OFFICIAL HOCKEY THREAD: NHL, KHL, NCAA, IIHL

[lvjordan238]

Vegas hosting any professional sports team is a horrible decision. Seattle or Portland would've been a much better decision. But I'm speaking without any facts.

It's not like young, rich athletes have any problems finding trouble in NYC/LA/CHI/etc. If a player wants to party, do drugs, and not focus on their career they'll find a way no matter what city they are in. (e.g. Ryan Malone/ Mike Richards)

And it's not like the NHL just chose Vegas out of a hat. The only choices were Vegas and/or Quebec. Seattle and Portland need to- A. Have an arena and B. Want a team badly enough to actually submit an expansion bid.

Good thing Vegas makes more so much more sense hockeywise than Quebec City or Hamilton...

How exactly does one city make more sense "hockey wise" than another? Long term financial viability? Sure, you could have a case, as that will be entirely dependent upon how successful Vegas is at putting out a winning team, same as 60% of the teams in the league. The real reason Quebec isn't getting a team right now is the imbalance in conferences. There's no doubt in my mind that it won't be long until Karmanos sells the Canes and they end up in Quebec. As for Hamilton, same as Seattle and Portland, they might want to actually submit a bid if they want to be in consideration for a potential team.

 

[Bad Religion]

What you're saying makes alot of sense. I think in the case of Hamilton, Toronto would try to block that from ever happening, as has been reported in the past.

 

[rolaholic]

I was saying "hockeywise" in relation to fan support and long term viability. Makes a lot more sense given the hockey infrastructure and interest already there and seems like way less of a gamble than moving to another metropolis in the desert. Games would sell out easily in those towns. I'm not a fan of any league moving to Vegas tbh and the NHL makes the least amount of sense to me but I guess it is Bettman's NHL after all

I hear your concerns about imbalance which is why they need to go the NFL route with 32 teams imo. If they went to 32 I'd prefer seeing 4 divisions of 8 teams instead of 8 divisions of 4 just to keep some historical rivalries intact

 

[sosly]

And it's not like the NHL just chose Vegas out of a hat. The only choices were Vegas and/or Quebec. Seattle and Portland need to- A. Have an arena and B. Want a team badly enough to actually submit an expansion bid.

Winterhawks play in the Moda Center, they need more seats or what? Hope people in Nevada actually go to games, Wranglers come in mind

 

[lightweight champion]

I'm not speaking to players getting into trouble, I'm well aware that can happen anywhere else. There's just too much other stuff for people to do in Vegas besides going to a hockey game. I hope it pans out and I eat crow, I just don't see Vegas being a viable destination for any pro sports team.

 

[dmxfury]

Is there really demand for an additional team? Don't really think Vegas is the solution either but I'd like to be wrong


Gonna cost a fortune to keep that place cool

 

[lvjordan238]

Winterhawks play in the Moda Center, they need more seats or what? Hope people in Nevada actually go to games, Wranglers come in mind

What Portland would need is a potential owner willing to fork out 500 million for a team.

The Wranglers were annually in the top 6-7 for attendance capacity. Not too shabby at all for an ECHL team in a second rate arena.

I'm not speaking to players getting into trouble, I'm well aware that can happen anywhere else. There's just too much other stuff for people to do in Vegas besides going to a hockey game. I hope it pans out and I eat crow, I just don't see Vegas being a viable destination for any pro sports team.

Not for locals there isn't. The vast majority of entertainment attractions Vegas offers are geared to be marketed towards tourists. An NHL team will live and die by the 2+ million residents here in Clark County, which so far have accounted for ~14000 season ticket deposits. That's before taking into account corporate buyers, casino comps, or single game tickets that will be in demand for visiting team fans. Getting more locals on the strip and spending money is going to be an even bigger boon to the local economy. As long as the team puts out a winning product I have no doubt it will be a huge success. That's really the only difference between the so called "successful" Sunbelt franchises (San Jose/Tampa/Dallas/Nashville/Anaheim) and the ones that often get labeled as "non hockey markets" (Phoenix/Florida/Carolina). The only other real huge detriment to the potential long term success could be an NBA team. That would be tough to compete with, but I don't think that will be a concern with the NHL beating them to the punch.

This is how you grow the game. If it weren't for the Yotes Toronto probably isn't about to draft it's next franchise player in Auston Matthews. 10-15 years from now maybe there will be a #1 pick out of Vegas that there never would have been without the existence of an NHL team here.



From HFBoards

Twenty years of preseason support
Top 10 US Hockey TV Ratings Market in 2014.
Top US TV Ratings Market Without a Team
More avid hockey fans by percentage than 11 current NHL cities.
The largest metro without a pro sports franchise in the US/Canada
14,500 season ticket deposits.

 

[DeadsetAce]

Man if PDX got a team, I'd be out of the Bay Area yesterday

 

[dmxfury]

Would be sweet up there

 

[jewseejay]

All this expansion talk... let us not forget that the CUP is about to make its way downtown Pburgh

LGP!!!

 

[dathbgboy]

All this expansion talk... let us not forget that the CUP is about to make its way downtown Pburgh

LGP!!!

I just came back from the parade. Joint was crazy. I don't watch hockey so my coworker givin me the skinny on who to take pic of for him since he forgot his phone

 

[Bad Religion]

https://www.nhl.com/news/blackhawks-trade-teuvo-teravainen-bryan-bickell-to-hurricanes/c-280970578

Is that all Teravainen was worth (2nd this year, 3rd next)?

 

[DeadsetAce]

All this expansion talk... let us not forget that the CUP is about to make its way downtown Pburgh

LGP!!!

how much time is that pic taken before the parade? there were more people outside of the arena for game 5

 

[DeadsetAce]

https://www.nhl.com/news/blackhawks-trade-teuvo-teravainen-bryan-bickell-to-hurricanes/c-280970578

Is that all Teravainen was worth (2nd this year, 3rd next)?

wow

 

[sosly]

Would have not minded TT for a flames second, they got like 3 lol.

But cap hurts hawks

 

[lvjordan238]

Teravainen had to be included to get someone to take Bickell's disgusting contract. Even after that they are only going to have 11-13 million to sign/call-up 6 forwards and a top 4 d-man. Shaw's probably going to be a cap casualty as well if the rumors are true that Campbell is headed back there.

 

[eentegra]

Teuvo was given the chance but just didn't quite cut it for hawks. but bread man breaking out made him a tradeable piece. sux since he's young and have nothing but upside potential. best of luck to him. bicks was just a bad contract that nobody wants.

but man i remember when the asking price for kesler was saad and teuvo. stan passed on that offer.

who knows if kesler would've worked here in chi but man what a 2nd line center he wouldve been.

 

[dmxfury]

DSA - crowd was big for the parade so not sure when that was taken. But it wasn't like a 3,000 peeps turnout



Read there was only one arrest and it was a guy mocking a police horse. That's how you celebrate

 

[DeadsetAce]

^ good to hear

 

[VinMillerHearn58]

Anze Kopitar will be the new Captain for the Kings

 

[DeadsetAce]

Anze Kopitar will be the new Captain for the Kings

wonder how Brown is taking it. are they resigning Lucic you think?

 

[VinMillerHearn58]

Anze Kopitar will be the new Captain for the Kings

wonder how Brown is taking it. are they resigning Lucic you think?

I'm sure Brown is a little let down that he got his "C" taken away, but he should have known by his performance the past few years that it was bound to happen. This team needed a change, a fresh start, and it begins with Kopi getting the "C".

As for Lucic, the last I heard is that the Kings and his agent weren't really on the same page. I was hearing that Looch wanted something like 6 years $6mil per, and the Kings were offering 4 years at $5.5mil per.

 

[DeadsetAce]

wish we never dumped Lucic. come back home, Milan

 

[xxpizzo]

Still sick about it that the Pens won lol i have not been in here for a while but just wanted to say congrats to your squad @dmxfury  

 

[dmxfury]

Understandable man


Thanks, good stuff. I know myself and I'm sure JSJ enjoyed the ride