Long Term Benefit of NHL and Non-Traditional Markets

[edmontonoilers89]

A perfect example of this is the Bay Area. Youth hockey probably is the 2nd most played sport in the area behind Little League baseball.

Is it really? How many rinks are up in the Bay Area nowadays anyway?

 

[Jazz]

This is why it would be such a travesty if Pittsburgh moves.

The point of expansion is to bring hockey to the local sports culture. The problem is that it does not happen right away. Normally, one generation has to pass in an expansion city before you see results. However, the NHL's inept marketing has delayed this in certain cities.

Once the kids who think this is cool get older, have their own kids and start taking them and eventually their grandkids to the games, then you know that expansion to that city has been a success. All this time, now we have kids coming out of the Pittsburgh area such as R.J. Umberger and Ryan Malone.

I think that San Jose will start producing prospects at an accelerated rate since they have properly marketed themselves in the southern Bay Area.

 

[OG6ix]

This is why it would be such a travesty if Pittsburgh moves.

The point of expansion is to bring hockey to the local sports culture. The problem is that it does not happen right away. Normally, one generation has to pass in an expansion city before you see results. However, the NHL's inept marketing has delayed this in certain cities.

Once the kids who think this is cool get older, have their own kids and start taking them and eventually their grandkids to the games, then you know that expansion to that city has been a success. All this time, now we have kids coming out of the Pittsburgh area such as R.J. Umberger and Ryan Malone.

I think that San Jose will start producing prospects at an accelerated rate since they have properly marketed themselves in the southern Bay Area.

yep...

 

[mooseOAK*]

Is it really? How many rinks are up in the Bay Area nowadays anyway?

San Jose has a four sheet ice complex that is also the Sharks practice facility and they run the whole thing. About 12 others in the area.

 

[Gnashville]

This is why it would be such a travesty if Pittsburgh moves.

The point of expansion is to bring hockey to the local sports culture. The problem is that it does not happen right away. Normally, one generation has to pass in an expansion city before you see results. However, the NHL's inept marketing has delayed this in certain cities.

Once the kids who think this is cool get older, have their own kids and start taking them and eventually their grandkids to the games, then you know that expansion to that city has been a success. All this time, now we have kids coming out of the Pittsburgh area such as R.J. Umberger and Ryan Malone.

I think that San Jose will start producing prospects at an accelerated rate since they have properly marketed themselves in the southern Bay Area.

That is one of the most logical arguement I have ever read for Expansion. Some Writer for the WinnipegSun is ready to strip your Citizenship and deport you. Be careful up there watch you back .

 

[Hasbro]

This is why it would be such a travesty if Pittsburgh moves.

The point of expansion is to bring hockey to the local sports culture. The problem is that it does not happen right away. Normally, one generation has to pass in an expansion city before you see results. However, the NHL's inept marketing has delayed this in certain cities.

Once the kids who think this is cool get older, have their own kids and start taking them and eventually their grandkids to the games, then you know that expansion to that city has been a success. All this time, now we have kids coming out of the Pittsburgh area such as R.J. Umberger and Ryan Malone.

I think that San Jose will start producing prospects at an accelerated rate since they have properly marketed themselves in the southern Bay Area.

While I agree with what you are saying... the same thing about soccer has been said for years and it still hasn't caught on in the states. (Yes i know it's the most popular sport in the world.

 

[Gnashville]

While I agree with what you are saying... the same thing about soccer has been said for years and it still hasn't caught on in the states. (Yes i know it's the most popular sport in the world.

You do realize the US team for the World Cup is considered to be one of the favorites this year something inconceivalbe 20 years ago

 

[Hasbro]

You do realize the US team for the World Cup is considered to be one of the favorites this year something inconceivalbe 20 years ago

And the public at large won't care.

The sport hasn't caught on with improving results and I friendly media (I'd like to see what hockey could do with even proportional support that soccer gets from ESPN.) Soccer will be like Track and Feild a sport we get resuolts in, but no one in the us cares about outside of every four years.

 

[Gnashville]

And the public at large won't care.

The sport hasn't caught on with improving results and I friendly media (I'd like to see what hockey could do with even proportional support that soccer gets from ESPN.) Soccer will be like Track and Feild a sport we get resuolts in, but no one in the us cares about outside of every four years.

No one cared about the World Baseball classic either. Still the sport of soccer is growing. Are we as rabid as England or Brazil? No of course not and probably never will be (thankfully we won't be roiting in the stands), but 20 years ago We didn't even have World cup games on TV. BTW Nashville is hosting a friendly tonight Between Morraco and The US, and the city is actually talking Soccer.

 

[Stevedude530]

Yet 9,000 people showed up to the last Metrostars/NY Red Bulls game at Giants Stadium.

 

[Gnashville]

Yet 9,000 people showed up to the last Metrostars/NY Red Bulls game at Giants Stadium.

You could make the same point about Football and NFL Europe

 

[Hasbro]

No one cared about the World Baseball classic either. Still the sport of soccer is growing. Are we as rabid as England or Brazil? No of course not and probably never will be (thankfully we won't be roiting in the stands), but 20 years ago We didn't even have World cup games on TV. BTW Nashville is hosting a friendly tonight Between Morraco and The US, and the city is actually talking Soccer.

30 years ago Soccer was getting major tv promotion and they couldn't make a go of it, Pele played for the Cosmos and the league still ended up folding.

 

[Blades of Glory]

Is it really? How many rinks are up in the Bay Area nowadays anyway?

A ton including Logitech Ice, the Sharks practice facility and the San Jose Jr. Sharks, one of the top travel/tier teams in the nation. There are teams in every little area.

 

[Jazz]

This is why it would be such a travesty if Pittsburgh moves.

The point of expansion is to bring hockey to the local sports culture. The problem is that it does not happen right away. Normally, one generation has to pass in an expansion city before you see results. However, the NHL's inept marketing has delayed this in certain cities.

Once the kids who think this is cool get older, have their own kids and start taking them and eventually their grandkids to the games, then you know that expansion to that city has been a success. All this time, now we have kids coming out of the Pittsburgh area such as R.J. Umberger and Ryan Malone.

I think that San Jose will start producing prospects at an accelerated rate since they have properly marketed themselves in the southern Bay Area.

That is one of the most logical arguement I have ever read for Expansion. Some Writer for the WinnipegSun is ready to strip your Citizenship and deport you. Be careful up there watch you back .

Haha - thanks, I will!

 

[Stevedude530]

The Ducks 3rd goalie this season is a born-and-bred Dallas native.

 

[cbjgirl]

Just an FYI about Columbus...

Quoting Jacketime from the CBJ board

"GMDM also mentioned (on his weekly call-in show on 1460thefan) that Cbus will be the only city with all levels of hockey NHL, USHL (Tier1), Junior B, NCAA Div 1, AAA Tier 1 in 6 age catagories. The really amazing part is we only have 11 sheets of ice 12 if you count the Schott (at Ohio State)."

 

[jkrdevil]

The difference between Hockey and Soccer is that Hockey already has, for lack of a better word, the tradition of being a major spectator sport. Soccer doesn't.

In the theory posted above people and kids get into the game of hockey by going to games and that is how they pick up the sport. With soccer as kids they played it but never went to games (because there were no games). Since they went to games and watched them on tv as kids they are more likely to continue to do that as adults and take their children to games and thus get them into the sport.

Part of the difference is the top level hockey league in the world is the NHL which is in the United States. The same can't be said for the MLS.

 

[Enstrom39]

No, St. Louis just hasn't been a place like New England, Minnesota, Michigan, upstate New York and Great Lakes areas where hockey players have traditionally come out of. It has nothing to do with Canada. Look at Los Angeles. It's been in the NHL just as long. Would you consider that market to be a 'traditional' hockey community?

If I were going to define traditional I'd focus on the weather and geography. "Traditional hockey community" would be anyplace where kids get started playing in the back yard rink, lake or a pond.

In the US that would include Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Buffalo and Boston, but probably not St.Louis, Columbus, Pittsburgh, or Philly unless it was a very cold winter. (I remember playing hockey on the Reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC one winter--but that is very unusual for that part of the country.)

 

[blamebettman*]

in order for hockey to flourish you need a hockey climate, you get that in canada, as well as the american northeast and midwest. you need lots of rinks and you need DEDICATION to the sport passed down from generation to generation. It's not an easy game to play and stick to. You need to love it, it has to be in your blood.

 

[Hasbro]

Sickle Cell is in the blood, hockey's a sport. 40 years is enough time for a couple of generations to pick up the sport. The Blues have been there 40 years which is as long as Toronto's cup drought, a tradition in its own right.

 

[Timl2009]

Although there is no NHL now, Cleveland should be considered as much a "traditional" hockey city as any..with a long AHL tradition and a number of public rinks along with a long standing High School hockey program..In fact, surprisingly enough, there are now High School Hockey teams at Massillon Jackson and North Canton Hoover High Schools-In Northern Stark County (Canton Area)..So despite the relative failure of Pro Hockey in Cleveland in recent years, the sport is still growing in the region..