Frozen-Man

If you look at the revenue generated by so of the teams that are not in good "hockey markets" you might be supprised by where some of them rank. Some of the "non-hockey markets" generate more revenue than the "hockey markets" (see the Kings and the Flames). TEAM REVENUE ($MIL) Toronto Maple Leafs 138 New York Rangers 122 Detroit Red Wings 109 Montreal Canadians 109 Vancouver Canucks 96 Ottawa Senators 93 Dallas Stars 91 Anaheim Ducks 89 Philadelphia Flyers 87 Boston Bruins 87 Tampa Bay Lightning 85 Los Angeles Kings 84 Colorado Avalanche 79 Minnesota Wild 78 Calgary Flames 77 Buffalo Sabres 74 San Jose Sharks 72 Edmonton Oilers 71 Chicago Blackhawks 69 Carolina Hurricanes 68 Columbus Blue Jackets 68 Pittsburgh Penguins 67 Florida Panthers 67 Atlanta Thrashers 67 Phoenix Coyotes 67 Washington Capitals 66 St Louis Blues 66 New Jersey Devils 65 Nashville Predators 65 New York Islanders 60

I like having some teams that are not in hockey markets. I think it is good for the sport and gets exposure in the U.S. where it wouldn't. No one would have thought that Dallas would be a good place "hockey market" wise but it has done well and has helped a lot of people who had no exposure to the sport to get into it and now some of the public schools even have hockey teams. It is becoming more and more ingrained into the atmosphere of the city. People talk all the time about not getting enough exposure or respect (on ESPN and elsewhere) but a lot of people don't want there to be any (or almost any) teams in the southern or western halves of the U.S. That means that most of the U.S. won't have teams that they can watch or root for and that they will never see a game on t.v. (except the few weekend games that come on NBC in the second half of the season) unless the pay for the premium Verses channel because they won't have a local station to carry them. Many of these non-hockey markets do pretty well and are garnering more and more fans as they are exposed to the game and begin to understand and love it. I think that it would be very bad for the sport to get rid of them all - and it hinders the sports growth when it seems like oh you can't be a real fan because no one from Nashville could ever understand hockey. Just my 2 cents worth.

This should help soothe the Pens even more concerning Hossa. Pretty good deal for the Pens if Fleury continues to improve. However, I do think all these no trade clauses for 6-7 year contracts are going to bite some teams in the butt. "Sources tell TSN Marc-Andre Fleury has signed a seven year, $35 million extension. The deal includes a no-move and limited no-trade clause that triggers in 2010-2011." http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242381&lid...os=topStory_nhl

It has nothing to do with Lids making more or less money - it has to do with the fact that Lids has continuously taken pay cuts so that the Wing can have money to sign other guys and you don't ask your best player and captain to sacrifice and take less and then not ask that of other guys. Lids doesn't seem to mind taking much less than he is worth to help the team but it doesn't seem right to then take that money and use it to pay another guy more.

I don't know, I am not disagreeing with you you exactly, I'm just not sure. I would have never imagined that Hossa would take what he did this year with all of the other offers that he had. He may just be one and done but I'm not sure what he will want in the future but it seems pretty obvious that money is not the absolute most important thing or he would be on a different team (that may change if he wins the Cup this year) and because of that it makes it hard to predict what he might do.

"Both sides said in today's press conference that they hope this will be more than a one-year relationship. Holland said that he'll have a better idea in the middle of next season what the 2009-10 salary cap will be and whether he can work deals with the players he has to sign for that season." http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/ I know that a lot can happen throughout a season but it is nice to know that Hossa might be interested in a long term contract. If he likes it here maybe he will take a discount that will still allow the Wings to keep Z, Mule, and Flip.

THANKS!!!

I'm not sure we would match $5M anyway but we could do it. You can be 10% over the cap during the summer.

Do you have a link for this?

I don't think that the Wings would EVER screw over a player that way. In my opinion that would make an organization as sleazy as it gets to get a player to take such a huge discount and a one year deal, knowing it was because he wanted to win the Cup, and then trade him away at the deadline. That would be a horrible way to treat a player and they would never get the benefit of the doubt concerning player contracts in the future.

"The $7.4 million that Hossa will earn next season, is the most Detroit would pay anyone - even an unrestricted free agent. The Red Wings were insistent that no one earn more money than six-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom." http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242261&lid...os=topStory_nhl

Nick is still the highest paid at 7.45M - Holland is quoted at TSN as saying that he didn't feel comfortable with anyone making more than Nick.

Do you have a link to that interview?

I think some major praise may need to go to Kopecky as well. "Besides seeing the organization from afar as an opponent, Hossa received some insight from his friend Red Wings forward Tomas Kopecky. 'I’ve heard a lot about things there from my friend,' Hossa said. 'I was in contact with him during the year, so we talked, and it’s an exciting time and I’m looking forward to it.'" http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app/?service=...rticleid=367553

That's what I was thinking. Where are all of those people who talked about how bad he sucked and we could have had Hossa at the trade deadline and he never did anything but merely inherited a good team. It cracks me up, I'll bet that there have been / are going to be a lot of Red Wings cards reissued.

TSN said that Hossa was told that $7.4M was the max because no one on the team would be paid more than Nick. "The $7.4 million that Hossa will earn next season, is the most Detroit would pay anyone - even an unrestricted free agent. The Red Wings were insistent that no one earn more money than six-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom." http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242261&lid...os=topStory_nhl

Also it adds a lot to the teams motivation to repeat. Everyone knows Hossa took a monstrous pay cut and that it is this one year. That means that Hossa will give it his all and that should excite everyone else and help to keep them all accountable knowing the sacrifice that Hossa already made.

So is Lidstrom [seriously though that was funny about Pronger=Satan]

I disagree about both actually. I think that you put them in the right atmosphere and in the right role and they both could flourish again. I think that players that are that talented have the ability (unless age has overtaken them) to be great assets.

:clap: :clap: Excellent point. I love that the management has done such a great job with chemistry and team success (and that is one of the reasons that I love my Red Wings card ).

I'm not sure about losing Flip, Rex, and/or Franzen for Hossa. I think Hossa is one of the better players in the world BUT I really agree with the line from the movie Miracle when they tell Herb Brooks that he left some of the best players off the team and he says that he is not looking for the best players he is looking for the right players. In my opinion we have got some of those right players in those guys and should not be too quick to part with them just for a more talented player. Is Hossa going to be content being on the second line or the second power play or playing whatever role he is asked to play. I'm not even saying that he would be asked to take any of those roles but can he fit in with what Detroit does as a whole? I'm not saying that I wouldn't take the deal if it meant getting rid of two of the three of those guys but I would seriously consider what we lose in those guys in the specific roles that they play.

:hysterical:

That's what I thought at first but players can waive their no-trade clause whenever they want I think. Toronto was trying to get several guys to waive theirs at the deadline this year and I don't remember hearing that their no-trade clauses were limited. I was wondering if was only to a team that was in the playoff standings at the time of the trade or only to an eastern conference team or something like that.

Per TSN he also got a no trade clause: "The deal also included a no-trade clause in the first two season and a limited no-trade clause in the last two years of the contract." I don't really mind this and I think it was probably an important part of the deal for him. Although I do wonder what the limited no-trade part includes exactly. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242170&amp...s=headlines_nhl

That's Awesome. I love how we all think we know what is going on all the time - certain he will be gone - then amazingly we are incorrect.