Flint Firebirds 2018-19 Season Thread (Part 3)

[HockeyPops]

Don't you want 7 solid defense? Injuries are going to happen, especially if you have a few injury prone already. You can also dress 7 at times if they are all healthy. And having a healthy scratch periodically can be a real motivator for your bottom 3 to push each other to not be the one scratched.

As everyone on here keeps saying, you don't need picks, you need players. If you are saying Gordeev doesn't make the team better when he dresses, that's one thing. But it sounds like you are saying he's a solid second pairing guy. A player. On a team that needs players.

I say keep all 7 and see what happens. Give the team a long runway this season to start executing their systems, and see where things are at in the fall.

 

[Firebrd828]

This team has some pretty sizeable holes to fill, and dealing one of seven OHL quality d-men can help to do that. They would still have a solid top-4, and would be drafting high enough to bring in a 16 year-old good enough to be that 7th guy.

 

[Savard18]

Don't you want 7 solid defense? Injuries are going to happen, especially if you have a few injury prone already. You can also dress 7 at times if they are all healthy. And having a healthy scratch periodically can be a real motivator for your bottom 3 to push each other to not be the one scratched.

As everyone on here keeps saying, you don't need picks, you need players. If you are saying Gordeev doesn't make the team better when he dresses, that's one thing. But it sounds like you are saying he's a solid second pairing guy. A player. On a team that needs players.

I say keep all 7 and see what happens. Give the team a long runway this season to start executing their systems, and see where things are at in the fall.

We're assuming the return of a healthy Busby. Which is not a sure thing. If he does though, that's 7 returning D and doesn't include the possibility of Powers reporting (also a big risk) and the inclusion of a drafted 16yo. I think a long-term plan for a healthy franchise should include at least one 16yo F and one 16yo D a year. Never leave a hole in any age group. They're basically guaranteed 7 D even without Gordeev, possibly 8. This year is a bit of an outlier with not many OA's on the market. Next year they'll be more abundant. I'd move Fedor to a contender now. Possibly netting a 17-18yo F, picks or a combination of the two. Just a picks based deal should net them a 2nd and a couple 3rds or so. Next year, they could replace Gordeev with another OA D if they end up needing one for less. It does appear to be a bit of a buyers market though and if the offers are overly weak, I would look to keep him on the roster until the offseason or later.

 

[Boshiant]

Well

 

[Kingpin794]

Well

Post of the year

 

[Savard18]

Post of the year

It's probably a nice change of pace for the folks that read through my long-winded drivel.

 

[TcNorth]

It's probably a nice change of pace for the folks that read through my long-winded drivel.

I read your shorter ones but not the ones that are too long. However, that is for anyone and not just you.

 

[Boshiant]

Post of the year

 

[MJ5]

 

[TcNorth]

One of those tweets says that Stevie Yzerman has toured the Dort facilities. I believe that Darian Hatcher is part owner of Sarnia and Ciccarelli was and Chris Osgood is involved with the Saginaw Spirit.

 

[HockeyPops]

Maybe the Meijer brothers will suddenly take an interest in acquiring an OHL hockey team.

 

[TcNorth]

Maybe the Meijer brothers will suddenly take an interest in acquiring an OHL hockey team.

Except they are based out of the Grand Rapids area in West Michigan.

 

[OHLTG]

Why would any OHL team move into the Palace? It's nearly 20,000 and that's nearly impossible for a GREAT OHL team to fill.

 

[MJ5]

Why would any OHL team move into the Palace? It's nearly 20,000 and that's nearly impossible for a GREAT OHL team to fill.

Well Oakland University was interested in buying it and using it for some of their teams. So the OHL team could just be a tenant there. They also used to block off the upper deck back in the day with black sheets/screens, so if you were just trying to fill the lower bowl, it could be possible.

 

[superdee]

When I first bought my tickets for John Labatt Center now Budweiser Gardens in London they said level 300 would be curtained off for Knights games. The only time I have ever seen it closed was for the prospect’s game skills competition. I think it was opened up for. The U17 tourney as well. That’s how we get 9036 for every game

 

[N Da No]

When I first bought my tickets for John Labatt Center now Budweiser Gardens in London they said level 300 would be curtained off for Knights games. The only time I have ever seen it closed was for the prospect’s game skills competition. I think it was opened up for. The U17 tourney as well. That’s how we get 9036 for every game

Are you aware if the Knights have a waiting list for season tickets?

If you had the available capacity how many fans do you believe that London would be able to draw per game on a consistent basis? 10,000, 12,000 or even maybe 15,000 or more?

 

[superdee]

Yes they capped seasons tickets at 6750 and the single game tickets go on sale in August and sell out except for 200-400 they keep for corporate sponsors and window walk up and visiting teams. The Knights Roundtable which is season ticket waiting list at one time was a 1,000 but do not know what it is now. I think the charge $25.00 to be on it for administration fees.

 

[superdee]

Where the arena is makes a difference. You can park easily within 3 blocks and there are all kinds of dining options and bar options before and after the games. Some bar/restaurants run shuttles as well as public transit buses are outside the doors. I live south of London and closer to old Ice House and I get home quicker because the parking lot was similar to Dort. You go out and go right or left where everybody in London is scattered throughout a 3-4 block radius and heads away in different routes. I love coming to Flint and really hope the team stays they and things get sorted out. It would be nice if they could have direct access to I-69 to clear out parking lot but it isn’t all that bad as we usually get a room in Grand Blanc or by Airport I75/23

 

[Firebrd828]

The only way a move to the Palace makes sense is if Tom Gores were to buy the team, but he just moved his other team out of there.

 

[Savard18]

NO WAY do we get so lucky that Yzerman buys the arena and team. Just Stevie Y owning them alone would put an extra 400+ people a night in the arena for the next decade. I am NOT a Wings fan but have nothing but respect for Yzerman, as a person, player and administrator. It would make every second of the last 4 years worth it. The Palace. You would think Karmanos would be aware of Hamilton's situation and not likely to repeat it. The Vipers started strong averaging 14,000 a night but that dwindled to 5,000 by the end. They also started as a really strong IHL club, winning Division titles and going to the Turner Cup Finals. They were winning all the time. That was also (inexpensive) high-level Pro hockey at the height of Red Wings mania. When the Michigan economy was better. With a few "celebrity" type players making appearances on the roster. I remember Sergei Samsonov being a big deal and Peter Bondra and Jimmy Carson playing there. No typical OHL rebuild cycles either. I looked into the Oakland U stuff. Auburn Hills would not be a big fan of that move. OU is a non-profit and wouldn't be required to pay taxes. The Palace contributed $828,431.42 in taxes to the city in 2017. In the first half of 2018 they paid $346,671.56. How's JUST paying those taxes alone sound for an OHL club? If Oakland U were involved and taxes were out of the mix, different story. Oakland U though has partnerships with an Illitch owned property management group. Would be odd to see any kind of OU-Illitch-Karmanos link with the noted animosity between Illitch and Karmanos. I just don't think the OHL would work there but it would help alleviate costs for OU if they were to buy it and part-time rent it to an OHL club. I would also hope Gores wouldn't jack the team out of Flint to move it there.

 

[Savard18]

....not to mention, this stock market keeps going like it is and there's not gonna be many people shopping for OHL franchises or arenas.

 

[Firebrd828]

...The Vipers started strong averaging 14,000 a night but that dwindled to 5,000 by the end. They also started as a really strong IHL club, winning Division titles and going to the Turner Cup Finals...

The last few years of the Vipers, they were giving away ticket vouchers to get bodies in the building, and counting on concession sales to make any money.

 

[Savard18]

The last few years of the Vipers, they were giving away ticket vouchers to get bodies in the building, and counting on concession sales to make any money.

Yeah, I probably went to 7-8 games those final 2-3 seasons and I don't remember ever paying for tickets. Speaking of concessions, I also a report covering an ESPN Outside The Lines story that had the Palace ranked like 182 out of 183 in health code violations for stadium concessions. There was only one stadium with more.

 

[FireBird71]

Yeah, I probably went to 7-8 games those final 2-3 seasons and I don't remember ever paying for tickets. Speaking of concessions, I also a report covering an ESPN Outside The Lines story that had the Palace ranked like 182 out of 183 in health code violations for stadium concessions. There was only one stadium with more.

My sisters Pom squad at Grand Blanc in the early 90’s worked concessions there and I wouldn’t eat anything from there

 

[HealthyScratch1]

They also started as a really strong IHL club, winning Division titles and going to the Turner Cup Finals. They were winning all the time. That was also (inexpensive) high-level Pro hockey at the height of Red Wings mania. When the Michigan economy was better. With a few "celebrity" type players making appearances on the roster. I remember Sergei Samsonov being a big deal and Peter Bondra and Jimmy Carson playing there.

Just to add a wrinkle, I remember a fella named John Gruden on that team too..