What if the Blues had gone to Saskatoon?

[captainpierce]

Can anyone give any speculations on how the Blues might have done had they moved to Saskatoon in 1983(I think)? This could also be done for other never-were moves(e.g. Penguins in the mid-'80s).

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[Metallian*]

why would they move to Timbuktu??

 

[VanIslander]

why would they move to Timbuktu??

Timbuktu is in the African desert country of Mali. Saskatoon is hockey-mad Canadian prairie country.

It would make sense in the age before corporate sponsorships and luxury boxes when tickets at the gate and television contracts made up a big portion of revenues.

The franchise would have moved by the early nineties given the change in the economics of the game.

Though it would have been fun to have a Western Canada division: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg.

 

[WalterSobchak]

The franchise would not have even survived the 80's before facing relocation again or contraction. They were already pretty close to that at the time.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

why would they move to Timbuktu??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Blues_(hockey)#Purina_Era_.281977-86.29

 

[boredmale]

I never to this day understand why the blues didn't draft anybody at the 1983 draft(due to this incident). Why not just send a guy and draft according to the Central Scouting Bureau list or even just trade off all your picks.

 

[daynus]

well they would have survived a few seasons. and thats not a solution the NHL was looking for. and yes this is a hockey mad region. big big time.

 

[Wetcoaster]

What if Tommy Gorman had not stepped in and saved the Habs from going to Cleveland at the end of the 1941-42 season after Frank Patrick suffered a heart attack and sold his stake in the team?

 

[GentlemanOfLeisure]

I never to this day understand why the blues didn't draft anybody at the 1983 draft(due to this incident). Why not just send a guy and draft according to the Central Scouting Bureau list or even just trade off all your picks.

They didn't have a first round pick anyway. That went to New Jersey as well as the year before's 1st round pick for Rob Ramage. (NJ took Rocky Trottier in 1982, and John MacLean in 1983).

 

[ChrisKreider20]

They would still be in St.Louis today. If Winnipeg and Quebec folded and Ottawa struggled, a Saskatoon franchise would have been buried within 5 years.

 

[WheatiesHockey]

Once NHL salaries starting escalating over the $15 million USD level having franchises in cities like Saskatoon became a tougher sell. Locating an actual NHL franchise has seldom been based on how much the locals really love the game. Saskatoon may not have an NHL franchise, but the city seems well populated with numerous hard core Oiler fans.

 

[boredmale]

They didn't have a first round pick anyway. That went to New Jersey as well as the year before's 1st round pick for Rob Ramage. (NJ took Rocky Trottier in 1982, and John MacLean in 1983).

I think they also traded there 2nd, but still couldn't they have at least traded there 3rd-12th for a 2nd rounder in 1984.