Mighty AC Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Even though Gary Count Chocula Bettman tried to downplay expansion with a litany of caveats, the NHL will almost certainly expand in time for the 17-18 season. In a test season ticket sale in Las Vegas 13,500 seat deposits were collected in a short period of time, which is pretty good. The AEG/MGM partnership could certainly afford the half billion dollar expansion fee and an NHL club as an anchor tenant would help fill the gaps between concerts and big ticket fights at the arena already under construction. In my opinion, Vegas is a done deal so what will the club be called? The Outlaws name is perfect, but taken. Maybe revive the Las Vegas Posse? I think the Las Vegas Vagabonds, Las Vegas Lewd or Degenerate Hookers (Ho's for short. Go Ho's Go) could work. I also think Phoenix will move to Quebec and a second new club will be added. I hear Seattle is in the running, but with an expansion fee of $500M or higher the smart move would be to add a second Toronto club. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 (edited) What the league really needs to do is contract. There are already more teams than there are available NHL level players to fill those rosters. Edited June 25, 2015 by Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I'd like to see Quebec get a team one way or another. Seattle is a tough one because they don't have an arena. Las Vegas is a brutal idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty AC Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 What the league really needs to do is contract. There are already more teams than there are available NHL level players to fill those rosters. I disagree with your assertion about NHL talent and besides the owners won't turn down a billion+ dollars. Watch some old games and you'll see a noticeable drop in both speed and athleticism every 5 years further back in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Las Vegas. Great idea. Is there any other part of the desert that doesn't have a team yet? Because there should be more teams in the desert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Agents and players will have a much easier time going to Las Vegas...than say....Edmonton, Ottawa, or Buffalo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty AC Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 True, but I wonder if we'll see more Theo Fleurys or Jarett Stolls being produced or at least caught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilber Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Seattle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I thnk the main candidates right now are LV, Portland and Seattle. Portland has an arena and potential owner. If Seattle can get Tukwila approved they will more than likely have a team. To big of an actual hockey market to pass up. Bettman has said before that no teams will ever relocate to another conference again. What that means for the coyotes remains to be seen. Quebec has the arena and a buyer ready so its really up to the BoG to decide at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthere Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I also think Phoenix will move to Quebec and a second new club will be added. I hear Seattle is in the running, but with an expansion fee of $500M or higher the smart move would be to add a second Toronto club. Thoughts? I think $500m is very steep for a new NHL franchise. The NHL does not want any relocations becuase the relocate fee is going to have to be a fraction of the new franchise fee- but most of all, players get a cut of the relocation money. The owners keep all the loot from a new franchise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I think $500m is very steep for a new NHL franchise. The NHL does not want any relocations becuase the relocate fee is going to have to be a fraction of the new franchise fee- but most of all, players get a cut of the relocation money. The owners keep all the loot from a new franchise. It is steep especially considering most teams estimated values aren't even that high. That's that price of doing business with the NHL. With this latest Glendale fiasco, and the fact that Bettman stated no team will move conferences, you can bet that Arizona will not be moving to Quebec. Paul Allen of the Trailblazers has expressed interest awhile ago, although not very much. But he has plenty of money and an NHL ready arena with plenty of capacity in a City that could very easily have some hockey frenzied fans. My guess is Arizona moves to Portland. Las Vegas and Seattle get expansions. Hopefully Florida moves to Quebec within the next few seasons. Though I'm most likely wrong as there could be many unseen investors that come out within the next month or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Guy Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 The NHL is a business. There are currently 30 teams in the league. At a franchise fee of $500 million, each owner will receive over $16 million back on his investment. If two new teams are allowed in then these 30 owners will get $33 million apiece for doing absolutely nothing. Not a bad way of making money. As to the product - the level of play and competition to thrill the average fan? Who cares. Fans are not too bright as has been seen over the years with strikes and other distractions. They will bitch and complain and then come back and continue to pay a weeks pay for a seat. The NHL is a business. A very successful business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 The NHL is a business. There are currently 30 teams in the league. At a franchise fee of $500 million, each owner will receive over $16 million back on his investment. If two new teams are allowed in then these 30 owners will get $33 million apiece for doing absolutely nothing. Not a bad way of making money. As to the product - the level of play and competition to thrill the average fan? Who cares. Fans are not too bright as has been seen over the years with strikes and other distractions. They will bitch and complain and then come back and continue to pay a weeks pay for a seat. The NHL is a business. A very successful business. It's midly successful. Compared to where it should be at this point. I mean they have a pretty long string of busts since Bettman. The game is basically growing itself in Canada. In the US... well they managed to get California on board more than likely because those teams are winning championships and being competative. Florida, Carolina, Columbus, Arizona, Tamp Bay, St. Louis, New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils have all been operating at a loss in recent years. Their owners getting expansion money might be the only way they hold off on selling. well except that guy that owns Carolina, he just pumps more and more money into that team... I'd hate to be his accountent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remiel Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 The gambling is the biggest issue with Las Vegas, and how you feel about the potential for that screwing up the NHL. A hockey team in the desert is a stupid idea. But a hockey team in a desert with no other professional sports teams might be the lucky kind of stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Las Vegas has some history and success with minor league hockey franchises, and UNLV has a club hockey team. They certainly can't do any worse than failed NHL franchises in Canadian and northern U.S. cities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canada_First Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Too many teams as it is now IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Too many teams as it is now IMHO. How many teams should there be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canada_First Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 How many teams should there be?18 to 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canada_First Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 That way each team would have an awesome team since the talent wouldn't be spread so thin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Las Vegas has a metro area population of over 2,000,000 people, larger than all Canadian metro areas except for Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Plus it has far more tourist visitors each year with disposable income. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Las Vegas has a metro area population of over 2,000,000 people, larger than all Canadian metro areas except for Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Plus it has far more tourist visitors each year with disposable income. I've seen some pretty fair arguments that Saskatchewan could support a team before Las Vegas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 18 to 21 21 would be a weird number,uneven divisions. 18 could work, would make for some interesting hockey but NHL would never shrink, too much money to be made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I've seen some pretty fair arguments that Saskatchewan could support a team before Las Vegas. Many players do not want to go to such small markets. To some people, Las Vegas is far more appealing than Saskatchewan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) Many players do not want to go to such small markets. To some people, Las Vegas is far more appealing than Saskatchewan. That may be true but there seems to be a higher correlation with players wanting to play for teams that can compete. If you can remain competative you can attract players far easier than if you have nice weather, like Florida. Its the small markets with the most ravenous fans. Corey Perry, who plays for Anaheim, said he's never played in a building as loud as the MTS centre in Winnipeg during the playoffs. Anaheim doesn't get that,even in the playoffs. Winnipeg gets it on a nightly basis. Edited June 26, 2015 by PrimeNumber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimeNumber Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) What makes Corey Perry's statement even more remarkable is that the MTS centre is the smallest capacity arena in the NHL. Yet it gets the loudest. Edited June 26, 2015 by PrimeNumber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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