NHL move to Winnipeg 'a step back'

[New User Name]

A billionaire is okay with spending 170 million to bring a team to Winnipeg, yet we have some questioning him. How funny is that?

 

[Cooperalls]

The only 'step back' the NHL has taken was when Battman became commish.

 

[Southern Oil]

I see it differently than you. I don't think many Winnipeg fans are happy to see the Thrashers leave. Seems whatever excuses some Canadians have come up with for the moving of the Jets and QC back in the 1990's are bogus reasons but the reasons for Atlanta and other teams are legit.

All I know is the Jets and QC didn't get any financial help from the NHL, yet other teams are receiving millions in revenue sharing.

And we know if not for the dysfunctional owners of the Thrashers, Winnipeg would still not have a team.

Put the blame where it belongs.

PS I doubt the majority of Americans cared when the Jets and QC left. Are Canadians to be held to a higher standard?

I follow some of your points but not others. Basically what I see is a Phoenix team that has at least won a few games, is way out in the outskirts of the city, getting full NHL support to exist, getting bank rolled by the local city council and probably next year will be in the exact same position. I think there are structural faults here.

Let's look at Atlanta. I would feel at ease with this whole thing had they actually won a few games in the playoffs - maybe even a round or two + had a good ownership group. Then I could just say to the folks here - snooze you lose. But that's not the case. I don't see structural faults in this city when it comes to hockey. All that I can conclude is that:
- the Atlanta Spirit (owners) are all up on spirits &
- Don Waddell doesn't know the first thing about running a hockey club - he ran it for what like 12 years!!!

But I still can't equate those two things with - "Lets move the team to Winnipeg"

Further - I don't see a whole lot of people here on this board pointing that out.

EDIT: on the last point - all Canadians like to sell the game as "Our Game!" Shouldn't we be held to a higher standard?

 

[Melrose Munch]

I can think of at least 1 reason why at least I would not want to play in Florida, the "ice", if you can call it that, sucks there, so what if the weather is so nice, it's too nice for good ice.

Who cares when you are getting that paycheck?

I wouldn't

 

[BB79]

Sometimes you need to take one step back (putting Thrasher fans through hell) to take two steps foward (moving ATL to WPG and PHX to Quebec a year from now)

This league would be a lot healthier with Winnipeg and Quebec and minus Phoenix and Atlanta IMO.

 

[New User Name]

I follow some of your points but not others. Basically what I see is a Phoenix team that has at least won a few games, is way out in the outskirts of the city, getting full NHL support to exist, getting bank rolled by the local city council and probably next year will be in the exact same position. I think there are structural faults here.

Let's look at Atlanta. I would feel at ease with this whole thing had they actually won a few games in the playoffs - maybe even a round or two + had a good ownership group. Then I could just say to the folks here - snooze you lose. But that's not the case. I don't see structural faults in this city when it comes to hockey. All that I can conclude is that:
- the Atlanta Spirit (owners) are all up on spirits &
- Don Waddell doesn't know the first thing about running a hockey club - he ran it for what like 12 years!!!

But I still can't equate those two things with - "Lets move the team to Winnipeg"

Further - I don't see a whole lot of people here on this board pointing that out.

Gary Bettman (an American) was the first to suggest if the Yotes leave, they should go back to Winnipeg.

The fans of Winnipeg jumped on that, who wouldn't?

 

[Bobster231*]

People who say its a step back can ****!


Chipman and Thomson the most wealthiest owners and the most stable and secure franchise in the entire league.

A mad hockey market, sold out every single night equals success.


Anyone else who doesn't see that is out to lunch. Give your fricken head a shake.

 

[Southern Oil]

Sometimes you need to take one step back (putting Thrasher fans through hell) to take two steps foward (moving ATL to WPG and PHX to Quebec a year from now)

This league would be a lot healthier with Winnipeg and Quebec and minus Phoenix and Atlanta IMO.

We'll see if you are right. Of course in the mean time all of these types of statements are just total BS. None of us know for that matter. Maybe it would be best to just contract these two teams and not move them at all.

 

[ps241]

I'm assuming there will be losses in the first year because it take more than 30 days or so to build a season ticket base. I also figure that if Chipman et. al. want to build a winner, they are very likely going to add a lot of salary in the off-season.

Interesting take....that could be the case....I assume their revenue side will be pretty solid due to the honeymoon effect but they might want to invest a bit initially to make a splash......from what I know TNSE are very pragmatic....I would be surprised if they didn't do very well on their initial offering for season tickets, luxury suites etc but time will tell......allot of the one time transaction costs associated with the aquisition and relocation could lead to a pretty expensive fiscal year 1

 

[New User Name]

We'll see if you are right. Of course in the mean time all of these types of statements are just total BS. None of us know for that matter. Maybe it would be best to just contract these two teams and not move them at all.

Unbelievable comment. You can't have it then no one can.

Reminds me of the Judgment of Solomon.

 

[Southern Oil]

Gary Bettman (an American) was the first to suggest if the Yotes leave, they should go back to Winnipeg.

The fans of Winnipeg jumped on that, who wouldn't?

First off, I could care less if Gary Bettman was from Mars. No offense.

I don't think you and I are far off really in agreeing.

My point is - let's move the Yotes. I think they have had the kick at the can. I don't understand why the NHL stands behind them like they do, but when it comes to the Thrashers all you hear are crickets.

I would have liked to have seen a somewhat successful hockey club - say like the Predators with stable ownership. Then if this city didn't support it, go ahead and put it in Saskatoon for all I care - I'm an Oil fan to the death. But then we would all have proof that it was about this market and the economics.

We didn't get that chance. So I can't conclude it's about this market or the economics, here in Atlanta.

But the vast majority of posters pretend like that's exactly what it's about.

 

[adolfz]

The only 'step back' the NHL has taken was when Battman became commish.

Good post. He needs to go back to basketball or whatever else he likes deep inside him. I hate him, but he's great businessman and owners need leadership.
His success - CBA
His failure - most of expansion teams, the vision itself. Two more teams need to be moved North and probably two is to be lost.

I have no problem with hockey being a niche sport, trying to make it to appeal to everybody would lose a lots of it attractiveness and would risk losing real fans like me, for example. Strictly from business point of view it's not a good strategy. I think Battman's main problem is that he doesn't understand the game and the values. It's not emotional, the best leaders are the fans of the product

 

[Southern Oil]

Unbelievable comment. You can't have it then no one can.

Reminds me of the Judgment of Solomon.

Oh stop! All my point was is - let's stop and think about all of the options and the economics of all this. No one really is though IMO. All they are really doing is putting up emotional arguments while skipping over things that can be fixed here in Atlanta in the short term IMO

I would prefer if most would just say:

"dammit - I couldn't stand when the Jets left town and I really want them back at all costs, be it from Atlanta, Detroit, where ever."

That's not what I see on these boards though.

 

[New User Name]

Oh stop! All my point was is - let's stop and think about all of the options and the economics of all this. No one really is though IMO. All they are really doing is putting up emotional arguments while skipping over things that can be fixed here in Atlanta in the short term IMO

I would prefer if most would just say:

"dammit - I couldn't stand when the Jets left town and I really want them back at all costs, be it from Atlanta, Detroit, where ever."

That's not what I see on these boards though.

You have dysfunctional owners in Atlanta that don't want the team.

You have a city (Glendale) willing to (again) hand over 25 million to the NHL.

You have a billionaire that wants a team in Winnipeg.

if you were Gary, what would you do?

 

[Gump Hasek]

We didn't get that chance. So I can't conclude it's about this market or the economics, here in Atlanta.

But the vast majority of posters pretend like that's exactly what it's about.

It speaks exactly to the market there though. I won't focus upon the "why" the Thrashers are for sale but rather solely that they are in fact for sale. They have been for sale for a few years via an investment bank charged with soliciting bids for either a partnership with ASG or for full ownership, and no suitable bids have been uncovered to date. Yet in Winnipeg a partnership is bidding 170 million(ish) for the right to host the franchise.

The value of an asset is what someone is willing to pay for it when up for sale; the market has spoken.

It is precisely about the economics there. Prospective owners have reviewed the books and balked.

 

[Gnashville]

The only 'step back' the NHL has taken was when Battman became commish.

Bruce Wayne is the NHL commish also????

 

[Duke749]

You have dysfunctional owners in Atlanta that don't want the team.

You have a city (Glendale) willing to (again) hand over 25 million to the NHL.

You have a billionaire that wants a team in Winnipeg.

if you were Gary, what would you do?

His hand has pretty much been forced at this point thanks to ASG.

 

[New User Name]

Bruce Wayne is the NHL commish also????

probably a typo. Like when people typed Baldsilly.

 

[Gnashville]

probably a typo. Like when people typed Baldsilly.

Baldsilly is his nickname given to him by ESPN's John Buccigross during the Pittsburgh sale. Fitting name no hair and the silliness he brought to the NHL. Demanding things be done his way.

 

[arsmaster*]

Didn't read the whole thread, didn't even read a single post.

A step back the OP says.


Kinda like that backward step to put a team back in Atlanta right? Atlanta didnt work because people didnt like hockey in the 70's and still dont, it shows.

The NHL didnt work in Winnipeg because of the Canadian dollar, not because people dont like hockey.

If the NHL's revenue holds where it is today I am happy....I could care less if we aren't going to get more fans with a team in Canada...at least the people who care actually have a team.

Phoenix, Florida, and Atlanta are jokes.....hockey is about 10th for sports there, at least in the 'Peg it will be #1 by a lot.

 

[danishh]

this thread has clearly run its course.

please continue the discussions here with the little voices in your head. or anywhere but another thread.