Where would be the most logical place to move a team?

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

There's been many talks of "Los Vegas this" and "Kansas City that" and "OMFG HAMILTON IS TEH SUKK this"

Where in your opinion is a starving hot bed for the NHL?

I honestly think that Portland or Seattle can support a team. Both are in cities that could habor a nice hockey fan base, and Portland has a supreme AHL(?) team that has brought in fans galore.

I think Portland/Seattle should get a team.

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[Coach Travis]

Hamilton

 

[Raoul Duke*]

Anywhere in Canada.
1. Hamilton
2. Winnipeg
3. Quebec City

then
4. Houston
5. Hartford
6. Seattle/Portland

 

[MAROONSRoad]

Anywhere in Canada.
1. Hamilton
2. Winnipeg
3. Quebec City

then
4. Houston
5. Hartford
6. Seattle/Portland

I agree with your choices more or less. I believe the one potentially very good market in the USA with an NHL-ready arena is Houston. The question is does it have an owner and the right lease agreement for an NHL team.

GHOST

 

[MS]

Seattle doesn't have an arena that is close to NHL-suitable. Won't happen. And nothing will get built there for years since the state just paid for MLB and NFL stadiums.

Winnipeg and Quebec City will never happen, for many reasons. Nothing but a pipe dream by Canadians in denial.

Most logical place, by far, is Kansas City. Have a top-notch arena, willing ownership group and community support, no NBA competition, and it wouldn't require any realignment for a team like Nashville to move there. Obvious geographic rivalry with Chicago and St. Louis.

Portland would be #2 - strong hockey history, pretty good arena.

Houston is a possibility but 2 teams in Texas is stretching things a bit.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

True enough.

As much as people might hate or disagree with me on this one, I also think both Toronto and Montreal could make a real go with having a second NHL team in their cities. It'll never happen, but in the case of Hamilton, that's the next best thing to a 2nd Toronto team.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

Most logical place, by far, is Kansas City. Have a top-notch arena, willing ownership group and community support, no NBA competition, and it wouldn't require any realignment for a team like Nashville to move there. Obvious geographic rivalry with Chicago and St. Louis.
.

Except for the fact that KC lost an NHL team once, barely support the Royals - have the Chiefs to contend with, along with NCAA (which once again trumps hockey in that market). And are in the same area of St. Louis, where most KC hockey fans are already Blues fans - and when things get rough around the Blues, look at how their attendance drops.

Kansas City is far from logical. If anywhere in the US, Houston is the most logical. Dallas was questionable back in the day, but they made a serious go at it, and you don't see anyone complaining about the Dallas Stars - because they love their team.

I also once read, someone correct me if I'm wrong - that Texas has the most pro hockey teams (NHL, ECHL, AHL, etc) for any state, or province in North America.

 

[kdb209]

I agree with your choices more or less. I believe the one potentially very good market in the USA with an NHL-ready arena is Houston. The question is does it have an owner and the right lease agreement for an NHL team.

GHOST

If there is an NHL team in Houston in the foreseeable future, it will be owned by Les Alexander - owner of the NBA Houston Rockets and the master lease on the new Toyota Center (opened 2003). Spliting revenues with an NBA team would not be an issue, since Alexander would be sharing with himself.

Alexander has made public statements in the past about his interest in bringing an NHL team to Houston and made an unsuccessful bid to buy the Oilers in '97.

 

[Blue Dragon]

Houston should be #1:
NHL ready arena - check
Interested Owner - check
Bigger market than anywhere in Canada - check
History with the WHA and AHL. - check
Could help fix the stars problem in divisional alignment - check

 

[coolguy21415]

Houston should be #1:
NHL ready arena - check
Interested Owner - check
Bigger market than anywhere in Canada - check
History with the WHA and AHL. - check
Could help fix the stars problem in divisional alignment - check

I'm not convinced that the size of the market should be a huge priority. Much like trade proposals get shot down because posters replace quality with quantity, it will take me a while to believe that a "large" market in Houston would really bring in more revenue than a "smaller" market in Hamilton (or other places where hockey is an existing strong sport).

 

[Raoul Duke*]

Houston should be #1:
NHL ready arena - check
Interested Owner - check
Bigger market than anywhere in Canada - check
History with the WHA and AHL. - check
Could help fix the stars problem in divisional alignment - check

Well, while I'm the first to say if anywhere in the US - Houston should be the place but in the case of Hamilton:

NHL ready arena: check
Interested Owner: check and raise - Jim Balsillie buying a team
Bigger market: GTA area, immense hockey potential, 7million plus hockey fans, 20,000 seats in Toronto. Check.
History: Hosted Canada Cup games, all sold out. AHL history, check.
Could fix divisional alignment - check, but not an issue.

 

[Blue Dragon]

Well, while I'm the first to say if anywhere in the US - Houston should be the place but in the case of Hamilton:

NHL ready arena: check - Where is this mythical NHL-ready Arena in Hamilton? Any luxury boxes or anything?
Interested Owner: check and raise - Jim Balsillie buying a team Got me on that one
Bigger market: GTA area, immense hockey potential, 7million plus hockey fans, 20,000 seats in Toronto. Check. Copps seats 17,500 for Curling, probably not much more for hockey. No luxury boxes. Also, everyone in the GTA already supports an NHL team
History: Hosted Canada Cup games, all sold out. AHL history, check.Houston has a history of NHL-level hockey with the WHA
Could fix divisional alignment - check, but not an issue. How? We need more teams in the West, not the East

 

[Yeti]

There's been many talks of "Los Vegas this" and "Kansas City that" and "OMFG HAMILTON IS TEH SUKK this"

Where in your opinion is a starving hot bed for the NHL?

I honestly think that Portland or Seattle can support a team. Both are in cities that could habor a nice hockey fan base, and Portland has a supreme AHL(?) team that has brought in fans galore.

I think Portland/Seattle should get a team.

Having lived in Seattle for 7 years, I can tell you right now that there's now way in hell that city could support an NHL team. They barely can support an NBA team. They can barely support a WHL team (Seattle Thunderbirds). It's just not a hockey town, unfortunately. It's a shame too, because Seattle is a great city....I miss it a lot, but it's just not a hockey town. Nobody cares about hockey, and they certainly don't care about the NHL.

Portland, I'm not so sure about.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

^^^

For starters, it's already been mentioned numerous times how Balsillie has said that Copps would be temporary while a new building is in the process in Hamilton. Even without an NHL team, the process is in the works.
And yes, Copps as it stands now, does have luxury boxes. Hence Balsillie taking deposits on them starting next week.

So all 7 million plus people in the GTA support the Leafs? Well, if you're correct, you're making my point for me. How do you fit 7 million people into the ACC? Add another team in the region - you think it'd be empty? lol

The WHA was never NHL calibre hockey. That's absurd. And even if it was, the Toronto Toros were in the WHA as well, quite successful I might add. This while the Maple Leafs were still in existance. Think about your comments.

Why do we need more teams in the west? The population doesn't add up to the support that Southern Ontario has. Hell, there's less people in Alberta than in that Ontario horseshoe - and we support both the Oil and Flames quite fine.

And if you want a team in the West - say hello to the Winnipeg area.

 

[MoreOrr]

Logical for the League, or logical for the owner??

The League needs a team in the northwest (Portland or Seattle).

Perhaps, for an owner, southern Ontario wouldn't be a bad bet. But certainly the League doesn't need another team there.

Perhaps another logical place might be Milwaukee. I have an idea that a team might thrive there.

One might also very well think that a hotbed like Las Vegas is just waiting for one of the major leagues to put a team there. But I ask: How many people who live in Las Vegas are there waiting to have a professional hockey team? Why is it that the other major leagues aren't already there?

 

[Metallian*]

1. Hamilton/Kitchener
2. Houston
3. Milwaukee

 

[Raoul Duke*]

One might also very well think that a hotbed like Las Vegas is just waiting for one of the major leagues to put a team there. But I ask: How many people who live in Las Vegas are there waiting to have a professional hockey team? Why is it that the other major leagues aren't already there?

That's the thing with Las Vegas. Other sports avoid it, not just because it's what? the 54th largest TV market in the United States - but because it's Las Vegas.

I've been to Vegas a couple times, and the last thing on my mind - as a rabid hockey fan... was hockey. This is a city, that is an adult's playground. You can do ANYTHING but watch hockey. The excitement of the city itself, just walking down the strip is distracting enough - let alone having 2 tickets to the "Las Vegas NHLers vs. the St. Louis Blues".

I'd probably pass.

 

[Metallian*]

Could have fooled me with all the Senators jerseys I saw in bars during the Finals

I for one, will jump ship to Hamilton from being a Leafs fan once they arrive. Many more as well will come.

 

[MAROONSRoad]

If there is an NHL team in Houston in the foreseeable future, it will be owned by Les Alexander - owner of the NBA Houston Rockets and the master lease on the new Toyota Center (opened 2003). Spliting revenues with an NBA team would not be an issue, since Alexander would be sharing with himself.

Alexander has made public statements in the past about his interest in bringing an NHL team to Houston and made an unsuccessful bid to buy the Oilers in '97.

Is Les Alexander a hockey fan? How much would he spend to make it happen? The Aeros are doing fine. I don't think Les would spend 200 million for a team, but if one fell in his lap, yes, he'd take it. There is no huge demand for an NHL team in Houston. The master agreement favours the NBA. Many questions, but the answers will be in dollars and cents.

GHOST

 

[Jazz]

...I also once read, someone correct me if I'm wrong - that Texas has the most pro hockey teams (NHL, ECHL, AHL, etc) for any state, or province in North America.

They have as many pro-teams as ALL OF CANADA COMBINED

 

[Jazz]

....Dallas was questionable back in the day, but they made a serious go at it, and you don't see anyone complaining about the Dallas Stars - because they love their team....

Dallas was not that questionable back in the day.

Their youth hockey program that is one of the best in the league, and the city has been given time to develop this program.

Anyways, back to Nashville, their success at youth hockey is close to Dallas's. In 5-7 years, Nashville could be what Dallas is now in terms of support. People here gave the Dallas market time to mature, yet they won't for Nashville.

 

[erikson*]

WHY is Hamilton a good move?
I think it blow.s
I agree the NHL doesn't belong in the all these southern markets but is Hamilton or Ontario the smart place?

I think not.
The NHL already nearly lost a team, this would be a small market that would hurt another small market nearby, Buffalo, and I think it would overcongest an area.
Three nearby hockey teams?

Not only would this conflict with the confrence alignment as we have TOO many eastern teams BUT aren't their better places to move, like Winnipeg where they don't have a local team and would fit in the west confrence?

Also aren't many hockey fans, Leafs and Sabres, lesser extent Red Wings and Senators, going to be mad over this, having a new team come and take their profits?

The NHL should have learned from the New York area NOT to oversaturate, we need western teams, move them to Winnipeg.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

Dallas was not that questionable back in the day.

Their youth hockey program that is one of the best in the league, and the city has been given time to develop this program.

Anyways, back to Nashville, their success at youth hockey is close to Dallas's. In 5-7 years, Nashville could be what Dallas is now in terms of support. People here gave the Dallas market time to mature, yet they won't for Nashville.

lol, actually Dallas was seriously questioned. Just because you say it wasn't, doesn't make that true. Just the other week I was at my parents house just looking through my old Hockey News' piles of them when they were just newspaper... But I remember the one front page headline:

TEXAS GOLD?
With a picture of Mike Modano as a NorthStar on the cover. And the articles inside were questioning hockey in Texas, especially moving from Minnesota.

It was questioned. Look it up.

 

[Wetcoaster]

The logical place is wherever an owner believes he can make a go of it. His money, his risk.

 

[Raoul Duke*]

The logical place is wherever an owner believes he can make a go of it. His money, his risk.

Exactly. NFL style.