March NHL News Thread

Jake Peavy's Demons

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I'm a Houstonian and this annoys me. Houston fans are fair-weather at best and Atlanta already failed twice. Especially for Atlanta, I don't understand why cities the likes of Québec City, Hamilton, Halifax, or Milwaukee get opportunities or in QC's case, a 2nd shot. I know there's people here more knowledgeable than me that can explain why I'm wrong.

There's been rumours that Arizona Coyotes would move to Houston. This reads like a new expansion franchise.

I'm just cynical about the whole thing: I kinda felt that NHL tried to make Vegas a decently solid team immediately because if they started poorly fans would start coming for the novelty but soon would be a poorly attended franchise.

And I think Houston would be the same way. At least I'd have a chance to attend more B's games if this came to fruition.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
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Dallas has worked fairly well, Houston should too. But yeah QC/Hamilton/Halifax (and Hartford) deserve one more than ATL. Not sure about MKE. I'd even put one in London, or Regina before Atlanta.
 

Salem's Lot

Andy Moog! Andy God Damn Moog!
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I'm a Houstonian and this annoys me. Houston fans are fair-weather at best and Atlanta already failed twice. Especially for Atlanta, I don't understand why cities the likes of Québec City, Hamilton, Halifax, or Milwaukee get opportunities or in QC's case, a 2nd shot. I know there's people here more knowledgeable than me that can explain why I'm wrong.

There's been rumours that Arizona Coyotes would move to Houston. This reads like a new expansion franchise.

I'm just cynical about the whole thing: I kinda felt that NHL tried to make Vegas a decently solid team immediately because if they started poorly fans would start coming for the novelty but soon would be a poorly attended franchise.

And I think Houston would be the same way. At least I'd have a chance to attend more B's games if this came to fruition.
If some ownership group wanted to give the other owners $700 million to put a team in Quebec City, it would be in the works.
 

MiracleOfO2704

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That tweet is garbage. Atlanta’s going to take more than a decade of groundwork to happen between a new arena, new ownership, and reassuring corporate sponsors that THIS time, it’ll work. Hamilton has so many indemnity issues that they’re only getting started if it shuts up the Toronto 2 crowd. Halifax doesn’t have the corporate to make it work, and it gets very rural very fast out here. Hartford is American for Hamilton.

I do find Milwaukee intriguing, but I’d want some evidence that someone wants to own a team there.

Quebec right now is probably the escape valve for Florida (they’re somewhat stable, but something in my mind says their lease at FLAlive is either up soon or not all that ironclad), same as Houston keeps getting mentioned for Arizona.

And the only reason Houston is frequently linked to a relocating Coyotes is the clown car nature of their ownership and Houston hitting the trifecta (NHL-grade arena, owner willing to have a team, a decent population base) while keeping the conferences balanced.

Also, don’t forget that Jacobs gave the game away as to why Canada’s not getting an eighth team anytime soon: they don’t like how weak the loonie has become ($1 CAD=$0.74 USD). I wonder if the Jets relocation from Atlanta happens today under those circumstances.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
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Hartford?? Lol
CT has the highest income per capita, one of the highest hockey youth involvement, insurance/corporate money, can also pull from central/western MA and RI and Fairfield (Hamilton problem though of course) and perhaps can take back the old theme song from Carolina

Is it really a worse market than Phoenix, Columbus, Sunrise, Anaheim or Ottawa?
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
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Maybe, maybe not but “better than the shittiest existing markets” shouldn’t be the bar you’re trying to clear. Hartford would immediately join that list.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
72,428
Maybe, maybe not but “better than the shittiest existing markets” shouldn’t be the bar you’re trying to clear. Hartford would immediately join that list.
Not sure I understand the point, you’re not going to create a market as good as Toronto or St Paul or Boston or New York out of thin air. The good markets already have teams, one of them has 3. It’s the 34th team for a reason

What bar should they be trying to clear in your opinion?
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
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Of course you don’t and I’m not saying they need to be Toronto. But some level of upside outside of topping out at “worst 10 franchise in the NHL” would be nice.

Hartford sucks. Nobody is there past 5. The suburbs are fine but your average 25 year old isn’t going to get revved up about West Hartford. They have a small amount of large insurance companies and that’s about it for major corporates (yes there are probably a few more plus ESPN but it’s not exactly bustling). It’s immediately on the level with Ottawa and Winnipeg for worst places for a player to live.

Houston is a huge city supporting multiple pro teams. The KC metro has grown a ton and at least had a stadium and multiple pro teams. I guess Atlanta but I don’t like it given they’re 0-2. Salt Lake would be a much better spot than Hartford. Hartford has had a UFL team I think.
 

Sandwich Pick

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Wasn't the problem in Atlanta the ownership/Don Waddell and not the market itself?

That team just seemed horribly run from the start. Having your 1st ever pick in the worst draft in NHL history probably didn't help matters.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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Milwaukee would need to build an arena. The Fiserv Forum can’t really support hockey, and I doubt Jimmy Haslam is going to help out the owner of an expansion team with his brother owning the Predators.
 

Fred not Lynn

Dick Button Jr.
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Jul 13, 2005
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Wasn't the problem in Atlanta the ownership/Don Waddell and not the market itself?

That team just seemed horribly run from the start. Having your 1st ever pick in the worst draft in NHL history probably didn't help matters.
A state of the art arena at The Battery/Truist Park would be a very successful NHL venue. Cobb County would support hockey in a way downtown Atlanta did not…

Milwaukee is probably just not quite a big enough market.

Salt Lake would need to show some worthiness by filling their somewhat smaller arena for ECHL (or better yet, upgrade to AHL and show some success), but their likely hosting of the 2034 Olympic Winter Games could make a difference.
 

wonderland

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Jul 20, 2005
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Why not Austin instead of Houston? I guess they’d have to build an arena but there are a lot of other positives.
 

MiracleOfO2704

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Why not Austin instead of Houston? I guess they’d have to build an arena but there are a lot of other positives.
The Rockets owner, Tilman Fertitta, has indicated that he’d want an NHL team at the right price, the Toyota Center is set up for hockey, and they have a history with top-flight hockey (the WHA’s Houston Aeros).
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
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Apr 12, 2001
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At one point Pittsburgh was supposed to move to Kansas City. Has KC’s day in the sun set? They have the arena and they had a team, no more second chances?
 

NYCSox

chris hansen of goats
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Why not Austin instead of Houston? I guess they’d have to build an arena but there are a lot of other positives.
Metro Houston has about 3x the population of metro Austin so that makes far more sense. This isn't akin to a Columbus splitting the difference between Cleveland and Cincinnati as the three are very similar in size.
 

LogansDad

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I, too, sometimes resort to word salad when I don't want people to think I am a giant, raging asshole of epic proportions.
 

Murby

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Mar 16, 2006
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This is so lame it’s comical if it weren’t so frustrating and sad. Whether you agree with the decision or not, the fact is the USA & Canada are very much actively supporting Ukraine in their conflict/war against Russia.

I doubt these Russian players felt any safety concern about wearing the military appreciation night warmup sweaters. When there are clear laws on the books in Russia about supporting Ukraine against Russia

I guess I shouldn’t expect anything from an organization that harassed Kyle Beach and covered it up.

I would think the NHL has to address this at some point. This is embarrassing and runs counter to the values they claim to support.
 

bsl394

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May 17, 2022
402
I may be in the minority but I really don't like the dedicated nights, whether it's veterans night, LGBT night, first responders night, etc. That said, if it was my team and someone decided they weren't going to don a jersey because they didn't agree with whatever cause the team was promoting that player would not dress, or sit the entire game. You're free to not wear a jersey but if you're not going to get on board with a team sponsored activity you're not going to play.
 

Murby

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Mar 16, 2006
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I may be in the minority but I really don't like the dedicated nights, whether it's veterans night, LGBT night, first responders night, etc. That said, if it was my team and someone decided they weren't going to don a jersey because they didn't agree with whatever cause the team was promoting that player would not dress, or sit the entire game. You're free to not wear a jersey but if you're not going to get on board with a team sponsored activity you're not going to play.
I agree with this. Fully.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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I’m worried that Bettman will just scrap Pride Night league wide and say something like “The controversy surrounding this issue is taking away from the focus of our celebrating diversity….so we will pursue alternatives.” Letting Chicago do away with it sets a horrible precedent and some others will likely follow.
 

MiracleOfO2704

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I’m worried that Bettman will just scrap Pride Night league wide and say something like “The controversy surrounding this issue is taking away from the focus of our celebrating diversity….so we will pursue alternatives.” Letting Chicago do away with it sets a horrible precedent and some others will likely follow.
I can see that not flying with a few teams, even one like Philly, despite Provorov being Patient 0.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Sep 12, 2003
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Having known plenty of college and a few NHL players...how many of these "Christian belief" players have refrained from pre-marital sex? I think the Flyers guy has publicly celebrated him and his GF moving in together?
 

cshea

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Pride jersey’s are not a new thing. He’s probably worn them a bunch but on top of being a bigot is a coward.

Thou shall not lie tho amirite?