The Business of HockeyDiscuss the financial and business aspects of the NHL. Franchise sales, valuations, TV contracts, ratings, expansion, relocation, the CBA and work stoppage discussion goes here.
So? I was a die-hard hockey fan as a kid in the 80s and early 90s. That was an ideal time before the NHL turned into a big sunbelt-obsessed ****fest. It was a time when you could like hockey for *hockey* and not have to worry about Gary Bettman doing insane things in the name of "growing the game" or a team existing in the middle of the ****ing desert or any of that garbage.
So, let's see if I have this right...
By the time Gary Bettman took over as commissioner, the League had 26 teams with what we now know as a plan to go to 28 teams.
The relocation of the North Stars to Dallas was a fait accompli within a month after Gary Bettman took over.
The next relocation occurred when Marcel Aubut sold the Nordiques to Comsat.
The following relocation occurred when Barry Shenkarow sold the Jets to Burke and Gluckstern. After an unsuccessful attempt to secure a lease at the Target Center in Minneapolis, the team moved to Phoenix (another WHA city).
The final relocation of the 1990's occurred when Peter Karmanos moved the Whalers to Raleigh.
Now please find fault with any of these moves, considering that by 2001:
The Senators filed for bankruptcy
The Sabres filed for bankruptcy
The League bent their rules to allow a consortium purchase the Oilers
The Penguins were actively courted by Paul Allen for a move to Portland
Then you can put the original 6 all in the "yoda" division? Maybe take a survey of the most hated 8 teams in the league and put them in the Vader division?
Then you can put the original 6 all in the "yoda" division? Maybe take a survey of the most hated 8 teams in the league and put them in the Vader division?
I suppose the way it could work would be to put the Gretzky and Howe in the East, and Lemieux and Orr in the West.
Hey, that's a good idea.
Still prefer geographic names though. As I also do geographic Divisions, just too bad that the new Central Division won't be geographic regardless of what it's called.
Either go back to: Norris, Smythe, Patrick, Adams.
or
West/Pacific, Central, Atlantic, East/Northeast or something similar. who cares if every team doesn't fit exactly into the name of the region? The Dallas Cowboys plays in the NFC East and the Oklahoma City Thunder play in the Northwest division. i don't see the NBA or NFL in risk of going under because of it.
Gretzky/Lemieux/Orr/Whatever is just dumb. they're all not that far removed from playing and Lemieux is the owner of the Penguins, so that'd be weird. Plus, teams wouldn't want to play in a conference/division named after a player that played for their arch-rival for years.
Thank God this didn't happen in the late 90s, otherwise we'd probably be fielding suggestions that the divisions be called Dipsy, Laa-Laa, Po, and Tinky Winky.
