A team from Florida will be competing in the Stanley Cup final for the 6th year in a row

[Catscountry40]

Well, when the Raptors won the NBA title in '19 there were a lot of angry fans south of our border that felt there shouldn't be a team in Canada, and that the title should never leave the US....

I did not care. They beat a hell of Warriors team.

 

[New User Name]

Source?

He got it from Donny boy.

 

[DaaaaB's]

nobody says being tax free is more important, but having a no tax advantage pushes you over top of other teams who could have slightly better drafting/GMing etc that you wouldn't necessarily be better than otherwise

As a Las Vegas Raiders fan, I just simply can't agree with you here.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Canadian fans do not want the game to grow. They want to continue win Cups in a league with 6 teams.

No, Canadians want the game to grow in Canada(and elsewhere) but Bettman clearly doesn't. Keep spewing that nonsense out though Florida Man.

 

[pb1300]

Well, when the Raptors won the NBA title in '19 there were a lot of angry fans south of our border that felt there shouldn't be a team in Canada, and that the title should never leave the US....

My only problem in the NBA is that they are called world champions, when they really arent. I would love more teams in Canada. I could care less if you're north or south of the border. I hate the Knicks and Celtics because Im a Heat fan. If Toronto had a history with the Heat, Id hate them too, not because they are in Canada. People who think like that are just idiots IMO.

 

[snag]

Yes, rinks are popping up every where.

Palm Beach Gardens approves $40 million ice rink backed by NHL legend Wayne Gretzky

Palm Beach Gardens City Council unanimously gave the greenlight to bring a $40 million ice rink complex backed by NHL legend Wayne Gretzky.

www.palmbeachpost.com

Canadian fans do not want the game to grow. They want to continue win Cups in a league with 6 teams.

Bingo. I am a huge Dolphins fan, but I am not dropping 700 bucks on tickets and parking to go see them when they are 2-6 in October in Florida. Which is one of the most beautiful times to be here.
I can do a billion other things. That doesn't make me less of fan.
I love the Marlins but I will not spend a dime on them until the owner commits to winning baseball.

Accessibility is the biggest difference here. I assume things are the same there as they are here in that who gets to use the rink is heavily linked to family income levels. I learned to skate for free outside. I got to play (shinny) for free....parents never had money so that is all I got. It was as obtainable to us as it is for a kid to go to the park and shoot hoops. That level of access is what creates the true disparity in fan bases and we will never get around that.

Canadians need to realize there are other places that can be passionate about hockey just like you will need to come to terms that you will never be on par with Canada. Not a slam, just geography.

And not true at all about 6 teams. If it was only 6 teams I......*shudder* would be expected to be a Leafs fan?! f*** that

How about we embrace the passion for the sport we love and not trash each other. There is enough of that shit in the world.

 

[pb1300]

Some times Americans are arrogant, just like Canadians can be.
I remember when the Blue Jays won 2 world series in a row, the crap spewed by some in the states.

LMAO Why??? That is so dumb. Its ignorance, not arrogance.

 

[End on a Hinote]

My only problem in the NBA is that they are called world champions, when they really arent. I would love more teams in Canada. I could care less if you're north or south of the border. I hate the Knicks and Celtics because Im a Heat fan. If Toronto had a history with the Heat, Id hate them too, not because they are in Canada. People who think like that are just idiots IMO.

I get what youre saying, but technically the term "world champions" makes sense because it's the #1 league in the world where all the best players go.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

No, Canadians want the game to grow in Canada(and elsewhere) but Bettman clearly doesn't. Keep spewing that nonsense out though Florida Man.

Winning a cup in Canada won't grow the game.

Do you think if the habs win the cup more kids in Quebec will magically afford to play hockey?

Winning the cup and bringing hockey to small markets grows the game more , bigger athlete pool to pick from who might have never considered hockey since they weren't exposed to it.

Does AM34 exist if Arizona doesn't have a team?

 

[Bombshell11]

I take the non covid champs all day every day.

they touched the conference finals trophy

 

[Bombshell11]

Yes, rinks are popping up every where.

Palm Beach Gardens approves $40 million ice rink backed by NHL legend Wayne Gretzky

Palm Beach Gardens City Council unanimously gave the greenlight to bring a $40 million ice rink complex backed by NHL legend Wayne Gretzky.

www.palmbeachpost.com

Canadian fans do not want the game to grow. They want to continue win Cups in a league with 6 teams.

Do you know we were giving Florida 17 millions per year because they were losing money?

 

[pb1300]

I get what youre saying, but technically the term "world champions" makes sense because it's the #1 league in the world where all the best players go.

They need to have a best of 3 or something with the Euroleague champion against the NBA champion.

 

[Panteras]

I get what youre saying, but technically the term "world champions" makes sense because it's the #1 league in the world where all the best players go.

Yeah I guess, when you're the NFL and call yourself "world champion" it makes sense as literally nobody else plays it lol
But basketball is different. Plenty of countries playing high level.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Winning a cup in Canada won't grow the game.

Do you think if the habs win the cup more kids in Quebec will magically afford to play hockey?

It's not about being able to afford it. There's a lot of kids who are choosing to play other sports now so yes the Habs winning a cup would increase the popularity of hockey. It's also laughable that places like Quebec City and Southern Ontario don't get another team but places like Utah, Nashville and Carolina do. Florida of all places has two teams but Southern Ontario has one. A complete joke.

 

[DaaaaB's]

They need to have a best of 3 or something with the Euroleague champion against the NBA champion.

Yeah, that'd be real competitive lol.

 

[New User Name]

It's not about being able to afford it. There's a lot of kids who are choosing to play other sports now so yes the Habs winning a cup would increase the popularity of hockey. It's also laughable that places like Quebec City and Southern Ontario don't get another team but places like Utah, Nashville and Carolina do. Florida of all places has two teams but Southern Ontario has one. A complete joke.

Having a team in Quebec City would increase youth participation.
Though, I can't blame Gary for that. Who in Quebec has the money now to own a team?

 

[End on a Hinote]

Winning a cup in Canada won't grow the game.

Do you think if the habs win the cup more kids in Quebec will magically afford to play hockey?

Winning the cup and bringing hockey to small markets grows the game more , bigger athlete pool to pick from who might have never considered hockey since they weren't exposed to it.

Does AM34 exist if Arizona doesn't have a team?

A Canadian team winning the Cup won't hurt the game, either. Popularity in hockey was skyrocketing in the US when Gretzky joined the Kings and Canadian teams were still winning Cups during that time (including an all-Canadian final in his first year in LA).

Arizona never won a cup, or even a conference title and we still got Matthews.

Exposure grows that game, not success from traditional markets and its BS that some people think Canadian teams need to fail for the sake of the game. It's not true, and I don't think we should care that little Tommy in Biloxi, Mississippi is now turned off from a sport entirely because a foreign team won a championship. I know many people here who follow the NFL and European soccer leagues where their country doesn't even have a dog in the fight.

 

[pb1300]

Yeah, that'd be real competitive lol.

Dont sleep on the euro teams, and those environments. Not saying they'd win, but it would competitive.

 

[New User Name]

LMAO Why??? That is so dumb. Its ignorance, not arrogance.

you got me there. It's actually both.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

A Canadian team winning the Cup won't hurt the game, either. Popularity in hockey was skyrocketing in the US when Gretzky joined the Kings and Canadian teams were still winning Cups during that time (including an all-Canadian final during that time).

Arizona never won a cup, or even a conference title and we still got Matthews.

Exposure grows that game, not success from traditional markets and its BS that some people think Canadian teams need to fail for the sake of the game. It's not true, and I don't think we should care that little Tommy in Biloxi, Mississippi is now turned off from a sport entirely because a foreign team won a championship. O know many people here who follow the NFL and European soccer leagues where their country doesn't even have a dog in the fight.

I agree with you , it's just Canadian teams have failed because of themselves and management not some Bettman conspiracy lol it ticks me off when people blame Bettman while ignoring that Canadian teams have been ran into the ground for years by their own hands/decisions/GM hires/drafting/ownership

 

[DaaaaB's]

I agree with you , it's just Canadian teams have failed because of themselves and management not some Bettman conspiracy lol it ticks me off when people blame Bettman while ignoring that Canadian teams have been ran into the ground for years by their own hands/decisions/GM hires/drafting/ownership

Sounds like you're afraid of Quebec City getting the Nordiques back. You can call it a conspiracy if you want but it's a fact that Bettman doesn't want more teams in Canada.

 

[PuckG]

What hard times, when?

COVID hit them hard. They were one of states that couldn’t breathe with a mask on.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Dont sleep on the euro teams, and those environments. Not saying they'd win, but it would competitive.

We'll have agree to disagree on this one.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Sounds like you're afraid of Quebec City getting the Nordiques back. You can call it a conspiracy if you want but it's a fact that Bettman doesn't want more teams in Canada.

Why would I be afraid of Bettman bringing QC back? I don't understand what you mean.

Quebec city doesn't have the money or population and corporate funding to do it anyways or it would already be done. Don't blame Bettman that business is bad in Canada

 

[JKG33]

My only problem in the NBA is that they are called world champions, when they really arent. I would love more teams in Canada. I could care less if you're north or south of the border. I hate the Knicks and Celtics because Im a Heat fan. If Toronto had a history with the Heat, Id hate them too, not because they are in Canada. People who think like that are just idiots IMO.

I'll ignore my hatred of the shitbag NBA for a minute here. How many teams would the NBA need before another market in Canada should be legitimately considered? I could see Vancouver being maybe 32-36. But after that? It'd have to be 40+ teams before Montreal or Calgary are considered.

The reason there are 7 canadian teams in the NHL is because its hockey. Outside of that, Canada just doesnt have much for major league cities besides Toronto.