Are flames fans concerned about the team leaving if the arena situation falls through

[puckbrain]

Just got off hfboards and saw a link that a suburb of atlanta may develop a $1 billion 18, 700 seat arena to lure a NHL team..

https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/...-team.2925316/


I am predicting the flames will relocate to a US city (atlanta) in a couple of years because I feel the city government will not use taxpayer dollars to pay for it..

I think Murray Edwards is gonna move the team. He has taken flames fans for granted for too long for years.

Stuff like keeping Darryl Sutter as head coach and other baffling hockey decisions are gonna alienate the fanbase, causing a drop in season ticket sales, meaning the team won’t be profitable.

If I was a flames fan right now, I would prepare for the inevitable that the team might move….

[Icantwhisper]

Even if you turn out to be right in 5-10 years, you are about to get roasted.

[ResAlien]

Sure why not. Let’s have a meltdown about the team moving back from whence they came, a multi time failed southern American market. Reasonable and likely and I for one am ready to run in circles whilst flailing my arms in the air.

[ComixZone]

Yeah.

If the Arena deal isn't done (soon), I would expect the Flames to leave.

I don't think it will happen, but if an arena deal doesn't come together? Yeah, that only makes sense. They can't keep going in the Saddledome forever.

[Yeah_Baby]

Um, the City and Flames had agreement for a new facility and Edwards took his ball and went home because relatively minor costs shifted (which happens all the time)

and if Edwards wants to be a dick and move the team, so be it. That's on him, not the City of Calgary who signed a gd deal with him that he walked away from.

[Hot_Flatus]

Really, if the Flames left, it would at least solve the Murray Edwards problem. The city would likely be on a short list for a relocation or expansion team fairly promptly and able to sort an arena issue out with ownership groups that aren't full of megalomaniacs.

[8sPOT]

Not at all concerned. Murray would be more likely to sell the team than to move it from Calgary. And if the team sold, I bet whoever bought it would only want to tap into this market, not leave it.

[Yeah_Baby]

Plus I'm sure the NHL would prefer those sweet sweet expansion dollars for a third ATL team rather than relocation.

[SilverKast]

The Flames are a pro sports team - of course they will up and move if they think they get a better deal somewhere else. That's all the owners care about and you see it in every league time and time again. Especially if they think they can move to a bigger and better market with better facilities (paid by the public) that will significantly increase the value of the franchise over time.

It might be a dick move a lot of the time, and the owners get villified (ie Art Modell), but if they get rich off it I doubt they care.

[Muta]

There are currently 20,000 people / many businesses willing to use disposable income to see a game here, at least 41 times a year, and many more tuning in digitally. If the Flames (unlikely) leave, there will be another hockey business interest in the city in relatively short order.

[skcli]

Murray can F off. He will not be missed if he moves outside of this planet. My tax dollars can go to fund other projects which help Calgarians.

We can watch other sports or cheering for Toronto.

[Erick Estrada]

If Edwards moved the team I can guarantee the city would have a new team within a decade so it boils down to how bad do you want a non-Edwards owned Flames team? I personally don't think this organization will win anything with Edwards pulling the strings so I would be open to the short term pain. The last three decades of Flames hockey has been far more frustrating than it has been rewarding for me and it's clear to me that the mediocrity and frustrations are here to stay as long as the owner keeps micromanaging the team.

[3thirty]

Originally Posted by Muta

There are currently 20,000 people / many businesses willing to use disposable income to see a game here, at least 41 times a year, and many more tuning in digitally. If the Flames (unlikely) leave, there will be another hockey business interest in the city in relatively short order.

How many actual sell outs did the Flames have this year? Oilers? Leafs?

As a STH I struggled to give away tickets at times.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Edwards would probably sell the team to W. Brett Wilson.

[BagoPucks]

I was thinking about this recently. The move of the AHL franchise to Calgary in my mind increases the chances of the NHL leaving if the arena doesn't get built imo

[nik-]

Which has a higher likelihood of happening before I die?

A: Edwards owned team winning it all
B: Relocated, new team comes in ten years, new team winning it all

Probably tied at best.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by 3thirty

How many actual sell outs did the Flames have this year? Oilers? Leafs?

As a STH I struggled to give away tickets at times.

Point is there's enough interested people to support a successful NHL team.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by nik-

Which has a higher likelihood of happening before I die?

A: Edwards owned team winning it all
B: Relocated, new team comes in ten years, new team winning it all

Probably tied at best.

A is hopeless. B has a small chance.

[kermitology]

No.

It's an idle threat from both the NHL and CSEC to even suggest it. There are other markets that are in worse situations. If this is such a big deal to the NHL then they need to create an arena fund. It has to stop being paid for by the public.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

A is hopeless. B has a small chance.

You should be banned for this avatar