Atlanta Thrashers move to Winnipeg

[drumnj 459]

The Moose to St. John's is now a done deal by the looks of things.

My link

Can't wait till the Griffins are in town!!

I wonder what will happen with the Chicago Wolves.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

There's no chance that something other than the obvious could happen with the board of governors vote for approval, right?

[Konnan511 1,736]

How would the building be empty after a couple years when season ticket commitment is a 3 year minimum.

I think you underestimate Winnipegs passion for NHL hockey. The only thing that will derail this is if the loonie drops to $0.50. Considering our dollar is somewhat linked to the price of oil, I cant see that happening.

Well...they did lose their team already. The city didn't want a new arena for the Jets, but they were more than happy to help fund an arena for a minor league team in the area. That doesn't scream passion to me.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

They should have put a second team in Glendale, a real hotbed o' hockey.

[mad dingo 6]

Well...they did lose their team already. The city didn't want a new arena for the Jets, but they were more than happy to help fund an arena for a minor league team in the area. That doesn't scream passion to me.

Wasnt the lack of passion that drove the Jets away. I see empty seats at the Joe all the time. Does that mean you guys lack passion?

[Konnan511 1,736]

Wasnt the lack of passion that drove the Jets away. I see empty seats at the Joe all the time. Does that mean you guys lack passion?

Silly knowledgeably-disabled fan.

Red Wings Attendances over the last 10 seasons (% full):

10-11: 98.1%

09-10: 97.4

08-09: 99%

07-08: 94%

06-07: 100%

05-06: 100%

03-04: 100%

02-03: 99.8%

01-02: 99.9%

00-01: 97.5%

Our attendance is fine. Plus, I never said anything about attendance, I said the fact the city wouldn't build a new NHL arena but would build a new state-of-the-art minor league hockey arena was silly.

If you're going to try and make a condescending argument, at least make a good one

[WorkingOvertime 536]

Third highest ticket prices in the league... Doesn't make sense for a team that isn't in the playoffs. What happens if they bomb the first couple of years? Will the building be empty and the team removed?

While the average price is high, I believe the lower bowl prices aren't high compared to other arenas. It's the upper level tickets that make the average increase, and that is because there are so few of them. If you took out the x thousand upper seats (to make the arena seat 15k) in other arenas and then calculated the average price, Winnipeg might not be so high.

[mad dingo 6]

Silly knowledgeably-disabled fan.

Red Wings Attendances over the last 10 seasons (% full):

10-11: 98.1%

09-10: 97.4

08-09: 99%

07-08: 94%

06-07: 100%

05-06: 100%

03-04: 100%

02-03: 99.8%

01-02: 99.9%

00-01: 97.5%

Our attendance is fine. Plus, I never said anything about attendance, I said the fact the city wouldn't build a new NHL arena but would build a new state-of-the-art minor league hockey arena was silly.

If you're going to try and make a condescending argument, at least make a good one

I like the fact that our city didnt build an arena, TNSE did. Plus having a smaller packed arena will create a large demand thus allowing for the higher ticket prices and revenue.

[McAwesome 754]

Silly knowledgeably-disabled fan.

Red Wings Attendances over the last 10 seasons (% full):

10-11: 98.1%

09-10: 97.4

08-09: 99%

07-08: 94%

06-07: 100%

05-06: 100%

03-04: 100%

02-03: 99.8%

01-02: 99.9%

00-01: 97.5%

Our attendance is fine. Plus, I never said anything about attendance, I said the fact the city wouldn't build a new NHL arena but would build a new state-of-the-art minor league hockey arena was silly.

If you're going to try and make a condescending argument, at least make a good one

Not taking sides in the debate, but the Moose played in Winnipeg Arena for 8 years before the MTS Centre was built, so its not like they waved goodbye to the Jets and turned right back around and built the Moose a new stadium.

[VM1138 1,921]

Not taking sides in the debate, but the Moose played in Winnipeg Arena for 8 years before the MTS Centre was built, so its not like they waved goodbye to the Jets and turned right back around and built the Moose a new stadium.

Also, it's pretty well known that Winnipeg's problems stemmed from corporate support, not fan support. The fans there are fine and will support the franchise well.

[mad dingo 6]

Not taking sides in the debate, but the Moose played in Winnipeg Arena for 8 years before the MTS Centre was built, so its not like they waved goodbye to the Jets and turned right back around and built the Moose a new stadium.

Here is an interview yesterday with 'Jets' owner Mark Chipman. Pretty good listen and gives insight into the plight of some NHL teams.

http://www.fan590.com/ondemand/media.jsp?content=20110601_185519_10076

[evilmrt 636]

Well, the season tickets go on sale to the public at noon tomorrow...with over half of them sold in the presale. I wonder how quick they'll go? A couple hours tops?

[mjlegend 155]

Sold out. Took about 4 minutes of general sale.

@Proteautype

Adam Proteau

I'm thinking Chipman/Thomson could have asked for multigenerational season ticket commitments from Winnipeggers – and got them

To be fair to Atlanta, I think they sold about 13,000 season ticket commitments. In 12 years total.

[evilmrt 636]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Bettman is going to have an awful time trying to stop teams from moving north now. 17 minutes for 5 year commitments!!! DAAAAAMN!!!

Tell me that prospective owners (and current ones) in struggling markets aren't envious.

[Konnan511 1,736]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Bettman is going to have an awful time trying to stop teams from moving north now. 17 minutes for 5 year commitments!!! DAAAAAMN!!!

Tell me that prospective owners (and current ones) in struggling markets aren't envious.

Not really, there are strict rules and regulations that need to be followed when relocating a team. There are about 2 or 3 more spots in Canada that can legally have a team without infringing on economical and league anti-trust laws and rules.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

cbc dot ca.

Winnipeg Free Press .

[Konnan511 1,736]

cbc dot ca.

Winnipeg Free Press .

This should be their mural:

[eva unit zero 271]

Wasnt the lack of passion that drove the Jets away. I see empty seats at the Joe all the time. Does that mean you guys lack passion?

The Coyotes have had 7 seasons with 15k+ and five more with 14k+. Before the move, the Jets peaked at 13,550. That's only 88% of the Winnipeg Arena's 15,393 capacity.

The passion may not have driven the Jets away, more likely the size. Winnipeg was a metro area of approximately 650k when the Jets left. In an arena that seats 15,393 for NHL hockey, that's 630k tickets. The GTA is about eight times as large yet the ACC only seats 20k. and the Leafs don't sell out every night.

So Winnipeg hockey *can* work. And obviously, we're about to find out if it will work in the new NHL.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Wow - took a whole 17 minutes to meet the needed 13,000 season ticket sales.

Huh - never would've thought they like hockey in Canada...Maybe someone should tell Gary B 'bout that

6=35%

24=65%

Math don't lie.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From TSN:

With the Thrashers on their way from Atlanta to Winnipeg, the front office will have a different look.

Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley has been told by True North Sports and Entertainment that he will not be retained as the team's GM.

The club has bought out the final four-years of Dudley's contract.

...

Who's next?

[mad dingo 6]

Season ticket waiting list capped at 8k!

[atodaso 279]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this earlier in the thread but... the addition of a 7th Canadian team will screw up CBC's annual Hockey Day In Canada. I'm thinking this upcoming season Winnipeg won't get to participate because the schedule has been made already but the following season CBC will have to pick one team to leave out.

[Hiei 192]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this earlier in the thread but... the addition of a 7th Canadian team will screw up CBC's annual Hockey Day In Canada. I'm thinking this upcoming season Winnipeg won't get to participate because the schedule has been made already but the following season CBC will have to pick one team to leave out.

Either that, or they power it up and include an American team. Maybe Montreal/Boston and then the other 6 play each other....or Toronto/Detroit

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

All it takes is for another faulty franchise to be moved to Canada; get on it, Bettman!

The money the League will make on merchandise from this move boggles the mind.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From Winnipeg Free Press

True North has offered the GM position of Winnipeg's new NHL franchise to Kevin Cheveldayoff, according to several sources.

Cheveldayoff has held the position of assistant GM and senior director of hockey operations with the Chicago Blackhawks for two years and was part of that organization's Stanley Cup winning management team in 2009-10.

The Free Press first reported that Cheveldayoff was in the running for True North's top hockey job last Friday. True North informed Atlanta GM Rick Dudley on Saturday that they had elected to not retain him as the new Winnipeg team's GM.

...

No time being wasted in Winnipeg.