Bettman meeting with Ryan Smith, owner of Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake (upd: Smith asks NHL to open expansion process)

[Brodie]

Utah Yeti is so bad, I hate this league

Salt Lake Stingers is my favorite, Utah Spikes or Utah Express are second for me

 

[rojac]

Utah Yeti is just dumb enough to work, not going to lie.

Not terribly fond of Yeti, but it could make for a great mascot.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Salt Lake Mounteers or Utah Miners

Yeti sucks.

 

[Reaser]

Not terribly fond of Yeti, but it could make for a great mascot.

They can use the Avs original mascot, Howler. Might as well use the Avs footprint on their jerseys, too.

 

[BMN]

Not terribly fond of Yeti, but it could make for a great mascot.

Get Tony Schiavone to record a voiceover, "Here comes the YET-AAYYYYYYYY!!!" to play every time the team hits the ice to start the game and I'm 1000% sold.

 

[Felonious Python]

The Bluejackets mascot is named Stinger.

I don't know what that would mean, but it might complicate a Salt Lake Stingers team.

Just to throw some names out there I haven't really seen: Utah Mustangs, Utah Navigators, Utah Rush, Utah Hogbacks, Utah Razorbacks, Utah Rustlers, Utah Tuskers, Utah Whiptails.

Between the Bonneville Salt Flats and the railroad history, I think they could find something involving speed (Rush is one). Utah Blazers would get meme'd, and there's the Portland Trail Blazers, already.

Utah Buzz?


edit: Eagles, Wranglers, and Thunderbirds are AHL team names. The Colorado Eagles in particular might be an issue. The Hurricanes mascot Stormy is a hog, so Hogbacks and Razorbacks might be off the table. Tusker can also refer to an elephant.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Saints should be reserved for a future MLB team in SLC. Given Utah's location in the Western US I think the nickname and overall branding should be Old West-themed. I had wanted Vegas to be called the Bonanza, complete with the Bonanza theme being the goal/victory song and an overall Western theme for the team's branding.

As for who should be #17 in the East, I think Quebec City is a shoo-in.

 

[eojsmada]

Saints should be reserved for a future MLB team in SLC. Given Utah's location in the Western US I think the nickname and overall branding should be Old West-themed. I had wanted Vegas to be called the Bonanza, complete with the Bonanza theme being the goal/victory song and an overall Western theme for the team's branding.

As for who should be #17 in the East, I think Quebec City is a shoo-in.

It's Atlanta's to lose

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

It's Atlanta's to lose

Quebec City already has an arena. But I do want Atlanta back in further down the road.

 

[eojsmada]

Quebec City already has an arena. But I do want Atlanta back in further down the road.

Understandable. But I think it probably goes...SLC>>>Atlanta>>>Arizona>>>Quebec City (maybe). I say maybe, because I think the NHL wants to see the economy in Canada start to make upward trends and then garner some stability, before giving QC a team back.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

I won’t pretend to be a specialist on Mormonism, but my understanding is that their caffeine prohibition is limited to being against “hot drinks,” as understood to be coffee or tea (even if iced). Soda didn’t exist at the time, and later interpretation of it has not included soda as being not allowed.

mo mos crush soda… This is why specialty soda shops called fizz and swig are their indigenous version of Starbucks

Quebec City already has an arena. But I do want Atlanta back in further down the road.

quebec city brings nothing to the table

 

[GKJ]

Quebec City already has an arena. But I do want Atlanta back in further down the road.

Atlanta’s going to have one whenever the league green lights the team. They also have owners.

 

[Felonious Python]

Saints should be reserved for a future MLB team in SLC. Given Utah's location in the Western US I think the nickname and overall branding should be Old West-themed. I had wanted Vegas to be called the Bonanza, complete with the Bonanza theme being the goal/victory song and an overall Western theme for the team's branding.

As for who should be #17 in the East, I think Quebec City is a shoo-in.

Utah's history is a bit unusual, given that its founding is so closely tied with Mormonism. There were outlaws and everything else, for sure, but the old west style of American rugged individualism doesn't really fit the story of the state.

It reminds me more of Columbia in Bioshock Infinite than a typical frontier state.

Utah War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[SjMilhouse]

Why isn't soda also verboten because of the caffiene?

Because the rules of the church are made up and arbitrary based on what a few old white guys at the top decide.

I've had this conversation 1000 times with my LDS friends here and none of it makes sense. They sort of just shrug and say "well we can technically do XYZ we just don't". A lot of it is culturally driven and in some cases very unique to Utah vs LDS members in other states because of the cultural pressure that exists in Utah for that community.

 

[Brodie]

The church also has to constantly remind people that Frappuccinos are still “hot drinks” and it seems like a losing battle

In any case, some sources now believe the state is majority non-LDS so it really isn’t the hurdle most seem to think

 

[BMN]

The church also has to constantly remind people that Frappuccinos are still “hot drinks” and it seems like a losing battle

So the true dilemma....to have a Frappuccino-- a cold coffee laden drink-- or Postum-- a hot, solely grainy drink?

 

[varsaku]

Expand the number of play-off teams from 16 to 32 in a 40 team NHL

That would make regular season then meaningless for the teams higher up in the standings since all they would be playing for is position which historically does not have a strong correlation to success. Load management then will become a major issue as teams will look to rest their stars for the playoffs.

 

[OG6ix]

Understandable. But I think it probably goes...SLC>>>Atlanta>>>Arizona>>>Quebec City (maybe). I say maybe, because I think the NHL wants to see the economy in Canada start to make upward trends and then garner some stability, before giving QC a team back.

SLC, Houston, Atlanta, San Diego, Milwaukee, Portalnd (the ladder two if there is ownershio).... then maybe Quebec. Quebec is the "when we have no other options" market.

 

[eojsmada]

SLC, Houston, Atlanta, San Diego, Milwaukee, Portalnd (the ladder two if there is ownershio).... then maybe Quebec. Quebec is the "when we have no other options" market.

If the Canadian economy can get out from under its current situation, then I think the NHL would be much more amenable, but we have already seen how it effected Winnipeg. And I also think Ottawa would have some issues with a QC team, believe it or not, and I know Bettman wants that to start gaining traction again. I also think you would need a different commissioner, at this point, to consider QC. Which could easily be the case, because I can't see Bettman going much past his current extension. And by the time QC would be the 4th expansion team, Bettman would be in his 90's and either pushing up daisies or no longer commissioner.

There's hope, but things have to change on multiple fronts. I still think they will get a team eventually, if there is going to be 36 teams.

 

[OG6ix]

If the Canadian economy can get out from under its current situation, then I think the NHL would be much more amenable, but we have already seen how it effected Winnipeg. And I also think Ottawa would have some issues with a QC team, believe it or not, and I know Bettman wants that to start gaining traction again. I also think you would need a different commissioner, at this point, to consider QC. Which could easily be the case, because I can't see Bettman going much past his current extension. And by the time QC would be the 4th expansion team, Bettman would be in his 90's and either pushing up daisies or no longer commissioner.

There's hope, but things have to change on multiple fronts. I still think they will get a team eventually, if there is going to be 36 teams.

Bettman works for the owners and the owners don't want QC. It's not about the Canadian economy rebounding either it's about revenue growth. There is far more revenue growth opportunities in the states than here. Bigger media rights deals, better marketing opportunities, more population etc. Quebec does very little to push up the TV/Media rights in Canada (Apparently rogers wasn't making off well with the current deal so how much will it grow?) and does virtually zero in the states.

The media here and the hardcore patroitic fans think this is a good idea but no wants a stagnating business to park their funds in. Winnipeg was SUPER lucky that there was no one who wanted the thrashers at the time otherwise they would not have got a team either imho.

 

[eojsmada]

Bettman works for the owners and the owners don't want QC. It's not about the Canadian economy rebounding either it's about revenue growth. There is far more revenue growth opportunities in the states than here. Bigger media rights deals, better marketing opportunities, more population etc. Quebec does very little to push up the TV/Media rights in Canada (Apparently rogers wasn't making off well with the current deal so how much will it grow?) and does virtually zero in the states.

The media here and the hardcore patroitic fans think this is a good idea but no wants a stagnating business to park their funds in. Winnipeg was SUPER lucky that there was no one who wanted the thrashers at the time otherwise they would not have got a team either imho.

Considering the TV rights deals are separate between Canada and the US, I would think you would have at least 7 owners who would like to see a TV rights deal get expanded to another market. And I don't think the owners are as against another Canadian team as people are led to believe. I feel like, because of the current economic climate in Canada, that its simply not a good time to explore the option. Never confuse Bettman's "succinct" commentary with either: A) The truth or B) A true litmus test of what all the owners want. Bettman speaks in what I call "Now-isms", in that if you ask him , right this moment, how things are, he will tell you, for this exact moment, how things are. But that can change from hour to hour, day to day, month to month. He's a lawyer and that's just how you speak to make sure that you indemnify yourself from all sorts of speculative issues. Ultimately, the owners are businessmen/women and as such if the economics don't make sense, there's no point. But they also know that the economics CAN make sense, there, but that it doesn't currently. Which is why they keep having contact/meetings with QC. It's not just a public-facing service, it's legitimate continued interest and keeping tabs on the market as a potential site.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Bettman works for the owners and the owners don't want QC. It's not about the Canadian economy rebounding either it's about revenue growth. There is far more revenue growth opportunities in the states than here. Bigger media rights deals, better marketing opportunities, more population etc. Quebec does very little to push up the TV/Media rights in Canada (Apparently rogers wasn't making off well with the current deal so how much will it grow?) and does virtually zero in the states.

The media here and the hardcore patroitic fans think this is a good idea but no wants a stagnating business to park their funds in. Winnipeg was SUPER lucky that there was no one who wanted the thrashers at the time otherwise they would not have got a team either imho.

I have argued this time and again and it's a hill I'll die on.

It's not that the NHL really wants to go to Utah. I mean I'm sure the team will be fine, but Salt Lake City is the 29th largest media market in the US. There are lots of larger markets that would make more sense - Atlanta, Houston, Portland OR.

But what SLC has is an owner willing to spend $1.2 billion to buy a team.

Which is also the thing QC is apparently lacking. PKP balked back when the price was $500 mil.

So look - I'm not sure exactly how or why Ryan Smith is able to afford the price while PKP isn't - according to Forbes their net worth is pretty similar. But that is where we're at.

 

[KevFu]

Jets didn’t have a name announced until their first draft, and jerseys weren’t revealed until after that. They’ve got time.

The more pressing matter is the season ticket drive and getting their corporate and broadcast partners lined up.

The Jets didn't have a copyright/trademark issue because the league owned the Coyotes, who owned the Jets name/logo/copyright/trademarks. It was a real simple transaction.

The copyright/trademark issue with a brand new name is gonna be a hassle in the short turnaround...

But in all seriousness, I like Utah Thunderbirds.

Army had a problem with Black Knights for the Vegas while Las Vegas and West Point are very far from each other...

The Southern Utah University Thunderbirds are gonna have an objection to that.

I won’t pretend to be a specialist on Mormonism, but my understanding is that their caffeine prohibition is limited to being against “hot drinks,” as understood to be coffee or tea (even if iced). Soda didn’t exist at the time, and later interpretation of it has not included soda as being not allowed.

My understanding, which like yours is by non-means a specialist on Mormonism, is that the differentiating between hot and cold caffeinated, and allowing soda came right around the time the LDS Church invested millions in Coca Cola.

 

[Brodie]

QC wouldn't pay the going rate and the NHL has 100% market penetration in Canada. If anything, hockey is getting less marketshare as Canada grows

 

[checkerdome]

How about the Salt Lake City Fighting Saints?

(Based on the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints.)

Even now their logo is hard to beat and has been used by numerous teams in less well-known leagues.