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How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

G

GoBucky36

On, Wisconsin!!!!
How do you guys think that an NHL franchise in Milwaukee/Madison would effect the Badgers? Do you think that they would still draw 15,000+ people for the games or do you think attendance would decline because people would instead choose to attend the NHL games?
Personally, it annoys me that we dont have an NHL franchise, but quite a few people have told me that if Wisconsin had an NHL franchise that Badger hockey wouldnt be as popular as it is.
Personally, I disagree with those people but Id love to hear what the group thinks about it.
 
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Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

As a resident of WI all my life I seriously doubt that WI could support an NHL franchise. They had their chance when the Bradley Center was new and even flirted with the idea by hosting a few NHL preseason games. However Lloyd wouldn't pony up the money for an expansion fee and I don't think either Milwaukee or Madison has enough disposible income to support the price of NHL tickets. If SE WI loved hockey enough to carry an NHL franchise, the Admirals would be packing the house for every game. But even at $10 a ticket, they can't fill even the lower bowl on weekends. Jack the ticket prices to 4-5 times that amount and you'll see even fewer folks in the stands. Maybe you could draw some Northside Chicago folks who make Chicago money, but now the 'Hawks are a hot ticket again so everyone wants back on their bandwagon.

As far as Madison goes, they made several runs at minor league hockey with limited success. Any addition of pro hockey in WI would have no affect on Bucky Puck. The Badgers hockey program will always have a solid following because the of the 10s of thousands of local alumni and the ticket prices are reasonable compared to other sporting teams in the immediate area.

As much as I would love to have an NHL franchise in Brew City - It isn't going to happen. Heck look at how hard Mr Blackberry is trying to get a team. He's trying to put them in hockey starved Hamilton, ONT who would easily snatch up 20,000+ season tickets and the NHL still says no.

Ryan J
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

It doesn't seem to hurt teams to much. Minnesota seems to be doing fine with it. The majority of HE schools are within an easy driving distance of the Garden and don't seem to be hurt by the Bruins.
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

I would love to see a WI NHL franchise, give the Wild a true rival, but its the other way around; the WI NHL franchise wouldn't hurt the Badgers ticket sales, Badger hockey would hurt the NHL franchise's ticket sales.
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

SCSU Euro said:
I would love to see a WI NHL franchise, give the Wild a true rival, but its the other way around; the WI NHL franchise wouldn't hurt the Badgers ticket sales, Badger hockey would hurt the NHL franchise's ticket sales.
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CHFAN222 said:
It doesn't seem to hurt teams to much. Minnesota seems to be doing fine with it. The majority of HE schools are within an easy driving distance of the Garden and don't seem to be hurt by the Bruins.
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I don't live in the States so I could be wrong, but it seems to me that we are talking two different fan bases. Meaning that college hockey fans are not necessarily NHL fans and vice versa. Certainly there is some cross over, but my impression is that for the most part the two are mutually exclusive. However, I do stand to be corrected.
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

Shouldn't WI be aiming for a pro basketball/football/baseball team first? The NHL is considered the 4th major sports league for a reason.
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

Brenthoven said:
Shouldn't WI be aiming for a pro basketball/football/baseball team first? The NHL is considered the 4th major sports league for a reason.
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But they already.....oh wait I see what you did there.
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

Brenthoven said:
Shouldn't WI be aiming for a pro basketball/football/baseball team first? The NHL is considered the 4th major sports league for a reason.
Click to expand...

Well clearly the Brewers are a AAA team as is the rest of the NL. As for the Bucks, well, even though I am not a Timberwolves fan, being guilty by association for growing up in Minnesota, I cannot talk s*** about another NBA team. :(
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

HoosierBBall_GopherHockey said:
Well clearly the Brewers are a AAA team as is the rest of the NL. As for the Bucks, well, even though I am not a Timberwolves fan, being guilty by association for growing up in Minnesota, I cannot talk s*** about another NBA team. :(
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Where are the Timberwolves from? Maine? Washington? :confused:

Edit: gounh: you do realize that Tampa Bay won a Super Bowl. Tampa. Bay. Just a little perspective. ;)
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

Brenthoven said:
Where are the Timberwolves from? Maine? Washington? :confused:

Edit: gounh: you do realize that Tampa Bay won a Super Bowl. Tampa. Bay. Just a little perspective. ;)
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Well the AAA teams have won 4 of the last 10 World Series, including the Marlins. I say that again, the Marlins, and I believe they beat the Yankees.
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

gounhwildcats said:
Well the AAA teams have won 4 of the last 10 World Series, including the Marlins. I say that again, the Marlins, and I believe they beat the Yankees.
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Marlins = fire sale. Win, then purge. Again, just sayin'. And I hate the *ing Yankees.
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

HoosierBBall_GopherHockey said:
:confused: What the hell...are you talking about?
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Difference between effect/affect.

He has 25 posts and has wracked up maximum neg rep. Nuff said?
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Or she, let's not be presumptuous.

On the rep thing, though - most of it is on account of a run-in with Red Cloud being a cock when I first joined, and more recently, I got hit when going after the guys who were trolling osorojo. A possible troll getting trolled, and the trolls trolling the troll took me to be a troll. Why I thought it was a good idea to insert myself into that I don't know.


Anyway. I don't try to be a troll. But being an RIT fan, I'm obligated to take shots at Wisco when possible.
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

Personally, having grown up with Badger hockey and not the NHL, my interest level wouldn't change if Milwaukee got an NHL team. It's a pretty hypothetical question, though, as I don't think Wisconsin would support an NHL team. Madison is too small and it wouldn't draw well enough in Milwaukee over the long haul. I think that an NHL team would certainly draw initial interest from the hockey community in Milwaukee, but a lot of those people are not people that go to college games. Minor league hockey is pretty much the perfect level for Milwaukee (especially the ticket prices), just as college is the perfect level for Madison.

I would, however, like it if the NHL went back to having a few neutral site games here, and think those would do well - as a one-or-two-time thing. My first NHL game was one of the neutral site games in Milwaukee.
 
Re: How would an NHL franchise in Wisconsin effect the Badgers?

I think a litmus test is Boston, which arguably has more hockey played in and around it than most other U.S cities...when you factor in NHL, AHL, and college. And when you factor in Providence, Lowell, Manchester, and Worcester...which all (to a greater or lesser degree) fall within the orbit of 'Boston.'
 
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