Has Quebec City been priced out of the NHL?

[End on a Hinote]

Uh... Laine..Matthews come on man. Scheifele.

McDavid too

 

[The CyNick]

I still don't get the argument about Detroit, yes Detroit-Toronto is a good sell. But Detroit-Chicago is the highest rated regular season broadcast game in history. You're trying to sell advertising to networks, that's a big deal. St. Louis, Minnesota and Nashville do well tv wise against Detroit. Buffalo, Ottawa, Florida?
It still makes no sense to me. If Detroit-Toronto is such a big sports rivalry, how come they are not in the same division in baseball or basketball? Quebec would increase Canadian viewership. 1 million fans would watch Montreal-Quebec between French and English networks.

It's a simple solution. Tv times are generally altered by 30 minutes as I said. Travel is moot. As with 32 teams I am guessing that 48 games will be played home and away outside the division, with 34 within. So Detroit loses one, maybe two homes dates with To. They draw Dallas instead of Florida. Nashville instead of Tampa, Colorado is the farthest rival but any hockey fan of my era remembers Detroit and Colorado as the best rivalry of the late 90, early millennium.

To me it's the simple solution to boost the NHL's brand. Detroit is a flagship franchise, which has lost its lustre since realignment. Quebec would increase general revenues over Arizona. Bring another passionate hockey city to the fold, with travelling fans to help the bottom line of the NHL and some cities which struggle to fill their rinks.

I always like when fans try to come up for reasons to put Detroit back in the West. Clearly the organization and the league as a whole prefer them in the East, so that's where they will stay.

I used to hate it when the Leafs were in the West. I would imagine most Wings fans feel the same.

 

[Lacaar]

I've no doubt Quebec would make more money than at least 5 american teams.
But 1 american household watching a game on t.v = 1,000 Canadian households watching a game on t.v

I don't know.. do americans respond to advertising a lot more than Canadians or something?
Arizona/Phoenix draws nobody and some american channel probably ponies up millions for those 100 viewers.

In the end the U.S.A is sports obsessed. Canada is not. It's one of the major cultural differences between our countries.

 

[Mr Positive]

The Canadian dollar is not good enough, and it's not like the Quebec City market is so huge to make up the difference.

 

[voyageur]

I always like when fans try to come up for reasons to put Detroit back in the West. Clearly the organization and the league as a whole prefer them in the East, so that's where they will stay.

I used to hate it when the Leafs were in the West. I would imagine most Wings fans feel the same.

The Old West made no sense, before and after expansion. But look at what the division were in the 70s. It's been slow progress. Seattle should have been part of 70s expansion.

40 years later...

Hockey is not an East-West game it is North-South. I think Rogers wants Detroit in the East for their Southern Ontario, original six following. Only way Detroit could switch is if the NHL tried to emulate college hockey, with 4 equal conference. And equal travel as a consequence. Not likely though. Houston to the Central, Aeros instead of roadrunners is more likely. Networks want later playoff start times in the 2nd round, so CST, and MTZ is the solution.

 

[The CyNick]

The Old West made no sense, before and after expansion. But look at what the division were in the 70s. It's been slow progress. Seattle should have been part of 70s expansion.

40 years later...

Hockey is not an East-West game it is North-South. I think Rogers wants Detroit in the East for their Southern Ontario, original six following. Only way Detroit could switch is if the NHL tried to emulate college hockey, with 4 equal conference. And equal travel as a consequence. Not likely though. Houston to the Central, Aeros instead of roadrunners is more likely. Networks want later playoff start times in the 2nd round, so CST, and MTZ is the solution.

Why would Rogers care about where Detroit plays?

You have to understand Detroit and the rest of the league prefers to play in their timezone. Nobody right now would support a North South alignment where everyone is traveling like crazy and games are constantly airing at times that is not ideal for their fanbase.