoffs a couple years in a row, a natural rivalry would develop.

I wonder what would have happend if the Oilers would have relocated to Houston and still played the Stars in the playoffs for 7+ consecutive years. With Les Alexander's money to keep & add key players and the geography, it could have been a great rivalry.

Don't get me wrong, as an Oilers fan I'm glad that DIDN'T happen.

Edm Oilers & Battle of Alberta >>>>>>>>>>>>> Houston Oilers & Battle of Texas

 

[Walzy]

And can't sell it out?

it was a sell-out
if the people don't show up, it's their problem

If (and only if) the Pens move, my vote would go to Houston. I'd take them over KC and Oklahoma City every second

 

[Hawker14]

Now, I'm not from Houston nor have I ever really cared for the city, but I think the NHL should put a team there and here is why.

If you look at your WHA history (the REAL WHA and not the one that pops up every few years) the Aeros were one of the premiere teams in that league, they folded because the owner had the sight to see that the WHA was a dying league and he demanded the team enter the NHL or he'll just fold the team.

Texas is the largest state in the US with the most hockey teams! There is so many kids playing hockey in that state, even the Canadians/Northern appologist have to respect it.

Now we all talk about the other WHA markets that had teams that fled (Hartford, Winnipeg, Quebec), but Houston deserves their due too.

Here is a good site about Houston's hockey history... http://houstonhockey.net/

PEACE!

yes, there's no doubt houston deserves plenty of consideration as well.

 

[krudmonk]

I think what most people overlook is that, with a city of that size, it doesn't have to win over the majority to be successful. There's so many damn people.

With that said, I couldn't really care less about Texas. I'd much prefer all the other names thrown about, except for Oklahoma City who jumped out of the running on their own.

 

[Street Hawk]

Rank

Now, I'm not from Houston nor have I ever really cared for the city, but I think the NHL should put a team there and here is why.

If you look at your WHA history (the REAL WHA and not the one that pops up every few years) the Aeros were one of the premiere teams in that league, they folded because the owner had the sight to see that the WHA was a dying league and he demanded the team enter the NHL or he'll just fold the team.

Texas is the largest state in the US with the most hockey teams! There is so many kids playing hockey in that state, even the Canadians/Northern appologist have to respect it.

Now we all talk about the other WHA markets that had teams that fled (Hartford, Winnipeg, Quebec), but Houston deserves their due too.

Here is a good site about Houston's hockey history... http://houstonhockey.net/

PEACE!

Houston is also home to the Rockets, Astros, and Texans.

We know football is #1 in Texas, then you have America's game with the Astros, and then the Rockets. How much coverage would the NHL team get?

People in Dallas will be able to shed more light on the coverage the Stars get behind the Cowboys, Mavericks, and Rangers get.

 

[mooseOAK*]

Lots of people in Houston, but not from the country bordering the US that plays hockey.

 

[Hank19]

Houston is also home to the Rockets, Astros, and Texans.

We know football is #1 in Texas, then you have America's game with the Astros, and then the Rockets. How much coverage would the NHL team get?

People in Dallas will be able to shed more light on the coverage the Stars get behind the Cowboys, Mavericks, and Rangers get.

Marty Turco was on Open Ice a few days ago and he said that the Stars fans in Dallas are great but that news involving the Stars is always buried on the 4th page behind the all the major sports, college football and even high school football.

Put Houston there because they'd have enough fans to support a team, but don't do it just to 'spread' hockey throughout Texas. It'll always remain a clique sport in that part of the world.

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

I think what most people overlook is that, with a city of that size, it doesn't have to win over the majority to be successful. There's so many damn people.

This is a point that seems lost on a lot of people when discussing market success/viability. If a metro area has a gigantic population, it might not even matter if hockey is popular in the area overall. It can still be a successful business there. The Dallas metro area has what, six million people? That is huge. The Houston metro area... well over five million people? Again, huge. Heck, hockey could probably even be tenth on the sports popularity totem pole in places like this and still succeed as a business just because the sheer population numbers are so overwhelming. (Not to mention corporate presence as well, of course.)