Big Ten for UConn Key to Hartford Whalers Return

[ZooCougar]

UConn is light years closer to a Big Ten invite than the NHL is from returning to Hartford. But to blame parking is simply ludicrous.

We're like 10 light years from the B1G and maybe 100 from the NHL.

I have this feeling that conferences are worried about being too big. Many of the mid range schools are going to find that they sacrificed exposure for money. Less exposure can be mitigated by money but I think in some cases it will hamper growth on a school by school basis.

I think this could suppress the appetite for expansion.

At the end of the day, all UConn can do is keep building and make itself too good to ignore.

 

[Waquoit]

I don't know much about this Richard Gordon, but is he quack? Sounds like such an odd thing to say, than his rationale of approaching the NHL was even odder. Can someone enlighten me on how what he is saying begins to make sense?

He killed the Whalers more than any other one person.

 

[UConn Dan]

We're like 10 light years from the B1G and maybe 100 from the NHL.

I have this feeling that conferences are worried about being too big. Many of the mid range schools are going to find that they sacrificed exposure for money. Less exposure can be mitigated by money but I think in some cases it will hamper growth on a school by school basis.

I think this could suppress the appetite for expansion.

At the end of the day, all UConn can do is keep building and make itself too good to ignore.

If no appetite for expansion... let's bring the appetite for destruction! Because you're in the jungle baby and it's 3rd down!

 

[Waquoit]

This is why I'm talking about parking.

Madness. I don't understand some folks obsession for free parking. The only free parking for a sporting event anywhere is at a casino. It's an extra 100 miles round trip but parking is free.

 

[Waquoit]

but what is there to do in Hartford that can't be done in West Hartford, Avon, or Middletown where parking is free?

Besides sports, concerts, museums, shows and theater?

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Actually, the NHL is a success in LA and has been since the '60s. Your first three are correct, though. Add in Columbus, too.

Success came when they traded for Gretzky.

Jack Kent Cook, the original owner and Canadian expat, thought the team would be immediately successful because of the large number of Canadians that had migrated to the LA area. He later noted that, "he now realized that a great number of LA based Canadians had left Canada to escape hockey."

 

[Road Dog]

No, Bettman is going to move every NHL team South of the Mason Dixon line because hockey has been such a success in Atlanta, Florida, Phoenix, LA, etc...

You realize that the LA Kings have had a long sting of sellouts and won the Stanley Cup recently, right? The Whalers left CT because of LACK of support.

 

[Whale22]

Lets see...Rangers, Spartans, Oilers, Boilermakers, Cornhuskers, Canadiens, Canucks, Red Wings, Golden Gophers, Bruins, Black Bears, Blackhawks, Hawkeyes, Badgers, Penguins, Terriers, Terapins, Wolverines, Purple Wildcats, Blue Wildcats and even a couple half bread Irish Friars all coming to Hartford in one year. Yea, I think the B1G, NHL and Hockey East would feed off each other and put Hartford back on the map. Man that would be great!

You sound like my brother who just can't let the dream go. Oh wait....

 

[FrostyNuggets]

Don't forget about Ed Johnston. All he could net in return for trading one of the best players in NHL history (not to mention an excellent defenseman and a decent depth defenseman) was an undersized center who couldn't stand on his skates and a defenseman who couldn't play a lick of defense (or hit the net). I'll give him a pass for Jeff Parker since he was concussed in his first game at Landover, Md and never returned to his ability (which was fairly limited to begin with anyway).

EJ/Rick Ley/Richard Gordon. Rot in hell, all of em.

While I'm at it, Perre McGuire can rot in hell too. I gave him ration of shi!t in the Marriott Long Wharf a couple years ago for his role in the compensation for Steven Rice. He had no idea what hit him.

Merry Christmas Boneyard!

 

[DarthGrumpy]

You realize that the LA Kings have had a long sting of sellouts and won the Stanley Cup recently, right? The Whalers left CT because of LACK of support.

LA’s attendance will be fine as long as their team is good and popular, just like any LA sports team.
http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph.php?tmi=6664
Hartford’s attendance would be good, too, if their ownership had invested enough to play in the Stanley Cup. Instead, the Whaler’s had incompetence followed by a guy (Karmano, who had the nerve to re-name an OHL team in Michigan the Whalers after the move to Carolina) who had no intention on keeping the team in Hartford from the start. How else can you explain during their ‘make or break year’ when Karmanos announced that 11,000 season tickets had to be sold or the team would be moved that ownership only offered full-season ticket package instead of 5, 10, 15 games packages, which were popular and economical (my family had a 10 game package for years)?

 

[UCFBfan]

Granted parking is cheaper than New York or Boston but what is there to do in Hartford that can't be done in West Hartford, Avon, or Middletown where parking is free?

Don't know the last time you've been to West Hartford Center but parking is more expensive there then whenever I go out in Hartford. I don't know of one lot in the Center that is free to park in. Blue Back is even worse. Can't speak for Avon or Middletown but that argument is weak....

 

[Ha Who]

Don't know the last time you've been to West Hartford Center but parking is more expensive there then whenever I go out in Hartford. I don't know of one lot in the Center that is free to park in. Blue Back is even worse. Can't speak for Avon or Middletown but that argument is weak....[/q

The parking argument is weak, hut just as I find the $5.00 lot for an extra 2 minute walk in Hartford, I park for free in West Hartford Center by walking from a side street one block over from the paid lots. Blue Back is a bit tougher, but if you are able to walk for five minutes, parking is free and legal.

 

[White Dwarf]

The attendance numbers for their last 6 years or so in Hartford were brutal. Sure there are some hardcore Whaler fans, but overall support was piss poor.

 

[Mr Blueskin]

White Dwarf is Karmanos' red headed step kid that he left behind in Hartford. What everyone is trying to say is this Hartford can be transformed differently than the old Hartford especially if you juice it up with everyone's favorite sports teams coming to town in various sports and a new arena done the right way. If all of these variables come together and it was done the right way, it could work. NHL, Big 10 men's and women's bball and hockey east...winters in Hartford would juice the city up from October through March. If New Haven and Fairfield county start to hear these teams coming to town and the ticket prices are a little cheaper than MSG and Boston, the arena will sell itself out.

 

[huskymedic]

... Big 10 men's and women's bball and hockey east.

Just a point of clarification - You won't have B1G basketball AND Hockey East. If you have B1G basketball - you will have B1G Hockey (outside of maybe an occasional OOC HE game).

 

[Exit 4]

White Dwarf is Karmanos' red headed step kid that he left behind in Hartford. What everyone is trying to say is this Hartford can be transformed differently than the old Hartford especially if you juice it up with everyone's favorite sports teams coming to town in various sports and a new arena done the right way. If all of these variables come together and it was done the right way, it could work. NHL, Big 10 men's and women's bball and hockey east...winters in Hartford would juice the city up from October through March. If New Haven and Fairfield county start to here these teams coming to town and the ticket prices are a little cheaper than MSG and Boston, the arena will sell itself out.

The traffic from lower FF County to Hartford will keep most at home. Surely there will be some portion, maybe 5% of ticket sales originating from FF County, but probably never more than 10 to 15%. Midweek games are particularly challenging. I think FF County would re-adopt the Whale to a fair degree tv wise, but wouldn't be a reliable base for ticket sales. Ticket support will really have to come from Hartford and New Haven.

That all said, its hard to envision the next NHL move not being Seattle first and Quebec second. I would put Portland OR and Hamilton/Toronto as tied for distant third with Portland a non starter if Seattle gets a team.

 

[White Dwarf]

White Dwarf is Karmanos' red headed step kid that he left behind in Hartford.

Actually, I'm a resident of NC who moved from CT in the 80 and was on top of the world when my team followed me here a dozen years later. I am a Carolina Hurricanes Season ticket holders and drive 250 miles round trip to see the games. I am dedicated to this franchise.

 

[ZooCougar]

Actually, I'm a resident of NC who moved from CT in the 80 and was on top of the world when my team followed me here a dozen years later. I am a Carolina Hurricanes Season ticket holders and drive 250 miles round trip to see the games. I am dedicated to this franchise.

So you're the one.

 

[White Dwarf]

So you're the one.

The Hurricanes attendance averaged 17,500/95% capacity last season <shrug>. That's a little better than the 10-11 thousand the Whalers would draw.

 

[Ha Who]

The Hurricanes attendance averaged 17,500/95% capacity last season <shrug>. That's a little better than the 10-11 thousand the Whalers would draw.[/quote

http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance
http://www.forbes.com/teams/carolina-hurricanes/

 

[White Dwarf]

Incomplete data. Post the attendance at the end of the 2013-2014 season.

 

[Ha Who]

Incomplete data. Post the attendance at the end of the 2013-2014 season.

did you read the Forbes article. game set match

 

[White Dwarf]

did you read the Forbes article. game set match

Was there more to that link than just the numbers? I didn't really see an article. One thing for sure, a 3.4 million dollar annual loss sure sucks, but didn't the Whalers lose 10+ million in 94? Followed by a 20+ million loss in 95? O U C H !

 

[Ha Who]

Was there more to that link than just the numbers? I didn't really see an article. One thing for sure, a 3.4 million dollar annual loss sure sucks, but didn't the Whalers lose 10+ million in 94? Followed by a 20+ million loss in 95? O U C H !

A

If you read the summary said the team is in turmoil and has failed since they won the cup. Don't dorget revenue increase was due to new arena at taxpayer expense. Done talking with you if you can't even read a Forbes website

 

[White Dwarf]

OK