What about Portland?

[Agalloch]

Next city to have a team ?

Click to read more...

 

[BattleBorn]

Seems just like a super-smart future play to me.

I personally own some Vegas hockey related domains for the same reason.

 

[powerstuck]

Allen currently owns the only suitable arena in the city.
Allen had more than one chance to jump on the NHL train...he didn't.
I don't see anything that has changed since Seattle application.

 

[JMROWE]

Portland would be an ideal place to put an NHL. team but Paul Allen holds all the cards & it is clear to me that Paul Allen interest in the NHL. is at best mild & the same goose for Houston the Owner of the Rockets interest is the exactly the same so there is really no serious interest from both cities the only cities that are serious are Seattle , Quebec City & Southern Ontario (Hamilton) .

 

[Bookie21]

Portland would be an ideal place to put an NHL. team but Paul Allen holds all the cards & it is clear to me that Paul Allen interest in the NHL. is at best mild & the same goose for Houston the Owner of the Rockets interest is the exactly the same so there is really no serious interest from both cities the only cities that are serious are Seattle , Quebec City & Southern Ontario (Hamilton) .

Hamilton isn't serious. They didn't even apply for a team unlike Seattle and Q.C.

 

[LadyStanley]

More interest in Houston that before NBA ownership change.

 

[rent free]

could they replace the yotes?

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Possible relocation spot for the Flames.

 

[KevFu]

Allen seems to want the additional dates in his arena, but doesn't want to pay the price for expansion. I'd assume relocation is the only avenue into Portland as long as he owns the Trailblazers and controls the arena.


However, when the NHL hits 36 teams, I'd expect that Houston, Portland, Seattle, Quebec, somewhere in Southern Ontario (GTA2/Hamilton) are in the league.

 

[HisIceness]

I've never understood this mindset that Portland is a sure thing for the NHL. Maybe if the Trail Blazers were to relocate but that's not happening. They will get an NFL or MLB franchise first.

There is a reason markets of Portland's size have an NBA or NHL team but not both. The sports dollar for 41 home games in two major leagues competing at the same time only goes so far. Markets that are 3-4 million or higher can better bear that burden.

 

[SCBlueLiner]

Allen currently owns the only suitable arena in the city.
Allen had more than one chance to jump on the NHL train...he didn't.
I don't see anything that has changed since Seattle application.

The only thing that has changed is that Seattle will be getting a team and Portland won't have one. I don't know if this is a case of keeping up with the Jones' but rich people do crazier stuff for less reasons.

 

[Mightygoose]

The Winterhawks being the ones to register these possible domain names. Gallacher would be essentially leasing the Allen-owned building which is now 23 years of age. What's Gallacher's net worth these days?

As mentioned above it's a mid sized market and would be easily the smallest one to have the NHL and NBA plus there's groundwork to bring MLB to town as well...

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Portland/the Allen group has always screamed relocation to me for the price reasons. Granted, I somehow doubt that the NHL would be okay with a low sales price when they're trying to get $650 million for expansion, but regardless a troubled team needing to move would almost assuredly be cheaper than that.

 

[S E P H]

Allen currently owns the only suitable arena in the city.
Allen had more than one chance to jump on the NHL train...he didn't.
I don't see anything that has changed since Seattle application.

Allen only wanted to bring in a well established franchise to the area, he mentioned multiple times he does not want to spend money on an expansion team.

I know this might rile up some of the Seattle fans, but I personally believe that Portland would be a better market for hockey instead of Emerald.

 

[powerstuck]

The only thing that has changed is that Seattle will be getting a team and Portland won't have one. I don't know if this is a case of keeping up with the Jones' but rich people do crazier stuff for less reasons.

That's true. But when Seattle joins NHL will be at 32 teams, which is an even number East/West. I don't see the league going 34 in the next 10 years, even tho that could mean my own town does/does not get a team.

Portland/the Allen group has always screamed relocation to me for the price reasons. Granted, I somehow doubt that the NHL would be okay with a low sales price when they're trying to get $650 million for expansion, but regardless a troubled team needing to move would almost assuredly be cheaper than that.

And we go back to Coyotes speculation of all sorts.

 

[JMROWE]

Hamilton isn't serious. They didn't even apply for a team unlike Seattle and Q.C.

What I meant was the cities of Seattle , Quebec City & Southern Ontario (Hamilton) are serious & the cities of Portland , Houston or even Kansas City are mildly interested at best

 

[JMROWE]

Possible relocation spot for the Flames.

As much as Gary Bettmen would love to see the Flames moved states side but it ain't happening because the Flames have solid ownership along with great fan base & with Calgary being the front runner to land the 2026 winter Olympics they should have no problem getting funding for a new arena .

 

[cutchemist42]

I have a feeling MLB gets there before them and taps out the market. Dont think they are big enough for 4 teams?

 

[adsfan]

As much as Gary Bettmen would love to see the Flames moved states side but it ain't happening because the Flames have solid ownership along with great fan base & with Calgary being the front runner to land the 2026 winter Olympics they should have no problem getting funding for a new arena .

They could move to ... Atlanta?

 

[93LEAFS]

I'm not sure Portland is a city that is capable of supporting an NBA/NHL team. It seems like Nashville, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Orlando, Tampa Bay, OKC, San Antonio, etc where it is only really viable for one team. Its a big ask for a city to support 82 home games a year plus playoffs for both. The one positive about Portland is there is no MLB team competing for money like most of the other cities listed. No NFL team also does this, but the amount of dollars needed from a local community is significantly less, as they only need to sell out 8 games a year, and they split a national tv deal.

 

[Jumptheshark]

protection move and free press

it is only logically that when Seattle gets their team that Portland thinks about it

and numbers wise they have about the same population as seattle

 

[powerstuck]

They could move to ... Atlanta?

There are many (like 90%) of reasons the league used to justify why it isn't possible to relocate a team to Quebec City, that can very well be used for Atlanta.

 

[tony d]

I could see them as a NHL city, possible landing spot for Arizona if/when they move and Houston doesn't work out.

 

[PCSPounder]

I remember when Bill Gallacher was a serious player for the Dallas Stars. Mind you, I think oil prices were higher at the time, and Gallacher's interests are generally in Alberta Tar Sands.

Now? If he's domain-squatting, eh... nobody here pays that kind of bucks for that. Of course, if he's domain-squatting the slightly possible MLB team...

...OK, so the more I run this through my head, I'm not sure I buy the domain squatting. But I don't buy that he'd be renting with bigger checks to Paul Allen, either.

Could he buy the Blazers?

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Paul Allen is the reason Portland doesn't have team

The only time Paul Allen ever pretended to have a serious interest in NHL team was when he briefly lost control of Rose Garden. It was only then that he ever treated NHL team as a real possibility

As soon as he got back control of Rose Garden his interest predictably vanished once again