Phoenix LXXXIII: "Stuff's Gonna Happen"

[DyerMaker66*]

Actually, I'll add one myself...

Al Strachen once said, and I believe this to be true, if the NHL puts a team in Canada is does not add even one fan.
If it moves to a non NHL city, the upside is almost unlimited.

Sad but true.

That view is flawed though: For instance, in Southern Ontario there are people who want to spend money on NHL tickets but can't, while in Phoenix the market has been oversaturated with the addition of just one team.

"Upside" is a flawed concept when you are sacrificing large chunks of revenue to play in poor hockey markets.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

If the team does move to Seattle, that sound you hear will be ALL the Coyote fans in Arizona, all at once saying, "Sweet, Sweet Justice".

 

[Fenway]

Good point 100% agree, but where would they play? There is no way the NHL is going to play in the Key!

If you want to be creative they could play some games at Safeco Field and otherwise Key Arena.

The Lightning played in a baseball park.

 

[cheswick]

May not add one fan but at this point the NHL shouldn't care about adding one fan. The NHL should care about making money.

Yeah but for the past several decades the NHL has been more concerned about the non fan than the fan.




Also fwiw kypreos on hockey central today said rse is looking for $15 million per year and that it's not really negotiable from their perspective cause financing is dependent on it.

 

[Cryogenic Man]

Do u have a link for it? I would like to listen to that for sure

Here you go. http://www.tsn.ca/Toronto/listen/

He's on now.

 

[Mightygoose]

If the team does move to Seattle, that sound you hear will be ALL the Coyote fans in Arizona, all at once saying, "Sweat, Sweat Justice".

And possibly select fans in Winnipeg saying the same thing

 

[JimAnchower]

If you want to be creative they could play some games at Safeco Field and otherwise Key Arena.

While Safeco has a retractable roof, it is also open air.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Until Canadian hockey fans are willing to boycott the NHL (and I know we're not), we can expect the NHL to keep treating us like the Ugly Sister.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

And possibly select fans in Winnipeg saying the same thing

Huh? I don't understand.

 

[JimAnchower]

Bettman says no other group other than RSE.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Here you go. http://www.tsn.ca/Toronto/listen/

He's on now.

Thanks, CM.

TSN did not hammer Bettman on Pheonix so... I/we got nothing out of it.

 

[Wheathead]

Bettman says no other group other than RSE.

I expected as much. They're the NHL approved group, and they're the last hope for Glendale.

 

[Stats01]

Until Canadian hockey fans are willing to boycott the NHL (and I know we're not), we can expect the NHL to keep treating us like the Ugly Sister.

We'd be treated even worse IMO. This is such a joke, it feels like Canadian markets have to do double the work just to get Bettman and co. to even consider them, while markets like Seattle, KC, even Las Vegas get thrown around it seems on a daily basis and without even knowing if there is a market for hockey in those cities. As long as you have an arena they all seem to be ok, consequences be damned.

Hey Bettman, you can have our run down arena RENT FREE! Who wants to go to a rabid fan base in QC when you can wait 4-5 years on a new arena in Seattle...only in the NHL folks, only in the NHL

 

[Fenway]

While Safeco has a retractable roof, it is also open air.

good ice

 

[Donwood]

I expected as much. They're the NHL approved group, and they're the last hope for Glendale.

if Ice Edge + Gosbee are the last hope, Goodbye Coyotes

 

[cbcwpg]

I never really bought into that theory. When TSNE launched their drive 2 years ago, I think those 13,000 STH (plus waiting list) are very much new paying customers that the NHL did not had before

I'm one of those 13,000, and I can absolutely confirm... in the years that Winnipeg did not have the NHL... I didn't spend one dime directly on the NHL. So by putting a team in Winnipeg, the NHL got a new customer.

 

[madhi19]

Phoenix:LXXXIV: There must be some kind of way out of here!


"There must be some kind of way out of here,"
Said the bald guy to the dwarf,
"There's too much confusion,
I can't get no relief.
Businessman they drink my wine,
Plowman dig my earth
None will level on the line, nobody offered his word, hey"

"No reason to get excited,"
The bald guy, he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late"

All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too

Outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl
*buisness man there, drink my wine,
Come and take my herb.

 

[Llama19]

Possible upcoming thread titles:

Phoenix LXXXIV: The Vulture Games
Phoenix LXXXIV: Sherwood's Wayback Machine
Phoenix LXXXIV: Seattle Constricted
Phoenix LXXXIV: Still, Lots of Options
Phoenix LXXXIV: We Need a 'Committed' Owner
Phoenix LXXXIV: It's Not Me, It's You

 

[Killion]

1) They don't want to move 2 American teams to Canada in a short period of time. The optics would be poor.
2) They want to keep QC for expansion - assuming they will get big $$$.
3) They want to keep the team in the West.
4) They worry about their NBC deal - no matter the denials.

Can anyone add to "The List" above?

Ok...

1B) Dont think thats a big concern. Optics actually good landing in QC, lousy in Phoenix, but drowned out by the positives, very few if any reporters having the wherewithal & cajones to seriously dig into & expose the NHL for what they wrought upon the city & fans in Arizona. Another Free Pass. Oh sure, maybe a few books written on it, but major public outcry? Not likely. Its so painful for the fans down there right now, better they just end it. Stop messin with people, literally **** Right Off. Go away.

2B) I believe that may indeed be the case. PKP was a heavy duty bidder in trying to acquire the Habs, serious money, $500M+, the NHL may not want to let him in "on the cheap" so to speak through a Relocation Sale, but would be more than happy to sell him an Expansion Franchise for lets say $350M and in fact are planning to do just that. If they let him buy the Coyotes, that money's gone, and how on earth do they justify a hefty Relo Fee to make up the difference when not 2yrs ago Winnipeg got in for $170M?

Additionally, and though Geoff Molson's voiced support publicly for a return of the Nordiques, I wonder about that. He & his brother were pushed to the limits in obtaining the cash & credit facilities in order to buy the Canadiens by PKP's aggressive play for the club, on top of which there are other considerations as they relate to media, brewery, telecommunications, cable & wireless, broadcasting & political undercurrents, the Molsons connections to Desmarais & Bell (and now by rote MLSE in Toronto) Peladeaus arch rival in the province that could behind the scenes be creating obstacles. Some deep waters here.

3B) Yes Im sure they would, and as others have opined, taking a Big Picture Overview, could well be that the NHL doesnt want to move the club to an eastern zone at this time as it would mean the displacement of another club. That they just might stay in Phoenix, eat the losses, wait out Seattle because interestingly & not coincidentally, the other main bidder for the Montreal Canadiens along with Peladeau & the Molsons was none other than Don Levin. He combined with some seriously moneyed folks in Bellevue down in Seattle could have told Bettman that they'd gladly pay $250M+ for the Coyotes. All Gary has to do is play the string out for awhile, let them get their house in order, sell & move the team to Seattle in 2014.

4) I dont think they care about that. Theyve already lost Atlanta, and though ratings in Phoenix for the Semi's & Stanley Cup Finals spiked last year thanks to the Coyotes deep run, they are otherwise anemic. NBC's paying in part for "potential", but primarily for the ratings in the NE, Mid-West, East Coast, California but to a lesser degree. Those are the numbers that impress advertisers. If there was any penalty for losing Georgia & Atlanta, well, we never heard a peep about it & I follow trade publications pretty closely. Losing Arizona, all your really losing is unfulfilled potential. A maybe, not a here & now.

 

[DyerMaker66*]

McCown's talking about it right now. He just said he doesn't believe it's too late for them to move this year.

 

[viperswhip]

Actually, I'll add one myself...

Al Strachen once said, and I believe this to be true, if the NHL puts a team in Canada is does not add even one fan.
If it moves to a non NHL city, the upside is almost unlimited.

Sad but true.

That cannot be true, I know too many people that are only fans of their team and don't watch any other hockey. It follows that if you put a team into Quebec City, or Hamilton or wherever you will get new fans, but they won't be NHL fans, just team fans.

It doesn't matter if they add fans in the end though, a team in Canada adds revenue, something the NHLPA probably wants.

 

[Whileee]

I'm trying to figure why he is trying to delay. Maybe he thinks his "mystery buyer" is real and viable. Maybe he thinks the NHL isn't serious in it's threat to re-locate and that they will stay in the end, thus creating this same RFE situation to happen next year. Maybe he just wants as many quotes of his out there about his concern for Westgate if the Coytes leave as possible. His biggest obstacle seems to be that he doesn't have enough votes to along with him.

One can only speculate, but I think that he might well be trying to sway some other votes. If that doesn't work, I'm sure that he thinks that he'll get political mileage from supporting the Coyotes even if the effort fails. I got the sense from some of his comments that he is wanting the NHL to be painted with some of the responsibility for this. In any case, it is much too late to imagine that there is a viable local ownership candidate, and the NHL seems to have made it plain that they won't tolerate a delay. Daly's comment that "no decision is a decision" is perhaps the most telling quote yet.

 

[Wingsfan2965*]

I just get the feeling this is going to drag on for the next week. Boo.

 

[Nordskull]

Can somebody confirm Gary Bettman just repeated the "maybe we should go back where we were" sentence, regarding potential relocation?

 

[JimAnchower]

I just get the feeling this is going to drag on for the next week. Boo.

It will drag on until at least Glendale chooses an arena manager.