Bettman: "Coyotes Cannot And Will Not Remain In Glendale"

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Seattle, Hamilton, Quebec City - those will be huge markets. WTF's the NHL going into the desert for when ice is hard to come by. All of the NHL marketing staff should've been fired long ago. Cripes, it's a no brainer. I can see Las Vegas folding and move somewhere within 5 -10 years.

I'm not sold on Seattle. There's just not that much interest. Quebec has interest but the "they already lost a team" stigma. Hamilton (or any of the south Ontario centres) would be great, but the Leafs have always gotten in the way.

I don't think local climate has much to do with it though.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

One can argue that Bettman can make the owners (and players) more money with a team in Quebec than Phoenix.

Sure. But first he had to keep all 30 teams locked down in place until the suckers in Vegas put up their $500 million for an expansion team. The owners wanted that money, and a franchise relocation would have queered the pitch.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'm not sold on Seattle. There's just not that much interest. Quebec has interest but the "they already lost a team" stigma. Hamilton (or any of the south Ontario centres) would be great, but the Leafs have always gotten in the way.

I don't think local climate has much to do with it though.

True, but so did Winnipeg...

i just remember how great those Nordique vs Canadiens games were...

Don't think it will happen due to TV market reasons, but in terms of hockey reasons, i do hope QC gets a team again...

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

True, but so did Winnipeg...

i just remember how great those Nordique vs Canadiens games were...

Don't think it will happen due to TV market reasons, but in terms of hockey reasons, i do hope QC gets a team again...

Sooooo much better than any hockey game ever played by any iteration of the Winnipeg Jets.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Conroy4Mayor

Keep up the good work Gary; this will be your legacy.

Well, no, more likely the three lockouts.

[HUSKER4FLAMES]

Wouldn't surprise me to see a relocation and a new franchise. Get two or three cities bidding and highest bidder gets the new franchise and runner up gets the coyotes.

Also Kansas City has a new rink and has been discussing getting a franchise.

[Jay Random]

From what I hear, the Kansas City arena has been making so much profit from concerts and trade shows, they're reluctant to give up 40-odd nights a year to a hockey team that will probably do no more than break even.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

California teams for the most part has been a huge success and more Americans are playing hockey than ever before. I know it's a Canadian past time to bash US expansion but there's been more hits than misses and you can argue the US is right up there with Canada now as a hockey super power which is something you could never say 20 years ago. No sport ever hits a home run with al their expansion teams but the NHL has done a pretty good job overall.

Okay.

My post wasn't literal. I was just trying to humorously suggest they're going to move to Portland.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Yeah, I think we're all disappointed that TSN lost the rights, and Rogers is getting much of what it deserves too. But I can't fault the league for going for the deal. It's not often someone backs a dump truck of money into your lap.

I do find it funny that people blame Bettman for that deal.

Sorry, if there is any blame to go around it belongs squarely on SportsNet.

I dont think anyone else was offering anywhere close to that kind of money.

Thats sort of how these things work, you take the money from the person who offers you the most.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Sooooo much better than any hockey game ever played by any iteration of the Winnipeg Jets.

I dunno man, the 80's playoff games between the Jets and Flames had some real barn burners.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Well, no, more likely the three lockouts.

And the salary cap that he got, NHL revenues increasing by 600% and climbing, major TV deals on both sides of the border...

[GGG]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Well, no, more likely the three lockouts.

You mean 4, the next one just hasn't happened yet. There will be no labour peace when they know the fans comeback everytime and they can extract a percent or two out of the players each time because their careers are short.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by GGG

You mean 4, the next one just hasn't happened yet. There will be no labour peace when they know the fans comeback everytime and they can extract a percent or two out of the players each time because their careers are short.

Yeah, because the guy who cancelled the World Series in 1994 and very nearly did it again in 2001 has nothing to do with it.

[Erick Estrada]

As far as the Nordiques go maybe many don't remember but they rarely sold out averaging about 14,500 fans a game over their time. I think they would get better attendance than Phoenix but I'm not sure they would be a runaway success or anything and it's not a television market that is going to help the NHL in any way. I also don't know if it's a city NHL players would be keen on playing in. They would probably have a tougher time attraction free agents than Winnipeg.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Honest question, do you think it's a priority for any organization? After the television deal is signed, what benefit does any team see to an above-par broadcast?

It seems to me as similar as an equivalent to a head office in Calgary caring about how green their front lawn is.

Nice, to be sure, but does nothing to the bottom line.

It should be a priority and I think it does mean something to the bottom line.

I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of how the sports broadcasting business works, but I know when I watch the Blue Jays game the play-by-play guy doesn't call a strike before the pitcher lets go of the ball.

That happens pretty much every night on Sportsnet Flames broadcasts (you know what I mean).

The NHL has had me forever and wouldn't care about my gripes because I'd watch even if they were to go back to black and white, but to get new fans, a broadcast that looks like amateur hour doesn't help.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

As far as the Nordiques go maybe many don't remember but they rarely sold out averaging about 14,500 fans a game over their time. I think they would get better attendance than Phoenix but I'm not sure they would be a runaway success or anything and it's not a television market that is going to help the NHL in any way. I also don't know if it's a city NHL players would be keen on playing in. They would probably have a tougher time attraction free agents than Winnipeg.

True... the proverbial "market forces" caused them to move in the first place...

that said, the salary cap helps... but they would definitely need a deep pocketed owner like Quebecor to make a long term commitment... The TV market isn't great, but I can't imagine Winnipeg's TV market being any better...

Probably a pipe dream for expansion, but i could see a floundering franchise being moved there...

[jayswin]

Keep in mind, the Hurricanes are pretty much a done deal to Quebec this summer, so they're likely not a destination for the Coyotes.

Works better for the NHL anyways, as they'd rather move an east team to an east location and then the coyotes to a west destination a little later down the road.

[Heavy Jack]

Would love a team in Seattle.. just makes sense from a rivalry perspective for the Nucks. We might switch divisions if Seattle got a team no??

Central
Minnesota
Colorado
Nashville
St.Louis
Calgary
Edmonton
Winnipeg

Pacific
Las Vegas
Dallas
San Jose
Anahiem
Los Angeles
Seattle
Vancouver

[troutman]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

True... the proverbial "market forces" caused them to move in the first place...

that said, the salary cap helps... but they would definitely need a deep pocketed owner like Quebecor to make a long term commitment... The TV market isn't great, but I can't imagine Winnipeg's TV market being any better...

Probably a pipe dream for expansion, but i could see a floundering franchise being moved there...

North American TV markets, p. 14:

http://www.tvb.ca/page_files/pdf/inf...e/tvbasics.pdf

[getbak]

If Arizona moved to Seattle, there wouldn't need to be any re-alignment since the Coyotes are already in the Pacific Division. The Pacific is already going to be an 8-team Division next year with the addition of Vegas.

If Seattle was granted an expansion team and Arizona either didn't move or moved west to somewhere like Portland, then something would have to give with the Divisional alignment.


With the Chargers moving to LA, San Diego will only have the Padres and the Gulls. The Gulls have the third-highest attendance in the AHL this season. I wonder if they'd considered building a new arena for the NHL?