Could the Tri-Cities (Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge) support an NHL team?

[GuelphStormer]

Absolutely, the KW market could easily support a franchise. Hockey fever remains consistently high, the new tri-city LRT would facilitate quick patron flow, and a well placed venue would allow for easy draw from a massive 45-min-drive surrounding fanbase. There is more than enough money in the area, both in terms of ticket buyers and ownership.

Like Hamilton, it's only the uninformed/biased who would doubt market viability. The numbers speak for themselves. Either location could easily support an NHL franchise and KW has the added benefit of being outside of both Leafs and Sabres territory, thus avoiding messiness.

But as others have indicated, the league is not likely attracted to the area ... right now. I suspect though that once Jacobs dies, these locations will begin to hit the table for legitimate consideration.

 

[rojac]

Absolutely, the KW market could easily support a franchise. Hockey fever remains consistently high, the new tri-city LRT would facilitate quick patron flow, and a well placed venue would allow for easy draw from a massive 45-min-drive surrounding fanbase. There is more than enough money in the area, both in terms of ticket buyers and ownership.

Like Hamilton, it's only the uninformed/biased who would doubt market viability. The numbers speak for themselves. Either location could easily support an NHL franchise and KW has the added benefit of being outside of both Leafs and Sabres territory, thus avoiding messiness.

But as others have indicated, the league is not likely attracted to the area ... right now. I suspect though that once Jacobs dies, these locations will begin to hit the table for legitimate consideration.

I hope not. Too many Canadian teams now and I certainly don't want to see Southern Ontario cluttered with teams other than the Leafs. And while a small part of me would enjoy having the NHL in town - overall, I see no need for it.

 

[Advanced stats]

For 99% of this board when you post Tri-cities---we will think you are talking about Washington state--which is getting a team at some point in time

so which Tri-cities are you talking about

if you google tri-cities---washington state comes up

Interesting
When I Google it, tri cities Ontario came up.
Must be location based.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Interesting
When I Google it, tri cities Ontario came up.
Must be location based.

I am in London england

 

[Advanced stats]

I am in London england

Wow I'm in London too!




London, Ontario

Great to see hockey fans from all over!

 

[Eat The Rich]

Again, since we are talking purely hypotheticals, you don't really need the Toronto suburbs. The region alone has 540k people. Add in Guelph and its surrounding areas and you are already close to the size of Winnipeg with as substantially higher household income level at about $90K on average. Then add in Hamilton and you are at 1.5M which would put you over the size of Edmonton's and Calgary's metro populations.

You could add London to that, as well.

 

[Fourier]

You could add London to that, as well.

Of course!

 

[LeafShark]

Is Rogers and Bell willing to spend $1 billion on a team and $1 billion on a new arena to have another team in Toronto/Hamilton?

So far the answer has been no.

 

[cheswick]

The cities have been tossed out before as possible NHL teams. Never say never but I don't know if it would get a NHL team ahead of Hamilton, Saskatoon or Quebec City.

Considering Saskatoon has 250k people I’d say it’s far far far more likely than Saskatoon.

 

[Cacciaguida]

If Ontario is getting another team, it's going to be Hamilton. And even that isn't likely at the moment.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Interesting
When I Google it, tri cities Ontario came up.
Must be location based.

Yeah, & when I Google Tri-Cities I get Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam-Port Moody. It's a bit of a stretch to suggest that 99% of people on these boards automatically think of the Tri-Cities in Washington, when there are numerous places in North America that commonly use the designation. Wikipedia lists 22 metro regions in North America that are referred to as "Tri-Cities."

 

[rojac]

Locally, people are more likely to refer to the area as Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo (both short forms of Regional Municipality of Waterloo). If the Harris government's policies had continued, the area probably would have been amalgamated like Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton. However, Waterloo Region was a lower priority because regional government was working better here.

 

[rojac]

If Ontario is getting another team, it's going to be Hamilton. And even that isn't likely at the moment.

Hamilton would be the front runner because it has an arena that could be updated to NHL standards for about 150-200M. I'm not sure how long it will be before building a new stadium is roughly the same price as updating First Ontario Centre.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Ottawa can't support their NHL team so yes let's try an even smaller Canadian market.

 

[Inkling]

Locally, people are more likely to refer to the area as Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo (both short forms of Regional Municipality of Waterloo). If the Harris government's policies had continued, the area probably would have been amalgamated like Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton. However, Waterloo Region was a lower priority because regional government was working better here.

Yeah, when I saw this thread I wondered if things had changed because when I used to go to school there, people never referred to it as 'the tri-cities'. It was usually just KW (sorry Cambridge) or Waterloo Region. It's certainly grown a lot but I think it's unlikely to host an NHL franchise, but could help support one in Hamilton if that were ever to come to be.

 

[JMROWE]

Absolutely but they would not be playing out of the Tri City area but would be part of a regional team based in Hamilton in a renovated FirstOntario Center or a new arena in Hamilton or in one of it's many suburbs such as Flambrough , Waterdown or Ancaster for example .

My prediction is a regional NHL. team for Southern Ontario in the Hamilton area will happen by 2030 .

 

[Cacciaguida]

Ottawa can't support their NHL team so yes let's try an even smaller Canadian market.

Ottawas market is not the problem. The management is.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I think KWC is a better market than Hamilton. All 3 cities are growing and Guelph is too, which is only 15 minutes down the road.

Waterloo Region is well maintained and already has a decent and expanding public transportation, although traveling to it from elsewhere can really only be done by car.

It's also outside the 50 mile radius of both Toronto and Buffalo. Hamilton is not.

Can't see it happening at all, but it's definitely a good location.

 

[13 others]

Ottawa can't support their NHL team so yes let's try an even smaller Canadian market.

By that logic neither can Florida, Arizona, Colorado and Carolina, New Jersey and the Islanders.

That's just based on attendance, ignoring revenue, which is the most important thing at the end of the day.

 

[alko]

My prediction is a regional NHL. team for Southern Ontario in the Hamilton area will happen by 2030 .

Hm, how should i understand that?

 

[edog37]

Probably, anywhere in Canada could support an NHL team (as long as their economy is stable enough).

This myth is constantly being debunked by Ottawa...

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Hm, how should i understand that?

He says it every couple of months. Wait a while, nothing will happen, he'll say it again. Although he used to say 2020, then 2024, etc. Sense a pattern?

 

[Melrose Munch]

This myth is constantly being debunked by Ottawa...

Ottawa has almost zero corporate support. The government cant buy tickets.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Ottawa can't support their NHL team so yes let's try an even smaller Canadian market.

Miami is a large market that can't support their team. I guess they should scratch Seattle and should never have gone to the even smaller Vegas, right?

 

[edog37]

Ottawa has almost zero corporate support. The government cant buy tickets.

but that's not the narrative being put out here by many posters. People have been saying that any Canadian market can support an NHL franchise. This is why we see nonsense such as Halifax or Saskatoon or Regina or wherever being thrown out. Ottawa is proving this wrong with every game.