...Bettman said Fehr "Trust me?"
We have no way of knowing if Bettman did make or not remark in private about the subject. Something like this. "Yes we are asking you to lower your share HRR but we are also working on removing a few drain to HRR soon." It all speculation.I dont know for sure QcB, but I'd be very surprised if Bettman would back then have tipped his hand, shown his cards to Fehr in openly stating that Quebec was a definite destination for the Coyotes. He's been very careful not to go that far, simply mumbling words to the affect that "both Seattle & Quebec would be good markets" or whatever. The company line & talking points with the public, the media & I would think the NHLPA has been "we continue to work towards finalising a sale in Glendale" and any talk of relocation & specific markets dismissed beyond the aforementioned platitudes. Indeed, the relationship between the league & the PA, between Bettman & Fehr doesnt strike me as being very cordial, that Gary would even feel it was any of the NHLPA's business where the Coyotes wind up, where any teams located. Wasnt even a topic the NHL was willing to discuss during the CBA negotiations.
Future tinkering
The league-wide memo indicates the NHL and the NHLPA will meet after the 2015-16 season to see if this is working, "or earlier if circumstances warrant." So there's your "out" for expansion or relocation, should one (or both) of those possibilities exist.
But, barring that, both sides are committing to this for three years. It's a good plan and makes a lot of sense. It must still be approved by the NHL's Board of Governors and the players, but given their history, what could possibly go wrong?
QC and any other NA city is not ready for a team.
<<Checking to see if this is the Quebec thread>>
I dont know for sure QcB, but I'd be very surprised if Bettman would back then have tipped his hand, shown his cards to Fehr in openly stating that Quebec was a definite destination for the Coyotes. He's been very careful not to go that far, simply mumbling words to the affect that "both Seattle & Quebec would be good markets" or whatever. The company line & talking points with the public, the media & I would think the NHLPA has been "we continue to work towards finalising a sale in Glendale" and any talk of relocation & specific markets dismissed beyond the aforementioned platitudes. Indeed, the relationship between the league & the PA, between Bettman & Fehr doesnt strike me as being very cordial, that Gary would even feel it was any of the NHLPA's business where the Coyotes wind up, where any teams located. Wasnt even a topic the NHL was willing to discuss during the CBA negotiations.
Quebec should play in the "MidWest" like Winnipeg played in the SouthEast until they realign again later.
Welcome. Hope I helped to clear that up?....
I believe the league has precluded relocation to Quebec with their realignment plan. If the league had any contingency plan for Quebec they would have left Columbus or Detroit in the West. They would not have put 16 teams in the east and 14 in the west if they had any inkling that the Coyotes would move to the east. It took years to move Detroit, Dallas, and Columbus into their new divisions. I can not see how any of those teams would voluntarily move back to a bad alignment after one or two seasons.
Or actually, fyp.
Exactly what is the "arbitrary convention" that you have in mind? I'm not aware of any conventions on realignment.
I interpet realignment to have been a thoughtful decision-making process that would be completely surprising if it did not take an imminent move of the Coyotes to QC into account.
If such a move were at all likely, the NHL could have held off announcing realignment until franchise locations were settled.
I'm no more or less happy whatever happens to the Coyotes - Phoenix, Quebec, Seattle or Timbuktu are all fine with me. It's not like I'm rooting against QC.
The only way I could see QC in the cards is if the NHL has an understanding with Columbus that their move to the Eastern Conference is conditional upon the situation in QC. That could well be the case and outside our knowledge.
However, based on all we do know (which, frankly, is not really all that much) Phoenix to QC does not look at all likely; the complicated re-realignment scenarios are even less likely; and Detroit going back to the Western Conference is a non-starter.
i'm still baffled by how many posters here seem to think the current realignment plan will greatly affect where the coyotes get placed. surely the league has various plans.
Phoenix LXXV: Trust me
Georgia has rather high income taxes, but t'was a nice try.
That's exactly it. Why make the announcement if it's only a matter of 2-3 months to announcing a move to QC?
I think it's not set in stone, and the only thing we really can take away from the realignment plan is that two teams will be added to the NHL by way of expansion within 2-3 yrs.
Question for Wings fans:
It was posted above that ST sales for the Wings spiked when the new alignment was revealed, especially from Canada.
My question: I didn't know the Wings had attendance and ST issues to start with? Is this true? Not that the franchise is in any trouble, mind you. It is just interesting.
Haven't been able to follow this thread since the return of hockey in January, has the team been sold, did they find Jamison, is there a lease agreement for 13-14?
End of the week I shall give this thread my full attention.
...or... Phoenix LXXV: Waiting on a Friend
I don't think it's set in stone either. I think the league in mid-March (as today) wanted to keep its options open: maybe Seattle will get everything lined up, maybe a solution will miraculously emerge in Glendale, maybe a potential owner will emerge in Kansas City, etc. I just think using realignment as an indication that the league is ruling out QC is barking up the wrong tree, especially since the league specifically left open the option of revisiting realignment in the near future.
But I sure am repeating myself here! I wish someone would take away my internet and reconnect me again once a decision has been made on the Coyotes.
I've been reading these threads for months now and thought I could hop in and have my name in the upcoming book concerning this saga!
Someone asked if there was anything in the realignment concerning a possible relocation /expansion and this is all I found. Hope it can help!
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/opinion/2013/02/nhl-drops-4-conference-realignment-plan.html