NHL Expansion
dd...@kean.ucs.mun.ca
(Dan Walter) writes:
> Does anyone out there think Canada deserves an expansion team. Not if they
> are going to get one, but if they deserve one. I am mainly thinking Hamilton,
> but it can be any other Canadian city. So what do you think?
I don't think I would phrase it as "Canada _deserves_ an expansion
team". We, as Canadians, shouldn't take the attitude that if a team
is placed in the States than we should have one here in Canada. If
that were the case then, based on the premise that there should be
parity among the various regions in Canada, the NHL should be looking
to place a team in Saskatchewan or in the Maritimes, since these areas
don't have a team.
IMHO, the two expansion teams should be determined solely on the basis
of the merits of their application. If that were the case then at the
present moment Ottawa and St. Petersburg, Fla. would be the two new
sites. But the NHL, in its infinite wisdom, has apparently tried to
place one of the two new teams on the West Coast (Seattle, maybe). It
may backfire on the NHL.
BTW, Hamilton has withdrawn its application from the NHL after meeting
with the expansion committee in October.
--
Bradley White sTiLl A lEaFs FaN
dd...@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Anand Sinha
>
>BTW, Hamilton has withdrawn its application from the NHL after meeting
>with the expansion committee in October.
Ummm... You are definitely mistaken here. Hamilton has NEVER considered
withdrawing its application.
On Tuesday, (November 27), an announcement was made that season's ticket
sales would start. They were trying to determine how close to the 10,000
required season's tickets they would get. Everyone who ordered put down
a $100/per seat deposit, only refundable if Hamilton did not get a team.
The sales started at 7:00 am Tuesday morning. By 3:00 pm, over 3,000 were
sold. Over 4,000 were sold by the end of the day. On Wednesday,
more than 9,000 (total) had been sold.
So far Hamilton has met all of the requirements of the NHL for an
expansion franchise. 10,000 season ticket holders should sell the team.
There is no reason for Hamilton not to get a team. Absolutely none.
Ottawa's bid has been dealt a severe blow. The land where they were to
build an arena has come under some kind of dispute, so the arena may
not be ready for 1992.
If the NHL is serious about expansion in 1992, and serious about having
teams that can compete, are financially sound and that can actually
play in an arena (not a converted baseball stadium!), then Hamilton
has got to be a logical choice.
However, selling the game in the Southern/South Western US seems to be
more important. Even though the teams may fold.
>
>--
>Bradley White sTiLl A lEaFs FaN
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ah that explains his lack of
knowledge about Hamilton. Most Torontonians think that Toronto is the
centre of the universe ;-)
Anand Sinha
Habs still #1, but the Hamilton Whosits a close #2
Tom Haapanen
> BTW, Hamilton has withdrawn its application from the NHL after meeting
> with the expansion committee in October.
Well, as of this morning, the new franchise (proposal) for Hamilton has
collected deposits on 13,000 season tickets! It seems to me that they
could manage to sell out Copps with no problems...
I heard that Ottawa's application has hit some sort of a snag. Does anyone
have any information on this?
[ \tom haapanen --- university of waterloo --- t...@mims-iris.waterloo.edu ]
[ "i don't even know what street canada is on" -- al capone ]
John J. Vandergriendt
>
>I heard that Ottawa's application has hit some sort of a snag. Does anyone
>have any information on this?
>
The Ottawa group are running into some red tape (in Ottawa no less) in
getting the zoning changed for the land where the arena is to be built.
Apparently, there is some opposition to changing the zoning.
--
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dd...@kean.ucs.mun.ca
sin...@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Anand Sinha) writes:
>In article <160...@kean.ucs.mun.ca> dd...@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:
>>
>>BTW, Hamilton has withdrawn its application from the NHL after meeting
>>with the expansion committee in October.
>Ummm... You are definitely mistaken here. Hamilton has NEVER considered
>withdrawing its application.
Yes, you are right Anand, Hamilton hasn't withdrawn its application.
If anything it has gotten stronger over the past week. In an article
I posted to rec.sport.hockey on Friday Nov. 30, I state that the
Hamilton bid has received the backing of Bobby Orr. At least he backs
it verbally, I'm not sure if he is planning on putting any money
towards the team. And, of course, Tim Hortons Ltd. has come out
publicly stating that they will financially back the Hamilton bid up
to 60% of the franchise price. I regret the mistake.
>So far Hamilton has met all of the requirements of the NHL for an
>expansion franchise. 10,000 season ticket holders should sell the team.
>There is no reason for Hamilton not to get a team. Absolutely none.
>Ottawa's bid has been dealt a severe blow. The land where they were to
>build an arena has come under some kind of dispute, so the arena may
>not be ready for 1992.
I agree with you that Hamilton is a logical choice. Also, if the land
dispute in Ottawa was settled, they, too, would be a logical choice.
Unfortunately, it is going to take a two-thirds vote from the 21 teams
to allow a team into the NHL. And 14 of the 21 teams are
American-based. And, as it has been said here on the net and in the
media here in Canada, the American owners do not want another team in
Canada. Plain and simple. The NHL is a business, they say, and the
American teams can't sell tickets when Canadian teams come to town and
no major U.S. TV network is going to shell out money for a contract
unless all major U.S. TV markets are covered. This will ultimately
determine which teams will get accepted into the league.
>If the NHL is serious about expansion in 1992, and serious about having
>teams that can compete, are financially sound and that can actually
>play in an arena (not a converted baseball stadium!), then Hamilton
>has got to be a logical choice.
>However, selling the game in the Southern/South Western US seems to be
>more important. Even though the teams may fold.
Actually, the St. Petersburg application is quite solid. It is backed
by Compuware Ltd., a Michigan-based computer software firm. They have
had success backing other hockey teams, though on a much smaller
scale. The Detroit Compuware Midgets come to mind as one team. And,
though they will be playing in the Suncoast Dome??? (have I got that
right), it will be only for a couple of years until they build their
own hockey stadium in St. Pete. They seem to have the inside track to
one of the two new teams.
>>
>>--
>>Bradley White sTiLl A lEaFs FaN
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> ah that explains his lack of
>knowledge about Hamilton. Most Torontonians think that Toronto is the
>centre of the universe ;-)
How did you know that I was born in Toronto????? Damnit, Big Brother
is watching everybody. And he is passing his information on to Anand.
:-) ;-)
>Anand Sinha
>Habs still #1, but the Hamilton Whosits a close #2
--
Bradley White Still a Leafs fan!
dd...@kean.ucs.mun.ca Even though I live in
St. John's, Nfld.
Gordon McGonigal
>American-based. And, as it has been said here on the net and in the
>media here in Canada, the American owners do not want another team in
>Canada. Plain and simple. The NHL is a business, they say, and the
>American teams can't sell tickets when Canadian teams come to town and
>no major U.S. TV network is going to shell out money for a contract
>unless all major U.S. TV markets are covered. This will ultimately
>determine which teams will get accepted into the league.
>
If that is their main priority then it would seem logical to add one
Canadian, and two American teams, and then reorganize into the much
talked about 3 division format with all an all-Canadian division and
an almost noninterlocking schedule. It would be fine by me.
Gord.
Gerald Olchowy
An all-Canadian division is a terrible idea...this is a continental
league and phony lines like the 49th parallel should play no part.
If you were Eric Lindros or Wayne Gretzky, which side of the border
do you think they would play on if they knew they weren't going to
get any exposure whatsoever in the U.S....the Canadian division
would be relegated to a glorified minor league...and ultimately
the franchises in the smaller cities would die...plus I doubt it
if Toronto or Montreal would like their exposure to be relegated
to Canada and the new country of Quebec.
I'm not saying that Hamilton and Ottawa don't deserve teams, but
the NHL and NHL players really don't gain anything by coming to
Canada. Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Quebec had to force their way
into the NHL through the WHA, and Calgary was lucky to be in
the right place at the right time when a franchise became
available...history says there is not much chance the NHL
governors will approve a Canadian franchise unless you perhaps
kidnap them and hold a gun to their heads...the American teams
don't want it and the Canadian teams lose money by having to
share the TV money with another team. That said...I think
Hamilton has a chance this time, because Seattle and Houston
have pulled out...but I wouldn't bet on it.
Felix Wong
Just found out that Ottawa and Tampa are the new teams in the NHL. I am
wondering which divisions they will belong to. Is Winnipeg moving to
the east? Will Sharks take over Winnipeg's smythe position?
Felix Wong
UD15...@VM1.NoDak.Edu
GO OILERS GO!!!