OT: Whaler fans enjoy a little schadenfreude

[whaler11]

With the right lease the team could be financially viable.

Of course the building and the lease aren't for whoever owns the building so it's a bit pointless to discuss.

 

[ct06111]

This Friday July 8th 7:00 pm
Bring Back the Whalers Night @ Muzzy Field
FCBL Britsol Blues vs Wachusett Dirt Dawgs
(UConn Commit: pitcher Jacob Wallace is on the Bristol Blues)

Hartford Whalers logo creator Peter Good will be there
Tony Harrington will sing National Anthem
The Zambonis will play pre and post game concert
Bob Joyce and Pucky the Whale will be there

Wear your gear.
Cheap tickets, food, and beer. Had lots of fun last year

 

[TheDoggPound]

Yep, hard to imagine it wouldn't do anything but help HC participation. Bottomline for CT and the return of the Whale, it takes a strong season ticket base, an arena and a corporate base (for the suites). Unfortunately Hartford would fall short on all three metrics. The NHL will continue to try to grow their sport in the south and west, right or wrong, because 10% of their markets is still better than 35% of our market. The only way the NHL returns to Hartford is if a Paul Allen type from CT decides to eat the shortfall and fund a team as a charity.

Hartford and Connecticut have more Fortune 500 companies than 2/3 of the current NHL markets. We have the most disposable income in the country and have no pro sports competition. We also have a plan for an arena produced by the same firm that redid MSG and they happen to write the building standards for the NHL. We need an owner yes, well heeled but I disagree with the rest of your assessment.

 

[Exit 4]

Hartford and Connecticut have more Fortune 500 companies than 2/3 of the current NHL markets. We have the most disposable income in the country and have no pro sports competition. We also have a plan for an arena produced by the same firm that redid MSG and they happen to write the building standards for the NHL. We need an owner yes, well heeled but I disagree with the rest of your assessment.

Fortune 500 list as of 2015 consists of the following for CT: Of this list, I'd say you've got 5-8 suites sold in the bag, the rest wont be easy. The F500 is nice bragging rights, however for many companies below, the # of employees at the HQ is actually very small.

General Electric 3135 Easton Turnpike Fairfield Connecticut 6828 <---not a major employer within 1hr of Hartford....HQ now in Boston. no suites.
United Technologies 1 Financial Plaza Hartford Connecticut 6101 <--winner - probably would buy two or three suites.
Aetna 151 Farmington Ave. Hartford Connecticut 6156 <--poised to consolidate with Cigna....HQ in question. a suite buyer regardless given all the employees.
Cigna 900 Cottage Grove Rd. Bloomfield Connecticut 6002 <--poised to consolidate with AETNA....HQ in question. a suite buyer regardless.
Xerox 45 Glover Ave. Norwalk Connecticut 6850 -73.42821 41.145258 <--small employer in the state - HQ is a very small office. too far.
Hartford Financial Services Gro 1 Hartford Plaza Hartford Connecticut 6155 <--winner
Praxair 39 Old Ridgebury Rd. Danbury Connecticut 6810 -73.531451 41.383056 <--too far from Hartford
Stanley Black & Decker 1000 Stanley Dr. New Britain Connecticut 6053 <--winner
Charter Communications 400 Atlantic St. Stamford Connecticut 6901 <--Stamford office is very small as most are in NYC. too far.
Priceline Group 800 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk Connecticut 6854 <--too far
Terex 200 Nyala Farm Rd. Westport Connecticut 6880 <--too far
W.R. Berkley 475 Steamboat Rd. Greenwich Connecticut 6830 <--too far
EMCOR Group 301 Merritt Seven Norwalk Connecticut 6851 <--too far
Starwood Hotels & Resorts 1 StarPoint Stamford Connecticut 6902 <--too far and moving to Maryland per Marriott buyout.
United Rentals 100 First Stamford Place Stamford Connecticut 6902 <--too far
Harman International Industries 400 Atlantic St. Stamford Connecticut <--too far

One of the problems for CT is that the auto transportation sucks for those in lower FC to get to Hartford. Its just not a fun ride, especially as an after work ride. People south of Fairfield and Ridgefield would much rather head to NYC.
I just don't see selling 15-18k tickets 41 times a year and fetching a real TV rating to boot. Plus, all the whining about UConn ticket prices which are ultra low instills little confidence (in my collection of anecdotal support). The NHL sells a pricey game ticket.

The best hope is to pray for a Paul Allen type to bequeath a pro team to this state. Otherwise I think the financial hurdles for pro sports are just too tall now, even for the #31 DMA. Especially when places like Houston, Seattle and Portland lie for the picking.

Parting thought. It would be hard, but I would quite the Rangers to become a Whaler. I would want the Whale to return. I just don't have a rosy view on the subject. For instance, if I owned a team, I would be all about Houston, Seattle and Portland before CT.

 

[ct06111]

19 Fortune 500s in CT (for now)
Connecticut Has 19 Companies On Fortune 500 List

Even if most are in FC, I would think some would still be interested in buying to entertain clients and their employees. At least buy advertising for themselves @ arena. Mohegan/Foxwoods would buy suites for high rollers and name their own club lounges etc. especially if they join and build a casino in hartford. Also other national companies buying their own Board advertisements etc.

Most suite sales require buying all 41 dates plus ALL other events. I'm sure some would also be interested in all the UConn games played there as well.
A new XL center suite/loge box etc would be cheaper than a Rangers, Bruins, Isles, Devils suite.

Exit, have you read the SCI study about XL renovations that Doggpound is talking about?
Check it out: PDF: Hartford Arena Study For XL Center Renovation / Replacement

I admit, the 13 or so western conference games at home would be tough to sellout. Hawks and maybe a western wknd game or two would sellout. But I'm sure whalers fans from all over would help pack away games. The TV contract alone and packing other places even if the CT locals don't travel well would be better than most 1st generation southern teams. If the whale was a middle of the pack in terms of attendance, merchandise and other HRR (hockey related revenue) that would be less $$ the other ~30 owners would have to give up in terms of revenue sharing. Florida, yotes, Carolina and others gets tons of $ from Leafs, Rangers, Bruins, Hawks owners
Hartford would probably never be a giver in terms of RS and HRR, but not really be a big taker.

$30 for a UConn basketball ticket is more expensive than some nosebleeds at Bruins, isles, and Devils games
In terms of transportation... Metro North to New Haven and take the eventual
New Haven/Hartford/Springfield train to the game. No need to drive...

We need an investment group or just get Ray Bartozek of Greenwich to buy a team here instead of Seattle. I think most don't want to pay for arena and are waiting for CT to pay for it.

 

[TheDoggPound]

Fortune 500 list as of 2015 consists of the following for CT: Of this list, I'd say you've got 5-8 suites sold in the bag, the rest wont be easy. The F500 is nice bragging rights, however for many companies below, the # of employees at the HQ is actually very small.

General Electric 3135 Easton Turnpike Fairfield Connecticut 6828 <---not a major employer within 1hr of Hartford....HQ now in Boston. no suites.
United Technologies 1 Financial Plaza Hartford Connecticut 6101 <--winner - probably would buy two or three suites.
Aetna 151 Farmington Ave. Hartford Connecticut 6156 <--poised to consolidate with Cigna....HQ in question. a suite buyer regardless given all the employees.
Cigna 900 Cottage Grove Rd. Bloomfield Connecticut 6002 <--poised to consolidate with AETNA....HQ in question. a suite buyer regardless.
Xerox 45 Glover Ave. Norwalk Connecticut 6850 -73.42821 41.145258 <--small employer in the state - HQ is a very small office. too far.
Hartford Financial Services Gro 1 Hartford Plaza Hartford Connecticut 6155 <--winner
Praxair 39 Old Ridgebury Rd. Danbury Connecticut 6810 -73.531451 41.383056 <--too far from Hartford
Stanley Black & Decker 1000 Stanley Dr. New Britain Connecticut 6053 <--winner
Charter Communications 400 Atlantic St. Stamford Connecticut 6901 <--Stamford office is very small as most are in NYC. too far.
Priceline Group 800 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk Connecticut 6854 <--too far
Terex 200 Nyala Farm Rd. Westport Connecticut 6880 <--too far
W.R. Berkley 475 Steamboat Rd. Greenwich Connecticut 6830 <--too far
EMCOR Group 301 Merritt Seven Norwalk Connecticut 6851 <--too far
Starwood Hotels & Resorts 1 StarPoint Stamford Connecticut 6902 <--too far and moving to Maryland per Marriott buyout.
United Rentals 100 First Stamford Place Stamford Connecticut 6902 <--too far
Harman International Industries 400 Atlantic St. Stamford Connecticut <--too far

Utah has 1 F500 company and has a sports franchise. Even if you removed all the F500 not in Hfd. county we'd still outpace many current professional sport cities. There's also many smaller firms that buy up / share suites, it's not always behemoth companies. I also didn't go into to much depth because if we were really breaking it down we'd have to look at F1000.

One of the problems for CT is that the auto transportation sucks for those in lower FC to get to Hartford. Its just not a fun ride, especially as an after work ride. People south of Fairfield and Ridgefield would much rather head to NYC.

Light Rail is going into service Jan. 2018 and will service Springfield (Western Mass) & New Haven area: New Haven - Hartford - Springfield Rail Program Fairfield while not inconsequential is on the fringe of the Hartford market. Professional teams market to fans within a <60 mile radius but those fans out there are now able to drive to NH and take the train into Hartford.

I just don't see selling 15-18k tickets 41 times a year and fetching a real TV rating to boot. Plus, all the whining about UConn ticket prices which are ultra low instills little confidence (in my collection of anecdotal support). The NHL sells a pricey game ticket.

Before any puck would ever be dropped we'd have to sell 10-11k ST, if that were to happen selling the rest would be easily accomplished through mini plans, half seasons (if they're offered) and individual tickets. You'd also be able to charge quite a high price for a bevy of games (Canadiens, Bruins, Rangers, etc.) As for the television we are the largest television market without a team and usually have strong ratings for all sports programming. We also have plenty of potential suitors for a TV home unlike Las Vegas. Not saying we'd start a bidding war but we'd have some options and would probably get a decent deal and I think viewership would be good. FYI do you know that late night infomercials have larger audiences then the Coyotes and Panthers avg. games? Sad but true.

The best hope is to pray for a Paul Allen type to bequeath a pro team to this state. Otherwise I think the financial hurdles for pro sports are just too tall now, even for the #31 DMA. Especially when places like Houston, Seattle and Portland lie for the picking.

#30* Higher than San Antonio, Columbus, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Buffalo, New Orleans, Louisville and Jacksonville.

Once the NHL evens up the conferences I think it'll come down to what city/ies (Carolina, Phoenix, Florida) eventually has to move because that day is inevitable (although some of these markets have 9 lives). If it's Carolina or Florida I think you'll see an EC city take them and if Phoenix needs to relocate vice versa. QC is the WC in the equation because they could always be shoehorned for years into the Central division or their ticket could never get punched even though they look great on paper.

.

Parting thought. It would be hard, but I would quite the Rangers to become a Whaler. I would want the Whale to return. I just don't have a rosy view on the subject.

I respect the heck out of you for that. I grew up in Mass so I became a Bruins fan but am ready to drop them in a heartbeat for a team to call our own no matter how slim a chance it might be. It's not unrealistic, maybe unlikely but not unrealistic.

 

[TheDoggPound]

Yup forgot about the casinos as well, they need to be factored in when talking about corporate support. And like CT mentioned national companies (Dunkin' Donuts comes to mind) they made a commitment with the ballpark, I can't imagine they wouldn't have some type of presence for an NHL team based in Hartford.

 

[TheDoggPound]

We need an investment group or just get Ray Bartozek of Greenwich to buy a team here instead of Seattle. I think most don't want to pay for arena and are waiting for CT to pay for it.

Or Malloys buddy Ray Dalio (14B net worth).

 

[TheDoggPound]

OTish but: SoccerAmerica - TV Report: EPL outdraws NHL in 2015-16 05/19/2016

Hartford #2 market for EPL viewership. I know it's a reach to tie it together but there are examples of us drawing well for NHL out there too.

 

[HartfordHank]

$30 for a UConn basketball ticket is more expensive than some nosebleeds at Bruins, isles, and Devils games

Bruins tickets are more expensive that you think! Loge seats will now range from $88 to $145 (up from $70 to $132 this season) and balcony seats $45 to $98 (compared to $32 to $91).
Bruins increase ticket prices for 2014-15

 

[Exit 4]

Maybe this has been posted previously - a pretty decent breakdown on the NHL franchises with some nuts and bolts financial info. The first one to get an arena built in Houston, Seattle or Portland will probably land one of the bottom five teams at some point.

And perhaps I was wrong, maybe Hartford can compete with the bottom five if it could offer a free state of the art arena, but is that enough to make a franchise move? Not to mention there is no chance of an arena anytime in the next decade. Since Seattle and Houston have the potential to deliver a top 15 franchise in value in the long run due to shear market size and probably are on better footing to deliver an arena at some point it hard to see Hartford beating either of those locations.

The Business Of Hockey

Yes, I concede now Hartford maybe able to support an NHL franchise if it could offer a new free arena - but only if the other cities with better total potential don't step into the mix. Even in the best scenario, its difficult to see the Whale busting out of the bottom 10 for league economics.

 

[whaler11]

CIGNA was purchased by Anthem not Aetna. They might not get their agreement approved though.

Aetna bought Humana.

 

[ct06111]

This Friday July 8th 7:00 pm
Bring Back the Whalers Night @ Muzzy Field
FCBL Britsol Blues vs Wachusett Dirt Dawgs
(UConn Commit: pitcher Jacob Wallace is on the Bristol Blues)

Hartford Whalers logo creator Peter Good will be there
Tony Harrington will sing National Anthem
The Zambonis will play pre and post game concert
Bob Joyce and Pucky the Whale will be there

Wear your gear.
Cheap tickets, food, and beer. Had lots of fun last year

Gotta love that a Canadian sports website is promoting this night more than our local media.

BarDown: The Bristol Blues are hosting their 2nd annual 'Bring Back the Whalers Night' this Friday