thegx.ca

Really like this signing too bringing more Sutter boys in and for good price

Totally agree with the weakness being losing Giordano

Very enthusiastic that Calgary will have bounce back season

Whoa, I didn't think the Olympics was this unpopular haha, still can't deny that it'll be the most prestigious hockey event - where else can you get all the best players/coaches on the same team for free?

As much as I love the Stanley Cup, the Olympics really are the highest standard for hockey performance, the world Cup of hockey or whatever that tournament was free years ago can't even compare.

For me Olympic hockey where NHL players can compete is the highest standard, then Stanley Cup, then everything else.

McJesus, Crosby, McKinnon, Bergeron, Marchand, Price, Weber, etc - all on same team... Olympics is the best of the best!

Tkachuk brothers, Matthews, Boeser, Johnny hockey, Eichel, etc all one team...

No salary caps, this is how hockey should be!

Wonder if Giordano can make team, hopefully he can...

Perfect, we'll take him in Calgary, this all going according to plan...

Best part of winter Olympics is NHL Olympic hockey, they going to China to play

11 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Lets hope so.  Who the hell wants or expects them to win again.  I do not believe they are deep enough to win again.

Yeah so far they losing lots of their players to free agency...and it could be more before season starts too...

Cool name for sure, wish he made it to the big leagues because he would've sold ton of sweaters just on his cool name alone

1 hour ago, lynxrattle said:

I hear that the way the Stars solved the problem was to build a whole lot of ice rinks in the area in order to build a fan base with actual skating/playing experience.

That's pretty ingenious actually, very long term and very forward thinking marketing, they must have pitched in with other levels of government - and with cost sharing with other levels of government the actual cost to the teams might be comparable or less than traditional forms of marketing, also the good will received from the community just add to their marketing effectiveness.

14 hours ago, Brewin Flames said:

Imo, 2 things have prevented them from having success...

 

#1 Lousy marketing

 

#2 Winning

 

If they could improve both, then success would follow, simple as that.

Is Carolina filling their area in regular season yet? If so, I say marketing more important than winning, because I remember when they won Cup and no one even going to playoff games there.

After marketing pays off and it gets popular, fans will still go win or lose - look at all Canadian teams and original 6, especially Toronto and Montreal.

Thinking relocation to Quebec would have the same results as Winnipeg.

8 hours ago, Math said:

I'm posting back a previous message I wrote in an another topic about QC City having a team. I'm living in QC City but in a strict business/revenue point of view, bringing a team here is not an option for the following reasons:

• Small market: with Québec in the NHL, this will be the smallest market, even smaller than Arizona and Florida.
• French market: I know I'll piss my frenchie fellas, but this is a major drawback in terms of revenue generation, marketing and stuff. Besides that, attracting UFAs here will be a nightmare.
• Politics: Quebecor boss Pierre-Karl Péladeau, the guy who's behind the new arena and potential owner of a franchise, is a die-hard pro-sovereignty and a concurrent of Rogers. The last thing the league wants is to go into politics. With Québec in the league, Bettman & co. will be deep into it and I fully understand they don't want to go that route.
• Fanbase versatility: most of former Nordiques fans already turned into Habs or Bruins ones. If there's a team back in Québec, it would need to be successful immediately. 2 or 3 sucking seasons and everybody will go back buying Habs and Bruins merchandise. People here have no patience. I truly admire Leafs, Oilers and Jets fans because they are loyal even with a long history of sucking. Here, no playoffs for consecutive years will mean nobody in the arena. QC fanbase area won't be going outside the city limits and there's no way it can expand.
• Economics (in case of expansion): an expansion fee of more than $650M (it was $500M back when they were in contention with Vegas) and a weak CAD that should climb up in a foreseeable future.

Bettman and his folks never had the intention to consider Québec City as a potential expansion market and/or potential NHL location. They said once that it could be an eventual possibility and the politics here took that for granted and build a brand new arena right away. An epic mistake. Everybody's blaming the League while victimizing themselves but it was obvious that Québec would always be the runner-up. The NHL has nothing to win in integrating Québec in the league. BTW, the NHL will have 32 teams, all spots are filled with all divisions in equilibrium.

 

The only way for Québec City to have a team would be through relocation, but unless exceptional circumstances this avenues is dead. Having the NHL back here is pure fan fantasy. I've spoken some years ago with Jean Gagnon, the former right-arm of Patrick Roy (owner/coach of the Québec Remparts) and some other folks that are deeply involved in ice hockey in the Province, no one sees the return of the NHL here and be viable.

 

That being said, I agree with @CreaseAndAssist. Houston is the #1 spot. Central divison team, the largest market without an NHL team, possibility to build a rivalry with Dallas, and Houston has already been cited in the past for a potential landing spot for the Oilers and the Preds.

2 hours ago, radoran said:

 

Not disagreeing with your post at all and the challenges facing Quebec City, but it's roughly the same Metro area as Winnipeg. Slightly larger according to teh Wikipedia. ~800K in each.

 

Phoenix metro is 4.8M. Miami metro is ~6M. (wikipedia)

 

A better comparison is probably Buffalo (~1.1M Metro - wikipedia) but even after 10 years of losing, the Sabres still sell ~90% of their tickets.

 

The challenge the Coyotes have had is roughly akin to the situation in Ottawa - the arena is ~20 miles outside downtown. The challenge for the Panthers is that the team's in Miami.

 

All that said, Houston makes the most sense. League actually gains in total metro size exchanging Phoenix metro for Greater Houston.

I don't disagree the other american cities seem to be less risk, still I think at least in Quebec they'll sell more tickets than in those other American cities.

Hoping any of the teams that don't fill up arenas get moved to Quebec

9 hours ago, Puck_Pun said:

I'm kinda used to jumper ads as the AFL has had thenor a long time- though I detest those back panel ads, they're always ugly. If they remain as unintrusive as in the AFL I'll put up with it- though I'd prefer to be able to buy a "clean" jumper

Hopefully it'll be just a small skinny banner of words on back under the number like where the Bingle banner is in your picture but shorter rectangle, I'd hate anything with advertiser logos.

Anything on front even in corners like where the Jeep and AFL are above - it not too bad in those sweaters above because there no team logo unlike hockey.

The CFL ads on their jerseys are like the Jeep and AFL, and it not too bad either - but because hockey teams have big logos on fronts, anything that distracts from the team logo and the Captain and Assistant Captain letters are unacceptable for me.

1 hour ago, Brewin Flames said:

In general, i am just disgusted by this...old school i guess and to me, NHL jerseys are sacred and should not be marked by sponsors...I understand the purpose behind it, revenue and all, however, it just does not sit right with me.

 

I'd be willing to soften my stance however, if a decent ad is put on a logo, such as WWE perhaps.

I'm disgusted with this too, cheapens hockey, the helmet ads were bad enough - NHL keeps finding ways to sell out

On 8/14/2021 at 11:19 AM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Joe Thornton still searching for that elusive Stanley Cup.

While I think the Florida Panthers are definitely a team to watch in the coming seasons, I am not so sure they are ready THIS year to go where Joe wants to go.
Panthers should definitely be in the playoff conversation and, if they have actually improved since last season, could actually win a round or two if they get there.

But I also agree that the top three teams in the division, TB, Tor, Bos, will have plenty to say about how far the Cats get.

 

Not saying Joe chose "wrong" heading to Florida, but I do find it interesting that the teams with BETTER chances at a Cup (the aforementioned top three Atlantic teams), or teams such as the Islanders, Pens or Caps in the Metro...... Colorado and Vegas out West.... either didn't show an interest in Thornton, or for some reason, he didn't want to go there.

I would have thought that with losing Krejci, and with Thornton starting his career with the Bruins, he'd end up there and try to win with them.......... but do the Bruins or anyone else with designs on a Cup think Thornton really has anything left is the thing.

Yeah, Boston would've been nice place for his last few years.

Florida making all the right moves this off season

Personally, I don't really care that he doesn't want to pay or care for his kids or girls, we don't know what goes on in personal relationships - only thing I care about is if he bet on his own games because that puts the integrity of the game into disrepute.

The integrity of the player means nothing to me, he has the right to be an asshole if he want.

2 hours ago, Brewin Flames said:

Ritchie sucked anyway....

Haha, well...he not that bad, for a tougher middleweight I like him over some of the others we have that don't okay as physical - like Lievo and Nordstrom Frose, all way cheaper but for the price I like both brothers on same team.

Reinhart for a 1st and goalie

1. Sutter

2. Ritchie

Sutter for 1.25M and Richie for 2.5M especially good deals we missed out on...

2 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Funny how everyone and their dad had Coleman "going home to Dallas" even during the Finals run.
Goes to show that NOTHING is guaranteed till it happens.

At any rate, the Flames are getting an excellent middle six forward, good puck skills, versatile, and can be physical.

4.9M AAV isn't terrible for him, but definitely higher than the Bolts could afford had they wanted to keep him.
I honestly feel he is more of a 3-4M tops type of player, but hey, he helped the Lightning to TWO Cups, paid for himself many times over for his former team, and now it was time to cash in, so congrats to him and good luck moving forward with Calgary.
 

Haha yeah with everything all the speculation is just that, but yeah he brought you guys 2 Cups so was time to make him richer.

For me I like his size and speed and toughness like you said, and I do agree we overpaid by around the amount like you said - but it seems to me that price have gone up for all the free agents, looks like most of the big signings are way more than anyone in the media suspected.

Tampa losing many key players, can't wait till season starts to see what'll be left and what they add too.

It what you said in other thread, Florida adding alot, hopefully Tampa can keep up!

Zadorov is a good choice too, he's big and physical just the type that fits with Sutter coaching plan, and didn't cost too much too

Even though it seems expensive for Coleman and too many years,  this will help us right away - I like this and it's a good start to build better team for Sutter to coach

4 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

Oh for sure. Owners are constantly trying to find ways to shoot themselves in the head financially. If it takes putting them in a financial "straight-jacket" to keep them from hurting themselves, so be it.    

 

 

Except that creates a situation where the decisions of one bad person (*cough* Harold Ballard *cough*) can potentially ruin the most profitable franchise in the league.  I don't think any one person should have that much power. I think the franchise belongs to the fans more than it does to the owners. The owners own the building, and the owners pay the player's salaries, but the fans essentially own the team. 

 

 

Don't let that get back to any of the owners