Balsillie building arena in Cambridge ?

[Booster313 138]

should I not be?? Hell Yes i'm scared. This situation is pretty easy for Wings fans to sit there and look at from the outside and speculate on and whatnot. But for preds fans, it's real. Other than when we were granted an expansion team, this is the single biggest issue ever for this team. This is way above making the playoffs, or signing Kariya or trading for Forsberg. any of us Preds fans would trade all of the good times for a guarantee that our team isn't moving.

Legionnaire,

I feel for you, and I admire your passion. Given time I think a team could work in Nashville. It's a great city, I have attended many Wings games there and although a few fans took it a bit far, (one threw a wet paper towel at a friend of mine during a game) most were accommodating to the extent that I would expect them to be. I hope for your sake that they are able to up average attendance I don't know what I would do if the Wings were to leave Detroit.

[two-four 0]

Okay, if you'd like we can use Quebec City as the example. And Ontario has barely made Ottawa work. Their tenure in the league has been mauled by financial problems. What makes you think another team in that area will have any difference?

Ontario has barely made Ottawa work because Ottawa is in the middle of nowhere, it's also 330 miles (530 kms) from Cambridge. A fairly large distance wouldnt' you say? Also, Ottawa's team is in Kanata, yet another reason they had trouble drawing a crowd a few years back. And as for every person in Ontario being a leafs fan? Laughable, there are many hockey fans that would be pleased to watch NHL hockey, and not have to pay $300 at the Air Canada Centre.

[two-four 0]

Think about this as well..... paid average attendance has to be at what, 16,000 I believe?

What if o'l Jimmy boy doesn't re-sign any of his free agents? The team made the playoffs this year and didn't meet the 16,000 needed. All he has to do is throw a year away, no one goes, and he gets a decent draft pick for his new team in KW-Cambridge area!

[Legionnaire11 0]

try 14,000 (or 14,185). When we were at 13,815 last season... not too much of a stretch. I think we've already set ourselves up to go past it just in the fans grassroots effort to up ticket sales, now we've got the corporate community on board and their goal is to add another 3,000 season tickets. throw that on top of our already nearly 14,000, and we're pushing around at least 16,500 every night.

I don't doubt that he'll raise ticket prices. But it won't be for this coming season. Prices are already set, renewal forms are already sent out (and sent back). People are already locked into the current prices for next season.

[Barrie 900]

try 14,000 (or 14,185). When we were at 13,815 last season... not too much of a stretch. I think we've already set ourselves up to go past it just in the fans grassroots effort to up ticket sales, now we've got the corporate community on board and their goal is to add another 3,000 season tickets. throw that on top of our already nearly 14,000, and we're pushing around at least 16,500 every night.

I don't doubt that he'll raise ticket prices. But it won't be for this coming season. Prices are already set, renewal forms are already sent out (and sent back). People are already locked into the current prices for next season.

I wish the Florida or Phoenix teams were the ones possibly being moved. I like the idea of another team in Southern Ontario, but it's to bad it has to be the Pred's moving.

[Guest bullocks]

Okay, if you'd like we can use Quebec City as the example. And Ontario has barely made Ottawa work. Their tenure in the league has been mauled by financial problems. What makes you think another team in that area will have any difference?

another team in what area? ottawa is a 6 hour drive from cambridge. ottawa doesn't attract people from southern ontario.

I wish the Florida or Phoenix teams were the ones possibly being moved. I like the idea of another team in Southern Ontario, but it's to bad it has to be the Pred's moving.

whys it too bad? they can't support there team. should have never got one to begin with. but yes, pheonix and florida are failures as well.

[Legionnaire11 0]

I wish the Florida or Phoenix teams were the ones possibly being moved. I like the idea of another team in Southern Ontario, but it's to bad it has to be the Pred's moving.

unfortunately, along with our sweet arena deal, we're also the ones who happen to have an easy out clause in there.

[p_diddy_datsyuk_13 2]

talk, talk, talk, talk, talk... there is NO WAY that the NHL would let him move the team to a small town... even gary bettman isn't that stupid... what little money is in a canadian city would be in a big one, and the NHL would be digging it's own grave if it allowed this...

BTW... there's already a team in ontario that can't pay it's bills...

they're called the ottawa senators

[Barrie 900]

whys it too bad? they can't support there team. should have never got one to begin with. but yes, pheonix and florida are failures as well.

I think Nashville is a better market than Phoenix and Miami.

[Barrie 900]

talk, talk, talk, talk, talk... there is NO WAY that the NHL would let him move the team to a small town... even gary bettman isn't that stupid... what little money is in a canadian city would be in a big one, and the NHL would be digging it's own grave if it allowed this...

BTW... there's already a team in ontario that can't pay it's bills...

they're called the ottawa senators

See post #10 in this discussion, check a map, Balsillie has close to 3 Million people within an hour drive of the area, and that doesn't include people willing to drive in from Toronto. Also, with how bad the Leafs are run, price of Leaf tickets, and the number of people who can't go to Leaf games, the area is in bad need of another franchise.

Ottawa has about 1 Million people to draw from.

[Guest bullocks]

talk, talk, talk, talk, talk... there is NO WAY that the NHL would let him move the team to a small town... even gary bettman isn't that stupid... what little money is in a canadian city would be in a big one, and the NHL would be digging it's own grave if it allowed this...

BTW... there's already a team in ontario that can't pay it's bills...

they're called the ottawa senators

you might want to have some back ground knowledge before you make accusations.

[bogeygolfer 4]

http://www.fan590.com/mediaplayer/audiopla...hard_rodier.mp3

this is an interview with Balsillie's lawyer, very inciteful

[Legionnaire11 0]

I think Nashville is a better market than Phoenix and Miami.

it is... but we also have an out clause in our lease. Very attractive to someone who wants to relocate

[two-four 0]

http://www.fan590.com/mediaplayer/audiopla...hard_rodier.mp3

this is an interview with Balsillie's lawyer, very inciteful.

Thanks for posting that!

Edited June 13, 2007 by two-four

[eva unit zero 271]

See Winnipeg, where the stands were packed every game, but management still had trouble paying the bills.

The stands were never packed in Winnipeg. The Jets never once in their history averaged better than 90% of capacity for a season. For reference, Winnipeg Arena held 15,500 and 90% of that figure is about 13,900--more than Winnipeg's highest single season average. Winnipeg was a complete and total failure as an NHL market.

The six Canadian metro areas with greater than 1 million people are the ones with teams now and the only ones that should have teams. The greater Toronto area already has two teams, one of which (Buffalo) it has generally had difficulty supporting despite rabid hometown fans and a mismanaged Leafs team.

Look to New York for an example of what you get when you have three teams in close proximity in a hockey market. One team that constantly sells out, others that get attendance only when doing well, or not at all.

[Barrie 900]

it is... but we also have an out clause in our lease. Very attractive to someone who wants to relocate

Just curious, because none of the Detroit teams have moved, if the Pred's leave town for K-W, would you follow them to Southern Ontario, pick another team, or you haven't thought that far yet?

I've seen team's move out of Canada, and I've always wondered what they did.