NHL to formally start expansion process (only LV and QC submit applications)

[Hockey Fan #751]

Originally Posted by atb

A Nordiques fan on twitter noticed a couple private planes flying between Raleigh to Quebec City over the past week: https://twitter.com/jocellecauvier





Could be nothing but interesting to speculate on the Hurricanes moving to QC.

Where there's smoke, there's usually fire, but would the Hurricanes really cut the NHL's expansion process down at the knees?

[MissTeeks]

Las Vegas' rink is ahead of schedule, they were putting in the ice system this week:

http://bloguin.com/puckdrunklove/201...-nhl-team.html

[JBR]

Las Vegas gets the expansion team. Carolina moves to Quebec. That's ideal to me. Wait for Seattle to get their stuff together and, voila, we have a balanced league in 3-4 seasons.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by JBR

Las Vegas gets the expansion team. Carolina moves to Quebec. That's ideal to me. Wait for Seattle to get their stuff together and, voila, we have a balanced league in 3-4 seasons.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by JBR

Las Vegas gets the expansion team. Carolina moves to Quebec. That's ideal to me. Wait for Seattle to get their stuff together and, voila, we have a balanced league in 3-4 seasons.

It wasn't that long ago Carolina drew more fans than LA, Anaheim, Nashville, Colorado and others. It sux but because of a cheap owner and bad management good fans could loose their team.

[AC]

@JHendrix70
Anyone else notice Official NHL Gear now features Quebec Nordiques Logo?

https://twitter.com/JHendrix70/statu...51464570273792

[jayswin]

Oh wow, so it's pretty much 100% happening. What's even cooler is that it if that's legit it appears they'll go with the Nordiques name and logo.

If the rumors are true (which they very well may not be), True North was planning on a new team name and were going to trot out the whole "New team, new identity" thing to the fans, but when they saw the fan reaction to a possible new name they reversed their decision.

To me the only thing disappointing about the way the Jets came back was their ECHL style, plain jersey's with a very neutral navy blue.

I know the Nordiques obviously won't do the exact same jersey as before because they'll want to capture as much jersey revenue as possible, but it'd be nice if they at least kept the same logo and similar colour scheme where the Jets reinvented everything in the most boring way.

[getbak]

I wouldn't read that much into it. The League owns the Nordiques logo and name and has been selling merchandise with the logo on it for years (just as they sold stuff with the old Jets logos on it before the new Jets returned).

You can buy stuff with the Colorado Rockies, Minnesota North Stars, and Atlanta Flames logos too, and those teams definitely aren't coming back. In fact, Adirondack had to use a slightly altered version of the Atlanta logo last year because the league didn't want an AHL team eating into its "Vintage" merchandise sales.

http://shop.nhl.com/Vintage_Hockey


It is interesting that this is the first time I can think of where they have merchandise with a vintage logo alongside current teams. So, that is notable, but not a guarantee of anything (although, I wouldn't bet against a team in Quebec by the end of the decade).

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by getbak

I wouldn't read that much into it. The League owns the Nordiques logo and name and has been selling merchandise with the logo on it for years (just as they sold stuff with the old Jets logos on it before the new Jets returned).

You can buy stuff with the Colorado Rockies, Minnesota North Stars, and Atlanta Flames logos too, and those teams definitely aren't coming back. In fact, Adirondack had to use a slightly altered version of the Atlanta logo last year because the league didn't want an AHL team eating into its "Vintage" merchandise sales.

http://shop.nhl.com/Vintage_Hockey


It is interesting that this is the first time I can think of where they have merchandise with a vintage logo alongside current teams. So, that is notable, but not a guarantee of anything (although, I wouldn't bet against a team in Quebec by the end of the decade).

Nothing you said is wrong, but you kind of nailed it at the end there; The NHL typically (I've never seen otherwise) uses vintage logo's on vintage lines of product.

To the best of my knowledge they've never had all current NHL teams on current product and then just randomly thrown on one vintage logo for the hell of it.

I mean you could end up being right that this isn't anything to read into, but if I were a betting man I'd imagine there's a reason for this.

[Locke]

Where is the Vegas rink?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Locke

Where is the Vegas rink?

Behind the NYNY Hotel/Casino. The entrance from the Strip will be between NYNY and the Monte Carlo.

[MissTeeks]

Virtual tour of Las Vegas Arena:

[CroFlames]

Man I can't wait to watch Flames games in that building.

[troutman]

Quebec passed to Level 3. How many levels are there?

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by troutman

Quebec passed to Level 3. How many levels are there?

Originally Posted by TSN

A person familiar with the process told The Associated Press that the third stage involves the NHL reviewing the group's business plan and revenue projections. If approved, the league would be in a position to award an expansion franchise as early as next month, the person added.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the NHL has not provided details of the process. The NHL isn't expected to expand until 2017-18 at the earliest.

Sounds like there are three.

[TX_Flame]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

The league has options for troubled franchises. The league could have bought the Thrashers back from their owners and either operated them, sold them or contracted. The league may well have looked at True North and the Winnipeg market and thought " there's a decent hockey market, will support a team but will never be able to pay the outrageous expansion fee we will be charging". So they were OK with the relo scenario.

IMO it's still not a certainty that there are 2 groups able to fork over $500 million for a hockey team. Yeah you can finance it with debt but I don't think most sports teams have fantastic cash flow situations. It is the increase in franchise values where the real money is made. If they do get their $1 billion the next relo is going to cost someone a ton of money.

Buying the Thrashers back from their owners and operating them would have been a highly unattractive option considering they were already in that situation with the Coyotes. How many money pit teams were the owners going to want to be pouring $$$ into at a time?

[Hockey Fan #751]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Nothing you said is wrong, but you kind of nailed it at the end there; The NHL typically (I've never seen otherwise) uses vintage logo's on vintage lines of product.

To the best of my knowledge they've never had all current NHL teams on current product and then just randomly thrown on one vintage logo for the hell of it.

I mean you could end up being right that this isn't anything to read into, but if I were a betting man I'd imagine there's a reason for this.

The Nordiques logo is just on the box. That tells me that they've come out with Nordiques versions of a lot of their product line for this upcoming season.

Now what could be the reason for that? My guess is because they think it'll sell.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by TX_Flame

Buying the Thrashers back from their owners and operating them would have been a highly unattractive option considering they were already in that situation with the Coyotes. How many money pit teams were the owners going to want to be pouring $$$ into at a time?

You do that because you believe the team is worth $500 million.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by TX_Flame

Buying the Thrashers back from their owners and operating them would have been a highly unattractive option considering they were already in that situation with the Coyotes. How many money pit teams were the owners going to want to be pouring $$$ into at a time?

As it is, the only reason why the NHL bought the Coyotes in the first place was they were the only group at that point ready and able to take ownership of the franchise. The only real alternative at that point for the bankruptcy judge was Balsillie, and the NHL sure as hell wasn't going to let him into the club if they could avoid it.

[TX_Flame]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

You do that because you believe the team is worth $500 million.

Well neither of those teams sold for that much, so I really don't understand the point of your post.