Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame
Not hard at all. That city is starved for professional hockey still, and season tickets to a team that is on the upswing in a building that is somewhat undersized for their demand of NHL hockey suggests to me that it's a good move.
Actually, it's a model I hope Calgary can one day emulate. I would be among the first to sign up for season tickets for the baby Flames if they were based in Calgary. And one only has to look to the attendance they got when they played a regular season game in Calgary two seasons ago against Oklahoma. I think it can be done.
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Calgary has emulated that model for 20 years. And there is no way I would ever trade the Hitmen for an AHL team.
Speaking of the Hitmen, the impressive spillover effect Winnipeg is seeing with the Moose happened here in 2004. The excitement and buzz generated by the Flames that year resulted in a sharp increase in Hitmen attendance late in 2003-04 as well. The lockout then cemented that support for the junior team.
Winnipeg, likewise, is just excited about everything to do with hockey right now. Definitely a good start for the AHL team.