The NHL is Eyeing Austin Texas instead of Houston - Oak View agrees to Build New Arena!!!

[cutchemist42]

wrong:

F1 is no longer at COTA

If you mean it got cancelled this year because of Covid than yes....its continuing on after 2020 though. I have not seen anything saying 2021 and onwards is cancelled?

 

[Hawkeye8]

wrong:

F1 is no longer at COTA

Only last season was cancelled. F1 is scheduled to race there on October 24th.

 

[Ocoee]

If Austin did get a team, they would be smart to also market in San Antonio too which is about an hour or so away depending where you live. I drove to Austin a couple times a month when I lived in San Antonio several years ago. I definitely would have driven to see NHL games.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

If you are going to factor an F1 event for a city's ability to host a permanent team in the big-4 then you will need to factor in events for the PGA tour, ATP, WTA, NASCAR ...maybe a few others...for all the other cities in North America as well. These other sports also require significant amounts of corporate sponsorship and discretionary dollars.

Austin is larger than Columbus (and wealthier with more fortune 500 companies?). Columbus has MLS, a huge college football program and an NHL team. Of course, the problem with Austin is proximity to a potential larger NHL market and a new arena which will be too small for the NHL...15,000 for larger basketball games which means it will likely seat less than 14,000 for hockey.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

If you mean it got cancelled this year because of Covid than yes....its continuing on after 2020 though. I have not seen anything saying 2021 and onwards is cancelled?

uh, COTA has more events coming there not just F1

 

[uhlaw97]

Houston has a HUGE number of northern transplants that have moved down here to work in the energy industry. Based purely upon the size of its TV market, it deserve a NHL franchise over Austin.

 

[johnjm22]

I've been saying for awhile Austin would be the ideal expansion city.

It's one of the largest metro areas that doesn't have a major pro team. There's something to be said for being first to market.

The city is growing rapidly and has the type of culture that would be perfect for the NHL. Plus lots of growing corporate money in the area.

It would be another Vegas/Nashville.

 

[Cacciaguida]

I honestly think Texas is one of the few states that can host 3 NHL teams. The others being New York and California.

That being said I'd still prefer Houston.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

F1 USGP at COTA was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID. Will be held from 2021 at COTA onwards. Certainly as long as Liberty (a US entity) owns F1 - the goal would be to have that place line up and become synonymous with global motorsport over the years like Spa, Silverstone, Monaco, Montreal(!), Singapore, etc.

Of course as F1 only takes one week, there will be other events there. However none of them have even 1/10th the impact of the USGP (IndyCar, sports cars, motorcycles). Although, they're getting NASCAR for the first time this year in May so - while it won't have the impact of F1 - will be interesting to see what they get, esp. if we seem to be turning the corner on COVID by then.

 

[Mickey Marner]

I've been saying for awhile Austin would be the ideal expansion city.

It's one of the largest metro areas that doesn't have a major pro team. There's something to be said for being first to market.

The city is growing rapidly and has the type of culture that would be perfect for the NHL. Plus lots of growing corporate money in the area.

It would be another Vegas/Nashville.

Market size vs market share is an interesting discussion. It hasn't worked out so well for Columbus, but Austin is likely a much more desirable location.

 

[johnjm22]

Market size vs market share is an interesting discussion. It hasn't worked out so well for Columbus, but Austin is likely a much more desirable location.

Considering the lack of on ice success CBJ has had, and I think it's actually worked out relatively well.

 

[CanadianCoyote]

Market size vs market share is an interesting discussion. It hasn't worked out so well for Columbus, but Austin is likely a much more desirable location.

If the NHL goes anywhere for the next Texan team, it's going to be Houston. The BoG seems pretty intent on that market, and I can't see them dumping it for a market less than a third of the size of Houston that nobody on the Board has shown any interest in outwardly.

And Houston at least has Toyota to work with, Austin has...what, the H-E-B Center and it's capacity of 6,778? They're definitely not going to put an NHL team inside Dell Diamond, and there's no other larger indoor arenas in the Austin area...unless you want to build an entirely new facility just to house an NHL team, and there's no way many cities would be that eager to spend a shitload of money on a new building right now.

Remember, the city's already pouring their time into an MLS venue right now. Why the hell would they pour even more time and money into another arena just to get an NHL team, especially with the shadow of a BoG darling looming so far over them as to make them virtually invisible?

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I think the discussion is moot now. The arena design they are set on does not seem hockey capable, let alone capacity of an NHL arena.

 

[mattihp]

Austin is quite an outlier culturally in Texas, isn't it? Could make for a rivalry for more than hockey reasons!

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Austin is quite an outlier culturally in Texas, isn't it? Could make for a rivalry for more than hockey reasons!

no, Cedar Park, where the H-E-B Center IS took that market, it's why Austin itself no longer has pro hockey at any level once the Central League collapsed..... same thing happened with San Antonio when it swapped leagues

 

[Bear of Bad News]

no, Cedar Park, where the H-E-B Center IS took that market, it's why Austin itself no longer has pro hockey at any level once the Central League collapsed..... same thing happened with San Antonio when it swapped leagues

I hope you're this strict in applying similar logic to every suburb of a major city.

Cedar Park is a suburb of Austin - the first eight words of Wikipedia: "Cedar Park is a major suburb of Austin".

I love being pedantic as much as the next guy, but come on.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I hope you're this strict in applying similar logic to every suburb of a major city.

Cedar Park is a suburb of Austin - the first eight words of Wikipedia: "Cedar Park is a major suburb of Austin".

I love being pedantic as much as the next guy, but come on.

care to explain that the Texas Stars were also a conditional franchise...... Austin could've lost the Ice Bats and pro hockey overall

 

[Bear of Bad News]

care to explain that the Texas Stars were also a conditional franchise...... Austin could've lost the Ice Bats and pro hockey overall

Great insight, thanks.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Great insight, thanks.

and you wonder why do posters follow hockey teams outside of the NHL

 

[Bear of Bad News]

and you wonder why do posters follow hockey teams outside of the NHL

Fantastic - thanks.

 

[Lee Sharpe]

Let’s realign the NHL divisions

NHL is almost everywhere in USA. Only Atlanta and Houston are missing for top 15 TV-Market.

I wonder if Atlanta will ever get any franchise, missing two changes already.

Houston perhaps 2025 when economy is back to normal etc.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Let’s realign the NHL divisions

NHL is almost everywhere in USA. Only Atlanta and Houston are missing for top 15 TV-Market.

I wonder if Atlanta will ever get any franchise, missing two changes already.

Houston perhaps 2025 when economy is back to normal etc.

been discussed ad nauseum, Lee

Houston and Atlanta

 

[IceNeophyte]

Which is funny because AEG owns LA Kings. So essentially NHL team did pay for the arena lol.

The fact is that the arena was conceived to bring NBA to Vegas. Foley stepped up well after ground was broken.

 

[mikelvl]

Arizona Coyotes beset by toxic workplace, financial woes: Athletic investigation

Something to keep an eye on. The NHL would want another southwest team, no doubt.

 

[MNNumbers]

This isn't going to be a happy conversation. Arizona information can easily be taken personally by AZ posters. Even with a report like that (and, truth be known, probably most organizations would give rise to something of that nature), it doesn't mean anything about a relocation being imminent. And, it certainly isn't anything pertaining to the Austin situation.

Bears watching, but not too intently.