Hypothetical contraction

[Opie 308]

So all of this talk about Nashville losing its team has got me thinking. I personally would like to see the league shrunk by at least two teams if not up to four.

So here it is if you were on the board and the question was posed by Bettman, which 4 teams would you contract from the league.

Mine:

1. Florida

2. Carolina

3. Atlanta

4. Pheonix

Honorable Mentions

4b. Nashville

4c. Tampa

4d. Minnesota

4e. Columbus

I really do not see a strong long term fan base coming from these communities and with Florida specifically there is too much competition from other major sports to sustain true interest. The moment the Raiders, 49ers, Lakers, or Clippers, put together a playoff run the new Hockey fans will jump right back. And heaven forbid a NASCAR race or time trials or whatever other crap goes along with racing comes along!! (sorry got caught up in the LA part below but you get the point)!

I would also love to see Minnesota gone only to have Dallas move back to being the North Stars.

Now I know none of this is going to happen and if captain dip s*** (Bettman) has anything to say he will probably expand the league again. I also would second a vote for either San Jose or Anaheim, see the Florida statement above!!

Edited June 18, 2007 by Opie

[WhiteLightning91 105]

Just the fact that you feel Minnesota should be contracted shows the lack of thought you put into this post. Why on earth would you contract a top ten attendance team?

Edited June 18, 2007 by WhiteLightning91

[Opie 308]

Just the fact that you feel Minnesota should be contracted shows the lack of thought you put into this post.

Thanks for responding with a post that also had a ton of thought put into it.

Getting rid of Minnesota is my thought because as I said in the first post was I would like to see Dallas back in Minnesota, but thanks for engaging in this conversation with an open mind!

[Pucker 0]

I also agree that the NHL is too big. Seems there are not enough tallented players to go around.

I can't speculate on what those teams that should be on the cutting block are though, but I would choose by their fan base.

[JayUp88 1]

Mine:

1. Florida

2. Carolina

3. Atlanta

4. Pheonix

Honorable Mentions

4b. Nashville

4c. Tampa

4d. Minnesota

4e. Columbus

1. Florida, yes good call on that one. know one cares. I have a friend that is down there from MI for flight school and he was the only person who knew who Big Bert even was,

2. Carolina. Wrong keep them. they have fans and hell they have a cup already.

3 Atlanta. keep them they haven't had much time in the NHL yet.

4. Phoenix. Yes cut the losses and let them die

4c. they have a big following down there even before they won the cup. don't let them go.

[Lidstrom5 D-Man 0]

Has an NHL-Stanley Cup winning team ever been contracted?

[WhiteLightning91 105]

Thanks for responding with a post that also had a ton of thought put into it.

Getting rid of Minnesota is my thought because as I said in the first post was I would like to see Dallas back in Minnesota, but thanks for engaging in this conversation with an open mind!

I don't understand the knowledge in that. The Wild have a better attendance than the Stars do and are going to be a better team. Minnesota had no emotional ties the the North Stars since they never won anything and have already switched their allegiance to the Wild. What good would switching the Stars with the Wild do for the league?

[toby91_ca 620]

Has an NHL-Stanley Cup winning team ever been contracted?

Montreal Maroons

Ottawa Senators

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

I don't understand the knowledge in that. The Wild have a better attendance than the Stars do and are going to be a better team. Minnesota had no emotional ties the the North Stars since they never won anything and have already switched their allegiance to the Wild. What good would switching the Stars with the Wild do for the league?

Not trying to pick a fight here or anything, but you ever talk to hockey fans from MN??

In an ideal world I'd like to see the Wild and Stars switch names/logos (keep rosters) and bring the North Stars back to MN and make Dallas fans cheer for a team with a weird name.

I'd like to see the Preds move somewhere in Ontario and send the Panthers to Winnipeg (I'm also a Coyotes fan )

I would also like to see the Hartford Whalers reborn but not sure how successful they were the first time round.

Reallistically I'd like the NHL to go a season or two with NO changes. Esepcially no expansion teams if nothing else.

[anne7680 0]

This is just strictly my opinion and absolutely no research or deep thought has been put into it but I have always thought it a shame that Canada, which pretty much the birthplace of hockey, now only has 6 NHL teams. I really think that some of the teams that aren't doing to well here in the US should be moved north of the border to see how thinks work out up there. Like I said, just my opinion.

[Opie 308]

I don't understand the knowledge in that. The Wild have a better attendance than the Stars do and are going to be a better team. Minnesota had no emotional ties the the North Stars since they never won anything and have already switched their allegiance to the Wild. What good would switching the Stars with the Wild do for the league?

Here is a thought instead of pointing out my obviously unintelligent and irrational posts why not add your thoughts here, whom would you recommend?

[Winged Scooter 0]

Not trying to pick a fight here or anything, but you ever talk to hockey fans from MN??

In an ideal world I'd like to see the Wild and Stars switch names/logos (keep rosters) and bring the North Stars back to MN and make Dallas fans cheer for a team with a weird name.

I'd like to see the Preds move somewhere in Ontario and send the Panthers to Winnipeg (I'm also a Coyotes fan )

I would also like to see the Hartford Whalers reborn but not sure how successful they were the first time round.

Reallistically I'd like the NHL to go a season or two with NO changes. Esepcially no expansion teams if nothing else.

I would love to see carolina move back to Hartford, I miss the Whale!

I don't think Columbus and Tampa Bay are good candidates for contraction because of very solid ownership. Atlanta, Phoenix, Florida should all go buh-bye. Finding a 4th team to make it even would be very hard.

Here's a funny thought, if you base contraction on weak dis-interested ownership, poor attendance and total fan apathy, wouldn't the Black Hawks be a perfect candidate?

[Opie 308]

Winged Scooter,

Great point,and I agree to a point, but can you imagine how fired up people would be if an O6 team was contracted. I think Chicago has one of the worst orgs. in the league, but there is no way Bettman is that dumb.

I am not even a Blackhawk fan, but I would be pissed if he ditched an O6!

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

Has an NHL-Stanley Cup winning team ever been contracted?

I believe the Colorado Rockies they were coached by Don Cherry

[zata40 3]

don't get rid of any teams, or make the league smaller. If a team is doing bad where it is, they can move to a more supportive area. I think quite the opposite of you, i think we should expand the league, the more hockey fans around the better.

[Opie 308]

don't get rid of any teams, or make the league smaller. If a team is doing bad where it is, they can move to a more supportive area. I think quite the opposite of you, i think we should expand the league, the more hockey fans around the better.

I see your point about spreading fans around, however expanding the league right now would kill it. Maybe move one of the 3 teams out of NY, seeing as Washington and NJ have teams within a short distance as well. Or move one of the teams out of FL or Ca.

I agree Hockey needs to be spread across the spectrum more, but I don't see expansion as a good idea.

But I think moving teams is just going to cause more distress to the league's already dwindling popularity.

[rick zombo 3,739]

hmmmmmmmmmmmm Detroit's first pick in the contraction draft?

Nathan Horton.

[Opie 308]

You raise a point Zombo that I hadn't thought about, how does that work?

Is there a contraction draft, or do guys become Free agents?

[Bad Vlad Forever 1]

My contention has always been "No hockey south of the mason-dixon line, or west of Colorado". Basically, if you can't play ice hockey outside, you can't have a team, and move more teams back to Canada. I think I'd let the Kings stay just because they have a tiny bit of historical importance, and I need at least one local place to go see the Wings play!

I know, I know.....total snobby hockety purist

[rick zombo 3,739]

You raise a point Zombo that I hadn't thought about, how does that work?

Is there a contraction draft, or do guys become Free agents?

I think the guys under contract enter a draft like the entry draft. (poorest team picks first).

And the UFAs and RFAs become free agents. Maybe.

I'm not the one to be answering this. One of the brainiacs, help please?

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

So all of this talk about Nashville losing its team has got me thinking. I personally would like to see the league shrunk by at least two teams if not up to four.

So here it is if you were on the board and the question was posed by Bettman, which 4 teams would you contract from the league.

Mine:

1. Florida

2. Carolina

3. Atlanta

4. Pheonix

Honorable Mentions

4b. Nashville

4c. Tampa

4d. Minnesota

4e. Columbus

I really do not see a strong long term fan base coming from these communities and with Florida specifically there is too much competition from other major sports to sustain true interest. The moment the Raiders, 49ers, Lakers, or Clippers, put together a playoff run the new Hockey fans will jump right back. And heaven forbid a NASCAR race or time trials or whatever other crap goes along with racing comes along!! (sorry got caught up in the LA part below but you get the point)!

I would also love to see Minnesota gone only to have Dallas move back to being the North Stars.

Now I know none of this is going to happen and if captain dip s*** (Bettman) has anything to say he will probably expand the league again. I also would second a vote for either San Jose or Anaheim, see the Florida statement above!!

Getting rid of Minnesota so that Dallas can move back to Minnesota (in essence) is as another poster already said, not very well thought out. Fans in MN may yearn for the old name back but they have quality franchise and so does Dallas. Simply wanting the name is hardly a rational reason to pull a double franchise move.

Also, i'm curious why you'd lump Columbus in their with those teams? Ohio is a very good hockey state. Alot of NHLers have come out of Ohio. The Buckeyes and Miami have outstanding progams. Bowling Green is a competitve school (Rob Blake attended). Northern Ohio has really good hockey and Columbus is a sports hub. I believe that Nationwide arena was voted the best place to see an NHL game a year or 2 back. They have a good fanbase and a great area around the stadium full of bars and right down the road from the university. Take all of this into account and realize how s***ty the BlueJackets are and that ought to tell you just how much excitement they'd generate if they were any good or could make the playoffs.

Columbus shouldn't be mentioned in a contraction thread IMO. And yes, I'm from Ohio. Raised in Cleveland, now residing in Cincinnati (probably the least hockey oriented city of the big 3 but still boasts lots of good hockey from some major highschools in the area) and I can tell you that the Bluejackets are a fine organization and they're on the upswing, they would not be a legit candidate for contraction IMO.

[Opie 308]

Columbus was my last on that list for pretty much all the reasons you listed.

As far as Minnesota goes it is not great rationale for why I want them moved/contracted but I would rather see a team in Minnesota called the North Stars than I would a team in Dallas, but seeing as the Dallas org has a longer history, I don't see the need to axe them. If you will notice my list, how many are not expansion teams? Carolina and Pheonix, two horrible moves to begin with and putting them in horrible locations to build a hockey buzz around.

The honorable mention part was just that teams that I thought I would like to see removed, not necessarily the best teams or most likely to be removed. I spent more time and thought on the top 4.

[#19=Legend 29]

I disagree with your thought of the Bolts being contracted. I go to florida every year and there is plenty support for that team.

[Opie 308]

I have no problem with people disagreeing with me, but does any one have any other teams or other thoughts on this.

I too have been to Tampa and the support there is fantastic, for now. What was it like 5-7 years ago, when they were not winning.

Same can be said for Florida, Carolina, Nashville, Atlanta, and so on. I just think the league has stretched itself to thin.

I really wouldn't mine seeing Washington gone either, that way Leonis or whatever his name is can stop screwing that team over.

[Echolalia 2,961]

Florida Panthers and LA Kings are really the only teams I think are wasting space.