Official "How long will the WHA last if it starts up?" with Poll

[Papa Smurf]

Let's say the WHA is official and plans to begin play in October. In your mind, how long do you believe it will last?

Again, let's pretend as if the league is now official.

Do you think:

- It will fold midway through the season like the CBL?
- It will fold after one season like the XFL?
- Will it last for many years but with attendance dropping year-by-year?
- ect...

I think if there is a lockout, the league will last only for as long as the lockout lasts, then people will jump back to the NHL leaving the WHA to suffer a slow and painful death.

If there is not a lockout, then the WHA will fold in mid season, since 40%(ish) of its players will be returning to the NHL.

Click to read more...

 

[beebs]

I'd give it a couple years before it dies away. It'll be a new fad in hockey; kinda like the furbee was.

 

[StevenintheATL]

I have to agree with those that think it will last as long as the NHL lockout does. If the NHL lockout goes into a second NHL season, then maybe the WHA could get firmly entrenched into some additional NHL markets. It would take a minimum of 18-24 months of an NHL lockout for the WHA to have any measure of success. By this point, they would probably be able to infiltrate some additional NHL markets and possibly markets that have AHL or ECHL teams. I can honestly see a trickle-down effect of a protracted NHL lockout. Some minor league teams could fold as a result, and those arenas could be filled with a WHA team. The ECHL always seems to lose a few teams every year, and the WHA could take away players from that league, and more teams in the ECHL could fold.

 

[ForsbergForever]

So the WHA will become a replacement for the failing ECHL? I'm of the opinion that an NHL lockout will not last an entire season with the ultimate solution being a luxury tax that phases in an approx. $45 million limit before the tax comes into effect. Anyway, the WHA could (if it survives an entire season) become a replacement for the ECHL, UHL, CHL (central HL) and maybe even some teams in the AHL. If it can attain some stability during the first year it could slowly expand through the attrition of failing franchises and gain a level of respect and skill but will never be even close to the NHL.

 

[Unholy Diver]

I dont see it making to the opening night

 

[RomanOksiuta]

I see it being similar to the old WHA. The NHL will be locked out for a year, luring some players. Attendance will be decent, not great. After the NHL restarts, a few stars (franchise players) will stay behind and the attendance will drop each year. I'll give it 3 years minimum, 5 maximum. If it really begins to get popular, the NHL will be forced to do something drastic, so it may help us to get better hockey either way.

 

[Son of Steinbrenner]

any league that has a draft without a team having a home (founders franchise) is not making it off the ground.

 

[MePutPuckInNet]

I see it being similar to the old WHA. The NHL will be locked out for a year, luring some players. Attendance will be decent, not great. After the NHL restarts, a few stars (franchise players) will stay behind and the attendance will drop each year. I'll give it 3 years minimum, 5 maximum. If it really begins to get popular, the NHL will be forced to do something drastic, so it may help us to get better hockey either way.

....forced to do something drastic? Like what? force the owners to lure the players back with MORE money?.and then....since they can't really afford to pay them more money - but will still offer the players' contracts for outrageous dollars anyway - they'll be in a similar position as the one they are now in....except it will be WORSE....because they'll still be trying to recover from the "lockout that killed 2005". Nice job Bettman......We can see you've put a tremendous amount of thought into your twisted plan to kill the NHL....

Is Bettman by any chance a shareholder in any of the WHA teams? That could 'splain a few things.....

 

[15+17=Cup]

....forced to do something drastic? Like what? force the owners to lure the players back with MORE money?.and then....since they can't really afford to pay them more money - but will still offer the players' contracts for outrageous dollars anyway - they'll be in a similar position as the one they are now in....except it will be WORSE....because they'll still be trying to recover from the "lockout that killed 2005". Nice job Bettman......We can see you've put a tremendous amount of thought into your twisted plan to kill the NHL....

Is Bettman by any chance a shareholder in any of the WHA teams? That could 'splain a few things.....

Like make the NHL more exciting, with more offensive hockey, like in the 90's, even.
If it gets more exciting they should draw more fans and the NHL will/should be ok again.

 

[Kitsune]

WHA will not get off the ground, and in the slim(0.000000000000000000001%) chance it does get off, it'll collapse mid season. They cant take any criticism, this was clearing shown when they decided to shut down there message board without warning.

 

[Lard_Lad]

Dead before the end of their first season, after teams start to fold when they can't make payroll in mid-year.

 

[puckstrike2k]

I'll give this league a year tops. It just seems so disorganized, sloppy and down right "bush." This league just seems doomed.

 

[Papa Smurf]

By the looks of it, it will end up as the CBL of hockey. After all the CBL was just as disorginized, well, maybe moreso.

 

[Hart_House_Ca]

The problem with the WHA is that its tapping into already established hockey markets that know their hockey and have high standards of hockey players and skill level.

There is no way the WHA will survive in toronto.

If the WHA was smart, they would locate to small town that don't have any pro level of hockey. Going into a city with an NHL market will be the biggest mistake of the WHA.

Search for town like quebec city, winnipeg, saskatoon, halifax etc

 

[Bicycle Repairman]

It just seems so disorganized, sloppy and down right "bush." This league just seems doomed.

That describes the NHL too, to a lot of people.

 

[Papa Smurf]

The problem with the WHA is that its tapping into already established hockey markets that know their hockey and have high standards of hockey players and skill level.

There is no way the WHA will survive in toronto.

If the WHA was smart, they would locate to small town that don't have any pro level of hockey. Going into a city with an NHL market will be the biggest mistake of the WHA.

Search for town like quebec city, winnipeg, saskatoon, halifax etc

Your right, put hockey markets in smaller hockey towns like Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Victoria, ect. Even in the USA, Grand Forks ND, Hartford CT, Billings MT?

 

[Stammer Time*]

One and done.

 

[sketchykg]

Yeah, Hartford would be nice, but Madison Square Garden now manages the Hartford Civic Center, so there's no chance that a WHA team could play there.

 

[pld459666]

the best medicine for anything

is competition.

It would serve the NHL a great purpose if the WHA started and was very very enjoyable.

It would push the NHLPA and the NHL to get their stuff together and ice a product that we cna all be happy with.

I hope the WHA is around for at least 5-10 years.

 

[Hart_House_Ca]

The WHA is not competition. People are investing millions of dollars into this business and to have them lose money will be very sad. The hockey market is saturated with so many leagues. I'm not sure what the niche/target market for the WHA is but I'm certain they won't find it in a city with an NHL club.

Although I do see a market for the WHA in small but growing cities that are constantly trying to get an NHL club, those cities could be test markets for future NHL Clubs. In reality, the AHL should be more worried about the WHA than the NHL.

Right now, I don't think the WHA has a game plan thats solid enough. Instead they are taking the opportunity to quickly launch in a very opportunistic time with the pending lockout.

Tips for the WHA. Locate in all those cities that have requested NHL clubs. Understand that you are niche market such as arena football. You say you are offering affordable prices for pro level hockey, well your competition will be the AHL not the NHL since you have a very low salary cap. Work with the NHL, dont' act as if you're taking over but that you want to be a partner. Maybe start out as a development league. (This will probably be the only way the sign any of those players they apparenlty drafted). Tell us who your market is, what makes you different from what we have besides affordable prices. What makes you game diferent from the NHL, AHL ???

 

[Mooseheads@HF]

I see it as the second coming the the CBL (Canadian Baseball League) with the same fate

 

[HughJass*]

If the WHA becomes another IHL is that a bad thing?

I'm getting a bit miffed about all the WHA bashing. If they become another IHL then I call it a success. I'm sick of the "this league looks doomed" and "they won't last but a year". Yeah, if I was a business man I would throw my money into a doomed league too.

Stop with all the pessimistic thinking and stop trying predict things before it gets started. I can't believe all the negativity towards this league. Last time I checked, the WHA isn't going to replace the NHL...it will only be another professional league as a stop-gap for the NHL and a haven for players who want another circuit to try out.

Money talks, and a lot of players not in the NHL (or low level NHL players) will walk. The money sounds like it's there, so just take a wait & see approach instead of knocking it so unjustly.

 

[LaLaLaprise]

a) They dont have GM's
b) They dont have Hockey Arena lease agreements
c) Some teams dont have names
d) They dont have coaches
e) They expect fans to watch AHL hockey for 60 bucks

HMM is there any reason for us to be optimistic??

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

a) They dont have GM's
b) They dont have Hockey Arena lease agreements
c) Some teams dont have names
d) They dont have coaches
e) They expect fans to watch AHL hockey for 60 bucks

HMM is there any reason for us to be optimistic??

YES.........VAGNERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 

[LaLaLaprise]

YES.........VAGNERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

LOL VAGNER!!

I cant believe Halifax picked him.