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Are There 30 Quality Hockey Markets in N.A.?


Guest radoran

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Another point - ARE there 30 quality NHL markets in North America?

 

Montreal

Tronno

Ottawa

Winnipeg

Calgary

Edmonton

Vancouver

 

Bahstan

Buffalo

Rangers

Coney Islanders

Fluffya

New Jersey

Pittsburgh

Washington

Columbus

Raleigh/Durham

Miami

Tampa Bay

Dallas

St. Louis

Chicago

Detroit

Minneapolis

Denver

Phoenix

Anaheim

Los Angeles

San Jose

Nashville

 

Go.

Edited by radoran
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Portland, Seattle, Quebec, Hartford, possibly Milwaukee. There are 5 right there that would be better suited for hockey than Miami...

Yes, but that wasn't the question. Considering there are probably 5-10.cities who currently have teams but probably don't meet the criteria of thr question, it's a bit more tricky than you might think.

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Portland, Seattle, Quebec, Hartford, possibly Milwaukee. There are 5 right there that would be better suited for hockey than Miami...

 

Two of which have already failed with NHL teams (three, if you want to include Seattle).

 

As rux points out, the question is are there 30 total quality hockey markets. If we presume that places like Miami, Phoenix, Anaheim, Nashville, etc. are not "quality hockey markets" then having four additional cities doesn't really help.

 

Even the Islanders - last in the league in attendance - if they sell out every seat in the Barclays Center would move from 30th to 26th in average attendance - just above Winnipeg which is sold out at 15,004.

 

Miami averaged 16,991 a game last season. The Rangers averaged a whopping 209 more per game in their sold out MSG.

 

Tampa? 8th in the league at 19,055. Ahead of Buffalo, Vancouver, Minnesota, Pittsburgh...

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Two of which have already failed with NHL teams (three, if you want to include Seattle).

 

As rux points out, the question is are there 30 total quality hockey markets. If we presume that places like Miami, Phoenix, Anaheim, Nashville, etc. are not "quality hockey markets" then having four additional cities doesn't really help.

 

Even the Islanders - last in the league in attendance - if they sell out every seat in the Barclays Center would move from 30th to 26th in average attendance - just above Winnipeg which is sold out at 15,004.

 

Miami averaged 16,991 a game last season. The Rangers averaged a whopping 209 more per game in their sold out MSG.

 

Tampa? 8th in the league at 19,055. Ahead of Buffalo, Vancouver, Minnesota, Pittsburgh...

 

I'd be very careful using those numbers as in many occasions, the announced crowd was nowhere near the number of butts in the seats.

 

As for the question of how many hockey markets, then why are they looking at expansion? It makes even less sense.

 

I'd rather see teams relocate to markets like Seattle, Quebec City, Markam (ON). If Gary Bettman had fought as hard for Quebec, Winnipeg and Hartford back in the days as he did for Phoenix, they'd still be there!

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@radoran The reason Canadian teams like Quebec moved in the mid-90's is because the Canadian dollar was weak. Its stronger than ever now. You're telling me the Quebec providence wouldn't welcome back another Quebec-Montreal rivalry?? Seattle failed back in 1920's, you could hardly use that as evidence because teams were much less stable back then, I think Seattle would be a great hockey market and it would create a natural rivalry with neighboring Vancouver. All in all I think we can agree that these ones I have mentioned would probably be better than Atlanta. As you may have noticed the NHL has had 2 failed franchises there and I hope to god they have learned their lesson.

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I'd be very careful using those numbers as in many occasions, the announced crowd was nowhere near the number of butts in the seats.

 

As for the question of how many hockey markets, then why are they looking at expansion? It makes even less sense.

 

I'd rather see teams relocate to markets like Seattle, Quebec City, Markam (ON). If Gary Bettman had fought as hard for Quebec, Winnipeg and Hartford back in the days as he did for Phoenix, they'd still be there!

 

And the original North Stars, too. Instead we have Dallas playing to mostly-empty seats.

 

The "attendance" level does represent "paid" seats - but doesn't indicate what they paid for them or whether or not they show up. Look at Tronno a few years ago - selling out all the time and STILL not filling the lower bowl.

 

And the point that Florida "averaged" 209 "paid seats" less than New York is factual - with New York obviously making MUCH MORE money from that similar number of seats sold.

 

Expansion is a fool's errand before they fix the current problem franchises that have caused us to lose a season and a half of hockey in the past decade.

 

And, for the record, I firmly believe that if New York City can have three franchises, Tronno should at least have one solid, professionally run NHL franchise. And the Leafs.

 

NOTE: Not "Hamilton" - Tronno.

 

@radoran The reason Canadian teams like Quebec moved in the mid-90's is because the Canadian dollar was weak. Its stronger than ever now. You're telling me the Quebec providence wouldn't welcome back another Quebec-Montreal rivalry?? Seattle failed back in 1920's, you could hardly use that as evidence because teams were much less stable back then, I think Seattle would be a great hockey market and it would create a natural rivalry with neighboring Vancouver. All in all I think we can agree that these ones I have mentioned would probably be better than Atlanta. As you may have noticed the NHL has had 2 failed franchises there and I hope to god they have learned their lesson.

 

I think Quebec is a marvelous place for a hockey team. And I threw in Seattle as a joke/aside, obviously.

 

The question is: list 30 "quality" NHL markets. Not four. Atlanta was a stupid idea in the first place and remains a stupid idea now.

 

But the reason there are/were teams in Miami, Phoenix, Atlanta was to make the NHL more appealing for a national broadcaster.

 

Now that one of the owners in the league OWNS the national broadcaster (Comcast, NBCUniversal), that should be less of a concern.

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Portland, Seattle, Quebec, Hartford, possibly Milwaukee. There are 5 right there that would be better suited for hockey than Miami...

Personally I do not believe Kansas City got a fair shake. Natural rivalry with the Hawks and Blues. I agree with Seattle Quebec and Possibly Portland, no way for Hartford and very, very doubtful for Milwaukee as well.
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Personally I do not believe Kansas City got a fair shake. Natural rivalry with the Hawks and Blues. I agree with Seattle Quebec and Possibly Portland, no way for Hartford and very, very doubtful for Milwaukee as well.

I was out in Kansas, 60 miles from KC in the spring right around playoff time.  Couldn't even find the scores in the newspaper out there.  I don' t think that they would start with any natural hockey fans in the area.  Not a way to start out a franchise in a city.

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In No real particular order

 

1) Tronno

2) Montreal

3) Hamilton or Kitchener

4) Quebec City

5) Calgary

6) Vancouver

7) Edmonton

8) Winnipeg- sort of

9) New York City

10) Brooklyn ( I know still NYC)

11) Buff-low

12) Seattle

13) Philadelphia

14) Washington DC

15) Milwaukee 

16) Columbus

17) Detroit

18) Minneapolis

19) Los Angeles or Long Beach or Compton

20)  San Jose/ San Fancisco

21) Anaheim

22) Hartford

23) Boston

24) Chicago

25) Dallas

26) Boulder Colorado

27) Pittsburgh

28) St. Louis

29) Kansas City

30)  Grand Rapids

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