OT: NHL expanding by 4 teams!?

[TheDoggPound]

If the reports are true:

http://www.si.com/nhl/2014/08/26/report-toronto-seattle-quebec-city-join-vegas-2017-nhl-expansion

This essentially makes Hartford top of the list for relocation simply through attrition for either Coyotes or Panthers.

 

[sportsart]

I oh so love soccer.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

Strike up Brass Bonanza !!!

 

[WestHartHusk]

If the reports are true:

http://www.si.com/nhl/2014/08/26/report-toronto-seattle-quebec-city-join-vegas-2017-nhl-expansion

This essentially makes Hartford top of the list for relocation simply through attrition for either Coyotes or Panthers.

The list has certainly been reduced. I think the viable options are, in no particular order: Kansas City, Portland (already have arena and regional rivalries with Vancouver/Seattle), Hartford, Houston and Cleveland.

 

[CTMike]

No new civic center, no new hockey team. In sure the renovations are lovely but it's lipstick on a pig.

 

[TheDoggPound]

No new civic center, no new hockey team. In sure the renovations are lovely but it's lipstick on a pig.

CRDA says they're going to present an arena plan to the state Q1 2015 with financials and analysis. They accelerated their own timeline by a year from Q1 2016 to 15. XLC reno's are meant to make it a viable short term venue.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I doubt that Hartford will get a team. First, The Rangers Bruins would potentially look to block a team being out in the middle of their territory. Second, Bettman would have to admit moving Hartford to another city was a mistake and as we have seen with Phoenix, he does not admit mistakes. Toronto has enough weight and market interest to get a second team. Politics also favor Quebec City getting a team back, even if they are smaller than Hartford market wise. Seattle has been pushing for a team for a while Kansas City has a nice, new arena for a team. Las Vegas is a large market; but, I hope the NHL realizes that just putting a team in a large city will not automatically be successful if hockey is an unknown to the city, just look at Phoenix.

Plus, I would rather see the NHL retract teams (LA Ducks, Phoenix, Florida Panthers, Tampa Lightning) as the talent is just to spread out, except for Pittsburgh.

If this was true, it would be great for UConn because Hartford would need to build a much larger arena +17K) that what UConn needs, which would allow UConn to fix its own problems free of Hartford politics with a nice dual basketball (12K)/hockey (6K) arena on campus.

 

[TheDoggPound]

No teams hold territorial rights over us. Each club has 1 vote. Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is also on record saying he's for another franchise operating in Hartford because it saves him $ on travel expenses.

The NHL will never retract teams and in fact I can envision a 36 team league as the end game since the league is unique in the sense that it's located in 2 separate countries.

Either way a 34-team league improves our chances since it takes 2 competitors out of the equation for relocation.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

No teams hold territorial rights over us. Each club has 1 vote. Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is also on record saying he's for another franchise operating in Hartford because it saves him $ on travel expenses.

The NHL will never retract teams and in fact I can envision a 36 team league as the end game since the league is unique in the sense that it's located in 2 separate countries.

Either way a 34-team league improves our chances since it takes 2 competitors out of the equation for relocation.

Retraction is a dream of mine, sadly. As for Jacobs, they guy is known as one of the cheapest owners out there, no surprise he would say that about Hartford.

 

[Husky25]

I don't think Vegas gets a team for a number of reasons but these are off the top of my head.

1) Vegas is mostly a tourist town and there are too many other things to do. I just spent 5 days in Vegas and thought I was going to gamble my 2 y.o.s college fund away. I spent $500 on gambling the entire time, because of the shows we saw and tours we took. We would have certainly seen more, but we were only out there for 5 days. For instance I wanted to see the Beatles Circ show, and had she not been on break, my wife wanted to see Shania Twain. You literally have to plan your opportunities to gamble.

2) Cost. It's 103 degrees there. Do you know who much energy it takes to cool a sheet of ice normally, let alone in the desert?

3) Local interest in hockey and demographics. I can't imagine there's a ton, but that is my own observation.

4) Most important - Decreased sports book: While sports gambling is legal in Nevada, it is illegal to bet for or against local teams. Vegas has only other pro team (Las Vegas 51's, AAA affiliate of the Mets) and, of course, UNLV.

5) Did I mention it's duck____g hot?

 

[Jerry1714]

Hartford is not on the short list.

Right now it looks like it is Seattle, Vegas, Quebec City and Toronto.

 

[Husky25]

Hartford is not on the short list.

Right now it looks like it is Seattle, Vegas, Quebec City and Toronto.

I don't think Vegas is on that list either. The only purpose of them being there is to drum up false excitement. Vegas is the NBA list to expand/relocate, but they are not a real candidate. Vegas has a perpetual uncommittable public offer.

 

[Jerry1714]

I don't think Vegas is on that list either. The only purpose of them being there is to drum up false excitement. Vegas is the NBA list to expand/relocate, but they are not a real candidate. Vegas has a perpetual uncommittable public offer.

I bet you Vegas gets a team before Hartford

 

[Husky25]

I bet you Vegas gets a team before Hartford

As long as we're making bad Vegas analogies, my money's on the green zero.

 

[BugsyCT]

Hartford needs a new arena (not an XLC facelift) to even begin to be in the conversation for another NHL team.

 

[whaler11]

Hartford's problem is there isn't a billionaire who wants to bring a team here. It's not a complicated issue.


It certained seemed yesterday Vegas was a done deal.