Toronto is a major city compared to Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton. I think Vancouver is also a pretty attractive location for some.
I think the point is there are several factors that influence the ability to attract and retain players, and how much those factors matter varies by player to player. But they would include:
- Tax environment
- Ability to win and compete
- Having a star player
- Size of market including for other revenue opportunities
- Life style of the market (e.g. big city v. small city)
- Reputation of the organization
- Quality of the city
- Canada/U.S. considerations
- Climate
I think the point is Calgary has strikes against it. Some they can try to change (upgrading facility, and finding a path to compete) and others are outside their control (smaller market, northern climate, tax implications) so they can't afford to add more strikes by doing something like treating players poorly.
|