Around the League - 2024-2025

Peasy

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May 25, 2012
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KW area is one of the fastest growing places in Canada. Its much more than just a "university" town/city. A lot of big tech companies have set up there. The universities and even conestoga are all down the street from each other. All the student housing are situated in and around that area. Dont think it would be much different than another team in the GTA (in terms of how they would do).
 
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rumman

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Sep 10, 2008
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I don't think they care about MLSE.
MLSE will suck it up and keep giving money for nothing.
NHL will take the $1B and move on.
We only wish they were as important as Vegas.
Bettman should do what’s good for the league, not what’s good for the Leafs……
 
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weems

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Jul 3, 2008
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I think it would be pretty cool to have a 2nd team in the Markham area.
You'd get tons of hockey fans from Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, heck even Keswick/Sutton that would make the trip and potentially become fans.
 

Gallagbi

Formerly Eazy_B97
Jul 5, 2005
49,364
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KW area is one of the fastest growing places in Canada. Its much more than just a "university" town/city. A lot of big tech companies have set up there. The universities and even conestoga are all down the street from each other. All the student housing are situated in and around that area. Dont think it would be much different than another team in the GTA (in terms of how they would do).
Is it still growing on the tech front and with companies in general? Its been a while since I checked in around there, but I thought Google and some others had scaled back in KW.

I hope so, I always loved the town...minus he abundance of roundabouts on my way in.
 

francis246

Registered User
Nov 16, 2007
14,206
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I think it would be pretty cool to have a 2nd team in the Markham area.
You'd get tons of hockey fans from Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, heck even Keswick/Sutton that would make the trip and potentially become fans.

GTA expansion in either the North or East is the only thing that makes sense. If it was to come back. Would be easy to get to those potential arenas. Not sure why’d we want another team in the west where it would be hard to get to
 
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ULF_55

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Feb 27, 2002
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London Kitcher/Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph definitely have enough if a fanbase to support a NHL team, the real question is could ghese fans make the commute from the GTA in time for puck drop?

Well, it has been a couple decades, but I always found the worst snow was in the Woodstock area. From London once through Woodstock usually clear sailing. From GTA, Golden Horseshoe ... didn't they upgrade a semi major highway south a few years ago?

Yeah, I think they could get there for puck drop, especially if on the outskirts with no fuss parking.
 
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rumman

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Sep 10, 2008
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Well, it has been a couple decades, but I always found the worst snow was in the Woodstock area. From London once through Woodstock usually clear sailing. From GTA, Golden Horseshoe ... didn't they upgrade a semi major highway south a few years ago?

Yeah, I think they could get there for puck drop, especially if on the outskirts with no fuss parking.
Not so much snow, just the volume of commuters returning home from a hard day’s work in the GTA………
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
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Well, it has been a couple decades, but I always found the worst snow was in the Woodstock area. From London once through Woodstock usually clear sailing. From GTA, Golden Horseshoe ... didn't they upgrade a semi major highway south a few years ago?

Yeah, I think they could get there for puck drop, especially if on the outskirts with no fuss parking.
Yeah that stretch of highway is really bad for snow, been caught through there a few times.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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I doubt Ontario expansion is on the league’s radar. Expanding here doesn’t really grow the game.

Especially when the NHL's slap dash expansion mentality is premised on not being as saturated in US markets... their model is probably something like 32 NFL markets + 7 Canadian oddballs.
 
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Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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They made a dumb gamble thinking they could penny pinch after trading Ullmark, when instead that played exactly into Gross' hands

Hard to imagine an agent in a stronger position

I wouldn't spend too much time dancing on the Bruins grave here. The Bruins blueline looks like it could turn any random Joe into superstar goalies... which is kind of what they did with Ullmark and Swayman a couple of years ago. I'd be pretty confident they could turn Korpisalo into something serviceable and Bussi looks like a well developed goalie prospect too. And just to throw the ultimate hockey horror, I bet they could just grab Matt Murray off waivers and watch him turn in a Hall of Fame performance.
 

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
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I wouldn't spend too much time dancing on the Bruins grave here. The Bruins blueline looks like it could turn any random Joe into superstar goalies... which is kind of what they did with Ullmark and Swayman a couple of years ago. I'd be pretty confident they could turn Korpisalo into something serviceable and Bussi looks like a well developed goalie prospect too. And just to throw the ultimate hockey horror, I bet they could just grab Matt Murray off waivers and watch him turn in a Hall of Fame performance.

That's fair to an extent - though I'm much more skeptical of their ability to automatically turn Korpisalo into an instant superstar. It only takes a few losses in a row for the pressure narrative to change rapidly

Their defensive system in part has looked the way it has by the fact they've had star-level goaltending near consistently since the Tim Thomas days.
 

Stephen

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Feb 28, 2002
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That's fair to an extent - though I'm much more skeptical of their ability to automatically turn Korpisalo into an instant superstar. It only takes a few losses in a row for the pressure narrative to change rapidly

Their defensive system in part has looked the way it has by the fact they've had star-level goaltending near consistently since the Tim Thomas days.

Korpisalo was very strong as a tandem guy in CBJ under Tortorella and behind their good blueline when they had it. And was good for a spell in LA. He’s not bluechip at all but we’ve seen how Ottawa tends to destroy goalies.
 
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Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
41,986
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Korpisalo was very strong as a tandem guy in CBJ under Tortorella and behind their good blueline when they had it. And was good for a spell in LA. He’s not bluechip at all but we’ve seen how Ottawa tends to destroy goalies.

He'll be given a chance, that's for sure. I doubt Swayman signs until deeper into the fall one way or the other.

How the Bruins #2 and 3# goes respond will basically determine his next aav
 
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MCR74

Registered User
Nov 11, 2022
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I wouldn't spend too much time dancing on the Bruins grave here. The Bruins blueline looks like it could turn any random Joe into superstar goalies... which is kind of what they did with Ullmark and Swayman a couple of years ago. I'd be pretty confident they could turn Korpisalo into something serviceable and Bussi looks like a well developed goalie prospect too. And just to throw the ultimate hockey horror, I bet they could just grab Matt Murray off waivers and watch him turn in a Hall of Fame performance.

Ullmark will soon find out that the Sens D is nowhere near the Bruins D.
 

rumman

Registered User
Sep 10, 2008
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I wouldn't spend too much time dancing on the Bruins grave here. The Bruins blueline looks like it could turn any random Joe into superstar goalies... which is kind of what they did with Ullmark and Swayman a couple of years ago. I'd be pretty confident they could turn Korpisalo into something serviceable and Bussi looks like a well developed goalie prospect too. And just to throw the ultimate hockey horror, I bet they could just grab Matt Murray off waivers and watch him turn in a Hall of Fame performance.
the Bruins will get Swayman signed to a deal that's good for the Bruins or he'll sit, Boston ain't Toronto..............
 

Nineteen67

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Dec 12, 2017
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I wouldn't spend too much time dancing on the Bruins grave here. The Bruins blueline looks like it could turn any random Joe into superstar goalies... which is kind of what they did with Ullmark and Swayman a couple of years ago. I'd be pretty confident they could turn Korpisalo into something serviceable and Bussi looks like a well developed goalie prospect too. And just to throw the ultimate hockey horror, I bet they could just grab Matt Murray off waivers and watch him turn in a Hall of Fame performance.
Last year it was the D relying on the goalies.
 
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