Bettman meeting with Ryan Smith, owner of Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake (upd: Smith asks NHL to open expansion process)

[AtlantaWhaler]

Being that you actually are from CT (or lived there at least), you can tell me if I'm way off on this...

I always kind of looked at Hartford and Hamilton as similar in so much as the nostalgia doesn't match the ideal location. Bridgeport or Waterloo would be a little further away from Boston or GTA/Buffalo to balance audience capabilty and territorial grumblings. But it's not what the population is clamouring for.

They are definitely hockey-crazy markets that are similar in size and super close to much bigger franchises/cities. I know that the Whalers nostalgia is huge as tons of minor teams are still called the Whalers or Whale and even their Minor League baseball team, the Yard Goats, uses Whaler colors.

The problem is stagnant population growth, not much of a corporate presence, and not much happening in the downtown area of Hartford. Along with small population already in place.

 

[Legion34]

Seravalli said a week ago he “thought” there was a deadline.

Meaning he guessed without even trying to confirm. That’s pure laziness on his part as a so-called “journalist” and now he has to double down on it because he’s can’t look like an idiot and even if he comes out wrong he can sluff it off.

Just FYI Friedman on 32 thoughts again confirmed franks “lazy journalism”. He was told that the coyotes were given an end of January “or else” ultimatum. He said he asked and it wasn’t disputed.

So that’s 2 lazy journalists who don’t meet your standards. Is he wrong too?

 

[Shwan]

This is exactly what I was thinking too. If SLC is ready with an existing arena this makes too much sense. Gets the players playing in an NHL arena and byes Arizona some time. The Coyotes can comeback in a few years with a brand new team in a brand new arena and I think they'd do well if they do it right the first time.


The NHL can even do what the NFL did with Cleveland, consider the franchise dormant for a couple seasons letting them retain their history and all that stuff.

The problem with this lies in thinking Alex Meruelo cares about the Coyotes as more than a means for him to get a subsidized multi-billion dollar entertainment/office/apartment district.

The overwhelming evidence shows this to not be the case. So if the Coyotes are sold and leave, there would be no one here to own the Coyotes 2.0 for awhile.

 

[JKG33]

The problem with this lies in thinking Alex Meruelo cares about the Coyotes as more than a means for him to get a subsidized multi-billion dollar entertainment/office/apartment district.

The overwhelming evidence shows this to not be the case. So if the Coyotes are sold and leave, there would be no one here to own the Coyotes 2.0 for awhile.

Admittedly I don't know a tonne about the Coyotes owner situation these days, but if Meruelo cares most about the arena, could the NHL not just sign a deal with him that the Coyotes will return as an expansion team in X year? If that's all set in stone then there's contractually a tennant ready for the new arena

 

[Shwan]

Admittedly I don't know a tonne about the Coyotes owner situation these days, but if Meruelo cares most about the arena, could the NHL not just sign a deal with him that the Coyotes will return as an expansion team in X year? If that's all set in stone then there's contractually a tennant ready for the new arena

You have to ask why would he care?

He lost his chance in Tempe of getting a highly subsidized deal and that's why we're at the phase here of him spinning his wheels trying to find something that helps him.

Make no mistake if Meruelo just cared about getting a decent arena at a decent place for his hockey team he could of gotten that done yesterday. Look at the Anaheim Ducks, they sat right off the freeway doing their thing for decades and no one was worrying about them leaving, and now they're getting a Multi-billion dollar entertainment district built around Ponda with government help. If Meruelo was patient he could probably do the same thing, but he's not.

The economy is also huge factor here, the situation has fundamentally changed in Phoenix (and everywhere else for that matter) between when he was trying to get the arena built in 2020-2022 and now. That's not going to change in a few years barring a significant crash. Meruelo would very likely take the few hundred million he would stand to gain on selling the team and cut bait and focus on his other holdings if given the opportunity right now.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

You know what - I used to live in Saskatoon. Hell - I actually lived in Flin Flon for 6 months back in the 90s (HBM&S, now HudBay, is a big employer). It's a seriously underrated town, and one that is perhaps the most hockey-mad town I've ever lived in (go Flin Flon Bombers!).

The NHL has only one thing they care about. Money.

If you walked up to the NHL with one billion dollars and wanted an expansion franchise in Saskatoon, or Flin Flon - I think they'd make it happen. You'd be stupid to buy an NHL franchise in either city, but if you wanted to pay the expansion fee, I'm pretty sure the NHL would find a way to take your money.

(as an 80s kid living in Saskatoon, I still remember the excitement of "Saskatoon has got the Blues!" even tough it was always a crazy Bill Hunter fever dream.)

It was almost a reality the only thing that held it up was...no direct flights to Saskatoon from major US cities...can you imagine busing to Saskatoon from Calgary,Edmonton...

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Very impressed to learn that former NHLer Ryan Smyth has done so well in his post-hockey life.

No this Ryan Smith is Mormon and from Utah the other a former NHLer and from Banff,Alberta,Canada...just saying but it is funny nonetheless!!!

Yeah just like when Craig said Fiesta Mall was a viable option for the Coyotes when everyone knew it wasn't then a month later said it wasn't and that a County Island was a viable option when everyone knew it wasn't.

Now we're on land auctions being a viable option when......well you get the drift.

View attachment 810683
View attachment 810684

what a surprise

 

[MNNumbers]

Just FYI Friedman on 32 thoughts again confirmed franks “lazy journalism”. He was told that the coyotes were given an end of January “or else” ultimatum. He said he asked and it wasn’t disputed.

So that’s 2 lazy journalists who don’t meet your standards. Is he wrong too?

I'm not disputing the accuracy of this from Friedman. But, can you post a link to where he said this recently? I would like to listen to it for myself. Thank you so much.

 

[Legion34]

I'm not disputing the accuracy of this from Friedman. But, can you post a link to where he said this recently? I would like to listen to it for myself. Thank you so much.

His podcast. 32 thoughts. It’s on Spotify. Came out yesterday

 

[GindyDraws]

Bulldogs get serious that was what a million years ago

Okay, but guess who else lost NHL teams? Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and the Bay Area.

 

[GreenHornet]

Sure, but the Flames also moved before I was born, so who cares what did or didn’t happen in a market over 40 years ago? The Quebec Bulldogs and the Atlanta Flames are both ancient history in sports terms, the vast majority of posters on this site have no living memory of either of them.

Apologies for anyone born 1975ish and earlier that just got walloped by collateral damage there.

Born in '67, and no offense (or offence for our friends north of the 49th) taken. I have constant reminders of how much older I grow with each passing day.

 

[GreenHornet]

Being that you actually are from CT (or lived there at least), you can tell me if I'm way off on this...

I always kind of looked at Hartford and Hamilton as similar in so much as the nostalgia doesn't match the ideal location. Bridgeport or Waterloo would be a little further away from Boston or GTA/Buffalo to balance audience capabilty and territorial grumblings. But it's not what the population is clamouring for.

I'm sure @AtlantaWhaler has a much better perspective on this than I would, so I'll defer to him on this. However, it seems to me that Bridgeport would be creeping dangerously close to the New York territory and three different teams in the general vicinity there, wouldn't it?

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

I'm sure @AtlantaWhaler has a much better perspective on this than I would, so I'll defer to him on this. However, it seems to me that Bridgeport would be creeping dangerously close to the New York territory and three different teams in the general vicinity there, wouldn't it?

Yeah...New Haven and Bridgeport are super close. It would be like adding another baseball team in Turner Field (opposite Braves at Truist). New Haven and Bridgeport are about an hour from NYC. Hartford is about 2-2.5 from each NYC and Boston.

 

[Rob]

Yeah, tough to separate nostalgia from reality sometimes. I (obviously) grew up going to a ton of Whaler games and I still have a bunch of Whaler gear. Would I love to see a return to Hartford? Of course. Reality though...I don't think a team in Hartford would last a decade before attendance and revenue issues.

I think Carolina wear the old Whalers uniforms on occasions.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

I think Carolina wear the old Whalers uniforms on occasions.

Yeah, they do. Not sure if I'm a fan of that.

Totally curious...would you like it if the Avs wore the Nordiques gear a couple times a season?

 

[Rob]

Yeah, they do. Not sure if I'm a fan of that.

Totally curious...would you like it if the Avs wore the Nordiques gear a couple times a season?

I'm not an Avalanche fan but I would like to see it.

 

[dj4aces]

I'm not disputing the accuracy of this from Friedman. But, can you post a link to where he said this recently? I would like to listen to it for myself. Thank you so much.

His podcast. 32 thoughts. It’s on Spotify. Came out yesterday

It's also on Youtube, if you prefer. The quote is lumped into the SLC discussion, which starts at 59:47 and runs for approximately five minutes.

These episodes usually appear a few hours after they're available on Spotify, and even the Sportsnet website... but since I personally use Youtube for most of the other podcasts I consume, it's easier for me to listen there than anywhere else.

 

[Headshot77]

blah blah blah

This is the highest quality post I've ever seen on HF

 

[BKIslandersFan]

More teams have failed in Canada than southern/sunbelt markets.

Also kinda seem relevant QC left for Colorado, and not a sun belt market.

 

[Salsero1]

Also kinda seem relevant QC left for Colorado, and not a sun belt market.

And that was Denver's 2nd attempt at the NHL. I guess all is forgiven if it snows there.

 

[GindyDraws]

I think Carolina wear the old Whalers uniforms on occasions.

We have Whalers Night. Play Brass Bonanza, have Pucky the Whale walk around... I mean, for some it's blasphemy, but for a guy who was a Whalers fan first, sure beats what Karmanos did with the history.

And that was Denver's 2nd attempt at the NHL. I guess all is forgiven if it snows there.

But apparently, moving to the freaking Turnpike is somehow okay. /sarcasm

 

[nhlfan79]

Made the cut by 2 years! Phew!

I ended up two years on the wrong side of that line!

 

[dj4aces]

I ended up two years on the wrong side of that line!

As an aside... it's feels like it was yesterday when I made this account. It's crazy to think of how long some of us have been here, whether we've spent a lot of that time lurking or not.

 

[Rob]

We have Whalers Night. Play Brass Bonanza, have Pucky the Whale walk around... I mean, for some it's blasphemy, but for a guy who was a Whalers fan first, sure beats what Karmanos did with the history.

I like it. It is part of the history.

I think the New Jersey Devils should have Kansas City Scouts night!

 

[dj4aces]

I like it. It is part of the history.

I think the New Jersey Devils should have Kansas City Scouts night!

They'd also have to have Colorado Rockies Night.

Can you imagine the Stars? Golden Seals Night, Barons Night, *and* North Stars Night.