New Hockey Arena in Hartford

[GWhale*]

At least two local news channels have reported tonight that Northland, a company that owns and is currently constructing many buildings in Hartford, is about to announce plans for a new arena in the center of Hartford. Details may come tomorrow, they said. More will follow in the next couple days.

fox61.com
wfsb.com

Click to read more...

 

[Squiddy*]

How big do you think it's going to be? If it is like the one winnipeg built throw away your hopes for the whale if you haven't done so already.

 

[GWhale*]

Today's Article

Here is an article from this morning's Hartford Courant

http://www.courant.com/news/local/h...,4428988.story?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking

"A New Dream For Downtown
December 29, 2005
By JEFFREY B. COHEN, The Hartford Courant Amid debate over the future of the Hartford Civic Center, a major downtown developer said Wednesday that he wants to build a new, publicly subsidized, $250 million sports and entertainment arena in the city - and that he's even looking into buying an NHL hockey team to fill it.

"We've got our own money, we're willing to invest in an arena, and we're willing to buy a team," said Lawrence R. Gottesdiener, head of Northland Investment Corp., which has a Hartford real estate portfolio worth $500 million."


http://www.courant.com/news/local/h...,4428988.story?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking

This sounds pretty serious.

 

[GKJ]

Here is an article from this morning's Hartford Courant

http://www.courant.com/news/local/h...,4428988.story?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking

"A New Dream For Downtown
December 29, 2005
By JEFFREY B. COHEN, The Hartford Courant Amid debate over the future of the Hartford Civic Center, a major downtown developer said Wednesday that he wants to build a new, publicly subsidized, $250 million sports and entertainment arena in the city - and that he's even looking into buying an NHL hockey team to fill it.

"We've got our own money, we're willing to invest in an arena, and we're willing to buy a team," said Lawrence R. Gottesdiener, head of Northland Investment Corp., which has a Hartford real estate portfolio worth $500 million."


http://www.courant.com/news/local/h...,4428988.story?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking

This sounds pretty serious.

well, some people will be doing the happy dance...others will be making relocation threads...

 

[GWhale*]

http://wfsb.com/Global/story.asp?S=4296922

News story from the AP.

Video from WFSB Channel 3 (check it out, you don't need to sign up to view it)

 

[Dave is a killer]

16,000 seats? ... meh, move along, nothing to see here

 

[Troy McClure]

16,000 seats? ... meh, move along, nothing to see here

Yeah, I put a few lawn chairs in my backyard where some ice has frozen. Maybe I could get an NHL team also.

 

[AdmiralPred]

Yeah, I put a few lawn chairs in my backyard where some ice has frozen. Maybe I could get an NHL team also.

Put me down for season tickets, I'll even bring my own lawn chair for a reduced rate.

 

[GKJ]

16,000 seats? ... meh, move along, nothing to see here

that is only an estimate and probably doesn't include potential skyboxes and business suites

 

[Wetcoaster]

Kansas City is building a new arena seating 18,500 to open in fall 2007 and is looking for an NHL or NBA team.

Without a team in place the group building the arena (headed up by Anschutz Entertainment i.e Phil Anschutz of the LA Kings and Staples Center) has already pre-sold 60 of the 72 luxury suites. Tim Liewecke who is CEO of Anschutz, President of the La Kings and on the NHL exective board has been lining up the ducks to land an NHL team for Kansas City.

 

[HF_Rangers]

I'd love to see the NHL return to Hartford, but 16,000 seats and luxury boxes wouldn't cut it. If they go over 17,000 then I could see something, but at least this proposal isn't backed by Baldwin.

 

[GKJ]

If there is enough money behind the luxury boxes, sure it can.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Kansas City is building a new arena seating 18,500 to open in fall 2007 and is looking for an NHL or NBA team.

Without a team in place the group building the arena (headed up by Anschutz Entertainment i.e Phil Anschutz of the LA Kings and Staples Center) has already pre-sold 60 of the 72 luxury suites. Tim Liewecke who is CEO of Anschutz, President of the La Kings and on the NHL exective board has been lining up the ducks to land an NHL team for Kansas City.

wetcoaster:

Leiweke has or was told to keep his mouth shut after his bold statements made about the Pittsburgh Penguins being tampered with in regards to the Kansas City market, and Sprint Center & wouldn't Leiweke have to forfeit his position in LA as President of the Kings as well as temporarily leave the NHL Board of Governors if he ascends to owner of a KC hockey franchise ie a conflict of interest if a decision involving the Kings has to be made.

2 franchises were ruined by this, Worcester, which was later sold/transferred after the founder divested his interest of one team when he was asked to join another city's bid in the same league but due to the bylaws, the Blues ended up controlling that franchise and the franchise had to be bailed and bought by the Islanders.

AEG tried to find an owner for a MLS team in San Jose including SVSE to keep his team in SJ, but no, no owner was found, and AEG moved it's soccer entry to Houston.



AEG isn't exactly in a position of power nor does AEG have interest in Hartford.

BTW, the only tenant the Sprint Center has acquired is the relocated New Orleans VooDoo, see the Saints co-ownership entity, of the Arena Football League, now expected to be known as the KC Brigade

 

[RedLightDistrict]

The thing is, if all of these arena plans come to fruition, will the relocation of a current NHL franchise be nessesary? think about it just have another era of expansion. if there is anything the nhl needs after a season off is not the loss of a current fanbase, but the introduction, or in Kansas City and Hartford's case, the re-introduction of a new fanbase? more teams = more revenue streams.

And, in addition, if there are 16 teams per confrence instead of the present 15, it would usher in a whole new concepts for the playoffs; i.e. preliminary rounds like in the 70's and 80's, and simply a tighter rase and more rivalries which will arise when teams are competing for the final playoff spots when the season winds down.

No Relocation, Expansion, ladies and gentlemen, is the way to go. You may now throw stones at me. Or pucks, whichever is appropriate

 

[HansH]

Lie-weekly doesn't want to run a hockey team in KC. He wants some other sucker^H^H^H^H^H^Howner to come in and pay AEG -rent- in Kansas City. AEG has no plans to get rid of the Kings (which pretty much proves that their claims that the team loses money hand over fist has to be a lie).

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Lie-weekly doesn't want to run a hockey team in KC. He wants some other sucker^H^H^H^H^H^Howner to come in and pay AEG -rent- in Kansas City. AEG has no plans to get rid of the Kings (which pretty much proves that their claims that the team loses money hand over fist has to be a lie).

I agree with that, Hans, but why would Lieweke be so bold as to say such things if he wasn't looking to be an owner and I don't think prospective owners are stepping up to look at KC to be brutally honest.

 

[AdmiralPred]

Why run the team if you can lease your barn out to someone else who will pay you rent? This is what AEG is planning I'd imagine. Once that building is up in KC, I think there will be plenty of interest in bringing a team there if interest doesn't already exist.

 

[Wetcoaster]

wetcoaster:

Leiweke has or was told to keep his mouth shut after his bold statements made about the Pittsburgh Penguins being tampered with in regards to the Kansas City market, and Sprint Center & wouldn't Leiweke have to forfeit his position in LA as President of the Kings as well as temporarily leave the NHL Board of Governors if he ascends to owner of a KC hockey franchise ie a conflict of interest if a decision involving the Kings has to be made.

As I understand it AEG nor Liewecke were intending to take an ownership position, only assist an ownership group to acquire an NHL and/or NBA franchise.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

As I understand it AEG nor Liewecke were intending to take an ownership position, only assist an ownership group to acquire an NHL and/or NBA franchise.

Ya but look at their soccer team they own, they moved it, and Lieweke is representing AEG in KC, Wetcoaster.

 

[albathegreat*]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=148651&hubname=

 

[jamiebez]

Why run the team if you can lease your barn out to someone else who will pay you rent? This is what AEG is planning I'd imagine. Once that building is up in KC, I think there will be plenty of interest in bringing a team there if interest doesn't already exist.

This was my impression as well, but there is an important question here that hasn't been asked... most teams have not only rent-free deals in their current arenas, but some additionally receive a cut of non-hockey revenue from the arena (luxury suite sales, for instance).

In this case, in order for AEG to make money from the arena, they'll basically need to take it from the owner(s) of whatever franchises call the place home, via rent or parking or luxury suites, for example. Is this situation going to be profitable for both AEG and a potential NHL owner?

 

[dekem]

Sorry to interrupt, but I see Hans Hornstein posts here. Missed his comments since the old in the crease board disappeared. Hans what happened there?

My take is that the NHL will expand again by 2 teams as they will sell revenue stream increases to the players and satisfy fans in dislocated cities.

 

[pelts35.com]

I'd love to see the NHL return to Hartford, but 16,000 seats and luxury boxes wouldn't cut it. If they go over 17,000 then I could see something, but at least this proposal isn't backed by Baldwin.

Not only echoing the sentiments of GoKimJohnsson regarding luxury boxes, but I would assume that this new group has done some market research and has an idea of what they can draw on a nightly basis. Businesses that invest this kind of capital into a project don't do things by the seat of their pants and pick numbers arbitrarily. Whatever number they have figured for attendance was done so for a reason.

That being said, my guess would be that their research has probably indicated that they could draw between 15,000 and 16,000 per night. That being said, there would be no point to build a larger building.