Part 6: True North Sports & Entertainment's efforts to acquire an NHL team (Winnipeg)

[TaketheCannoli]

I would be willing to commit for 3 years as well.

That being said, I know people who would be purchasing season tickets right along with me that just can't afford a three year commitment.

Three years is a long time. A person could move out of the city, lose his job, get a serious illness...

We don't even know for sure what kind of prices that we are going to be dealing with, yet we are supposed to commit for three years? That is likely in the area of a $12,000 investment. I don't know about you, but I would say the average Winnipegger doesn't have $12,000 just lying around...

The requirement in Columbus was 5 years for season ticket buyers, 10 years for corporate luxury suites. Not to mention both were required to buy Personal Seat Licenses as well.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Flames and Oilers claim they will lose a lot of money if Phoenix comes back. - Hotstove

 

[htpwn]

Glenn Healy says Colangelo could be trying to put group together for Phoenix. If the team relocates, Doan would likely be offered a trade if he wants one.

LeBrun says schedule usually done by late May, but it could bleed into June if needed.

 

[BrianSTC]

The requirement in Columbus was 5 years for season ticket buyers, 10 years for corporate luxury suites. Not to mention both were required to buy Personal Seat Licenses as well.

Maybe that contributes to their attendance problems that they seem to have now?

 

[Fugu]

Flames and Oilers claim they will lose a lot of money if Phoenix comes back. - Hotstove

Isn't there a MASSIVE province between them? Can they both really be getting that much money from the Winnipeg base?

 

[Dado]

Posturing for a slice of the Relo fee, I imagine.

 

[JUMBOcanuck]

Isn't there a MASSIVE province between them? Can they both really be getting that much money from the Winnipeg base?

If anything they may lose their fans in Saskatchewan.

 

[TaketheCannoli]

Maybe that contributes to their attendance problems that they seem to have now?

Possibly but doubtful. The PSLs might actually be helping season ticket sales.

Their attendance issues are more about the breach of trust between the team and the fanbase. People are very angry here.

Frankly, as a Columbus season ticketholder, I wish they would move the Blue Jackets to Winnipeg.

Well not really, I wouldn't wish that upon you. That would be cruel of me.

 

[ps241]

If anything they may lose their fans in Saskatchewan.

Melrose i believe they said it more rumour style and that the flames and Oilers "might" lose up to a million or Two Million a year? he didn't flush out why but Jumbo kind of caught "a" primary reason and i assume it would be a division of regional TV rights in Saskatchewan......a three way deal vs a two way deal possibly.....i would have liked a bit more meat to the rumour. Healy was quick to disagree and he felt it would be more than offset but the rivalry of having 4 western canadian teams playing 6 times a year and that TV stations were clamouring for more inventory and would be all over it. very likely this will be a non factor in the outcome

 

[Jesus Christ Horburn]

The requirement in Columbus was 5 years for season ticket buyers, 10 years for corporate luxury suites. Not to mention both were required to buy Personal Seat Licenses as well.

I believe the selling some number of season tickets are a requirement for all expansions and relocations.

This is from Columbus' historical timeline:

May 1, 2000 – Team officials meet with NHL executives in New York and it is determined that the Blue Jackets have met all requirements for admission into the league, including the sale of over 12,000 season tickets. As a recognized franchise, the Blue Jackets may now officially actively participate in all NHL-related matters.

http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=48071

 

[danishh]

^^^

Manitoba is part of Sportsnet West so they're in Flames and Oilers territory.

i'm wondering, if winnipeg does come back, does anyone else think it would be a good idea for sportsnet to create a new "praries" region with manitoba and saskatchewan? Would be good to prevent conflicts with the alberta games.

 

[TaketheCannoli]

I believe the selling some number of season tickets are a requirement for all expansions and relocations.

This is from Columbus' historical timeline:



http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=48071

Right, I believe the NHL always requires this of a new franchise. The five year commitment is another matter and the Personal Seat Licenses were an approach to get the fans to pay a major portion of the costs for construction of the arena. Columbus did it and Toronto did it as well.

I believe if a buyer reneged on the 5 year commitment, they forfeited their PSL. At least the contract states that if the holder fails to renew at any time, they forfeit the PSL. Mine were $6000.

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

I would think Sportsnet would just put Jets games on Sportsnet one. We have Sportsnet Oilers and Sportsnet Flames as a part of Sportsnet one so wouldn't they make Sportsnet Jets and put all the games on there? Say 50 games on sportsnet Jets/Oilers/Flames, and the other 32 split between CBC and TSN? I think this makes sense...

 

[BrianSTC]

i'm wondering, if winnipeg does come back, does anyone else think it would be a good idea for sportsnet to create a new "praries" region with manitoba and saskatchewan? Would be good to prevent conflicts with the alberta games.

I never understood why Sportsnet just automatically assumed Winnipeg fans would turn to the Oilers or Flames. In reality, I would say the Winnipeg fans cheer for Vancouver more than the other two. I mean, we do have their farm team located here

 

[rojac]

I would think Sportsnet would just put Jets games on Sportsnet one. We have Sportsnet Oilers and Sportsnet Flames as a part of Sportsnet one so wouldn't they make Sportsnet Jets and put all the games on there? Say 50 games on sportsnet Jets/Oilers/Flames, and the other 32 split between CBC and TSN? I think this makes sense...

That's a possibility. I also suspect that many CBC games would only be on CBC Winnipeg just like many CBC Sens games only air on CBC Ottawa.

 

[rojac]

I never understood why Sportsnet just automatically assumed Winnipeg fans would turn to the Oilers or Flames. In reality, I would say the Winnipeg fans cheer for Vancouver more than the other two. I mean, we do have their farm team located here

I'm pretty sure that the TV regions are purely geographical as decided primarily by the NHL. And they're certainly not going to decide things like TV territories based on something as transient as a farm team.

 

[Steve Passless*]

One solution could be that Sask gets all three teams, and Manitoba gets the Flames and Oilers when the Jets don't play. That's fairly amenable, no?

 

[danishh]

One solution could be that Sask gets all three teams, and Manitoba gets the Flames and Oilers when the Jets don't play. That's fairly amenable, no?

makes more sense to me to forcefeed the jets to saskatchewan, and if you want to watch the alberta teams pay up for a timeshifted channel.

 

[Steve Passless*]

Yeah, maybe, but there are probably too many Flames and Oilers fans in the province to just take the teams away from them. There needs to be some solution that makes all three teams equally available to our friends in Swift Current.

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

Regardless of who does or doesn't have $12K lying around for hockey tickets, it's incredibly insulting that the NHL is pushing this demand. They didn't do it for crazy shots in the dark like Miami, Atlanta Part Deux, or, of course, Phoenix. But hey, it's Canada, so let's screw those hosers to the wall!

You're comparing season ticket "demands" from 18, 11, and 15 years ago respectively in cities that are 8, 7, and 6 times the size of Winnipeg respectively, whose buildings are 13%, 24%, and 17% larger than MTSC respectively, and you're surprised that the benchmarks are different?

Such NHL-hates-Canada bellyaching is embarrassing to Canadians who are capable of critical thinking. If you really thought that Gary Bettman was "out to get" Canada, you wouldn't waste your time watching his league.

There is currently nothing to prove that Winnipeg is a financial slam-dunk for the league - all we've heard is "We want a team really really bad". Well guess what, I want a hot tub on my balcony really really bad, but I'm not going to cough up the four grand to make it happen anytime soon. If the city wants a team half as badly as the cries would suggest, there shouldn't be any problem finding people to buy these tickets.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

Right, I believe the NHL always requires this of a new franchise. The five year commitment is another matter and the Personal Seat Licenses were an approach to get the fans to pay a major portion of the costs for construction of the arena. Columbus did it and Toronto did it as well.

I believe if a buyer reneged on the 5 year commitment, they forfeited their PSL. At least the contract states that if the holder fails to renew at any time, they forfeit the PSL. Mine were $6000.

Assuming that re-location happens this spring, I actually think True North should ask for a 5-year commitment for the club seats at MTS center and a 5 - 7 year commitment for the suites. They are the ones making the commitment of $170 million and they should be able to guarantee themselves as much revenue as possible.

 

[peter sullivan]

Yeah, maybe, but there are probably too many Flames and Oilers fans in the province to just take the teams away from them. There needs to be some solution that makes all three teams equally available to our friends in Swift Current.

i agree....most saskatchewanders (is that what they call themselves?) are alberta team fans....most have half of their families living in calgary, edmonton or fort mcmurray, so there is a natural connection.

 

[peter sullivan]

Y
There is currently nothing to prove that Winnipeg is a financial slam-dunk for the league - all we've heard is "We want a team really really bad". Well guess what, I want a hot tub on my balcony really really bad, but I'm not going to cough up the four grand to make it happen anytime soon. If the city wants a team half as badly as the cries would suggest, there shouldn't be any problem finding people to buy these tickets.

i dont think there will be any problem selling out the season ticket drive in a matter of days.

 

[peter sullivan]

this is why the team should be called Winnipeg and not Manitoba!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlAZD9Xx5-Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_912783&v=3SvP6kLvohY&feature=iv

 

[OilerTyler]

Flames and Oilers claim they will lose a lot of money if Phoenix comes back. - Hotstove

The Oilers and Flames didn't claim anything, the people on hotstove were just mentioning that a team in Phoenix would result in the two Albertan teams losing money. I don't think the Flames or Oilers would ever publicly express their concerns about a team in Winnipeg.