Which 10 teams suffer the most from their market?

[sabremike]

I present you with the "Top 10 official NHL joke franchises" presented by HF!

1. The Winnipeg Jets! Woo
2. Arizona Coyotes!
3. and number 3....... Slightly beating out our next organization.... None other than, the OTTAWA SENA-TORS!
4. Edmonton does not win #1 this year, Bob
5. Buffalo....... sabres
6. the BIG, BAD, BJs from Lumbus
7. wow! the Flames have been stabbed in the back!
8. the florida jungle cats!
9. Do not act surprised... OF COURSE the Brooklyn islanders are on the list woo! You go Islanders!
10. MTL... ok. Over Carolina and Anaheim?


alright everyone. its official. pittsburgh is the best city in the world.

where the f*** is pittsburgh at again?

FTR the Isles played their final game ever in Brooklyn in February. All games this coming season at the Coliseum, Belmont Arena opens October 2021.

 

[YYCLetangStan]

If the Leafs were great, would that make it the best then?

No, because the weather is still a negative lol.

A place like Tampa is the ideal NHL destination. Not just for UFAs but even for retaining talent. Ask yourself why Brayden Point re-signed at such a discount compared to Matthews, Marner, Nylander?

 

[YYCLetangStan]

I present you with the "Top 10 official NHL joke franchises" presented by HF!

1. The Winnipeg Jets! Woo
2. Arizona Coyotes!
3. and number 3....... Slightly beating out our next organization.... None other than, the OTTAWA SENA-TORS!
4. Edmonton does not win #1 this year, Bob
5. Buffalo....... sabres
6. the BIG, BAD, BJs from Lumbus
7. wow! the Flames have been stabbed in the back!
8. the florida jungle cats!
9. Do not act surprised... OF COURSE the Brooklyn islanders are on the list woo! You go Islanders!
10. MTL... ok. Over Carolina and Anaheim?


alright everyone. its official. pittsburgh is the best city in the world.

where the f*** is pittsburgh at again?

Stop putting words in my mouth. I never said Pittsburgh is the best city for NHL players or anyone else.

But given both the Leafs and Pens are competitive hockey clubs, it's a lot easier to play in Pittsburgh than Toronto. NHL players aren't like other professional athletes. They shy away from the bright lights and media frenzy.

 

[96]

Stop putting words in my mouth. I never said Pittsburgh is the best city for NHL players or anyone else.

But given both the Leafs and Pens are competitive hockey clubs, it's a lot easier to play in Pittsburgh than Toronto. NHL players aren't like other professional athletes. They shy away from the bright lights and media frenzy.

soft bitches like that dont deserve to wear the blue and white

 

[YYCLetangStan]

soft bitches like that dont deserve to wear the blue and white

Lol no one cares bro. We’ve won 3 Stanley Cups over last 12 years and the Leafs can’t even win 1 playoff round over the last 16 years.

But please continue to thump your chest about how great “the blue and white” is.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

I see people voting Jersey but I dont think thats accurate

NJ has some of the nicest suburbs in the country, is within an hours range of two major cities (NYC and PHI), has some of the best schooling in the nation, and a great night life with the Jersey Shore and Hoboken/JC

I get it isn't a fancy destination and the arena is located in Newark - but I doubt that means much to players

Biggest knocks on the team are the tax rates and the arena being in Newark (even though the part of Newark its in is very safe comparatively)

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

There's honestly a bonus to this though. Maybe you won't have to front BS contracts to FA if they dont want to go there. Think of the contracts we (Peg and EDM) have dodged... like the Shattenkirks etc.

Kind of minor blessing when a guy wanting too much money goes elsewhere, only to then turn into a boat anchor.

Just means its even worse when you do land one, cause then the premium becomes a bigger anchor... Lucic...

Winnipeg is honestly fine.

In a poll where there is 31 options and we are weighing negatives of each, a city like Winnipeg is sure to make near the bottom of the lists

Nobody is saying its a total dump (or maybe they are but its not accurate), however most players would choose a warmer climate and more prosperous cities over Winnipeg - people in Winnipeg can still love it there but I doubt very much players would choose a Winnipeg/Calgary/Edmonton over places like Tampa/NYC/California, and thats without including the teams' capabilities

 

[96]

Lol no one cares bro. We’ve won 3 Stanley Cups over last 12 years and the Leafs can’t even win 1 playoff round over the last 16 years.

But please continue to thump your chest about how great “the blue and white” is.

... You were born and raised in Calgary, yet refer to a hockey team located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA as "we"

haha

 

[HabsQC]

Ottawa doesnt suffer from its market IMO, more from owner and arena location

 

[Mickey Marner]

I see people voting Jersey but I dont think thats accurate

NJ has some of the nicest suburbs in the country, is within an hours range of two major cities (NYC and PHI), has some of the best schooling in the nation, and a great night life with the Jersey Shore and Hoboken/JC

I get it isn't a fancy destination and the arena is located in Newark - but I doubt that means much to players

Biggest knocks on the team are the tax rates and the arena being in Newark (even though the part of Newark its in is very safe comparatively)

I think it's more of a case of being at best the 3rd choice in the vicinity behind the Rangers and Flyers. Obviously the most densely populated state isn't an undesirable place to live itself.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

... You were born and raised in Calgary, yet refer to a hockey team located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA as "we"

haha

So? Only my baseball and hockey team are local to where I grew up

My football and basketball teams are from cities Ive never been to - doesnt make me less of a fan

Plus what if that person moved? Life is more than the city your hockey team is from unfortunately

 

[96]

So? Only my baseball and hockey team are local to where I grew up

My football and basketball teams are from cities Ive never been to - doesnt make me less of a fan

Plus what if that person moved? Life is more than the city your hockey team is from unfortunately

So

There is a perfectly good hockey team in Calgary, Alberta

They just do not have Sid and multiple cups

Kid in Calgary is a Crosby fan and claims "pittsburgh allegiance" it is funny.

I grew up in Toronto as a die-hard Ovechkin fan, wasn't that lame kid claiming to be a Pens/Caps fan. Some of us are raised different, it seems.

 

[YYCLetangStan]

... You were born and raised in Calgary, yet refer to a hockey team located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA as "we"

haha

Yup. Jumped on the wagon in the Crosby/Malkin era late 2000s. Been to Pittsburgh a few times and I love the city. I usually watch the Pens in Calgary/Edmonton whenever they come on Western Canadian road swings.

When we go back to being god awful in a few years, I’ll always have 3 Stanley Cups, two generational talents and a decade+ of my favourite player (Letang) to look back upon fondly.

 

[YYCLetangStan]

So

There is a perfectly good hockey team in Calgary, Alberta

They just do not have Sid and multiple cups

Kid in Calgary is a Crosby fan and claims "pittsburgh allegiance" it is funny.

I grew up in Toronto as a die-hard Ovechkin fan, wasn't that lame kid claiming to be a Pens/Caps fan. Some of us are raised different, it seems.

Many sports fans jump on the bandwagon of a team in another city, aside from the one that plays in their local city or country.

But what separates us from actual “bandwagoners” is we will stick around even when the team is miserable. I’m never going to become a Flames fan after how much the Pens have blessed me as a hockey fan haha

 

[Little Psycho]

Never heard about Skinner vetoing a trade to LA till today. Hmm.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Never heard about Skinner vetoing a trade to LA till today. Hmm.

Blessing in disguise for LA.

 

[Pyrophorus]

Ottawa doesnt suffer from its market IMO, more from owner and arena location

Ottawa and MTL, suffer from the worst and wettest snow storms, I've ever seen.

 

[majormajor]

FTR the Isles played their final game ever in Brooklyn in February. All games this coming season at the Coliseum, Belmont Arena opens October 2021.

Yes, I took the Islanders off my list for that very reason. I think it is a team that a lot of players would want to play for. NYC + great arena + competitive team. Unfortunately they're larded up with bad contracts.

 

[Machinehead]

Went with:

Arizona
Buffalo
Carolina
Columbus
Florida
New Jersey
Long Island
Ottawa
Winnipeg

Yes, that's 9. I think only 9 actively suffer.

Really not sure how Montreal has any votes. They have 24 Cups or whatever the f*** and that's mostly because they spent decades as the *only* market. They never have been and never will be remotely unattractive to free agents.

With a couple of exceptions, I think the Canadian teams get overstated here in general. Yeah, it's cold. So what? When has there ever been a shortage of free agents willing to play for Canadian teams? Like Montreal, how Toronto has a single vote is beyond me. Do we not remember a certain star player crashing the boards multiple times because he would literally only go to Toronto?

I chose the Devils and Islanders because in terms of branding, it sucks having to compete with the Rangers as an option. We saw this with Panarin last summer. And the Devils were very interested in Jimmy Vesey back when that was a thing.

Ditto for the Panthers. Who wants to play for them when you can play for the Lightning? Yeah, they sign a bunch of guys every summer but there's a reason it's always a gaggle of third liners.

 

[garbageteam]

^ I do think Edmonton and Calgary struggle for city lifestyle reasons (Winnipeg clearly does), and Montreal perhaps for the language barrier, but I agree the amount of votes Toronto is totally farcical and ridiculous. There are on balance very likely far more players that would choose to play for Toronto over places with fewer votes such as Philadelphia, New Jersey, Minnesota or Detroit.

 

[BlueBaron]

Surprised Buffalo got so many votes. By all accounts players love it once they get there and it's conveniently located.

I could not come up with 10. It's mostly the Canadian prairies (weather, smaller cities) and Florida because no one cares about the sport there. Still Florida has a lot of pros so it's really only a few cities IMO.

 

[Flameshomer]

I keep hearing "small city" about Edmonton and Calgary... it's not the 90s anymore, both are slightly over 1.5 mil and approaching 2 mil each, and they're only 3 hours away from each other. There are plenty of reasons to trash the both of them but "small city, no lifestyle" doesn't really accurately describe either of them. Awful-shit weather on the other hand...

 

[BlueBaron]

but I agree the amount of votes Toronto is totally farcical and ridiculous

All you have to do is look at who voted and it tells the story. Mostly Canadian, Westerners or Habs fans. Usually Hab fans don't troll us much but I guess people have more time on their hands now than usual.

There is a downside to our market, the scrutiny and the pressure but about 40% of all NHLers in the last 60 years come from Ontario so people here are suggesting they hate their home provinces. HF has no shame.

We are the most desirable Canadian market and we battle Chicago for 3rd as the North American city with the most to offer lifestyle wise after LA and New York. I can accept that some Americans would rather play at home but to someone coming from Europe Toronto has a lot of appeal. We can talk about taxes but fact is HF doesn't understand how taxes work for the extremely wealthy and distort that advantage massively while overlooking the advantage of massive signing bonuses.

No one wants to hear that their home town is disliked. I question the value of this poll as it has no positive side.

 

[MuckOG]

I believe taxes factor into the discussion more than people think. Any given players contract can be worth 10-15% more playing in Dallas or Vegas than in Toronto, Montreal or New York because Texas and Nevada have zero state income tax. Same goes for Florida, Tennessee, Washington. Factor in cost of living, and the contracts can be worth more than 20%.