Hockey growth in Louisville Kentucky

[AdmiralsFan24]

Actually, the MTS center has hosted an NBA preseason game.

And every arena is built with a basketball configuration because a basketball court needs the smallest amount of floor space for pretty much any arena event.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Thanks for your input. Louisville currently has 2 youth league one that is played in the Highlands at alpine ice arena which is more of the intermediate players. Now the others youth league is at Iceland Sports Complex in Anchorage in the east end of Louisville. there they have the 5 local high school play, the UofL team plays, the beer leagues, the youth travel teams and last that’s where the Predators hold their youth clinics and development youth leagues. The thing with the arena, the city is losing revenue from the arena because of the current standing of the arena. They are currently renegotiating the current lease with the University because of the lack of events that are being held there, that’s why the thought of Pro hockey was brought up last summer at the Republican Council meeting. with the NBA denying a team relocating or expanding to Louisville because of the current standing of basket ball in Louisville with UofL, UK, and IU. As for the possible owners, John Schnatter has expressed his desire to bring a pro team of a major sport to Louisville. He is as well from the same town as me in Jeffersonville, IN right acrossed the river. Other reason I believe this is even tho he step down from Papa Johns as the CEO he’s still the owner. Now back to Papa Johns the company. With Papa Johns breaking the deal with the NFL as of this year, Papa Johns has now partnered with Ryan Johansen and the Nashville Predators. I know that could be for money to make up from splitting with the NFL but I also believe there has to be a interest in the sport. With Nashville as contributing to Louisville hockey growth that makes me think they see Louisville as a possible market. Wheather that’s the case or not i don’t know but I just feel there’s a possibility there. Not saying it’ll be an NHL expansion team or relocation. An AHL franchise is more likely but there feels to be an interest. It’s not that I’m saying souly the population is my arguement it’s the population that is relocating here. A lot coming from Midwest cities like St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit and others. Thank you for your input it’s not harsh

I'm sorry, going to be a bit harsh here and say that an NHL team in Louisville simply isn't going to happen. NHL has the first then last say on all relocation and expansion and putting a team in Louisville is on page 64 of the NHL's "Book of Concerns" behind "are NHL players eating too much garlic collectively." AHL is extremely unlikely, and in that case it wouldn't be affiliated with Nashville since they've been with Milwaukee since their inception and have openly said a million times they will never change it (Brewers owner owns the Admirals and the Brewers have an affiliation with Nashville's AAA baseball team: EDIT, was affiliated from 2005-15). St. Louis is the only NHL team that doesn't have a permanent home in mind since they just had a last minute change to San Antonio.

I've been fortunate enough to talk to some professional hockey people (AHL HQ is in the city I live in) and from what I've gathered, Lousville isn't on the list of cities that's getting an NHL or AHL team. They've have never held any hockey game in the arena. Every serious potential NHL or AHL market has held pre-season games or something in the arena. Case in point Kansas City especially when they were trying to lure the Pens, Quebec holds Canadiens preseason games often and their main tenant are the major junior Rempart, Houston held Stars preseason games and has their tenant is the Stars AHL team, Seattle's metro area is home to two major junior teams, etc. If Louisville was holding 2 Preds preseason game and sold them both out, then it's a different story. ECHL, SPHL, and USHL are all much more likely.

If you really want to start determining if there's hockey interest in Louisville, it starts with UofL's club hockey. Start playing out of KFC Yum! Center. Demand things that a pro team would demand. 3/4 practices per week, game times at prime times (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights are when a lot pro hockey games are). See if the arena is willing and able to do things they would have to do with a pro hockey team like switching from basketball to hockey almost daily like they do at TD Garden. See if it's possible to split time facility sharing with Louisville basketball, just like a pro team would. Market the team and if the support is what you say it is, play University of Kentucky or Cincinnati a few times and try to get a few thousand people on a Saturday night against your biggest rivals. Do that, and it's going to do a whole lot more than all of this speculating potential hockey interest in the city.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

the Brewers have an affiliation with Nashville's AAA baseball team

No they don't.

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

I'm sorry, going to be a bit harsh here and say that an NHL team in Louisville simply isn't going to happen. NHL has the first then last say on all relocation and expansion and putting a team in Louisville is on page 64 of the NHL's "Book of Concerns" behind "are NHL players eating too much garlic collectively" AHL is extremely unlikely, and in that case it wouldn't be affiliated with Nashville since they've been with Milwaukee since their inception and have openly said a million times they will never change it under any circumstance (Brewers owner owns the Admirals and the Brewers have an affiliation with Nashville's AAA baseball team). St. Louis is a still-not-so-likely maybe and the only reason getting an AHL team isn't impossible and that's because they're the only NHL team in your area who's had untenable an AHL location and ownership.

I've been fortunate enough to talk to some professional hockey people (AHL HQ is in the city I live in) and from what I've gathered, Lousville isn't on the list of cities that's getting an NHL or AHL team. Main reasons are, while you claim there is potential in the market and I can't disagree with you because I don't know, they still have never held any hockey game in the arena. Every serious potential NHL or AHL market has held pre-season games or something in the arena, case in point Kansas City when they tried to grab the Penguins, Quebec holds Canadiens preseason games each year and has a major junior team as their tenant, Vegas held games, Houston houses their AHL team, Seattle is home to two major junior teams, etc. If Louisville was holding 2 Preds preseason game and sold them both out, then it's a different story. But, it hasn't so since. For the AHL, buying a relocating a team isn't going to be possible because policy since 2015 mandates that teams, if bought and relocated (can't buy an AHL expansion franchise since there's 31 and the 32nd is being saved for Seattle and will be put in the Pacific Northwest probably Portland), they must be put in a geographically advantageous position, with most NHL teams owning their AHL team (just take a look at the AHL Pacific Division, CO Eagles, and the rest if you don't believe). No owner is going to buy a team and move it to a market where there is no proven interest and isn't near any NHL market, besides St. Louis, that doesn't have a long, illustrious, and untenable AHL affiliation. Just how it is.

ECHL, SPHL, and USHL are all much more likely. But, if those two leagues really thought they could put a team there they would have done it already but, once again, there hasn't been any games held in the KFC Yum! Center and that's a HUGE determining factor you just can't ignore.

If you really want to start determining if there's hockey interest in Louisville, it starts with UofL's club hockey. Start playing out of KFC Yum! Center. Demand things that a pro team would demand. 3/4 practices per week, game times at prime times (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights are when a lot pro hockey games are). See if the arena is willing and able to do things they would have to do with a pro hockey team like switching from basketball to hockey almost daily like they do at TD Garden. See if it's possible to split time facility sharing with Louisville basketball, just like a pro team would. Market the team and if the support is what you say it is, play University of Kentucky or Cincinnati a few times and try to get a few thousand people on a Saturday night against your biggest rivals. Do that, and it's going to do a whole lot more than all of this speculating potential hockey interest in the city.

Like I side with the current participation of the Predators in our community I wouldn’t be surprised if they have preseason games at The yum center. For the UofL team they already have a couple thousand turn outs against UK Cincinnati and WKU. That’s at Iceland tho

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

No they don't.

Right you are, changed in 2015. Good catch, I thought they still were. Affiliated from 2005-2015.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Like I side with the current participation of the Predators in our community I wouldn’t be surprised if they have preseason games at The yum center. For the UofL team they already have a couple thousand turn outs against UK Cincinnati and WKU. That’s at Iceland tho

Is that a community rink? Try renting an ice slot, if that's possible, at the arena and play one of the bigger rivals there. A lot of club teams can pack it for their biggest rivals, and the bigger ones like Iowa State, Ohio U and a lot of others sell out each home game. UNC, NC State, and Duke rent out the PNC Center for when they play each other, it's a bigger stage and statement.

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

Is that a community rink? Try renting an ice slot, if that's possible, at arena and play one of the bigger rivals there. A lot of club teams can pack it for their biggest rivals, and the bigger ones like Iowa State, Ohio U and a lot of others sell out each home game. UNC, NC State, and Duke rent out the PNC Center for when they play each other, it's a bigger stage and statement.

It is a community rink. They don’t get any funds from the University all their travel and fund raising from the fans and the player. The Yum! Center would be really expensive for them to rent at because of the amount of money that is being lost do to the current agreement with the basketball team. The lose of money do to the yum center is why the Hockey team was discussed. The whole situation with the yum center was a “If you build it, They will come” referring to the NBA. Now the NBA isn’t an option they are going to have to put something in there. The Arena for the size of it needs something to occupy it because more and more money is being lost. UofL basketball’s attendencenis really low do to all the scandal as well so UofL isn’t bring in the money and that’s why they are currently renegotiating the lease

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Situation sounds like it could be like the Sprint Center in Kansas City. It was built to attract a pro franchise that never came, pretty much solely to attract the Penguins in 06-07 when the Burgh had ownership and arena issues. Lemieux used the Sprint Center as leverage to get a new publicly funded arena because the city didn't want to lose them. Did a quick look and it says Sprint Center hosts NCAA basketball tournaments and concerts to stay in the black, which is good considering it doesn't have a main tenant.

If it's really expensive to rent from the Yum! Center, I don't think pro team ownership would look at it, even if they could end up practicing at a community rink like some pro teams do. The arena owners could buy a team to fill the empty slots, that's certainly a possibility.

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

Situation sounds like it could be like the Sprint Center in Kansas City. It was built to attract a pro franchise that never came, pretty much solely to attract the Penguins in 06-07 when the Burgh had ownership and arena issues. Lemieux used the Sprint Center as leverage to get a new publicly funded arena because the city didn't want to lose them. Did a quick look and it says Sprint Center hosts NCAA basketball tournaments and concerts to stay in the black, which is good considering it doesn't have a main tenant.

If it's really expensive to rent from the Yum! Center, I don't think pro team ownership would look at it, even if they could end up practicing at a community rink like some pro teams do. The arena owners could buy a team to fill the empty slots, that's certainly a possibility.

Exactly. That’s all I’m saying it’s a possibility. AHL team more than a ECHL or an NHL. Yum! Center is to big for the ECHL that’s why I say that. I don’t think they’d put a team back into Broadbend Arena and I Freedom Hall needs renovations

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I wouldn't count out the Coast and SP because of the situation of the AHL's 31 teams.

• Category 1. Owned by NHL team (16/31): Most have been recently acquired and relocated specifically to be closer for prospect development. When Seattle gets a NHL team, they will put their team in the Pacific Northwest in this manner.
  
• Category 2. Close relationship with NHL team/already geographically advantageous (12/31): Teams that treat and develop prospects so well (Nashville-Milwaukee, Vancouver-Utica, etc.) or are close enough that ownership of the team isn't necessary (Boston-Providence, Dallas-Texas, Philly-Lehigh Valley)
• Category 3. The options (3/31)
  • Springfield (Florida affiliate): Has local ownership and are basing urban revitalization around the team and arena. Will not sell, just signed affiliation with the Cats or they'd be put above.
  • Chicago (Vegas affiliate): Bill Foley is waiting until the organization has enough prospects to fill out a team before he joins Category 1 and moves west to be close to Vegas. Shared with St. Louis in Chicago last year and takes Chicago solely for next year. Leading relocation candidates are Salt Lake City (have ECHL) and Fresno (hosted ECHL, well-supported folded 2008 due to lack of travel partners).
    
  • San Antonio (St. Louis affiliate): Louisville's only AHL hope. They tried to own their team and put it in Kansas City and Indianapolis (both have in EC) but neither worked out (cost of AHL expansion fee+leaving ECHL fee+rink operations). Signed with San Antonio because Colorado will leave it at the end of the year. Can't help but guess they're taking the length of the agreement to find a place to put the team close to home. Heard it won't be KC because Lamar Hunt, who owns the KC-based Mavericks, just bought rights to an USHL team in response to St. Louis trying to budge in because he likes the ECHL-USHL model more than the AHL as I'll explain later.

I'm telling you that unless St. Louis starts showing you guys some interest, there isn't a chance the AHL is going to Louisville. Where they play their preseason games over the next 2-3 years will give you a big hint where they put their AHL team.

For the cavernous arena, they could curtain off the top like a number of teams do. If Louisville is as hockey mad as you say it is, they might like the ECHL better. Their business model is about winning rather than pairing with a NHL team for player development. Quite a few teams rejected AHL opportunities during the recent shuffles because of this. Fort Wayne Comets get ~7800 per game, which would be rank higher than 2/3 of the AHL. Toledo Walleye (~7600), Tulsa Oilers (~6000), and a handful of others get above 5,000 which is the AHL's median attendance. These are mostly long-term non-affiliated minor pro teams (former CHL teams) that have fans who go to games to see the team win rather than develop prospects for a different team.

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

I wouldn't count out the Coast and SP because of the situation of the AHL's 31 teams.

• Category 1. Owned by NHL team (16/31): Most have been recently acquired and relocated specifically to be closer for prospect development. When Seattle gets a NHL team, they will put their team in the Pacific Northwest in this manner.
  
• Category 2. Close relationship with NHL team/already geographically advantageous (12/31): Teams that treat and develop prospects so well (Nashville-Milwaukee, Vancouver-Utica, etc.) or are close enough that ownership of the team isn't necessary (Boston-Providence, Dallas-Texas, Philly-Lehigh Valley)
• Category 3. The options (3/31)
  • Springfield (Florida affiliate): Has local ownership and are basing urban revitalization around the city and arena. Will not sell, just signed affiliation with the Cats or they'd be put above.
  • Chicago (Wolves affiliate): Bill Foley is waiting until the organization has enough prospects to fill out a team before he joins Category 1 and moves the west to be close to Vegas. Shared with St. Louis in Chicago last year and takes Chicago solely for next year. Leading relocation candidates are Salt Lake City (have ECHL) and Fresno (hosted ECHL, well-supported folded 2008 due to lack of travel partners).
    
  • San Antonio (St. Louis affiliate): Really Louisville's only realistic AHL hope. They tried to own their team and put it in Kansas City and Indianapolis (both have EC) but neither worked out (cost of AHL expansion fee+leaving ECHL fee). Signed with San Antonio because Colorado will leave it at the end of the year. Can't help but guess they're taking the length of the agreement to find a place to put the team close to home. Heard it won't be KC because Lamar Hunt, who owns the KC-based Mavericks, just bought rights to an USHL team in response because he likes the ECHL-USHL model more than the AHL as I'll explain.

I'm telling you that unless St. Louis starts showing you guys some interest, there isn't a chance the AHL is going to Louisville. Where they play their preseason games over the next 2-3 years will give you a big hint where they put their AHL team.

For the cavernous arena, they could curtain off the top like a number of teams do. If Louisville is as hockey mad as you say it is, they might like the ECHL better. Their business model is about winning rather than pairing with a NHL team for player development. Quite a few teams rejected AHL opportunities during the recent shuffles because of this. Fort Wayne Comets get ~7800 per game, which would be rank higher than 2/3 of the AHL. Toledo Walleye (~7600), Tulsa Oilers (~6000), and a handful of others get above 5,000 which is the AHL's median attendance. These are mostly long-term non-affiliated minor pro teams (former CHL teams) that have fans who go to games to see the team win rather than develop prospects for a different team.

I guess we will see how it all works out. If St. Louis looks into it, it’ll thrive here. Another route that would help develop the area would be D1 hockey at UofL but that would take many years

WAVE

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

What ACHA division is UofL in and do they get support from the school?

Would love to see NCAA D1 expansion into the south and midwest. Penn State and Arizona helped get the ball rolling and the NHL just funded some feasibility studies with 2/5 schools being U of Illinois and U of Oakland near Detroit. It's a huge cost though and a lot of big schools already hemorrhage so much money on basketball and football programs that hockey just wouldn't work. Illinois' study is here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/fightingillini.com/documents/2018/3/8/hockeyreport_022718.pdf . Not a big basketball or football guy so I love it when people switch from those sports to become hockey fans. Louisville vs Kentucky hockey games would be worth tuning into and I'd rank it up there with the Beanpot games or Mich-Mich State.

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

What ACHA division is UofL in and do they get support from the school?

Would love to see NCAA D1 expansion into the south and midwest. Penn State and Arizona helped get the ball rolling and the NHL just funded some feasibility studies with 2/5 schools being U of Illinois and U of Oakland near Detroit. It's a huge cost though and a lot of big schools already hemorrhage so much money on basketball and football programs that hockey just wouldn't work. Illinois' study is here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/fightingillini.com/documents/2018/3/8/hockeyreport_022718.pdf . Not a big basketball or football guy so I love it when people switch from those sports to become hockey fans. Louisville vs Kentucky hockey games would be worth tuning into and I'd rank it up there with the Beanpot games or Mich-Mich State.

They are division 2 but they are going acha d1 next year. The Louisville Vs Kentucky rivialary is already crazy. They usually have the highest attendance. There will always be the big basketball fans around here but Hockey fans like I said have emerged thanks to the influences from the transplant population and the success of the Nashville Predators being only 2 hours away and then of course the Vegas Golden Knights have influenced around here. I still can’t believe all the VGK merch I see around town and on campus now. I had a conversation with a guy in the comment on page 1 about UofL Possibly going D1 and he mentioned joining the Big Ten in hockey to add another team to the conference. People don’t realize how close Louisville is to the rest of the big ten. Louisville is more like a Midwest City than most people think. Feel the UofL football team will always get funds from the school and Basketball gets majority from alumni the last couple years. With all the scandal talk I can see them cutting funds back or worse if the team gets the death penalty (which I don’t see happening). As for if we ever go D1 I don’t see UK going either thought. No disrespect to hockey fans from Lexington but majority of hockey players in Kentucky are from the Louisville/Owensboro area with spots like Lexington and Bowling Green that have moderate level of players . Louisville gets a lot of kids from southern Indiana play in Louisville. Me being one of them growing up. UofL has a big influence in Southern Indiana

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Moving up in ACHA is a step in the right direction. Ohio U, Iowa State, Lindenwood, and Minot State are some top teams that at the very least could compete at mid-range of NCAA D3. If they manage to fill their roster with tier-3 junior players like a lot of ACHA teams are doing, they could probably elevate their play and do really well. If they do go NCAA, I don't think they would join Big 10. Big 10 only added Notre Dame because they needed the team to make the conference work. They're working to get teams like Iowa and Illinois to join and did their due diligence with Rutgers and Maryland. Big 10 also has a thing with their universities having an on-campus rink, don't see that happening with Louisville.

I see them joining Alabama-Huntsville and other teams in the southeast if the NCAA landscape doesn't change too much. In an ideal world they would join other teams and create an ACC-sponsored hockey conference. BC until a few years ago was a perennial national powerhouse and Notre Dame joined the Big 10 to reduce East Coast travel. Pitt has been strongly linked with a team and Syracuse already sponsors a NCAA D1 women's team. If the Caps follow the NHL's promotion of helping to build the sport through NCAA hockey, Virginia or Virginia Tech could get a team. Get one or two others and the ACC could sponsor hockey.

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

Moving up in ACHA is a step in the right direction. Ohio U, Iowa State, Lindenwood, and Minot State are some top teams that at the very least could compete at mid-range of NCAA D3. If they manage to fill their roster with tier-3 junior players like a lot of ACHA teams are doing, they could probably elevate their play and do really well. If they do go NCAA, I don't think they would join Big 10. Big 10 only added Notre Dame because they needed the team to make the conference work. They're working to get teams like Iowa and Illinois to join and did their due diligence with Rutgers and Maryland. Big 10 also has a thing with their universities having an on-campus rink, don't see that happening with Louisville.

I see them joining Alabama-Huntsville and other teams in the southeast if the NCAA landscape doesn't change too much. In an ideal world they would join other teams and create an ACC-sponsored hockey conference. BC until a few years ago was a perennial national powerhouse and Notre Dame joined the Big 10 to reduce East Coast travel. Pitt has been strongly linked with a team and Syracuse already sponsors a NCAA D1 women's team. If the Caps follow the NHL's promotion of helping to build the sport through NCAA hockey, Virginia or Virginia Tech could get a team. Get one or two others and the ACC could sponsor hockey.

I feel travel would be benefits Louisville if we are in the Big Ten. I don’t consider Louisville the south. It’s at the top of the state right acrossed from Indiana. We are a lot closer to schools like Notre Dame and Ohio state than Huntsville or Virginia

 

[Killion]

I feel travel would be benefits Louisville if we are in the Big Ten. I don’t consider Louisville the south. It’s at the top of the state right acrossed from Indiana. We are a lot closer to schools like Notre Dame and Ohio state than Huntsville or Virginia

... ya, some Blue Bellys consider Kentucky part of the South though really its as much mid-west as its "South"... didnt fight with the South... somewhat similar to like Missouri & Maryland.... My ex Mother n' Law used to call my ex Father n' Law when she was pissed off with him, both from Pennsylvania a "Pennsyltuckian" ..... see, she was a total snob from a seriously old monied background while he was from rural Pennsylvania..... you shoulda heard what she called me but lets no go there, Kentucky had nothing to do with it but Tennessee, Canada, Ireland & alcohol did. Most unpleasant woman Ice Card. Im sure you know the type...... So... it just depends on where you go as to how Kentucky & Kentuckians are perceived, northern or southern part of Kentucky & so on. But no, I dont consider the southern part of the state "The South". Some sociological similarities, cultural but very different in others.

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

... ya, some Blue Bellys consider Kentucky part of the South though really its as much mid-west as its "South"... didnt fight with the South... somewhat similar to like Missouri & Maryland.... My ex Mother n' Law used to call my ex Father n' Law when she was pissed off with him, both from Pennsylvania a "Pennsyltuckian" ..... see, she was a total snob from a seriously old monied background while he was from rural Pennsylvania..... you shoulda heard what she called me but lets no go there, Kentucky had nothing to do with it but Tennessee, Canada, Ireland & alcohol did. Most unpleasant woman Ice Card. Im sure you know the type...... So... it just depends on where you go as to how Kentucky & Kentuckians are perceived, northern or southern part of Kentucky & so on. But no, I dont consider the southern part of the state "The South". Some sociological similarities, cultural but very different in others.

See Im from and live in Southern Indiana but I go to school and work in Louisville. Literally a 10 minute drive from where I live to were I work. The thing with Louisville they are a completely different social structure than the rest of Kentucky. That’s why there’s a lot of hostility with the city government of Louisville/Jefferson County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, mainly politics but I’m not going to go there.

 

[Killion]

See Im from and live in Southern Indiana but I go to school and work in Louisville. Literally a 10 minute drive from where I live to were I work. The thing with Louisville they are a completely different social structure than the rest of Kentucky. That’s why there’s a lot of hostility with the city government of Louisville/Jefferson County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, mainly politics but I’m not going to go there.

Good stuff. We wanna stay away from all of that here on BOH... but.... for Northerners & Canadians who think Kentucky is "The South" they should do some research.... or that even if it was/is "The South" that that = Bad somehow. Its not the market that fails the NHL its the NHL & its Ownership that does that. If the fundamentals are there, wealth & cotporate heft, population, no reason why the game & brand wont succeed. Louisville however, even as a State or regional team, I'm not seeing it as a viable NHL market. AHL, ECHL, College, Junior & Amateur though, absolutely. Lots of in-state & neighboring state rivalries.

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

Good stuff. We wanna stay away from all of that here on BOH... but.... for Northerners & Canadians who think Kentucky is "The South" they should do some research.... or that even if it was/is "The South" that that = Bad somehow. Its not the market that fails the NHL its the NHL & its Ownership that does that. If the fundamentals are there, wealth & cotporate heft, population, no reason why the game & brand wont succeed. Louisville however, even as a State or regional team, I'm not seeing it as a viable NHL market. AHL, ECHL, College, Junior & Amateur though, absolutely. Lots of in-state & neighboring state rivalries.

Any hockey would work like I’ve said. The NHL is a complete long shot but other outlets are more possible

 

[Killion]

Any hockey would work like I’ve said. The NHL is a complete long shot but other outlets are more possible

Absolutely. And so long as you guys dont go building any arenas on the 500+ acre E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park there in Louisville... former site of the State Mental Hospital & Sanitarium and as haunted as all get out.... as in seriously... GET. OUT... dont go in there even on a bet... EVER.... hockey should thrive....

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

Absolutely. And so long as you guys dont go building any arenas on the 500+ acre E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park there in Louisville... former site of the State Mental Hospital & Sanitarium and as haunted as all get out.... as in seriously... GET. OUT... dont go in there even on a bet... EVER.... hockey should thrive....

Yeah Waverly is on the South side of Louisvillle by Irquios Park and I’ve been on a few tours there and it’s creepy for sure. But agreed we just need are shot with the new economy and the fan base

 

[NoDak]

Never thought U Louisville would be serious about hockey, but use the ACC and their upcoming network for leverage. The ACC Network would need programming. Get BC and Notre Dame in on ACC Hockey, then get Pitt and Syracuse and maybe NCSU for six. For more, add Bowling Green, Miami O, W Mich and UAH as affiliates. Alabama has seemed serious too, as they have been scouting ice arenas for ideas to build. It would take awhile to get off the ground, but the ACC seems like the place to start.

YUM Center is too large. Need an arena around 6000 seats to break even. Penn St has established hockey now, and it is the second most popular sport there. UND is rumored to play Penn St at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville after this coming season.

 

[LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS]

Never thought U Louisville would be serious about hockey, but use the ACC and their upcoming network for leverage. The ACC Network would need programming. Get BC and Notre Dame in on ACC Hockey, then get Pitt and Syracuse and maybe NCSU for six. For more, add Bowling Green, Miami O, W Mich and UAH as affiliates. Alabama has seemed serious too, as they have been scouting ice arenas for ideas to build. It would take awhile to get off the ground, but the ACC seems like the place to start.

YUM Center is too large. Need an arena around 6000 seats to break even. Penn St has established hockey now, and it is the second most popular sport there. UND is rumored to play Penn St at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville after this coming season.

The University and the city here has really put a liking you hockey. Like I mentioned the help of Nashville has headed kick start it as well. As for U ofL going D1, I’d see them being in the B10 just because of the location and I don’t see a mass of schools going D1

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

RIP C.M Newton

 

[HisIceness]

Haven't read through the entire thread, but if I were a betting man I would bet that if anything the NBA pops up in Louisville instead, and it's actually not out of the picture that happens. Louisville seems like the kind of town the NBA would be interested in. Outside of the major markets, the league loves the likes of Sacramento, Salt Lake city, Orlando, Memphis, etc. where there isn't any other big 4 competition. It's also not a secret that people in Kentucky love their Basketball. At some point the league will expand, and Louisville and Seattle would be the perfect fits, balance out the conferences too.

I'm quite confident that the NHL has next to no interest in Louisville. AHL yes, but the NHL would probably look at somewhere like Austin before they gave any thought to Kentucky.