Jeremy Jacobs sends a strong signal Houston is next but relocation is unlikely

[Fenway]

Jacobs did an interview on Bruins radio on Monday. Seems to think there will be no relocation......so



Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs Interview


While recent expansion talk has centered on the success of the Vegas Golden Knightsand the pending entry of a Seattle-based team, at least one member of the NHL's executive committee sees unearthed value in bringing a team to Houston.

"I look at where we can make the greatest impressions and have the most effectiveness," Boston Bruins owner and NHL executive committee chairman Jeremy Jacobs told 98.5 The Sports Hub. "Clearly the one area that is missing is Houston because that's such a great city."

Jacobs did not indicate whether he thinks the NHL should enter Houston through expansion or relocation, but added, "We don't have any really poor cities anymore. They're continuing to flourish."

Click to read more...

 

[Melrose Munch]

Knew it... @gstommylee told you.

So will team 34 be Portland or QC?

 

[gstommylee]

Coyotes is flourishing? Oh give me a break. I'm calling him out on that. I doubt Houston is going to be willing to pay 650m or higher for expansion fee.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Knew it... @gstommylee told you.

So will team 34 be Portland or QC?

Atlanta

 

[gstommylee]

Atlanta

After their last team was kicked out of the arena i don't think so. Nevermind who's going to pay 650m+ for a expansion team. There were only 2 willing to turn in a bid when it was only at 500. Seattle at 650 but it was only Seattle be allowed to turn in a bid I doubt any one else was willing to turn one in anyways.

 

[Noldo]

Did Jacobs won the concessions agreement for Houston arena?

Seriously speaking Houston could definitely be a fit. I just find it hard to imagine that the League would expand to 34 because at some point the connections between the teams would become quite thin (you either see some teams in a building once every two years, splitting practically the League into separate East and West conferences or there is too little games left for established rivalries which carry more value for the owners).

 

[Fenway]

Coyotes is flourishing? Oh give me a break. I'm calling him out on that. I doubt Houston is going to be willing to pay 650m or higher for expansion fee.

I only can pass on what the man said and provided the audio.

I believe Arizona will wind up in Houston but I was also convinced Quebec would have a team by now.

Eugene Melnyk is the joker in what happens next. If he can't get a new arena in Ottawa, he may look hard at Quebec and the key is his existing deal with Bell (TSN/RDS)

TSN5 and RDS have the same footprint

 

[Fenway]

After their last team was kicked out of the arena i don't think so. Nevermind who's going to pay 650m+ for a expansion team. There were only 2 willing to turn in a bid when it was only at 500. Seattle at 650 but it was only Seattle be allowed to turn in a bid I doubt any one else was willing to turn one in anyways.

What happened with both Atlanta franchises was tragic for the fans in that area.

Atlanta 1.0 was doomed when rich oil people in Calgary were aghast that Edmonton had a NHL team and made the Atlanta Flames owners an offer they could not refuse.

Atlanta 2.0 is far more complicated and we only learned after ASG sold the team to Winnipeg that ASG was concerned the NHL Thrashers were drawing affluent whites to hockey and NBA Hawks fans were deemed too black for ASG's liking.

 

[MikeCubs]

Hey speaking of Houston it looks like a major arena overhaul is in the works

Toyota Center Upgrades on Tap? - Arena Digest
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta teases future of Toyota Center as stadium turns 15


Snip-
For right now, the team has plenty of time remaining on a lease that runs through 2033 and has not committed to an extension beyond that date. However, it appears that they could make long-term upgrades to the facility. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta did not offer specifics on what those changes may look like, but suggested that a “major overhaul” could be on the way.
Fertitta hasn’t committed to sign a new lease at Toyota Center — the current lease runs through 2033 — though he understands the value of both the location and the building itself. “It’s a great building,” he says. “And now that you have cities expanding the way they have, you’re running out of land to build a project like Toyota Center.”

Snip from link 2-
With internal plans already in place, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rockets extend their lease at Toyota Center in the coming years much the way the Astros did. It makes sense not only because it is still a very good facility, but also because of where it sits, a point of emphasis for Fertitta:
“You’re not going to find a better location than the Toyota Center.”

Recently the Astros extended their lease at Minute Maid Park(which opened in 2000) until 2050. There is talk of a ballpark village ala St. Louis.

 

[TheLegend]

Coyotes is flourishing? Oh give me a break. I'm calling him out on that. I doubt Houston is going to be willing to pay 650m or higher for expansion fee.

Well Tommy.... Jacobs is probably one of a very small number of people within the NHL who know exactly where the Coyotes are at right now. So call him out all you want but he's in a position to know many things you don't.

It's also not a matter of Houston willing to pay $650M+...... it's what the league is going to charge for an expansion and if they want one bad enough they'll pay it. NHL has all the time in the world.... and the price will simply continue to go up as time goes by. Remember..... nobody thought someone would pay $1.4 BILLION for a team and arena in Seattle. But here we are....

 

[Sam Spade]

Hurricanes playing to an empty lower bowl last night, Panthers/Coyotes arenas will be empty after game one as well but sure let's add more teams.

 

[Mightygoose]

So I guess Fertitta's 'hockey struggles south of the Mason-Dixon Line' comment didn't rub rub league the wrong way after all.

Nice choice of words from Mr. Jacobs. There are no poor cities anymore.....which is different than..poor franchises

 

[Fenian24]

Well Tommy.... Jacobs is probably one of a very small number of people within the NHL who know exactly where the Coyotes are at right now. So call him out all you want but he's in a position to know many things you don't.

It's also not a matter of Houston willing to pay $650M+...... it's what the league is going to charge for an expansion and if they want one bad enough they'll pay it. NHL has all the time in the world.... and the price will simply continue to go up as time goes by. Remember..... nobody thought someone would pay $1.4 BILLION for a team and arena in Seattle. But here we are....

He also is, and always will be until Satan calls him home, one of the biggest scumbags in existence and most damaging voices in hockey. The fact that Bettman listens to him is all I need to know about Bettmean. His whole family is evil as far as I am concerned but Monty Burns is a special level cretinous

 

[Melrose Munch]

Atlanta

Should be ATL but the NHL is scared. Dont see how you can not have 2 major media markets and stay ahead of the MLS though.

 

[gstommylee]

Well Tommy.... Jacobs is probably one of a very small number of people within the NHL who know exactly where the Coyotes are at right now. So call him out all you want but he's in a position to know many things you don't.

It's also not a matter of Houston willing to pay $650M+...... it's what the league is going to charge for an expansion and if they want one bad enough they'll pay it. NHL has all the time in the world.... and the price will simply continue to go up as time goes by. Remember..... nobody thought someone would pay $1.4 BILLION for a team and arena in Seattle. But here we are....

It actually helps having the right people willing to take on that kind of expense knowingly there will be zero public funds. Seattle folks is custom to people demanding the government pay for it hence the i-91 law in Seattle and the anti public subsidy in general.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Prediction: Houston will not pay 650 million for an NHL team, just imo. The NHL is in a weak position here. They need Houston more then Houston needs them.

 

[powerstuck]

Atlanta

Sure, when are the shovels hitting the ground in Georgia ?

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Prediction: Houston will not pay 650 million for an NHL team, just imo. The NHL is in a weak position here. They need Houston more then Houston needs them.

State Farm Arena eliminated its hockey configuration The Toyota center is also getting upgrades but hopefully they wont be the same as Atlanta

 

[LT]

Hurricanes playing to an empty lower bowl last night, Panthers/Coyotes arenas will be empty after game one as well but sure let's add more teams.

Do you have anything productive to add?

 

[BigFatCat999]

Jacobs did an interview on Bruins radio on Monday. Seems to think there will be no relocation......so



Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs Interview


While recent expansion talk has centered on the success of the Vegas Golden Knightsand the pending entry of a Seattle-based team, at least one member of the NHL's executive committee sees unearthed value in bringing a team to Houston.

"I look at where we can make the greatest impressions and have the most effectiveness," Boston Bruins owner and NHL executive committee chairman Jeremy Jacobs told 98.5 The Sports Hub. "Clearly the one area that is missing is Houston because that's such a great city."

Jacobs did not indicate whether he thinks the NHL should enter Houston through expansion or relocation, but added, "We don't have any really poor cities anymore. They're continuing to flourish."

The NHLPA should frame this and present it to be next CBA negotiation.

 

[StreetHawk]

Did Jacobs won the concessions agreement for Houston arena?

Seriously speaking Houston could definitely be a fit. I just find it hard to imagine that the League would expand to 34 because at some point the connections between the teams would become quite thin (you either see some teams in a building once every two years, splitting practically the League into separate East and West conferences or there is too little games left for established rivalries which carry more value for the owners).

Houston could have had a team in the late 90’S expansion. There were 3 bids from Houston. But the City wanted to know who would get the team first before they discussed how to find a new arena since it would be shared with the rockets.

NHL wanted it the other way and wanted the stadium in place first so they bypassed Houston.

When Les Alexander finally got the arena deal he said I got spurned by the NHL twice, so I don’t need them. So a 15 year old Toyota Center has not hosted an NHL team.

Where was Jacobs back then? Houston then was still a top 5-7 metro area.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Houston could have had a team in the late 90’S expansion. There were 3 bids from Houston. But the City wanted to know who would get the team first before they discussed how to find a new arena since it would be shared with the rockets.

NHL wanted it the other way and wanted the stadium in place first so they bypassed Houston.

When Les Alexander finally got the arena deal he said I got spurned by the NHL twice, so I don’t need them. So a 15 year old Toyota Center has not hosted an NHL team.

Where was Jacobs back then? Houston then was still a top 5-7 metro area.

the WHA Aeros Folded a year before the league merged with the NHL teams like the Bruins and Rangers would have most likely voted for Houston over Hartford

 

[gstommylee]

State Farm Arena eliminated its hockey configuration The Toyota center is also getting upgrades but hopefully they wont be the same as Atlanta

Why would the rocket's owner make upgrade to make to where it would not make it possible host hockey when he said he wants a hockey team there if it makes sense financial sense.

 

[tony d]

Houston deserves a team for sure, can't see the NHL going past 32 teams though. Figure they'll be the landing spot for the Coyotes should they relocate.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Why would the rocket's owner make upgrade to make to where it would not make it possible host hockey when he said he wants a hockey team there if it makes sense financial sense.

same reason the Barclay center wanted the islanders out other events can make more money than the NHL