Quote:
Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis
Well since neither of us can offer proof, I'll make my argument instead. Even if you wanna be generous and say there's 150,000 diehard hockey fans in Seattle, there are still at least that many in Calgary. But in Calgary you compete against no one. The Stamps aren't a real competitor. The Seahawks, the NBA team, the Mariners, the Sounders, UDub...there's just a bit more competition for the sports dollar there. Bigger market yes, but not necessarily more diehards (likely not), and more competitors. If the team isn't a consistent winner, how do you see them not being just another middling market for an NHL owner?
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I don't think the first year in Seattle would equal a typical year in Calgary. But once the fan base gets into it, Seattle will be more financially lucrative. This is a city that loses its mind over Sounders games, so I strongly believe a faster paced sport like hockey will find a fan base. Corporate pockets are deeper. The metropolitan area has a larger population, and despite what some think, fans from Bellevue / Redmond / Tacoma won't hesitate to come to games.
The other under-appreciated point may be US merchandising and local broadcast income. Although it's Seattle's team, I'm rather sure it'll recruit supporters in the Northwest region. I bet the well of potential Calgary Flames fans in the US has run dry, but there's plenty of recruitable Seattle "something something green/blue water theme" fans.