Comments on: Could Sunday’s game against the Penguins be the Thrashers’ last one in Atlanta?

By: atwatercrushesokoye

atwatercrushesokoye — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:55:45 +0000

Does Seattle have a building for NHL hockey? I agree that area could probably support a team but I thought the lack of a viable building was the reason the Supersonics left Seattle.

As far as Hamilton goes, there’s no doubt in my mind that area could support another NHL team, the Golden Horseshoe area of Ontario has 8.1 million people, to think that 2 teams, and really 3 with Buffalo included couldn’t survive in that area is ridiculous!

The AHL arguement is a nonstarter. AHL teams in Canada have traditionally done very poorly. When Balsillie put NHL season tickets on sale in Hamilton a couple of years ago they had deposits for 12,000 season tickets and 80 luxury boxes (which is a number they capped at) within 5 days! It’s not about the market not wanting to spend money on hockey (one just needs to look at the success of several CHL teams in the area to see that) it’s that we don’t want to spend higher dollar amounts on professional hockey that’s not the NHL!

The best part about moving to the 3 Canadian cities is that they are all hockey mad markets with very rich owners waiting….assuming both Bettman and Balsillie can put their egos aside and work things out.

I do also think some relocation with in the US is also needed for the NHL to get much stronger, the Hartford market is obviously one that has lots of money, a rich history in hockey, they just need a new building….perhaps a new owner could partner with UConn to build a new multi-purpose arena.

The New York Islanders also need to relocate, I’d like to see them get a new owner (obviously) and move to Brooklyn to play in the new Barclays Center that the Nets are building. Along with this go old school and rename the team the Brooklyn Americans.

By: t9tookey

t9tookey — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:04:48 +0000

I agree with teams back in Winnipeg and Quebec but I laugh everytime Hamilton is brought up. They can’t fill that building for cheaper AHL games, why would they be able to fill it for more expensive NHL games? They averaged only a little over 4200 a game with a top ten team.

And Hamilton also puts another NHL in an area that has Toronto & Buffalo in the general vicintiy and Detroit & Pittsburgh close enough to make a weekend trip. Seattle gives Vancouver a natural rival that’s about 2 hours away (the closest team to Vancouver is Calgary).

By: scott24105

scott24105 — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 13:56:52 +0000

Destroy hockey??? That scumbag Bettman started destroying hockey the day he was hired. Let teams in great hockey cities like Winnipeg and Quebec leave for wastelands like Florida, Tampa, Atlanta, Carolina, Phoenix and Nashville. He has watered down the talent, over expanded and taken the rivalries out of the game. His rule changes, ie the instigator rule, has allowed the game to be run by cheap shot cowards and injuries are way up because of it. Bettman is the biggest cancer this league has.

By: emperor83

emperor83 — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 12:25:57 +0000

Are you trying to destroy hockey THAT much?

By: James O'Brien

James O'Brien — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:52:16 +0000

I meant to write “about 30 years” so now the sentence is corrected, along with the specific season in which the Flames first played in Calgary.

By: atwatercrushesokoye

atwatercrushesokoye — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:10:38 +0000

The Flames wore a 30th anniversary patch last season, so I think it’s been more than “almost” 30 years since they moved up here!

In a perfect world the Coyotes would move back to Winnipeg and once again be the Jets, the Thrashers would move to Quebec City and the Panthers would move to Hamilton.