gary bettman is a dick

[SEAN!]

the RIM homie should be able to buy phoneix and move it where he wants.


that is all

[C_squared]

that whole team is one big toxic asset.

[Paroxysm]

Balsillie has tried three times already and all three times he's been "shut out".

[cubed]

Phoenix is not a hockey market, it never has been and it never will be.

The only things that state cares about are the Suns, the Cardinals and the Diamondbacks.

[mapleleaf4ever]

don't really see the point of another NHL franchise in Ontario though.

Kitchener-Waterloo? Fail.

Hamilton... lol their CFL Team is shit, they don't need something else to tarnish an already lame City's repuation.

London... *shudder* nuff said.

Really, move it to Winnipeg and bring back the Jets. : P

[cubed]

Originally Posted by mapleleaf4ever

don't really see the point of another NHL franchise in Ontario though.

Hamilton... lol their CFL Team is shit, they don't need something else to tarnish an already lame City's repuation.

Are you kidding me???

Their AHL Team continually sells out games and is probably one of the best run organizations in the league. Hamilton could most certainly sustain a NHL Franchise.

The only other place I could see possibly moving them to would be Quebec for the return of the Nordiques.

As for Winnipeg, that's what moving Atlanta is for.

[Paroxysm]

Is it me, or does this dude sound like Mark Cuban-David Stern 2.0 in the making if it happens?

[gnosis]

Originally Posted by cubed

Are you kidding me???

Their AHL Team continually sells out games and is probably one of the best run organizations in the league. Hamilton could most certainly sustain a NHL Franchise.

I've heard about this through other veins. SlagTown has been slated years ago for a franchise expansion!

They WILL make money w/ _that_ part of the province!
And the Make-Me-Laughs will see the drop-off in $$$ as the burbanites head WEST, not east to the Big Smoke....

Frosty
(Oh, yeah)

[Grapes]

Originally Posted by cubed

Phoenix is not a hockey market, it never has been and it never will be.

The only things that state cares about are the Suns, the Cardinals and the Diamondbacks.

Besides not being a hockey market, Phoenix is also not a state.

I know what you meant, just typed funny

[b0ld]

I love his comment on the cbc article

"We fix the problems. We don't run out on cities," Bettman told the other commissioners, in reference to past economic troubles facing NHL teams in Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Ottawa.

Really.... Says that to Winnipeg, Quebec city, Hartford.....

Jim Balsillie is not only a multi-billionaire but an absolute hockey freak. This is his 3rd time trying buy a team and move it to the great white north. And it makes no sense considering what he is willing to put on the table. Yet you have a team like the NY Islanders and the owner openly admitted that he Regretted on buying the team. Whats going on here?

[Cdn_Brdr]

I have to agree with Erik... not so much in regards to whether or not Hamilton could sustain a team but that Ontario in general does not need another franchise.

I'd be quite happy to see the return of the Jets. The only thing in the long run that REALLY could prevent that from happening is the league eating humble pie realizing that the team never should have moved in the first place.

At the very least I'd say the league should explore other Canadian options before Ontario gets the nod.

[SEAN!]

winnipeg has less then a million people how can they support a hockey franchise?

[Goodfellow]

yeah winnipeg could never sustain another NHL team, why do you think they left in the first place? I agree I'd rather see the team go somewhere else in Canada, but the only thing that actually matters is $$ and ontario is really the only option.

[rawb]

Originally Posted by Goodfellow

yeah winnipeg could never sustain another NHL team, why do you think they left in the first place?

rapidly inflating salaries in an era lacking a salary cap? grossly inferior canadian dollar effectively adding 30-40% on any player they signed?

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by Goodfellow

yeah winnipeg could never sustain another NHL team, why do you think they left in the first place? I agree I'd rather see the team go somewhere else in Canada, but the only thing that actually matters is $$ and ontario is really the only option.

Never underestimate the enthusiasm for hockey in rural Canada. Though personally I think it'd do better in a place like Halifax over Winnipeg.

[SEAN!]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

Never underestimate the enthusiasm for hockey in rural Canada. Though personally I think it'd do better in a place like Halifax over Winnipeg.

halifax is smaller then surrey, how many people or businesses do you think could regularly cop 90 dollar tickets out of that population? Same with winnipeg, vancouver sells out games mostly due to sales to commercial businesses, you think great western life is gonna buy 15,000 season tickets for the jets?

they love hockey out there, bu they dont have the money to support a team.

[rawb]

you could pull 15,000 on $90 tickets in winnipeg easy

fuck, i can think of 6 teams in the league right now that cant pull 15,000 on $20 tickets (includes parking and hot dog and drink)

[Krusha]

there's not enough corporate support to sustain a team in winnipeg

and apparently would need $200 seats to support the team ... this isn't my knowledge btw, i spoke to a business contact from winnipeg who was in contact with the owner of the Jets after the team was sold

they will never have a hockey team again

Hamilton is on the table but the Leafs will be adamantly opposed to a team so close cutting in on their revenue

It'll most likely be southern Ontario.

[gnosis]

^Um... Hamilton _IS_ southern Ontario.

And, seeing that most of southern Onterrible is suburban sprawl, filled w/ (mostly mindless) hockey fans, Toronto AND Hamilton could easily co-exist w/ more than enough money to go around.

Frosty
(would love to see an Oakville/Pickering rivalry start)

[miss.myra]

ontairo does not need another hockey team.

atlantic canada needs representation (instead of always supporting the goddamn leafs) and I think out of all the Canadian cities, Halifax ought to get one.

[Spoon]

Originally Posted by Krusha

there's not enough corporate support to sustain a team in winnipeg

and apparently would need $200 seats to support the team ... this isn't my knowledge btw, i spoke to a business contact from winnipeg who was in contact with the owner of the Jets after the team was sold

they will never have a hockey team again

Why would they need $200 seats to support a team? They have a brand new arena downtown with lots of revenue generating options like luxury boxes, concessions and muliple bars/restraunts. Currently it is on the small side in terms of seating but it was built with expansion in mind.

Also they do have a strong coperate base for season ticket sales. Manitoba is still growing and hasn't really been effected by the recession. They have everything from Mining, Insurance and a very large Agricultural base to pull from.

With all that said though Winnipeg will never get a team again. the only reason they had one in the first place was because of the WHA merger that also brought Edmonton, Quebec and Hartford into the league and look which ones still have a team. Only reason Edmonton still has it is because of the stanley cup win in the early 90's that carried them through barely.

Sorry for the rant.

[Cdn_Brdr]

For anyone who says Winnipeg can't support a team I say bullshit. There's plenty of teams in the US drawing less than 10000 a game and Winnipeg would sell out their building every night.

[ty:rone]

Originally Posted by Cdn_Brdr

For anyone who says Winnipeg can't support a team I say bullshit. There's plenty of teams in the US drawing less than 10000 a game and Winnipeg would sell out their building every night.

do US teams charge $400 for a lower bowl playoff game?