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Realistically....How many teams should be in the NHL?
You're not really in a place to tell me what I want, mate. What I want is for fans to have the opportunity to have as good a team as they're willing and able to support.
That, and a un-dilution of talent, both on-ice and front-office.
PS My Euro team is GNK Dinamo Zagreb - so you're wrong on that point, too.
Spot on. I just don't get why people want to dilute the game even further. The league has a number of weak owners who will never help to grow the game as it is. I would be much more in favor of fewer but stronger teams. People like to latch on to greatness and greatness is severely lacking in a lot of existing franchises. Trying to market the game with a bunch of garbage teams in apathetic markets is a fool's errand. As long as Bettman is guiding the strategy the NHL will struggle.
Spot on. I just don't get why people want to dilute the game even further. The league has a number of weak owners who will never help to grow the game as it is. I would be much more in favor of fewer but stronger teams. People like to latch on to greatness and greatness is severely lacking in a lot of existing franchises. Trying to market the game with a bunch of garbage teams in apathetic markets is a fool's errand. As long as Bettman is guiding the strategy the NHL will struggle.
Who's more likely to do their part to "grow the game":
1) Someone in a "non-traditional market", who needs to expose as many people as possible to the game, or
2) Someone in a "traditional market", where people are going to show up anyway because the exposure has already been there for years?
I've always believed in the Preds.. Everyone I know who has gone there for a game has come away very impressed by the passion in the building and in the area
Include me in that list. The contrast between the games I attended in Nashville versus Tampa Bay was pretty striking. The Predators have dedicated fans who genuinely enjoy and even love the game of hockey. The Lightning ... both times I went to games there (in different seasons), I walked out wondering why Tampa Bay has a hockey team. The fanbase seems to barely care, despite the Cup banner in the rafters. I didn't want to think that way, but that's the impression they gave me. I hope Yzerman can turn that around.
Realistically? However many they want. There is no right answer just implications for whatever they decide. If they want to open up a team in Mexico that's fine as long as they can figure out a way to manage the ice quality and make the team economically viable. There are all kinds of ways to do that some require restricting their costs i.e. salaries others would be revenue sharing.
If they want to open up a team in Mexico that's fine as long as they can figure out a way to manage the ice quality and make the team economically viable.
For the past 3yrs, over 4800 people per day line-up to partake in a Christmas Tradition in Mexico Cities Zocalo Square (which is the largest in the World); free skating, outdoors, artificial ice, minimal skate rental fee's. Temperatures can drop to single digits overnight down there, not absolutely ideal, but more than doable, never mind indoor arenas. Indeed, Mexico has hosted the U-20 Division III Teams World Championships, games staged at Zocalo (and elsewhere indoors of course) with over 50,000 in attendance. Of the 49 Nations with U-20 Teams in the IIHF, Mexico ranks 32nd.
For the past 3yrs, over 4800 people per day line-up to partake in a Christmas Tradition in Mexico Cities Zocalo Square (which is the largest in the World); free skating, outdoors, artificial ice, minimal skate rental fee's. Temperatures can drop to single digits overnight down there, not absolutely ideal, but more than doable, never mind indoor arenas. Indeed, Mexico has hosted the U-20 Division III Teams World Championships, games staged at Zocalo (and elsewhere indoors of course) with over 50,000 in attendance. Of the 49 Nations with U-20 Teams in the IIHF, Mexico ranks 32nd.
hmm, wonder if it might be a good place for a Winter Classic one of these years. It would certainly be different.
It never ceases to amaze me that people think the climate isn't a factor. Lots of kids playing on the pond in Phoenix. The sunbelt teams will never be as successful as the cold climate teams.
That is very untrue. Sunbelt teams have not been around for 80 plus years. If you take into comparsion of attendance for hockey in the 30's and 40's for the original six, then most sunbelt teams have at least twice as many fans in attendance now.
hmm, wonder if it might be a good place for a Winter Classic one of these years. It would certainly be different.
It would that. The U-20 Tournament affectionately termed a "Hockey Fiesta" by the organizers & fans. The technology exists to make it so, be it the Sonoran Desert in Arizona or the Nazca Plains of Peru.
Well, what do you think those lines are there for SP? Landing strip markers? Just a bunch of pretty pictures only visible from altitude? Look harder. When Giants walked amongst us. Creases, Face-Off Circles, Goal lines, once coloured Blue Lines, Centre Ice Red Lines. Ad Panels & Billboards for food, clothing, transportation... pretty much all of your categories covered.
Well, what do you think those lines are there for SP? Landing strip markers? Just a bunch of pretty pictures only visible from altitude? Look harder. When Giants walked amongst us. Creases, Face-Off Circles, Goal lines, once coloured Blue Lines, Centre Ice Red Lines. Ad Panels & Billboards for food, clothing, transportation... pretty much all of your categories covered.
It never ceases to amaze me that people think the climate isn't a factor. Lots of kids playing on the pond in Phoenix. The sunbelt teams will never be as successful as the cold climate teams.
Precisely why they shouldn't have swimming pools in the north. The climate isn't good for it. It's not natural. Water will freeze up there. I think that all swimming pools north of the Mason Dixon Line should immediately be contracted or relocated to the sunbelt, where people actually deserve them and kids can play in them. Swimming will never be as successful in the north as it is in warm climates.
Quote:
Originally Posted by optimus2861
Include me in that list. The contrast between the games I attended in Nashville versus Tampa Bay was pretty striking. The Predators have dedicated fans who genuinely enjoy and even love the game of hockey. The Lightning ... both times I went to games there (in different seasons), I walked out wondering why Tampa Bay has a hockey team. The fanbase seems to barely care, despite the Cup banner in the rafters. I didn't want to think that way, but that's the impression they gave me. I hope Yzerman can turn that around.
Wow - when did you go to these games? For a while after we won the Cup we were right up at the top of the league in attendance, even in spite of the lockout that cost us a full season. Then Koules/Barrie came in and almost destroyed the franchise and things got bad, but the last couple of years since Mr. Vinik purchased the team the crowds have returned and the arena is rocking.
I took out 5 teams and added one in Seattle. I don't think you could make it 20. 30 teams, take out 10 minus 6. 4 extra teams. So all these teams would be cut:
Anaheim Calgary
Columbus
Dallas
Florida Minnesota
Nashville New York Islanders
Phoenix San Jose
snip
Good thing this league is not run by people with this mindset. Minnesota is a total sports market, and it's cold temperatures make it an ideal place to keep hockey alive. NFL also thrives there, so does the NBA. Why on earth would you cut the Wild?
I took out 5 teams and added one in Seattle. I don't think you could make it 20. 30 teams, take out 10 minus 6. 4 extra teams. So all these teams would be cut:
Anaheim Calgary
Columbus
Dallas
Florida Minnesota
Nashville New York Islanders
Phoenix San Jose
That would leave these teams which will never be cut:
Boston
Buffalo
Carolina
Chicago
Colorado
Detroit
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Montreal
New Jersey
New York
Ottawa
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Tampa Bay
Toronto
Vancouver
Washington
Winnipeg
Get rid of Minnesota which is a great sports market and with their new acquisitions in Parise and Suter pushing to go to the next level over Phoenix?
Personally, I think the most the league could handle is 32 before the league becomes too diluted. I'd open expansion teams in Quebec and Seattle. If Phoenix's financial problems were still to continue to the end of their lease or after a decent amount of time has passed, then move them to either Hartford or Austin.
32 is the ideal number, but some of the locations are not ideal. Expand by two, and move Florida, Phoenix, Columbus. New cities: Quebec, Seattle, Southern Ontario, Vegas and one of Kansas City, Hartford or Baltimore.
32 is the ideal number, but some of the locations are not ideal. Expand by two, and move Florida, Phoenix, Columbus. New cities: Quebec, Seattle, Southern Ontario, Vegas and one of Kansas City, Hartford or Baltimore.
How long do you think a team would last in KC if it had the number of losing Seasons that the Blue Jackets have experienced?
How long do you think a team would last in KC if it had the number of losing Seasons that the Blue Jackets have experienced?
Kansas City fans would probably be quite used to it with their experience with the Chiefs and Royals, so they'd probably still be cool with a losing NHL team.
Kansas City fans would probably be quite used to it with their experience with the Chiefs and Royals, so they'd probably still be cool with a losing NHL team.
Well, no one knows losing baseball quite like someone in Chicago.
Precisely why they shouldn't have swimming pools in the north. The climate isn't good for it. It's not natural. Water will freeze up there. I think that all swimming pools north of the Mason Dixon Line should immediately be contracted or relocated to the sunbelt, where people actually deserve them and kids can play in them. Swimming will never be as successful in the north as it is in warm climates.
Funny you should mention that. There are far, far fewer swimming pools in the colder states than in the sunbelt. Come to think of it there are far more surf shops in California than in Michigan. Yet there are a ton more snowmobile dealers in Michigan than in Arizona. Hmmmm...
Funny you should mention that. There are far, far fewer swimming pools in the colder states than in the sunbelt. Come to think of it there are far more surf shops in California than in Michigan. Yet there are a ton more snowmobile dealers in Michigan than in Arizona. Hmmmm...
Got any indoor heated pools up there?
You can't have them, either, because it's cold outside.
Just a reverse sample of the ridiculous "it doesn't snow so you don't deserve a hockey team" mantra.
my message isn't too short...btw MTL could never support 2 teams only Toronto could at this point
Montreal could probably support two teams but would they want to? No. The Habs are too much of a Great Epic Story that you never want to stop being a part of.
What I want is for fans to have the opportunity to have as good a team as they're willing and able to support.
Wait you are female right
Too many alien runways to fit a hockey rink 
