NHL to Seattle Volume XIII - UPDATE 12/7 NHL will accept Seattle application - Expansion fee $650 M

[KingsFan7824]

If there is a one or two or even three year lead time on a team being created, why cant that team start drafting players/signing FA and just operating as an AHL club for a few years? Then you wouldnt HAVE to poach talent from established teams?

Because you're not paying $650m for an AHL club?

If you had a choice, would you rather somehow operate as an AHL club for a few years, or get to do an expansion draft under the cap? If you go by what Vegas has been able to do, even if they didn't have a good record, you at least get a bunch of extra picks and/or players for taking on some bad contracts.

Prefer the 4 divisions model per conference instead of 2. 8 teams in a division is too many. Don't feel any rivalry with half the teams and only play the divisional rivals 4 times a year some 3 times.

And going to 8 division kills rivalries. The league in a west east format isn't geographically setup to where 8 division 2 conferences work. This isn't baseball or the NFL.

In the east/west format, why must the two conferences be the same in alignment, and playoff format? One conference is in one time zone, the other spans three. Neither conference can steal a playoff spot from the other, they each have their set 8. Let the teams in each conference vote on the alignment and format for their conference. When everyone has to do it one way, that's how you end up with Dallas in the Pacific division, or the eastern conference having to do the wild card.

 

[powerstuck]

They add almost no NHL fans. Who in those cities is not watching NHL hockey now? The teams they would "steal" fans from aren't going to allow them without a serious fight. Compare that to Las Vegas where there are thousands of fans at every game and many more watching on TV that would have never gone to an NHL game and few might have even watched one on TV.

But those both cities have proof they can provide that support.
Houston and Seattle ? It's all speculation because of their size.
You tell yourself that Houston as big as it is...even if it only had 10% of TV households subscribe to hockey, they would give numbers, which is fair.
In Quebec to get that 10% of Houston number wise, you would need 80% of households to subscribe to hockey. Thing is...in Quebec about 99% of households have one or more of the hockey channels. So yes we're not helping ourselves.

Then, you have Phoenix and Atlanta, big markets as well, who prove that BIG =/= Success. In a big market like Phoenix, on a good day there is not 10000 people watching hockey on TV and it's a f***ing top 6 TV market in the US.

Personally I've given up all hope. I know Quebec will not get a new team and we will just have to enjoy concerts that come to our brand new $400M arena.

As for American markets willing to shell $600M+ for a team, well let them do, it's not my money after all. Business decisions to be used to teach our kids about wise and some less-so wise decisions.

EDIT : I guess we will have much more answers in 2020 or 2021 when the NEW US TV deal is in place. My personal guess is that Rogers overpaid for the Canadian rights and that the US TV deal WILL NOT MATCH IT.

 

[gstommylee]

Because you're not paying $650m for an AHL club?

If you had a choice, would you rather somehow operate as an AHL club for a few years, or get to do an expansion draft under the cap? If you go by what Vegas has been able to do, even if they didn't have a good record, you at least get a bunch of extra picks and/or players for taking on some bad contracts.





In the east/west format, why must the two conferences be the same in alignment, and playoff format? One conference is in one time zone, the other spans three. Neither conference can steal a playoff spot from the other, they each have their set 8. Let the teams in each conference vote on the alignment and format for their conference. When everyone has to do it one way, that's how you end up with Dallas in the Pacific division, or the eastern conference having to do the wild card.

I never was a fan of the current playoff season. It has to be the same its out its setup by the league and the 31 owners. And they don't want to split up important rivalries.

 

[CorbeauNoir]

It does matter, Oilers and flames are already at the tops in the league in terms of travel. No need to add more

Doesn't matter if Calgary's the one that ends up leaving. Remember your whole 'Alberta Oilers' spiel?

 

[Foppberg]

I think Seattle will be an awesome market. I see them being like the west coast version of Nashville or St.Louis.

I'd also love to see them implement the Thunderbirds jersey colours, beautiful.

 

[superdeluxe]

If there is a one or two or even three year lead time on a team being created, why cant that team start drafting players/signing FA and just operating as an AHL club for a few years? Then you wouldnt HAVE to poach talent from established teams?

What the?? No one is going to pay 650 million dollars to have a minor league team. That seems like a pointless exercise

 

[superdeluxe]

My 2¢, with Seattle

Pacific Division: Anaheim, Arizona, Colorado, Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver, Vegas
Central Division: Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Edmonton, Minnesota, Nashville, St Louis, Winnipeg

Calgary and Edmonton are the 2nd and 3rd closest markets to Seattle. Vancouver and Seattle (as well as Edmonton and Calgary) would likely already have some of the longest travel for games. Colorado and Arizona make more sense as a move to the central

 

[sigma six]

I think Seattle will be an awesome market. I see them being like the west coast version of Nashville or St.Louis.

I'd also love to see them implement the Thunderbirds jersey colours, beautiful.

Agreed, I really do like the T-birds jerseys --but those sneaky Nucks already laid claim to those colors.

 

[Foppberg]

Agreed, I really do like the T-birds jerseys --but those sneaky Nucks already laid claim to those colors.

Yeah, they'd be similar for sure. Seattle's colours are pretty much identical to the Whalers colour scheme, probably why I love them so much.

 

[BattleBorn]

If Seattle sticks with the city color theme they seem to have going with the blue and green, I hope they go with Seahawks action green versus a Vancouver green. Hopefully the Sonics fall in with the theme when they return too and ditch the yellow/red. The idea of a Pittsburgh-type situation where everyone's got the same colors always seems cool to me.

That neon/action green just means Seattle to me.

 

[MoreOrr]

I would rather the 8pm pacific time zone start than the 6pm central time zone start playing divisional opponents. Also I think we should be with van, and by extension Seattle, la, Anaheim, sj, lv and the coyotes. Lots of Oilers fans in Vancouver, and many who would travel to Seattle. Love seeing the kings, ducks and sharks as well and think we mutually benefit each other.

I don't think the Oilers and flames should be in a division with the ctz teams.

So which team do you think should go into the Central; on the assumption that Arizona is still a team when Seattle gets one?

 

[edog37]

Seattle would be a great addition to the league. Just as Vegas has been so far....

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

Chris Daniels is continuing his Canadian radio tour.....



For our friends in Ottawa, Daniels will be discussing the Seattle developments at 1:10 pm Eastern on the Rick Gibbons radio show on NEWS 1310AM.

 

[Killion]

Well..... CONGRATULATIONS SEATTLE! .... Quite the Christmas Present.

 

[MoreOrr]

Calgary and Edmonton are the 2nd and 3rd closest markets to Seattle. Vancouver and Seattle (as well as Edmonton and Calgary) would likely already have some of the longest travel for games. Colorado and Arizona make more sense as a move to the central

You don't seem to be taking into consideration which markets and Time Zone Arizona is close to.

 

[MuzikMachine]

For the discussion of realignment, here's a list flight distance (in miles) with the respective cities; between major airports.

	Airport	Calgary	Denver	Edmonton	Phoenix	Seattle
Calgary	YYC	-	945	139	1,248	466
Edmonton	YEG	139	1,056	-	1,384	567
Las Vegas	LAS	1,038	610	1,177	274	845
Los Angeles / Anaheim	LAX	1,263	871	1,402	371	989
Phoenix	PHX	1,248	583	1,384	-	1,108
San Jose	SJC	1,043	948	1,177	625	691
Seattle	SEA	466	1,045	567	1,108	-
Vancouver	YVR	430	1,145	500	1,247	144
Chicago	ORD	1,420	897	1,454	1,434	1,744
Dallas	DFW	1,571	646	1,669	874	1,687
Denver	DIA	945	-	1,056	583	1,045
Minneapolis - St. Paul	MSP	1,079	685	1,114	1,264	1,415
Nashville	BNA	1,701	1,006	1,752	1,453	1,973
St. Louis	STL	1,467	785	1,522	1,271	1,735
Winnipeg	YWG	756	783	760	1,342	1,162

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

With a potential Seattle franchise not playing for the next 2-3 year, time might run out on the Coyotes and a move to Houston would solve a lot of alignment issues.

 

[Dog]

Seattle makes sense for a team and if go with the green and blue should be good looking jerseys. The logo could go either way but think another option is totem pole or similiar to the University of Anchorage Seawolves logo.

 

[superdeluxe]

You don't seem to be taking into consideration which markets and Time Zone Arizona is close to.

Isn't Arizona in Mountain time zone?

 

[BattleBorn]

Isn't Arizona in Mountain time zone?

Sometimes. They're always Mountain Standard Time, so they're on the same time zone as Pacific during daylight saving time. For most of hockey season, they're Mountain.

 

[superdeluxe]

For the discussion of realignment, here's a list flight distance (in miles) with the respective cities; between major airports.

	Airport	Calgary	Denver	Edmonton	Phoenix	Seattle
Calgary	YYC	-	945	139	1,248	466
Edmonton	YEG	139	1,056	-	1,384	567
Las Vegas	LAS	1,038	610	1,177	274	845
Los Angeles / Anaheim	LAX	1,263	871	1,402	371	989
Phoenix	PHX	1,248	583	1,384	-	1,108
San Jose	SJC	1,043	948	1,177	625	691
Seattle	SEA	466	1,045	567	1,108	-
Vancouver	YVR	430	1,145	500	1,247	144
Chicago	ORD	1,420	897	1,454	1,434	1,744
Dallas	DFW	1,571	646	1,669	874	1,687
Denver	DIA	945	-	1,056	583	1,045
Minneapolis - St. Paul	MSP	1,079	685	1,114	1,264	1,415
Nashville	BNA	1,701	1,006	1,752	1,453	1,973
St. Louis	STL	1,467	785	1,522	1,271	1,735
Winnipeg	YWG	756	783	760	1,342	1,162

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

With a potential Seattle franchise not playing for the next 2-3 year, time might run out on the Coyotes and a move to Houston would solve a lot of alignment issues.

It just makes mroe sense to keep Seattle with Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton

 

[Mightygoose]

Anyone remember when the Vegas season ticket started and for how long? Just trying to estimate when Seattle's will be.

 

[BattleBorn]

Anyone remember when the Vegas season ticket started and for how long? Just trying to estimate when Seattle's will be.

February 10th is when it started, and it never really ended.

I think 10,000 STH deposits happened in early March, which was the goal. It ended up/stopped getting discussed at 15,500 or so in summer.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Yay Seattle! I feel like we have finished a long marathon!

Team should be the Thunderbirds!

 

[xtra]

I am most interested in how this affects the playoffs.

Assuming 16 teams make it still
So 8 per conference:

Are you going to go to 4 divisions per conference and only the division winners make it?

Do you stick with 2 divisions per conference and the top 2 teams make it

Or do you go back to 2 conferences with the top 8 making it regardless of division?

 

[Mightygoose]

I am most interested in how this affects the playoffs.

Assuming 16 teams make it still
So 8 per conference:

Are you going to go to 4 divisions per conference and only the division winners make it?

Do you stick with 2 divisions per conference and the top 2 teams make it

Or do you go back to 2 conferences with the top 8 making it regardless of division?

I think they'll go to the 4 conference idea they OK'd (and the PA shot down) earlier and just top 4 making it in. No more wildcards in their current form.

From there, I think we'll see top 5 in with #5 @ #4 in one game play-ins. Have one per conference and have a wildcard weekend before the round of 16 begins. The round of 16 will be branded 'playoffs' for traditionalist until we're used to the new 20 team field.