Thrashers moving to Hamilton?

[Guest Shoreline]

I agree with you, but I want to ask everyone this: when the report of moving non-popular American teams because of whatever reasons like financial problem, attendance, revenue, and some blah blah blah.., why do most medias suggest only Canadien places to get NHL teams? Canadien cities do not have that much of financial capacity and ability. I do not know this kind of trend only occurs in Canada or same with USA, but if it is only Canadien, they are freaking illusionists.

These people investing into a team and wanting to move them to Hamilton aren't doing so because they're illusionists, or Canadian homers. They're thinking with their wallet, and see Hamilton as very profitable. As much as some people see the KC or Seattle population as enough to sustain things, remember that Phoenix isn't small either. If there's no local interest there's just no interest. Investment-wise, Hamilton is almost a sure thing. Knowing Bettman, he will try to throw a wrench into moving any of the three aforementioned teams, and not fix the problem at all like the typical moron he is.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Didn't Bettman say he would relocate any team in Las Vegas if any team tries to move to other cities because of bankruptcy?

Since Bettman cannot move a team that's owned by somebody else, no.

He's tossed around the idea of having a team there, which I think would be a great idea for publicity's sake for the NHL - proper marketing of that team would make it a great success. But this idea that Bettman has some kind of power to put a team wherever he likes gives him too much credit.

[Wingsallwin 0]

These people investing into a team and wanting to move them to Hamilton aren't doing so because they're illusionists, or Canadian homers. They're thinking with their wallet, and see Hamilton as very profitable. As much as some people see the KC or Seattle population as enough to sustain things, remember that Phoenix isn't small either. If there's no local interest there's just no interest. Investment-wise, Hamilton is almost a sure thing. Knowing Bettman, he will try to throw a wrench into moving any of the three aforementioned teams, and not fix the problem at all like the typical moron he is.

What I want to state is the type of your last statement. We know NHL is a sports organization but over that fact, it is a BUSINESS. The meaning of business is to go out to the market and gain the economic profit. However, if the Coyotes go to Hamilton, is it going to make a huge difference? I say not at all. For sure, Canadiens are insanely crazy about the sports hockey so it must be easier to catch the interest of people in Hamilton but we have seen more than a decade ago; Winnipeg and Quebec gave up to support hockey teams. It is surely up to the owner but Winnipeg and Quebec are BIGGER CITIES AND BIGGER ECONOMIC CAPACITY than Hamilton. People say to move Coyotes to Hamilton because Hamilton is only a Canadien city. It does not make sense at all. While biggers cities than Hamilton like Winnipeg and Quebec failed to save hockey teams, is it possible for the team in Hamilton to survive? Yes. But economicall? Zero Chance.

Just repeat again, I may be biased in my opinion or act irrationally but I think this is what Canadien medias, especially Rogers Sports Net and TSN say. I just want to know how Americans react to this. Have a great mother's day!

[GONGSHOW HOCKEY 35]

What I want to state is the type of your last statement. We know NHL is a sports organization but over that fact, it is a BUSINESS. The meaning of business is to go out to the market and gain the economic profit. However, if the Coyotes go to Hamilton, is it going to make a huge difference? I say not at all. For sure, Canadiens are insanely crazy about the sports hockey so it must be easier to catch the interest of people in Hamilton but we have seen more than a decade ago; Winnipeg and Quebec gave up to support hockey teams. It is surely up to the owner but Winnipeg and Quebec are BIGGER CITIES AND BIGGER ECONOMIC CAPACITY than Hamilton. People say to move Coyotes to Hamilton because Hamilton is only a Canadien city. It does not make sense at all. While biggers cities than Hamilton like Winnipeg and Quebec failed to save hockey teams, is it possible for the team in Hamilton to survive? Yes. But economicall? Zero Chance.

Just repeat again, I may be biased in my opinion or act irrationally but I think this is what Canadien medias, especially Rogers Sports Net and TSN say. I just want to know how Americans react to this. Have a great mother's day!

You are so far off base with this post it is shocking. Winnipeg and Quebec City ARE NOT bigger cities than Hamilton. Hamilton is located in the GTA, 45 minutes from Toronto, really close to Kitchener, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours from Windsor 1 hour from London, and 1/2 hour from the Canada-USA Border. That's 5 million people in about an hour radius.

FWIW, Winnipeg and Quebec City had fan support. Winnipeg had an older arena that didn't have any suites or boxes, so it lost alot of corporate money. Instead of building a new arena Bettman came up with his brilliant sell hockey in hot places where no one cares about hockey idea. So far Bettman's idea has turned out great .

If a team was put into Hamilton or anywhere in Southwestern Ontario they would generate the second highest revenue in the league right behind the Maple Leafs. Copps would sell out every night. It's no doubt that Southwestern Ontario is a gold mine for hockey markets, Bettman doesn't want to move the Coyotes again because doing that he will have to admit that he was wrong in the first place and that his plan failed.

Why don't we just get rid of Bettman?? He talks about putting hockey in KC, Seattle, and all these other dumps but as soon as a prized location offers he shuts it right down. He's ruining this league

[Cern 0]

It is surely up to the owner but Winnipeg and Quebec are BIGGER CITIES AND BIGGER ECONOMIC CAPACITY than Hamilton.

Uh, no. Perhaps strictly in its city centre - but if we're measuring that for the viability of a team the Carolina Hurricanes have no buisness whatsoever being in existence in Raleigh. A big part of what would make Hamilton viable is that you have a handful of other small cities in close proximity - though a prospective team would be centered in Hamilton it would draw in Kitchener, Waterloo, London, as well as some of the outer reaches of the GTA, perhaps even Windsor. And to say that the Golden Horseshoe has less economic viability than Winnipeg is laughable, Hamilton is right down the door from the biggest economic hotbed in the entire country. The biggest 'obstacle' geographically speaking would be Toronto, but the Leafs in and of themselves are incapable of stopping a potential move. There would probably be payments made to the Leafs for territorial encroachment, but Basillie is already offering something like triple the price of the Coyotes actual worth, an extra few million to keep the Leafs happy is going to be pocket change for him.

Edited May 11, 2009 by Cern

[Wingsallwin 0]

Oh, thank you. I did not know about Hamilton exactly. By the way, as you guys post Hamilton is not far from the city of Toronto, do you guys think it is possible for the new team (if it happens) to make their new fans. I mean, they will surely make many fans but isn't the place around Toronto full of the Leafs fans?

[NHLrules? 32]

Why not Milwaukee?

[Z and D for the C 712]

KC - already had their chance; they're now known as the NJ Devils, and prior to that they were in Denver (Rockies).

Vegas - why doesn't other leagues have a franchise there? I'm sure there's a good reason...Even if the league fools (read Bettman) were to allow a team to re-locate there I'd doubt if it'd work since most don't think of Vegas as a place to watch NHL hockey, but instead they'd rather lose their next 3 months of rent/mortgage on the 1-armed bandits, or at the tables.

Hamilton/Balsillie combo is far superior in every way when compared to the other cities mentioned above.

Two seasons chance?

Edited May 11, 2009 by Z and D for the C

[evilmrt 636]

Oh, thank you. I did not know about Hamilton exactly. By the way, as you guys post Hamilton is not far from the city of Toronto, do you guys think it is possible for the new team (if it happens) to make their new fans. I mean, they will surely make many fans but isn't the place around Toronto full of the Leafs fans?

Actually, wasn't the previous plan a temporary home in Hamilton for a couple seasons at most, and then a new arena in Cambridge right by the 401? You're going to be drawing ALOT of hockey fans with a location like that. Take London, for example. Its an hour tops from Cambridge/Kitchener. Its 2 hours from Toronto PLUS the insane traffic (count on it) that only people who have frequented the city would know about. Now tell me...if you're a hockey fan....are you going to drive right past an NHL team and drive twice the distance and sit in hellish traffic for God-knows-how-long, or are you going to zip on down the 401 highway and see Ballsille's new team in his shiny new arena? This would apply to people in Kitchener, Brantford, Hamilton (with the already existing fanbase from a short term stay), Guelph, Burlington, St. Catharines, Oakville, etc.

So yes, I think people would switch to the new team, for sure. And I think even more people might just adopt a new team alongside the one they already side with, be it the Leafs, Wings, or Sabres.

[betterREDthandead 58]

FWIW, Winnipeg and Quebec City had fan support. Winnipeg had an older arena that didn't have any suites or boxes, so it lost alot of corporate money. Instead of building a new arena Bettman came up with his brilliant sell hockey in hot places where no one cares about hockey idea. So far Bettman's idea has turned out great .

Oh please. Bettman blocked construction of a new arena in Winnipeg? Bettman put the team in Phoenix? This is the most ignorant s*** ever. The team was bought by Phoenix businessmen after nobody in Winnipeg could come up with enough money to support the team. The existence of the Coyotes is not the result of some grand Bettman scheme, it's the result of the inability of the Winnipeg market to come up with enough money to finance a team. I suppose Bettman also artificially depressed the Canadian dollar so that Canadian franchises would be unable to pay anyone - never mind that he lobbied the Canadian government to find a way to help their franchises make up for the currency gap. I mean, let's not let facts get in the way of our Bettman-bashing here.

[bellarina 1]

Winnipeg and Quebec need a team.

[Rivalred 630]

Winnipeg need a team.

Would be ironic if the Yotes end back there.

[Wombat 26]

If the NYC metro area can support 3 NHL teams (Rangers/Islanders/Devils), then the GTA/Buffalo area could easily support 3. There are just more hockey fans in that area, even if the population isn't as high.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

[CdnWingsFanEh 2]

Actually, wasn't the previous plan a temporary home in Hamilton for a couple seasons at most, and then a new arena in Cambridge right by the 401? You're going to be drawing ALOT of hockey fans with a location like that. Take London, for example. Its an hour tops from Cambridge/Kitchener. Its 2 hours from Toronto PLUS the insane traffic (count on it) that only people who have frequented the city would know about. Now tell me...if you're a hockey fan....are you going to drive right past an NHL team and drive twice the distance and sit in hellish traffic for God-knows-how-long, or are you going to zip on down the 401 highway and see Ballsille's new team in his shiny new arena? This would apply to people in Kitchener, Brantford, Hamilton (with the already existing fanbase from a short term stay), Guelph, Burlington, St. Catharines, Oakville, etc.

So yes, I think people would switch to the new team, for sure. And I think even more people might just adopt a new team alongside the one they already side with, be it the Leafs, Wings, or Sabres.

The issue is that the Mayor of the city of Hamilton has recently said that any deal he makes for the use of Copps Coliseum would be to have the NHL team there permanently, not on a temporary basis. I think this would indicate the team would have to stay in Hamilton if they wanted to use Copps at all. However, I believe you are correct about Ballsilie's previous plans. I guess things have changed...

Edited May 11, 2009 by CdnWingsFanEh