OccamsRazor Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 REPORT: CAROLINA HURRICANES COULD RELOCATE TO VEGAS http://thecomeback.com/puckdrunklove/2016-articles/report-carolina-hurricanes-could-relocate-to-vegas.html HHHHhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmm i would hate to see them move to Vegas. Hockey needs to stay in Carolina i want to see it grow down south. I would move the Yotes to Vegas before the Canes. Quebec Nordiques should be back too. And maybe Seattle to get an expansion. Those would be my moves what say you??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I would not bet on it (pun intended). It says a lot about the age of Bettman, Carolina would join Atlanta moving away from the South further proof that Bettman does not know what he is doing. Hockey in the South. Jeez. Just because a market has lots of people does not mean that they will ever support Hockey. I live close to Columbus and get to four or five Jacket games a year with the wife and my youngest kid and we get to chatting hockey and before long people start asking us to explain the rules of the sport to them. It happens every time and Columbus has had pro (sort of) hockey for over a decade now. Personally, I believe that Hockey can make it in Carolina if they put a marketable team on the ice. They are this close to becoming interesting, they are inching towards respectability and a couple of playoff runs can do wonders in a sagging market. A city like Toronto or Boston or St. Louis will support the team even if they go through a dry spell because of a long history and a rabid fan base, Carolina simply does not have that. And lets face it, early March, the Leafs are out of it, what else is there to do in Toronto besides watch hockey? Carolina, early March, the Canes season long over, you have your choice between a Cane/Panther game or go to the beach and see the bathing beauties on spring break. Gee, let me see.......... If they do this, move out West with the Canes in a lot of ways it would make sense and allow for six divisions of five teams 3 per conference and balance the sheets a bit more as it were, but it would devastate Quebec which has been quietly optimistic of getting a team back. If Carolina leaves it hurts the chances for expansion. I hope it does not happen. I think the fans will turn out if they have a winner and build a solid fan base, and frankly I am rooting for Quebec to get a team and this may ruin their chances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I NEVER like to see a market lose a team...though I understand WHY sometimes something like that must be done. I say keep the Canes in Carolina. I mean really, I simply don't like the idea of any team in Vegas (I think it's a mistake that the NHL will regret in the long run)...much less one that seems to have a loyal, yet small following, in Raleigh. Not sure what the reason for the bad attendance in Carolina (could be LOTS of things...its usually never as simple as "oh people just don't care for hockey down there"), but from what I can tell, the people that do like the Canes really are into the team. I've posted with Hurricanes fans before...very knowledeable. And from what I can tell, they do a pretty good job of marketing the team as well (they've got an entire "Caniacs" campaign they've been running for years down there). Perhaps it is the team's consistent losing record and 'bleh' form of play that has kept the hardcore base small and the casuals from the sport at all. I realize down south it is hard for a northern sport to gain traction, but if teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, and the California teams have shown, it comes down to good marketing, fan friendly arena promotions, and WINNING! Yep. Team's gotta put together some good seasons of winning before they win over what otherwise is a non traditional market. And when the team ISN'T winning, they must do things in their off seasons to show that they are serious about trying to ice a winner to keep the fan interest. Unfortunately, NONE of that is going on in Raliegh. Team isn't winning. Their off season (or in season moves for that matter) are boring to non existent, and they seem 'fine' about it till they can get together the right combinations of players, coaches and philosophies needed to win. On paper, that is all well n good...but in the meantime, would-be fans are going, "oh yea, right, well, call us when you figure it out". Not the way to get people interested in your product. The Caniacs campaign is great n all, but the franchise just needs to spice things up a bit more....and WINNING would certainly accelerate that process. Anyways, I looked for attendance figures for the 2015-16 season, and yes, the Canes are DEAD LAST in that area....and at 65% capacity on average to boot....not good at all. Things like 65% arena filling, poor win-loss record and lack of anything exciting going on with the team to attract more than just the very solid hardcore fanbase make Carolina, sadly, a prime candidate for re-location. http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance/_/sort/homeTotal But Vegas? No $%$#ing way.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I think the league will expand in the 2017-18 season in Las Vegas. Carolina, if relocating would then go to Quebec, but I don't think it happens in 2017. This is a pretty good read as to why the Canes should stay in Carolina. http://www.canescountry.com/2016/6/3/11849270/carolina-is-fastest-growing-market-in-nhl Quote On Tuesday night Sin Bin Vegas cited sources "with extensive knowledge of the organization and the expansion process" saying that the NHL’s executive committee "formulated a positive recommendation for expansion" to Las Vegas for the 2017-18 season. The executive committee met Tuesday in New York City. The next step in the process is for Mr. Foley to sign the expansion contract and send it, plus $500 million, back to the league. At that point, the 30 owners will vote at the Board of Governors meeting to accept the expansion contract and expand the league to 31. The NHL's Board of Governors will meet on June 22 in Las Vegas in advance of the NHL Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino where a decision is expected to be finalized. The 'Mr. Foley' referenced in the story is Bill Foley -- the force behind the Vegas bid. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-executive-committee-recommends-las-vegas-expansion--report-041755540.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 Bettman made some statements today to "take down the temperature" on possible Hurricane relocation rumors. some quotes: http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/article82626492.html Quote “I don’t see the Hurricanes relocating, period,” Bettman said in an interview. “I think the Triangle is a terrific market. A good fan base has developed around the Hurricanes and I see the opportunity for continued growth for this franchise in the future. “Peter Karmanos is a terrific owner. This franchise has never missed a beat and he has been there to support it, financially and emotionally. All this speculation is unfair to the franchise and its fans. It’s completely unfounded.” “The trust has nothing to do with the league,” Bettman said. “It’s not signatory to anything, it hasn’t secured anything. It has nothing to do with us. There’s no connection between the trust and the league.” “I think the team is being built the right way,” Bettman said. “Attendance tends to lag, but again, I think the Triangle is a terrific market.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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