43 replies to this topic

[thefiestygoat]

Full Report

This time next year, the NHL will no longer own a franchise in Arizona.

The Phoenix Coyotes, in town to face the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, could still exist by then. But senior league sources made it clear on Monday that this is the last season the league will own and operate the Coyotes after two years of stalled and cancelled sales.

“The clock runs out this year,” said a source on condition of anonymity.

I suggest reading the full article. It gives a decent update on the situation and talks about how it may impact the re-alignment situation that will be discussed when the Board of Governors meet to discuss it next month.

[mrthemike]

Grats Quebec City.

[Jerrydevil]

Looks like there's a reasonably good chance there will be a buyer for the Coyotes. But eventually there will be contraction. There's too many failing franchises.

[mrthemike]

Looks like there's a reasonably good chance there will be a buyer for the Coyotes.

I'll believe it when I see it.

[SterioDesign]

Great News

[DevilMinder]

Congrats Hoboken!

[Jas0nMacIsaac]

Quebec won't have an arena ready till 2015. I think Kansas City are best bet.

Edited by Jas0nMacIsaac, 15 November 2011 - 05:31 PM.

[SterioDesign]

i think the league finally acknowledged that they should put team where fans want it instead of forcing it where the market would be good (based on population, economy and not on interest) obviously you still need lots of financial support anywhere but the success that the Jets are having right now is showing them that they we're wrong

[NHLeBeau44]

Kansas City would be my guess. Penguins and Kings played a preseason game there this year and it was a great success.

[thefiestygoat]

Quebec won't have an arena ready till 2015. I think Kansas City are best bet.

Stan Fischler and others have brought up the possibility of a Quebec team playing in the Colisée for 2-3 years until the new arena is ready. It may be small and outdated but I'd bet the place would be filled as fast as Winnipeg filled the MTS Centre.

[Jas0nMacIsaac]

Stan Fischler and others have brought up the possibility of a Quebec team playing in the Colisée for 2-3 years until the new arena is ready. It may be small and outdated but I'd bet the place would be filled as fast as Winnipeg filled the MTS Centre.

15,176 would mean some lean years and I still don't see the corporate support in Quebec. There really isn't much industry other then natural resources in the Quebec region.

[SterioDesign]

To me the list of relocation cities would be

1.Quebec
2.Kansas City
3.Hamilton
5.Seattle
5.Hartford

seriously not Canada biased just where i think it would make more sense for now

[HellOnICE]

I wouldn't have an issue with another Toronto area team.

[jagknife]

I wouldn't have an issue with another Toronto area team.

Buffalo will undoubtedly. If I'm not mistaken, 1/3 of their STH are from southern Ontario. Granted current demand for a Sabres ticket could compensate for it, I still think they'd adamantly oppose any team in Grater Toronto or Hamilton.

[mmajeski06]

The Phoenix relocation drama is starting early this year! Usually these articles start appearing mid-March or so. I'm hoping we see a return of the Nordiques.

[ZeroGravityFat]

Let's go nordique nation!

[hurricane1091]

fvck Canada, spread the game in AMERICA. SEATTLE FOR NEXT NHL TEAM.

[RSC]

fvck Canada, spread the game in AMERICA. SEATTLE FOR NEXT NHL TEAM.

I would love a hockey team in Seattle. Unfortunately, they don't have the facilities for it at the moment. Key Arena, the Sonics old home, was intentionally built to not support an NHL team. I don't remember the whole story, but Seattle was one of the leading candidates for an expansion franchise during the round that eventually got Tampa a team, and the head of the group (whoever the Sonics owner was at the time, I believe) walked in to the final meeting with the Board of Governors and withdrew the bid. He intentionally led everybody on to ensure there wouldn't be an NHL team to compete with the Sonics (which worked out real well). So basically, he sabotaged an expansion attempt and then built an arena with sight lines that can't support NHL hockey.

Edit: Found where I originally read all of this. http://www.seattleho...nd_the_NHL.html

Edited by RSC, 15 November 2011 - 10:06 PM.

[RowdyFan42]

Buffalo will undoubtedly. If I'm not mistaken, 1/3 of their STH are from southern Ontario. Granted current demand for a Sabres ticket could compensate for it, I still think they'd adamantly oppose any team in Grater Toronto or Hamilton.

Buffalo isn't who you have to worry about, it's Toronto. Granted, a franchise in Hamilton would probably hurt the Sabres, but the Leafs will fight tooth and nail to block any threat to their monopoly over Southern Ontario.

[Vic Rattlehead18]

I think seattle would be a good spot. Everyone who I know that visits there only has nice things to say. And it could give the canucks a ligit rival by distance. For hamilton, don't leaf games always sell out? I don't think it would really damage the leafs attendance at all. Maybe just sales from new hamilton fans favoring them over the leafs. Weren't they considering las vegas as a location too?
I think its so gay that thrashers become the jets because bettman fought so hard to keep the coyotes. Now they're dead and can't go back to being the jets like they should have