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Post by Tankdriver on May 31, 2016 8:54:14 GMT -5
Gary Bettman just had his state of the union address yesterday and it appears that the BOG will finally vote on expansion on June 22 during their meeting based on the recommendations of the executive meeting. Based on the location of this meeting and the awards ceremony taking place in Las Vegas, one would think Las Vegas is a slam dunk? I also think the threat of the NFL coming to Las Vegas is pushing the NHL a little more quickly so they could be consider the first major sports franchise to set up their. So what are your thoughts? Do you think QC has a chance?
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Post by Polarice on May 31, 2016 10:15:51 GMT -5
I think both will get a team....however, Quebec may not get theirs through expansion, but rather another team moving there. Someone like Carolina.
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Post by seventeen on May 31, 2016 12:06:07 GMT -5
Bettman loves Vegas. Slam Dunk there. Hates Canadian teams. No chance for Quebec.
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Post by Tankdriver on Jun 2, 2016 20:48:02 GMT -5
Bettman was on the McGowan show and basically said he was going to ask Detroit or Columbus to move if expansion. Sure sounds like the end game is Las Vegas and Seattle with Carolina or Florida relocated to QC,
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Post by franko on Jun 2, 2016 21:15:57 GMT -5
Bettman was on the McGowan show and basically said he was going to ask Detroit or Columbus to move if expansion. Sure sounds like the end game is Las Vegas and Seattle with Carolina or Florida relocated to QC, it took how many years for Detroit to finally move back east and they're possibly being asked to move again? they ain't going to be very happy about it and I don't think they'll want to. nor will Columbus. should be interesting. |
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Post by blny on Jun 2, 2016 23:23:18 GMT -5
Bettman was on the McGowan show and basically said he was going to ask Detroit or Columbus to move if expansion. Sure sounds like the end game is Las Vegas and Seattle with Carolina or Florida relocated to QC, it took how many years for Detroit to finally move back east and they're possibly being asked to move again? they ain't going to be very happy about it and I don't think they'll want to. nor will Columbus. should be interesting. Their argument for East never held water for me. Of course, I'd like to see the Norris division reformed. Montreal, Boston, Ottawa, Quebec, NYR, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Toronto Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Nashville, Buffalo Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, St Louis, Columbus, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary Dallas, Arizona, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Colorado, San Jose, Vancouver |
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Post by franko on Jun 3, 2016 6:06:23 GMT -5
it took how many years for Detroit to finally move back east and they're possibly being asked to move again? they ain't going to be very happy about it and I don't think they'll want to. nor will Columbus. should be interesting. Their argument for East never held water for me. it was all about the time zone travel works for me, makes sense . . . so it will never happen. |
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Post by blny on Jun 3, 2016 7:28:18 GMT -5
Their argument for East never held water for me. it was all about the time zone travel Yes. I've always argued, from a baseball pov, that teams like the Jays and Tigers never belonged in the East. That was supported even more when they went to three divisions per league. They're centrally located markets. With teams like the Indians and Twins, you have 4 great lakes teams together. Throw in the Royals or Brewers and boom. Division. Same goes for the NHL. The Norris was a compact division. Montreal, Boston, Ottawa, Quebec, NYR, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Toronto Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Nashville, Buffalo Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, St Louis, Columbus, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary Dallas, Arizona, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Colorado, San Jose, Vancouver works for me, makes sense . . . so it will never happen. This isn't perfect, as Edmonton and Calgary are a little off on their own, but it's not bad. You're right that it would never happen, but if the league goes to 32 teams they're staring at 3 divisions per conference. Adams - Montreal, Boston, Quebec, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo Patrick - Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, New York, Brooklyn, New Jersey New - Columbus, Nashville, Carolina, Tampa, Florida Norris - Detroit, St Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, Winnipeg Smythe - Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, San Jose, Colorado New - Anaheim, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, Arizona There's a slight unbalance there, with 17 teams in the East and 15 in the West. It's balanced geographically though, and given present rosters there's isn't a blatant weak sister of a division - though the "Adams" might come close. |
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Post by Tankdriver on Jun 3, 2016 10:35:08 GMT -5
If you go to 32 then I think the breakdown is going to be 8 division of 4 like the NFL or 4 divisions of 8. I think 32 is the perfect number to balance things out.
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Post by Boston_Habs on Jun 3, 2016 10:50:56 GMT -5
It's hard because what the NHL really wants is 2 teams out West, but the only got one bid from a market that a lot of people think is weird.
I also think the NHL really likes the 2 conference, 4 divisions format. That was a big project and I can't see them going back to the 6 division format again.
Ideally, the NHL would have gotten strong bids from markets like Portland or Seattle and Kansas City, which would have solved the problem of the imbalanced conferences. Nobody in the East, certainly not Detroit or Columbus, is going to want to get sent back to the West.
Despite their efforts, Quebec just isn't a market that the NHL really wants.
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Post by Tankdriver on Jun 3, 2016 12:05:38 GMT -5
It's hard because what the NHL really wants is 2 teams out West, but the only got one bid from a market that a lot of people think is weird. I also think the NHL really likes the 2 conference, 4 divisions format. That was a big project and I can't see them going back to the 6 division format again. Ideally, the NHL would have gotten strong bids from markets like Portland or Seattle and Kansas City, which would have solved the problem of the imbalanced conferences. Nobody in the East, certainly not Detroit or Columbus, is going to want to get sent back to the West. Despite their efforts, Quebec just isn't a market that the NHL really wants. Agree. But what about the $$$ 500 million or so? Money makes people do crazy things. That's why I see a team like Carolina going to Quebec instead. |
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Post by Boston_Habs on Jun 3, 2016 12:32:12 GMT -5
Yeah, the money. It's possible that the expansion price tag is just too steep for markets that could otherwise support a team. The NHL is getting more lucrative TV money, but it still pales in comparison to the NFL, NBA, and MLB. The product is great, of course, but ratings in the US are still only so-so. The big difference is the relative value of live sports programming for advertisers and sponsors in this day and age as opposed to an increase in the intrinsic popularity of the NHL. I don't believe the NHL is really much more popular in the US than it was when the league was basically giving the product away on TV, but the media landscape is vastly different.
All that to say that the NHL could be too greedy, which is no surprise. For example, I think a team in a city like Portland, OR or Seattle is a perfect fit for the NHL. There are some hockey roots out there and both would have natural rivalries with the west coast team. But maybe the groups out there could only justify an expansion fee of $250 million. So they drop out of the mix and instead you are left with huge bids from two markets that (a) nobody really has any interest in and (b) in the case of Quebec, the bid probably goes well beyond a rational economic decision.
It's disappointing because I think 4 divisions of 8 teams is the perfect solution. You could create all sorts of interesting scheduling tricks - the first month could only be against teams in your division, more "home and home" series, make a media splash with "crossover week" where the East divisions play the West divisions... stuff like that. You wear "home whites" against a selected Division each year so fans can see the variety of uniforms (they could do that already, but I want to bring back home whites anyway!)
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Post by blny on Jun 3, 2016 12:35:34 GMT -5
No doubt the value of the dollar has an impact, but I'd like to see Quebec get their own club so that the Canes can go back to Hartford - where they belong.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 3, 2016 12:38:22 GMT -5
If you go to 32 then I think the breakdown is going to be 8 division of 4 like the NFL or 4 divisions of 8. I think 32 is the perfect number to balance things out. 42 is a more perfect number. |
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Post by Tankdriver on Jun 3, 2016 13:18:37 GMT -5
If you go to 32 then I think the breakdown is going to be 8 division of 4 like the NFL or 4 divisions of 8. I think 32 is the perfect number to balance things out. 42 is a more perfect number. Sorry, I don't follow? |
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Post by franko on Jun 3, 2016 13:32:05 GMT -5
42 is a more perfect number. Sorry, I don't follow? good one, 17. I follow . . . "everything" . . . "ultimately". |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 3, 2016 14:33:39 GMT -5
If you go to 32 then I think the breakdown is going to be 8 division of 4 like the NFL or 4 divisions of 8. I think 32 is the perfect number to balance things out. 42 is a more perfect number. Adams and Carroll would agree. |
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Post by Skilly on Jun 3, 2016 17:18:56 GMT -5
it was all about the time zone travel Yes. I've always argued, from a baseball pov, that teams like the Jays and Tigers never belonged in the East. That was supported even more when they went to three divisions per league. They're centrally located markets. With teams like the Indians and Twins, you have 4 great lakes teams together. Throw in the Royals or Brewers and boom. Division. Same goes for the NHL. The Norris was a compact division. Montreal, Boston, Ottawa, Quebec, NYR, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Toronto Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Nashville, Buffalo Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, St Louis, Columbus, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary Dallas, Arizona, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Colorado, San Jose, Vancouver works for me, makes sense . . . so it will never happen. This isn't perfect, as Edmonton and Calgary are a little off on their own, but it's not bad. You're right that it would never happen, but if the league goes to 32 teams they're staring at 3 divisions per conference. Adams - Montreal, Boston, Quebec, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo Patrick - Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, New York, Brooklyn, New Jersey New - Columbus, Nashville, Carolina, Tampa, Florida Norris - Detroit, St Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, Winnipeg Smythe - Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, San Jose, Colorado New - Anaheim, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, Arizona There's a slight unbalance there, with 17 teams in the East and 15 in the West. It's balanced geographically though, and given present rosters there's isn't a blatant weak sister of a division - though the "Adams" might come close. Throw Toronto back in the Norris |
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Post by Skilly on Jun 3, 2016 17:20:14 GMT -5
42 is a more perfect number. Sorry, I don't follow? 42 is the answer to everything in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Never read it, but might. My daughter has it I believe |
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Post by blny on Jun 3, 2016 17:47:41 GMT -5
Throw Toronto back in the Norris You could, seeing as it's as likely as everything else lol. |
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Post by PTH on Jun 3, 2016 19:11:07 GMT -5
42 is the answer to everything in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Never read it, but might. My daughter has it I believe 42 ? It's the answer to life, the universe and everything. |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 4, 2016 11:06:18 GMT -5
There aren't enough skilled qualified French speaking coaches and GMs for one NHL team. Adding another team in Quebec makes it worse.
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Post by drkcloud on Jun 12, 2016 22:10:56 GMT -5
How watered down can this league get. No one cares as long as the franchise fee is paid. This league should contract not expand
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Post by Boston_Habs on Jun 15, 2016 8:56:41 GMT -5
Looks like Vegas!
For some reason, I think Las Vegas is unique enough that it actually could work. The NHL really wants 2 more teams out West. I wish they would drop the franchise fee - $500 million??? - because it would probably bring in bids from markets like Portland or Seattle, but whatever.
Let the nickname speculation begin.... The Vegas Knights, the Vegas Strippers, the Vegas Black Jacks?
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Post by franko on Jun 15, 2016 9:06:14 GMT -5
the Vegas Cappos or Dons
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Post by Tankdriver on Jun 15, 2016 9:08:46 GMT -5
I am guessing the Las Vegas Black Knights. It is the name of the military academy the owner went to and it's the name of the corporation I believe.
As for all the people saying that it will water down the league, I disagree to that. If you look back 30 or 40 years, you had plumbers and fighters on 4th lines, and if you look at some of the goalies scored back then, there is no chance in hell they go in now. It's just that goalies have gotten so much better (bigger + padding) and the systems put in place. A Kessel, Seguin, Ovechkin or Crosby playing in the 70's and 80's would be putting up 70 goal seasons. Times have changed.
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Post by Boston_Habs on Jun 15, 2016 9:24:30 GMT -5
As for all the people saying that it will water down the league, I disagree to that. If you look back 30 or 40 years, you had plumbers and fighters on 4th lines, and if you look at some of the goalies scored back then, there is no chance in hell they go in now. It's just that goalies have gotten so much better (bigger + padding) and the systems put in place. A Kessel, Seguin, Ovechkin or Crosby playing in the 70's and 80's would be putting up 70 goal seasons. Times have changed. I agree. 2 more teams will be fine. As we all know, the NHL draws on a pretty big talent pool - Canada, the US is pumping out consistently good players, and then the traditional markets in Europe. I think the talent base can support 32 teams. |
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Post by Polarice on Jun 15, 2016 9:30:16 GMT -5
Love that Vegas got a team!! We go to Vegas once or twice a year, now we will book a trip there when the Habs are in town!!
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 15, 2016 12:01:17 GMT -5
A team in Quebec City would dilute support for the Hab's. They would still sell out but have fewer fans wearing caps and jerseys and watching on tv. $500,000,000.00 is a lot of zeros. As far as tv revenue, I've stopped buying the center ice package because the games are on the Internet for free. TV economics are about to take a bath g hit.
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Post by Skilly on Jun 15, 2016 17:26:29 GMT -5
A team in Quebec City would dilute support for the Hab's. They would still sell out but have fewer fans wearing caps and jerseys and watching on tv. $500,000,000.00 is a lot of zeros. As far as tv revenue, I've stopped buying the center ice package because the games are on the Internet for free. TV economics are about to take a bath g hit. A team in Quebec City would force the Habs to compete harder to keep support. It would not look good losing a top player to Quebec City. Bergevin won't be able to wax and wane about how hard trades are to make anymore ... |
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