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Originally Posted by J epworth kendal
Sorry, couldn't let this pass. How do you figure that Calgary, which consistently ranks as one of the most livable cities in the world year after year, is less desirable to live and work in than at least 21 other NHL cities? I could probably name only 3-5 cities that have an NHL team that in my opinion would be more desirable to both love and work and be able to comfortable raise a family in.
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Go ahead and name them.
Keep in mind we're not talking about a good place for a middle-class person to find work and raise a family; we're talking about a good place for a wealthy person who already has a very well-paying job to move to and raise a family. Two very different things. Someone taking a job as a top executive will care about private schools, high-end restaurants, top colleges, and world class shopping rather than public education, public transportation, and big-box shopping malls. You or I might worry at finding an affordable, safe place to live and send kids to school in Washington D.C. Someone paid like an NHL executive wouldn't have those concerns.
Here are mine:
San Jose - There's a reason it's the Bay area attracts some of the smartest and best-paid people in the world.
LA - Climate. Lots of stuff for rich people to do.
Anaheim - A notch down from LA, but still, it's Southern California.
Vancouver - Beautiful. Again, lots of people with money move there for a reason.
New York - It's New York.
Boston, Philly - Close enough to New York. Hub of transportation. Tradition. Great stuff for people who like cities.
Detroit - Great reputation as an organization. Also, rich people never go near the poor parts, and in fact some of the richest neighbourhoods (and by neighbourhoods I mean self-sufficient counties that are 30 miles from downtown Detroit) in the USA are in the Detroit region.
Chicago - See New York.
Miami, Tampa, Charlotte - Great climate. Almost a year-round holiday.
St. Louis - Seems weird, but one of the most desirable locations for NHLers. Nice climate, the area where the NHLers live is supposed to be beautiful, a genuine NHL city where it's also possible to be kind of anonymous.
Pittsburgh - Much like St. Louis, its charms are not widely recognized but NHLers love living there.
Toronto - Centre of the hockey universe and home of family and friends for the 25 per cent or so of NHLers (and much higher in the executive ranks) who are from Ontario.
Those are the cities that are more attractive. Then there are some that are about on par with Calgary: Denver, Dallas, St. Paul, Nashville, Washington, Ottawa. The only NHL cities that are almost certainly less attractive than Calgary for NHL execs are Edmonton, Winnipeg, Phoenix (only because of the ownership uncertainty), Montreal (taxes and language issues), Long Island, and maybe Buffalo.
Keep in mind, many guys in the NHL marry American women. Americans aren't known for their enthusiasm for moving out of country - I doubt the attitude of Pronger's wife is uncommon. And the 80 per cent of North Americans who grow up without experiencing real cold winters balk the very idea, and only move to places like Calgary because it pays a lot more than most cities with nicer climates. That wouldn't be the case for an NHL exec.
Even for Canadian spouses there's the family issue. Things have changed in the last couple decades - people who have a choice aren't as enthusiastic about taking their kids out of school or away from grandparents unless there's a significant payoff in money. Well-heeled parents today are even reluctant to move too far away from their college-aged kids, which is an important consideration for NHL executives who typically fall in the 45 to 60 age range. It's one thing to make frequent trips to Penn State when you live in Nashville or Chicago. Another thing entirely when you live in Calgary.
Anyway, no need to take my word for it - in a Hockey New polls a few years ago, Calgary was two-thirds of the way down the list of most attractive cities for NHL players. And that was when the Flames were in the mix at the top of the conference.