Sidekick
Registered User
- Mar 20, 2013
- 143
- 2
Just moving the conversation that was intermittently happening in the Flint thread to a new thread.
Yesterday, 03:52 PM #30
Storm99
It really is a shame the Rangers will never allow a team in Waterloo. A little tweak to the Rec Centre and I think it would work. I feel like they would get enough fans to support it also
Today, 01:40 PM #33
frontsfan2005
The Waterloo Rec Centre would be a great place for an OHL team. Needs a little work, but not a bad seat in the place. I think it seats about 4000? But yes, no way the Rangers would allow a team there.
It's too bad a place like Brantford doesn't have an OHL ready arena, I think a team would draw well there. Would be great to get Gretzky involved somehow, and Brantford 99ers is an awesome name that their Jr. B team uses.
Today, 02:41 PM #34
bobber
When they were working on the Aud adding the new section they held exhibition games in the Rec Centre. Probably less than 2000 showed up and they were mostly Ranger fans. Where were all the Waterloo OHL fans? Also the Storm have a say in whether a team locates in the area not just the Rangers. It's one spoiled person that married into a rich family that pushes the idea.
Today, 03:09 PM #37
frontsfan2005
To be fair, wasn't the Rangers fan appreciation BBQ located in a totally different area of Waterloo that year, not at the arena? Not too many people went to both, and most people are going to take their kids to the BBQ over a meaningless hockey game against I'm assuming the Brampton Battalion.
As for the other games, didn't Kitchener play a QMJHL based team there? Not too many road fans are going to that one. And approximately 2000 for an exhibition game that I assume most season ticket holders weren't going to bother attending isn't bad considering the circumstances. If Guelph or London came to town, it'd draw a lot better, but Royun-Noranda?
Today, 03:28 PM #38
Ward Cornell
Not sure why Waterloo constantly keeps coming up from out-of-towners and no one from Waterloo?
When Mr Fiddler first came up with this idea most ppl interviewed thought it was a lame-brain idea. Some of the Waterloo
city councellors somewhat supported it in theory only it for public relations but it was considered too seriously by them!
The Rangers allowed Guelph into the OHL even though they are in Kitchener's territory, not sure how or why they have to let Waterloo in.
Just because is a separate city by name only I would bet most of Wloo residents think of the Rangers as their own.
Hey, why not another team in London they have approximately 50,000 more residents than Kitchener and Wloo combined??
...Makes about the same amount of sense.
Today, 05:52 PM #42
frontsfan2005
Why are you omitting Cambridge? The population of Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo is bigger than London and area. They are all served by the same transit service, and are part of the same metropolitan area by the Canadian census. If London had a second OHL ready arena available (eg if St. Thomas had one), I'm sure there would be rumours and interest by someone. Now I'm not saying the Rangers have to let Waterloo have a team, understandably that is Rangers territory since the Rec Centre is what, five or so kilometers away. What people are saying is that two teams in a combined population of over 500,000 would probably draw pretty good in a city that loves its OHL hockey.
And does anyone know what territorial rights an OHL team has? I'm not sure how the Rangers "let" Guelph have a team when in 1982 Guelph was a city of over 70,000 and has no connections to Kitchener (unlike Waterloo). I'm sure if it came down to it, the potential Guelph Platers ownership group in the early 80's would have fought, and probably won, an OHL territorial dispute with the Rangers.
I know the NHL has an 80 km radius, what is the OHL rule? Did Brantford need permission from Hamilton in the 70s? Or Belleville-Kingston in the 80's? Detroit-Windsor in the 90's? If someone wanted to put a team in Brampton again, would they need Mississauga's permission? Even so, the NHL rule isn't set in stone.
BTW, I've lived in Kitchener, and Guelph, so I'm not really an "out of towner".
Today, 07:12 PM #43
Rangersfansince99
I do the media for the Waterloo Siskins and as much as I would love to see a team there it wont happen.
1) Even with the Rangers Veto, Rangers STH are having a hard time giving tickets away. The rangers as much as they may sell out, are lucky to get 6800 most nights. Leaving quite a few empty seats. The fan support for hockey in Waterloo Region seams to be going down. I mean maybe a new team sparks it back up but that alone is risky
2) The Siskins Jr B team only averages around 250 people a game. When they play teams like Elmira and Stratford, the home crowd is normally out numbered.
Yesterday, 03:52 PM #30
Storm99
It really is a shame the Rangers will never allow a team in Waterloo. A little tweak to the Rec Centre and I think it would work. I feel like they would get enough fans to support it also
Today, 01:40 PM #33
frontsfan2005
The Waterloo Rec Centre would be a great place for an OHL team. Needs a little work, but not a bad seat in the place. I think it seats about 4000? But yes, no way the Rangers would allow a team there.
It's too bad a place like Brantford doesn't have an OHL ready arena, I think a team would draw well there. Would be great to get Gretzky involved somehow, and Brantford 99ers is an awesome name that their Jr. B team uses.
Today, 02:41 PM #34
bobber
When they were working on the Aud adding the new section they held exhibition games in the Rec Centre. Probably less than 2000 showed up and they were mostly Ranger fans. Where were all the Waterloo OHL fans? Also the Storm have a say in whether a team locates in the area not just the Rangers. It's one spoiled person that married into a rich family that pushes the idea.
Today, 03:09 PM #37
frontsfan2005
To be fair, wasn't the Rangers fan appreciation BBQ located in a totally different area of Waterloo that year, not at the arena? Not too many people went to both, and most people are going to take their kids to the BBQ over a meaningless hockey game against I'm assuming the Brampton Battalion.
As for the other games, didn't Kitchener play a QMJHL based team there? Not too many road fans are going to that one. And approximately 2000 for an exhibition game that I assume most season ticket holders weren't going to bother attending isn't bad considering the circumstances. If Guelph or London came to town, it'd draw a lot better, but Royun-Noranda?
Today, 03:28 PM #38
Ward Cornell
Not sure why Waterloo constantly keeps coming up from out-of-towners and no one from Waterloo?
When Mr Fiddler first came up with this idea most ppl interviewed thought it was a lame-brain idea. Some of the Waterloo
city councellors somewhat supported it in theory only it for public relations but it was considered too seriously by them!
The Rangers allowed Guelph into the OHL even though they are in Kitchener's territory, not sure how or why they have to let Waterloo in.
Just because is a separate city by name only I would bet most of Wloo residents think of the Rangers as their own.
Hey, why not another team in London they have approximately 50,000 more residents than Kitchener and Wloo combined??
...Makes about the same amount of sense.
Today, 05:52 PM #42
frontsfan2005
Why are you omitting Cambridge? The population of Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo is bigger than London and area. They are all served by the same transit service, and are part of the same metropolitan area by the Canadian census. If London had a second OHL ready arena available (eg if St. Thomas had one), I'm sure there would be rumours and interest by someone. Now I'm not saying the Rangers have to let Waterloo have a team, understandably that is Rangers territory since the Rec Centre is what, five or so kilometers away. What people are saying is that two teams in a combined population of over 500,000 would probably draw pretty good in a city that loves its OHL hockey.
And does anyone know what territorial rights an OHL team has? I'm not sure how the Rangers "let" Guelph have a team when in 1982 Guelph was a city of over 70,000 and has no connections to Kitchener (unlike Waterloo). I'm sure if it came down to it, the potential Guelph Platers ownership group in the early 80's would have fought, and probably won, an OHL territorial dispute with the Rangers.
I know the NHL has an 80 km radius, what is the OHL rule? Did Brantford need permission from Hamilton in the 70s? Or Belleville-Kingston in the 80's? Detroit-Windsor in the 90's? If someone wanted to put a team in Brampton again, would they need Mississauga's permission? Even so, the NHL rule isn't set in stone.
BTW, I've lived in Kitchener, and Guelph, so I'm not really an "out of towner".
Today, 07:12 PM #43
Rangersfansince99
I do the media for the Waterloo Siskins and as much as I would love to see a team there it wont happen.
1) Even with the Rangers Veto, Rangers STH are having a hard time giving tickets away. The rangers as much as they may sell out, are lucky to get 6800 most nights. Leaving quite a few empty seats. The fan support for hockey in Waterloo Region seams to be going down. I mean maybe a new team sparks it back up but that alone is risky
2) The Siskins Jr B team only averages around 250 people a game. When they play teams like Elmira and Stratford, the home crowd is normally out numbered.