City of Hamilton backs $100K arena study with eye to NHL

[Slot]

You really believe the NHL would award a franchise to a small city with an arena built over 30 years ago while only agreeing to put in just enough to make it "middle of the pack venue"? Seems like wishful thinking.

NHL is on record that Hamilton would project out to between 5-10 in revenue.

 

[berklon]

I see this thread keeps repeating the same old arguments. Which seems pointless since we still haven't heard of anyone trying to bring a team to Hamilton anyway.

 

[GuelphStormer]

I see this thread keeps repeating the same old arguments. Which seems pointless since we still haven't heard of anyone trying to bring a team to Hamilton anyway.

that's right. you haven't heard anything about it. and it is correct that noone from Hamilton submitted an expansion franchise bid.

you are free to interpret this however you wish.

 

[DyerMaker66*]

It is both.

My thoughts exactly. To back this up, the GTA is an official term that Hamilton is not a apart of while GTHA is an unofficial term that includes Hamilton and pushes the population to 6.5 million

 

[Diatomic]

You think Hamilton is a "small city"?

In Canadian standards Hamilton is big but if your talking about North American cities Hamilton is not a big city. Ontop of that Hamilton's greater population is spread amongst a extensively large area. Hamilton at its core alone is not close to 650k.

 

[DyerMaker66*]

In Canadian standards Hamilton is big but if your talking about North American cities Hamilton is not a big city. Ontop of that Hamilton's greater population is spread amongst a extensively large area. Hamilton at its core alone is not close to 650k.

Which should be the most important factor, seeing as Canadian teams do better off the ice than American ones.

 

[htpwn]

In Canadian standards Hamilton is big but if your talking about North American cities Hamilton is not a big city. Ontop of that Hamilton's greater population is spread amongst a extensively large area. Hamilton at its core alone is not close to 650k.

No... most of Hamilton's population is in its core and inner suburbs.

The northern and largest part of Hamilton by area (Flamborough) is mostly protected farmland.

 

[GuelphStormer]

why are we debating how big hamilton is?

the league has already admitted that a team here would be revenue generating, minimally in the top ten, likely top five.

 

[Nizdizzle]

In Canadian standards Hamilton is big but if your talking about North American cities Hamilton is not a big city. Ontop of that Hamilton's greater population is spread amongst a extensively large area. Hamilton at its core alone is not close to 650k.

Which area is that...?

 

[Diatomic]

Which area is that...?

Hamilton covers an area twice as large as Toronto and 5 times as large as Mississauga. Do people from Stoney Creek/Ancaster/Caledonia even classify themselves as Hamiltonian?

 

[Hamilton Tigers]

why are we debating how big hamilton is?

the league has already admitted that a team here would be revenue generating, minimally in the top ten, likely top five.

Yes, top 5.

Hamilton's size is irrelevant. How big is Newark, Glendale, Uniondale, Anaheim or Sunrise? It's all about the hockey market which is, without doubt, among the best in the world, hence the NHL's admission.

 

[Frankenrogers]

There is one more location that could be used and it's right across the street from FOC. The Board of Education is closing the high school down so that spot could be where the new arena is built while the current one stays open.

 

[Mike Jones]

why are we debating how big hamilton is?

the league has already admitted that a team here would be revenue generating, minimally in the top ten, likely top five.

I wonder why the league isn't working harder to put a team there. Why are they so obsessed with deserts?

 

[Jerkini]

I wonder why the league isn't working harder to put a team there. Why are they so obsessed with deserts?

They want that elusive US television money.

 

[Hamilton Tigers]

There is one more location that could be used and it's right across the street from FOC. The Board of Education is closing the high school down so that spot could be where the new arena is built while the current one stays open.

One of the private funders of the study, Carmen's Group, has somewhat recently won the contract to run the city's convention centre facilities and they are looking into building a new one, possibly a casino and large hotel, and that very site is being considered. There are lots of things in the works. How it pans out is anyone's guess.


http://www2.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyre...-4323ECBD2582/0/July18CarmensPresentation.pdf

 

[DyerMaker66*]

Hamilton covers an area twice as large as Toronto and 5 times as large as Mississauga. Do people from Stoney Creek/Ancaster/Caledonia even classify themselves as Hamiltonian?

Yes, yes, and no. The first two are served by the Hamilton Street Railway, and go to schools that are part of the HWDSB or HWCDSB. They are without a doubt part of the larger city. Hell, I've walked to Ancaster from my house on the West Mountain before. Caledonia has never been included, as far as I know. I don't know why you brought it up.

In a similar train of thought, do you think the people of Stoney Creek classify themselves as Buffalo? They're in their territory.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Edit...looks like that has been dissected.

My point is that Hamilton is a smaller city in terms of overall population and has an older arena. I believe it would take a lot to convince the NHL to consider a team there.

 

[JMROWE]

Edit...looks like that has been dissected.

My point is that Hamilton is a smaller city in terms of overall population and has an older arena. I believe it would take a lot to convince the NHL to consider a team there.

Hamilton's Population just the city is 519.000 , Metro 720.000 & the overall GHA. is around 1.2 million far from a small market not to mention the city is experiencing an economic boom right now .

Here is a list of USA. cities that are ether smaller or on par with Hamilton when it comes to population & all have major sports teams .

Buffalo
Salt Lake City
Pittsburgh
Portland
Orlando
Oklahoma City
Cleveland
Green Bay

 

[JMROWE]

This study is to see if FirstOntario Center can be renovated to NHL. standards or a new arena is needed .

FirstOntario Center Reno & get 25 years more out of the building - $150 million
New Arena - 350 - 400 million

You can bet with Ron Joyce involved in this study that most likely he is the mystery guy Don Robertson was talking about & since Tim Horton's is one of the NHL. biggest sponsors it will be hard to say no to Hamilton this time around withier it is relocation or expansion just look how Winnipeg got the Jets back David Thompson was involved & no way the NHL. is going to say no to one of the richest men in the world so if Hamilton try's again at expansion or relocation they just might get it this time around .

 

[BigMac1212]

How long until #MakeitNine becomes a thing?

 

[Hamilton Tigers]

How long until #MakeitNine becomes a thing?

Right after Canada gets an eighth team, of course.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Hamilton's Population just the city is 519.000 , Metro 720.000 & the overall GHA. is around 1.2 million far from a small market not to mention the city is experiencing an economic boom right now .

Here is a list of USA. cities that are ether smaller or on par with Hamilton when it comes to population & all have major sports teams .

Buffalo
Salt Lake City
Pittsburgh
Portland
Orlando
Oklahoma City
Cleveland
Green Bay

I have no idea how accurate, but all I did was pick a couple of those cities, Google the name and metro population, and Pittsburgh gave me 2.3 mil and Orlando 2.1 mil. I believe Buffalo is about 1.2. Portland 2.4

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Hamilton's Population just the city is 519.000 , Metro 720.000 & the overall GHA. is around 1.2 million far from a small market not to mention the city is experiencing an economic boom right now .

Here is a list of USA. cities that are ether smaller or on par with Hamilton when it comes to population & all have major sports teams .

Buffalo
Salt Lake City
Pittsburgh
Portland
Orlando
Oklahoma City
Cleveland
Green Bay

I wish this place would stop using city population as the defining factor. Hamilton's metro is 1/3 that of Pittsburgh (2.36 million), Portland (2.39m), Orlando (2.39), Cleveland (2.06m), etc. The city limits of Hamilton covers 8 times as much land as Pittsburgh does. That's the kind of stat that makes Jacksonville look like a legitimately large city, and completely lacks the context that shows Jacksonville as the 2nd smallest market in the NFL.

Hamilton is about the size of Akron (~705k metro) and is down the street from a much larger market...like Akron.

 

[Jumptheshark]

why are we debating how big hamilton is?

the league has already admitted that a team here would be revenue generating, minimally in the top ten, likely top five.

Link please. Stats I saw said after 5 years unless they had a winning team they would be playing before 50 to 60% house a night. And when you factor in the looney.... It would be a short honeymoon

 

[DyerMaker66*]

I wish this place would stop using city population as the defining factor.

I wish this place would stop using the GTHA population as a negative for Hamilton and comparing it to cities that have 15K less people (instead of, say 9,000 more people like Winnipeg which does not have access to the GTA), but here we are.