NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

[GoBucky36]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Its never going to happen. Bettmann has said numerous times that he is committed to keeping the 'Yotes in Phoenix. IMO, another city should get a shot at a team before Winnipeg does. Winni is too small of a market and they had a team in the past and lost it, so IMO they dont deserve another chance yet.

 

[AMC]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

they had a team in the past and lost it, so IMO they dont deserve another chance yet.

This is such a false argument. Seattle had a basketball team and "lost" it despite decent attendance. The Twin Cities "lost" the North Stars. Heck, at one point New York City "lost" two baseball teams. Usually, "losing" a city is less on a city than it is on unabashed greed by old, rich, white dudes.

 

[amherstblackbear]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

By attendance, the Islanders should have lost their team a decade ago (at least).

 

[moose97]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

If I was the guy bringing the "Jets" back to winnapeg, I think I would try to work out a deal with the arenas in Saskatoon and Regina to perhaps host about 5 game a piece between them, and then try to put some of the lower drawing team at those arenas. One would have to think that NHL hockey would be a draw in those locations, and should be able to charge a heafty sum for tickets there for those limited 5 games in those cities. Plus, then they only have to worry about selling out 31 games in winnapeg. Less games there would make season tickets a little more affordable, along with limiting the supply of hockey and thus ideally increasing demand for hockey.

Last night on Hockey Night in Canada, it was suggested that Calgary and Edmonton wouldn't be too happy about the return of a Winnipeg NHL franchise. How do you think they'd feel about regular season games in Regina and Saskatoon? Yeah, pretty sure they'd fight that tooth and nail. You can watch the HNIC segment here:

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/1221284063/ID=1895281374

 

[moose97]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Its never going to happen. Bettmann has said numerous times that he is committed to keeping the 'Yotes in Phoenix.

Right... And how many times have owners/commissioners lied before - never? Plus the previous owner of the Jets was "committed" to keeping them in Winnipeg until he couldn't afford to do it anymore and couldn't get an arena built. Then he moved to Phoenix. That's how it works.

IMO, another city should get a shot at a team before Winnipeg does.

Tell me where is a better option at this point? Keep in mind that a stay in the desert virtually guarantees someone (either the NHL, COG or a new owner) will lose at last $20 and at most $40 million next year alone. Not to mention that they have likely less than a month to figure this out and Winnipeg has a rink and a billionaire with cash in hand to pay for the team waiting patiently. Go.

Winni is too small of a market and they had a team in the past and lost it, so IMO they dont deserve another chance yet.

AMC covered this pretty well.

 

[amherstblackbear]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Really? It's a loooooong way from either Calgrary or Edmonton to Winnipeg. Even if you split the difference it's still a looong way to Regina or Saskatoon. How much of those two clubs' revenue really comes from Saskatchewan?

 

[moose97]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Really? It's a loooooong way from either Calgrary or Edmonton to Winnipeg. Even if you split the difference it's still a looong way to Regina or Saskatoon. How much of those two clubs' revenue really comes from Saskatchewan?

Right now it's likely a toss up if you live in Sask if you are a Flames or a Oilers fan, and either way, call it roughly a 8 hour drive from Saskatoon/Regina to Edmonton/Calgary. Now add in a third regional NHL team which is 7-8 hours away. Add in the TV rights part of the argument. If you're a TV station in Regina, you have to either choose to broadcast one teams games, most of two or some of all three. Either way, you have one pool of money for NHL games. That gets either sent to one team, or split two or three ways - thus the reason the Oilers and Flames would be opposed. Lost TV revenue from stations in Sask.

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Last night on Hockey Night in Canada, it was suggested that Calgary and Edmonton wouldn't be too happy about the return of a Winnipeg NHL franchise. How do you think they'd feel about regular season games in Regina and Saskatoon? Yeah, pretty sure they'd fight that tooth and nail. You can watch the HNIC segment here:

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/1221284063/ID=1895281374

Well, I'm sure the arena owners in Regina and Saskatoon wouldn't mind hosting a few Flames and Oilers games as well. Hell, you could have Winnipeg host Calgary in Regina, and Edmonton in Saskatoon perhaps in that first year the "Jets" are back perhaps, but would likely keep those games in their respective cities. Or perhaps do a Heritage classic outdoor game there between the two squads somewhere in Saskatchewan.

Just for the sake of arguement, just how big are the arenas in Regina and Saskatoon anyways?

 

[moose97]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Just for the sake of arguement, just how big are the arenas in Regina and Saskatoon anyways?

Saskatoon - 14,700
Regina - 7000

Those two rinks hosted the World Juniors in 2010, and are no doubt, good options for some pre-season games. I really can't see a regular season contest being played in Saskatoon though.

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Saskatoon - 14,700
Regina - 7000

Those two rinks hosted the World Juniors in 2010, and are no doubt, good options for some pre-season games. I really can't see a regular season contest being played in Saskatoon though.

Saskatoon is only about 300 seats less than what Winnapeg has at 15,015

 

[joecct]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

If I was the guy bringing the "Jets" back to winnipeg, I think I would try to work out a deal with the arenas in Saskatoon and Regina to perhaps host about 5 game a piece between them, and then try to put some of the lower drawing team at those arenas. One would have to think that NHL hockey would be a draw in those locations, and should be able to charge a heafty sum for tickets there for those limited 5 games in those cities. Plus, then they only have to worry about selling out 31 games in winnapeg. Less games there would make season tickets a little more affordable, along with limiting the supply of hockey and thus ideally increasing demand for hockey.

Why not play a few @ the Ralph? It's not that far upriver.

 

[moose97]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Saskatoon is only about 300 seats less than what Winnapeg has at 15,015

Yeahbut, the Sask rink is 15 years older, has no suites and wouldn't be far off from moving the team back to the old Winnipeg Arena (it'd actually be worse with the smaller capacity and smaller pop)...

Why not play a few @ the Ralph? It's not that far upriver.

Hey, the Wild have played pre-season games there. The 'Peg is only 2 hours away, and most of the fans who were at the World Jr's in 2005 at the Ralph were down from there anyway... Hell, I'm willing to drive the 4 hours to Winnipeg for a game. I'd defiantly drive to GF for a pre-season tilt.

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Yeahbut, the Sask rink is 15 years older, has no suites and wouldn't be far off from moving the team back to the old Winnipeg Arena (it'd actually be worse with the smaller capacity and smaller pop)...

Hey, the Wild have played pre-season games there. The 'Peg is only 2 hours away, and most of the fans who were at the World Jr's in 2005 at the Ralph were down from there anyway... Hell, I'm willing to drive the 4 hours to Winnipeg for a game. I'd defiantly drive to GF for a pre-season tilt.

Yeah, but if you're selling a small handful of games there as a special event, you should be able to get a pretty full barn there, even if you're selling tickets at the NHL average or higher. You're looking at mostly getting the rabid diehard hockey fans there who can't afford to take the time to go to NHL game thats a good days drive away, not the corperate ticket holders. And with 5 games or so out of Winnipeg, you're lowering the season ticket prices there and making them a little more affordable there.

Games between the Wild and Jets at the Ralph wouldn't be too shabby either.

 

[moose97]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Yeah, but if you're selling a small handful of games there as a special event, you should be able to get a pretty full barn there, even if you're selling tickets at the NHL average or higher. You're looking at mostly getting the rabid diehard hockey fans there who can't afford to take the time to go to NHL game thats a good days drive away, not the corperate ticket holders. And with 5 games or so out of Winnipeg, you're lowering the season ticket prices there and making them a little more affordable there.

Games between the Wild and Jets at the Ralph wouldn't be too shabby either.

I think that anytime you take a team away from its home for any reason is a bad idea (pre-season being the exception since most die-hards don't care as much). The Packers learned this when they moved those 2 games in Milwaukee back to Green Bay. Obviously hockey is a bit different with 41 games rather than 8, but still, you start with 5 in Saskatoon, then its 2 or 3 each in Regina and Grand Forks and suddenly those 41 games are trimmed down to ~30. Sure it makes it more affordable, but it also makes it less "your" team to Winnipegers. And those are the folks that you can least afford to upset since they are spending the bulk of the money on the franchise.

 

[Almington]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

Yeah, but if you're selling a small handful of games there as a special event, you should be able to get a pretty full barn there, even if you're selling tickets at the NHL average or higher. You're looking at mostly getting the rabid diehard hockey fans there who can't afford to take the time to go to NHL game thats a good days drive away, not the corperate ticket holders. And with 5 games or so out of Winnipeg, you're lowering the season ticket prices there and making them a little more affordable there.

Games between the Wild and Jets at the Ralph wouldn't be too shabby either.

You play your home games at home, period. You can move around pre-season games because, at the end of the day, they don't really matter to the season ticket holders.

 

[moose97]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

You play your home games at home, period. You can move around pre-season games because, at the end of the day, they don't really matter to the season ticket holders.

How 'bout this example: Bemidji State has played two men's hockey "home" games away from Bemidji in the last decade, once in Thief River Falls (an exhibition game vs. Manitoba) and once in Coleraine (vs. Air Force, the home town of the Serratore brothers). Both rinks are about an hour and a half from Bji, and while individually they were a success, the season ticket holders both times (more so for the regular season game though) were pretty ticked that they had a game taken away from them. Now, college hockey is a bit different, in that you never know how many games you'll have at home, and BSU has never really had a ton of home games, but the point remains the same - don't **** off the season ticket holders!

 

[bronconick]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

If you start playing regular season "home" games outside of your hometown, there better be a natural disaster in your city or you're a joke of a professional franchise. No one will want to play for the "Amazing Backwoods Canadian Traveling Franchise"

It's the final years of the Montreal Expos for hockey, and you're suggesting it as a startup plan?

 

[MavHockey14]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

How 'bout this example: Bemidji State has played two men's hockey "home" games away from Bemidji in the last decade, once in Thief River Falls (an exhibition game vs. Manitoba) and once in Coleraine (vs. Air Force, the home town of the Serratore brothers). Both rinks are about an hour and a half from Bji, and while individually they were a success, the season ticket holders both times (more so for the regular season game though) were pretty ticked that they had a game taken away from them. Now, college hockey is a bit different, in that you never know how many games you'll have at home, and BSU has never really had a ton of home games, but the point remains the same - don't **** off the season ticket holders!

That's not how the Mavericks run things...it seems our administration feels the need to make our season ticket holders suffer with sub par performances on the ice, and a sub par coach. When the WCHA did the UMN/MSUM and SCSU/UMD games at the X, people were so mad, as it gave up a home game and the Mavs had to basically go on the road for a game they should've had at home. It does **** a lot of people off when it comes to college hockey for sure.

moose: were you at the Final Five? Were your seats near the BSU parents? I think I may have sat near you, but I'm probably wrong.

 

[moose97]

Re: NHL hockey returns to the 'Peg! Maybe?

That's not how the Mavericks run things...it seems our administration feels the need to make our season ticket holders suffer with sub par performances on the ice, and a sub par coach. When the WCHA did the UMN/MSUM and SCSU/UMD games at the X, people were so mad, as it gave up a home game and the Mavs had to basically go on the road for a game they should've had at home. It does **** a lot of people off when it comes to college hockey for sure.

I was under the impression that those games were done by MSUM/SCSU, rather than by the WCHA, and that the gates were taken by those schools... Just found the game recap, and it states that MSUM made $100,000 to play at the X...

moose: were you at the Final Five? Were your seats near the BSU parents? I think I may have sat near you, but I'm probably wrong.

I was at the Final Five, but before I tell you anymore, I'm curious to know why you think you sat near me.

 

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

I was at the Final Five, but before I tell you anymore, I'm curious to know why you think you sat near me.

He seems to just know. When I met him, I had some punk teenager who I had never seen before come up from behind me and ask say,"MNS, right? I'm MH14"

It was really creepy.