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OT: Around Hockey and the NHL

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Major4Boarding

Major4Boarding

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JoVel said:
Yeah at some point you have to start thinking about how large hockey's talent pool is. Adding multiple teams at once when we're at 32 already weakens the product team quite a bit. But I mean, we'd get to see McDavid hit 180 points or whatever.
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I used to be pretty easily convinced, the worries of the talent pool and lack thereof.

I'm not there anymore though. During the 90's and 2000's expansion process I was. But my mindset was, "We're getting a team, so I didn't care about anyone else's problems". With the North Stars, Jets, Nordiques and Whalers relocating that cushioned that talent pool depletion.

I'm not there anymore because I see more and more 6–9-year-old players with tons more skill than 10 years ago. 13-16 year-olds looking like solid U18-caliber players already. On both sides of the border. There's more Collegiate talent rolling out now than before. More College Hockey programs are churning out more NHL-ready players. If some ECHL/AHL owners could get out of their own way, there'd could be more talent flourishing and being cultivated there as well. That's just here in North America.

Look at what's emerging in Europe. Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark. That's not including the heavyweights Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, Russia (current climate excluded). Hell Austria can really start making a push to give some of these teams a run for their money.

There's an immediate gap right now, sure. But with each passing year, that gap's gonna shrink. And you all will really get sick and tired of hearing "generational talent" every other year pretty soon instead of what we've been accustomed to now (every 10)

That's just me though.
 
Felonious Python

Felonious Python

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Major4Boarding said:
;) Theoretically if I walked into the League offices in NY with (liquidity) $1.5B and announced I'd like a franchise in Orlando, would they tell me no?

Regarding Alex Meurelo and AZ. If Tempe implodes, I would think that the League would want that Houston TV market way before KC and steer him that way. (Not saying you specifically) Everyone always brings up Kansas City because they have an arena. Well, that's accurate. They do. And only 16 years old at that. Like I said though, it would take an owner (or group) with deep pockets to sway city council with things like "I don't need your money. I'll handle the CapEx, maintenance, etc thru AEG". I get to keep in-Arena Revenues though".

They'd have to fund the practice facility build too, and lay out sound financials that blows their minds that convinces them they will maintain (scratch that, exceed) what they are currently receiving. Meurelo ain't that guy. His track record with previous business dealings, Glendale as well, and speculation of how financially sound is he really would most definitely spook KC Council.

Now if Meurelo and Lamar Hunt Jr partnered up (the later becoming the majority owner), then you'll see eyes and ears perk up. I'm pretty much convinced Tempe gets done though, truthfully. Although, as we say over on the BOH board, anything can happen when it involves the Coyotes. We mean... anything!

The RSN (timing) dots are definitely connecting. For me at least. This is an apparent full-measured cash grab because of not only the Bally and Diamond Sports bullshit, but also an added security blanket to fully emerge from the Covid era losses and the players escrow debt shrinking (almost gone).

AHL Expansion. Dare I say San Antonio (Houston) is brought back from the dead? Can Gwinnett fit the role of an AHL city? In years past, I always thought they'd be a worthy candidate to become an AHL spot. Haven't really followed up on them in awhile though. That's your wheelhouse, FP, so I'll defer to you on that one.
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Atlanta-Gwinnett-Athens could be an NHL-AHL-ECHL combo. Athens is apparently getting an ECHL team. I'd worry that it's too much, too soon, though.

Houston-San Antonio could work. Kansas City and maybe Oklahoma City or Omaha would make sense. The AHL would probably like to add to its Central Division.

For Kansas City, they'd renovate the arena, and since they don't share it with an NBA team, ice time shouldn't be too much of an issue while they work on a practice rink. The Kansas City Mavericks in the ECHL play at Cable Dahmer Arena (possible AHL affiliate if they want that). They would have a practice rink already.

Moving a team always seems daunting, until they make it happen, and Lamar Hunt Jr. isn't the only guy in Kansas City.

Alex Meruelo tried to buy the Atlanta Hawks, btw.
 
Major4Boarding

Major4Boarding

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Felonious Python said:
Atlanta-Gwinnett-Athens could be an NHL-AHL-ECHL combo. Athens is apparently getting an ECHL team. I'd worry that it's too much, too soon, though.

Houston-San Antonio could work. Kansas City and maybe Oklahoma City or Omaha would make sense. The AHL would probably like to add to its Central Division.

For Kansas City, they'd renovate the arena, and since they don't share it with an NBA team, ice time shouldn't be too much of an issue while they work on a practice rink. The Kansas City Mavericks in the ECHL play at Cable Dahmer Arena (possible AHL affiliate if they want that). They would have a practice rink already.

Moving a team always seems daunting, until they make it happen, and Lamar Hunt Jr. isn't the only guy in Kansas City.

Alex Meruelo tried to buy the Atlanta Hawks, btw.
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Omaha for the win
 
Felonious Python

Felonious Python

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I don't think that any city would turn down an NHL team, though. That's a feather in your cap as an elected official, and even if they're the worst run team in major league sports, the opportunity doesn't come around very often.
 
gn2007

gn2007

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Nov 21, 2009
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The wild thought they won't in OT but got called offside. The player looked like he had like 2-3 second possession. Lol calgary management had the benches empty stick racks and everything lol
 
Felonious Python

Felonious Python

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The MLB Arizona Diamondbacks are the only team not to get their payment from Diamond.
7. What about the NBA and NHL? Are their teams at risk?
NBA executives have been working with Diamond to figure out a plan to move forward. The NBA wants to make sure that its teams continue to receive their local rights fees payments for, at least, the next two years when the league goes to market with its national rights. It’s in the NBA’s best financial interest to try to keep Diamond afloat until that time. The NHL also is working with Diamond to reach a solution. At the end of 2021, the NHL was the first league to cut a digital rights deal with Diamond, and sources say the league is looking to accommodate the company. Of all the leagues, the NHL is, perhaps, in the best position in the unlikely event that Diamond fails to carry its games. The NHL already has a deal that allows ESPN to carry the league’s out-of-market games on ESPN+. The league could fashion a deal that would give ESPN the in-market rights, too.
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JoVel

JoVel

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Bruins really got to 50 wins before 10 regulation losses.
 
Felonious Python

Felonious Python

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I can't believe this is all it takes to get an outdoor game.


Jeff Vinik:
NbFejba.jpeg
 
Bartleby

Bartleby

I would prefer not to.
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Talk about a piece of shit human being. There is no apology that can mask this scumbags true nature. He should be banned from any league in any sport he ever tries to play in.

 
Byrddog

Byrddog

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Felonious Python said:
Ownership isn't the question. There can be otherwise good ownerships that botched the arena location, and bad ownership isn't going to be better in the suburbs.

Putting a team in the suburbs prioritizes one area over the others. Of course, there are things like job and education considerations in picking a place to move to, but it's done in relation to Atlanta. They live in Alpharetta or Duluth because it's near Atlanta. If you live in a suburb south of the Atlanta, Alpharetta may be one mile too far. That wasn't the bargain. Car ownership also becomes mandatory.

Infrastructure would be the roads, transit, and buildings needed to support a ~20k arena, even like what you find in nearby Duluth.

Gas South Arena is only a half hour away, also in the north Atlanta suburbs, and seats 13k. How many arenas do they need? How many events do they think they can get? How much would they hurt each other by having competing events on the same day? What's even the point of having NBA and NHL home games on the same day?
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Did you ever attend a game at Philips area? The place reminded me of a dungeon. it was probably built for basketball and adapted for Hockey. Then there was location. One night Atlanta police were directing traffic and forced us to turn a different way within 5 minutes of leaving the parking area we were in the roughest looking area one could imagine . Being only a couple hours from the Nashville area on weekends when the Predators were out of town we regularly made the trip to Atlanta to catch games .

I can not imagine that city getting a third shot at a team but this is Bettmans world. If they do locate the arena outside of downtown they will have a better chance with attendance, traffics in the metro area is the worst in the southeast and have been for years. Combine that with sketchy safety in the area they had arenas there no wonder they could not fill the arena that and having poor teams.
 
Felonious Python

Felonious Python

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Byrddog said:
Did you ever attend a game at Philips area? The place reminded me of a dungeon. it was probably built for basketball and adapted for Hockey. Then there was location. One night Atlanta police were directing traffic and forced us to turn a different way within 5 minutes of leaving the parking area we were in the roughest looking area one could imagine . Being only a couple hours from the Nashville area on weekends when the Predators were out of town we regularly made the trip to Atlanta to catch games .

I can not imagine that city getting a third shot at a team but this is Bettmans world. If they do locate the arena outside of downtown they will have a better chance with attendance, traffics in the metro area is the worst in the southeast and have been for years. Combine that with sketchy safety in the area they had arenas there no wonder they could not fill the arena that and having poor teams.
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Rough areas near arenas are pretty common.

Arena districts are a relatively recent development. Amway Center in Orlando opened like 12 years ago and doesn't have one.

Maybe Alpharetta are prepared to spend their money getting an arena, but teams currently in the suburbs seem pretty eager to get downtown.

 
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