Fish Assassin
Crew Member
If the NHL is going to introduce new teams can we have a winning team to replace the Canucks 
NHL New Teams
- Thread starter Fish Assassin
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scott craven
Well-Known Member
How about the Toronto maple tree's ?
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
It will be seattle.
Fish Assassin
Crew Member
Yup........
Deewar25
Well-Known Member
I was reading that Vegas was a done deal....that would be very nearsighted as everything I read says Vegas will run out of water 4 years after expansion (yes, run out of water!) Their only solution is a very controversial $15 billion pipeline to tap the groundwater, that would essentially destroy the state environmentally (think plants/animals wiped). Would not surprise me to see a mass exodus out of that city in 5 or 6 years and actually much of the desert in general. This water shortage is a HUGE deal and while California can still get saved by mother nature, the desert sure as hell doesn't have much going for it and I don't know if they can actually survive if this trend continues. Not tin foil hat kind of stuff at all, I follow this chit really close as I am investing in companies related to this issue and have read tons and tons on it (FSI based right here in Victoria is actually one of the best angles on the stock market right now for those looking for a stock tip!).
So thats the thinking outside of the box scenario I see unfolding.
As it relates to sports though - desert hockey is a joke in my books, and Vegas has way too much going on in the entertainment world to care about hockey - you really think the casino's want people filling an arena instead of their casino? Wranglers prove not much interest as they can't even fill 1/2 the arena.
My votes would be Seattle/Quebec, but also Portland - same market size as Winnipeg and have proven year after year that they have massive support for hockey with the Winterhawks. Then you would have an awesome west coast rivalry setup IMH. That said, we don't need dilution either - we need relocation instead - expansion will make hockey real boring IMH - just not enough quality to go around - I say send Florida to Seattle for Willie and Lou, Columbus to Quebec, Arizona to Portland - thats what I'd do if I was running the show..lol
So thats the thinking outside of the box scenario I see unfolding.
As it relates to sports though - desert hockey is a joke in my books, and Vegas has way too much going on in the entertainment world to care about hockey - you really think the casino's want people filling an arena instead of their casino? Wranglers prove not much interest as they can't even fill 1/2 the arena.
My votes would be Seattle/Quebec, but also Portland - same market size as Winnipeg and have proven year after year that they have massive support for hockey with the Winterhawks. Then you would have an awesome west coast rivalry setup IMH. That said, we don't need dilution either - we need relocation instead - expansion will make hockey real boring IMH - just not enough quality to go around - I say send Florida to Seattle for Willie and Lou, Columbus to Quebec, Arizona to Portland - thats what I'd do if I was running the show..lol
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
If Quebec gets nordiques back I will fly back to my hometown in winnipeg to see the first game against them. That would bring back memories....
Fixed that for you. (Thunderbird fan)
mhbradley
Well-Known Member
I believe the city of Seattle has already approved a dual-use stadium.
In order to make things work, they need a hockey team to split the costs so they can also bring back a basketball team.
With the Seahawks and Mariners playing well, it seems like Seattle has all the momentum.
Question is, can they support 5 professional sports teams?
Pippen
Well-Known Member
Have to agree with all you said Deewar.
Karma-Kazi
Active Member
I have agree with relocation over expansion for years. Lets move pheonix to seattle and florida to quebec. Just think about what Lou would think of moving to Quebec 
sly_karma
Crew Member
So the NHL thinks it can add a hundred or so players from the minors and Euro leagues and that won't dilute the talent pool? A bunch of greedy old white guys that own teams think it's a good idea because of the $2 billion in franchise fees but no one else likes it. I too think we should relocate the dud teams to places like Seattle, Portland, Quebec.
Pippen
Well-Known Member
That Atlanta Thrasher relocation sure seems to be doing well.
I get Seattle and Quebec.....still unsure about Portland and the rumoured Las Vegas.
Seattle would be great especially after they mature into a competitive team. Would be a great cross border rivalry for the Canucks and fans going to back and forth into hostile rinks. Us Island folks might find better deals in seeing the Canucks play in Seattle with a clipper ride, hotel and tickets packages.
SerengetiGuide
Well-Known Member
It will be Vegas and QC most likely. Although I think Bettman wants Vegas and Seattle. Vegas is done deal as new arena is being built. Seattle may not happen as the guy who has the rights to build any arena in Seattle has publicly said he has no interest in owning an NHL hockey team.
sly_karma
Crew Member
Bettman and the owners really don't get it if they think the future of the NHL is another desert team like Vegas. The Phoenix experience surely shows that simply plunking down a team in a snowbird city is no guarantee of success. A franchise awarded to a Vegas team is just a quick cash grab that benefits 30 billionaires and not too many others.
The league right now is diluted across too many cities and too few fans. The only meaningful growth can come from having more Americans hooked into the game overall, not just local interest when a team is located nearby. I've thought for a long time that appealing to American patriotism could be a key route to success; why not replace the meaningless All Star event with an annual Canada-USA game? Or USA vs Rest of the World? None of the other major pro sports has real opportunity for international competition and hockey does, but the NHL continues to ignore that angle. Likewise they should be co-promoting the hell out of the Olympic tournament and very co operative with it. Look at the interest that World Cup soccer receives every four years in Canada/US market where soccer is still pretty minor pro sport, that has been a real growth mechanism over the long term. I despair for hockey sometimes because the NHL is so self-interested and inward looking. They don't understand that growing the sport overall would pay their league real long term dividends and offer them a bigger pie to divide. The whole "I won't have my star player risk injury playing for his country, there's only downside for me" argument is shortsighted and mean spirited.
The league right now is diluted across too many cities and too few fans. The only meaningful growth can come from having more Americans hooked into the game overall, not just local interest when a team is located nearby. I've thought for a long time that appealing to American patriotism could be a key route to success; why not replace the meaningless All Star event with an annual Canada-USA game? Or USA vs Rest of the World? None of the other major pro sports has real opportunity for international competition and hockey does, but the NHL continues to ignore that angle. Likewise they should be co-promoting the hell out of the Olympic tournament and very co operative with it. Look at the interest that World Cup soccer receives every four years in Canada/US market where soccer is still pretty minor pro sport, that has been a real growth mechanism over the long term. I despair for hockey sometimes because the NHL is so self-interested and inward looking. They don't understand that growing the sport overall would pay their league real long term dividends and offer them a bigger pie to divide. The whole "I won't have my star player risk injury playing for his country, there's only downside for me" argument is shortsighted and mean spirited.
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