Top 5 cities for NHL expansion

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Nothing exactly groundbreaking in this article, but it provides a good recap...

Top 5 Target Cities for NHL Expansion

 

[OregonDucks]

Should be Portland, OR. But our genius Paul Allen is going for an Arena football team instead

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

No Atlanta?!?

This is an outrage!

 

[forty_three]

I like that 4 of the five are west. That's going to help calm the problems with the way they laid out divisions.

I was also glad to see Vegas not on the list. I just see that as a disaster waiting to happen.

Kansas City at #1 makes logical sense, but again, that Mayor HATES Bettman and the NHL. Soooooo.

Why Milwaukee isn't there, I don't know. Not sure I will ever quite get it. If Houston is viable, they should move the Stars there. Fuck Dallas.



What is Quebec's legal right to the Nordiques name? Could they get that name or has Colorado "retired" it? I know someone owns it and is making money on it because I saw a TON of Nordiques Reebok Jerseys and hats when I was in Canada a few weeks ago.

 

[IndyAndy]

No Atlanta?!?

This is an outrage!

Given Atlanta's track record to date, I'd say that it would be the perfect place for the eventual Quebec City squad to be started.

On a serious note; I wonder if there is any interest in Oklahoma City for a team.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

I've wondered for awhile why Milwaukee doesn't get any mention in these discussions. I feel like Wisconsin loves their hockey (at least at the college level), the state clearly likes their sports and there is already an arena there (not state of the art but still viable). This destination makes way more sense than some of these roll the dice and hope for the best locations.

 

[dash]

I've wondered for awhile why Milwaukee doesn't get any mention in these discussions. I feel like Wisconsin loves their hockey (at least at the college level), the state clearly likes their sports and there is already an arena there (not state of the art but still viable). This destination makes way more sense than some of these roll the dice and hope for the best locations.

I think size of tv market plays a huge role in deciding where the league wishes to have teams and that's likely why Milwaukee doesn't get mentioned.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I think size of tv market plays a huge role in deciding where the league wishes to have teams and that's likely why Milwaukee doesn't get mentioned.

If they ended up on a regional sports network they'd do fine though. Milwaukee isn't far from Chicago or Madison, so a regional network that hits all of Wisconsin and even parts of northern Illinois, they'd have a much broader market. Some of the distant suburbs of Chicago could probably even make it to Milwaukee quicker (and cheaper) than they could get to a Hawks game.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Is Kansas City really a hot bed TV market though?

 

[dash]

Is Kansas City really a hot bed TV market though?

I would think not, but they do have a spanky new arena just waiting for an anchor tenant. As 43 said though, the current mayor is not a fan of the NHL (or maybe he's just not a fan of Bettman).

/I think Milwaukee would work as well, but I think it's currently not on Bettman's radar.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I would think not, but they do have a spanky new arena just waiting for an anchor tenant. As 43 said though, the current mayor is not a fan of the NHL (or maybe he's just not a fan of Bettman).

/I think Milwaukee would work as well, but I think it's currently not on Bettman's radar.

I like him already.

 

[David_son]

Seattle should name themselves the Seals... or Whalers. But KC makes perfect sense so that means Bettman will not do it.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

I feel like if a place like KC were to get a team say next season, we'd be having relocation talks by the next CBA. Maybe I'm wrong about it and negatively judging the city, I just don't see there being a big enough population to support a non hockey market.

 

[forty_three]

Is Kansas City really a hot bed TV market though?

Top 100 Television Markets - Station Index

One above Columbus, apparently. I would think (or hope) that more goes into it than just looking at this list and saying "What's the biggest market we don't have a team?" That thinking explains why Phoenix stayed put.

Columbus was a hard sell because it was a relatively small market compared to others that were open. But the reason Columbus worked (albeit slowly) is because there wasn't a lot of competition for entertainment dollars, and a relatively large amount of disposable income per capita. Cost of living is low, but average salaries for most technical jobs are the same or better than any other market not named New York, San Jose or DC. Plus they already had a youth hockey program, but it has exploded since the Jackets came. That's the key to long term success, will the kids get involved in youth hockey and become fans for life? The kids I coach now have never lived in a world that didn't have Blue Jackets hockey. And it's all they've had. Dad may have grown up a Wings or Hawks fan, but junior is a Jacket fan. And always will be.

It was a slow ride, but it ultimately worked. And if they had gone by TV market alone, they might not have done it.

Milwaukee is a good choice, I think. The sports fans are legendary, the only competition for entertainment money in the winter is Packers football, and there are 10x more people that are shut out of that than get to go. Plus,once football season is over, they have nothing to do but drink. And they drink a lot. Instead of drinking Old Milwaukee in a basement for a buck a can, they can drink 7 dollar Old Milwaukee in an arena.

I like the idea of KC too in the sense that there is a big market of potential youth hockey players. KC is a BIG place.

 

[David_son]

Top 100 Television Markets - Station Index

One above Columbus, apparently. I would think (or hope) that more goes into it than just looking at this list and saying "What's the biggest market we don't have a team?" That thinking explains why Phoenix stayed put.

Columbus was a hard sell because it was a relatively small market compared to others that were open. But the reason Columbus worked (albeit slowly) is because there wasn't a lot of competition for entertainment dollars, and a relatively large amount of disposable income per capita. Cost of living is low, but average salaries for most technical jobs are the same or better than any other market not named New York, San Jose or DC. Plus they already had a youth hockey program, but it has exploded since the Jackets came. That's the key to long term success, will the kids get involved in youth hockey and become fans for life? The kids I coach now have never lived in a world that didn't have Blue Jackets hockey. And it's all they've had. Dad may have grown up a Wings or Hawks fan, but junior is a Jacket fan. And always will be.

It was a slow ride, but it ultimately worked. And if they had gone by TV market alone, they might not have done it.

Milwaukee is a good choice, I think. The sports fans are legendary, the only competition for entertainment money in the winter is Packers football, and there are 10x more people that are shut out of that than get to go. Plus,once football season is over, they have nothing to do but drink. And they drink a lot. Instead of drinking Old Milwaukee in a basement for a buck a can, they can drink 7 dollar Old Milwaukee in an arena.

I like the idea of KC too in the sense that there is a big market of potential youth hockey players. KC is a BIG place.

And the Bucks and isnt college football big there as well. Also is there enough people to support Wild and Wisconsin team so close together.

 

[Smart]

Some of the distant suburbs of Chicago could probably even make it to Milwaukee quicker (and cheaper) than they could get to a Hawks game.

It honesty wouldn't stun me to see a second team with a Chicago moniker which plays its games somewhere in the far North suburbs like Gurnee or even Kenosha, WI. It'd be about a 35-50 minute drive from Milwaukee, and it would be closer than the UC for most of the North Shore (ie where the rich people who play hockey and are from Chicago are). It likely wouldn't happen because the Blackhawks are a marquee franchise and have some influence, but from a geographic standpoint, it could certainly survive without killing the Blackhawks.

 

[Smart]

And the Bucks and isnt college football big there as well. Also is there enough people to support Wild and Wisconsin team so close together.

Marquette basketball is probably a bigger draw than any of those in the city of Milwaukee. They sell out most big games, and have slightly higher attendance than the Bucks (though both are right around 15,000). And a lot of the Bucks tickets are bought by fans hoping to see superstars or out-of-towners hoping to see their hometown teams.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Knowing Bettman, he will probably expand to Little Rock, Arkansas or Jackson, Mississippi.

 

[David_son]

Marquette basketball is probably a bigger draw than any of those in the city of Milwaukee. They sell out most big games, and have slightly higher attendance than the Bucks (though both are right around 15,000). And a lot of the Bucks tickets are bought by fans hoping to see superstars or out-of-towners hoping to see their hometown teams.

Not many people wanting to see the Bucks go for a championship huh... thats too bad.....

 

[stealth]

use your history.....

KC had a pro team years ago ....the scouts and they folded. KC is not a market for professional hockey unless there is a ton of participation in the lower tiers of play


Seattle and Quebec City are the current top markets in my opinion and the seals should be a name for any team in professional sports!