Jeremy Jacobs Comments On NHL Expansion

[BostonBob]

from tsn.ca:

The National Hockey League may have two formal expansion applications to consider, but the chairman of the league's Board of Governors is not sure the league has a strong "will" for expansion.

Speaking on Thursday to ESPN, Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs made comments after hearing expansion presentations this week from potential ownership groups representing Quebec City and Las Vegas.

"There's a lot of content there. There's a lot of capability there, but I don't know if there's a desire or will within the board of the existing franchises for expansion yet," Jacobs said. "They both made pretty interesting proposals. Both have very legitimate arenas in place and organizations in place. There's a capacity out there, but I don't know if there's a will from a league standpoint."

Jacobs said that he's comfortable with the NHL's current 30-team structure at this point in time.

"I think it's more important -- what is the best thing for the league as a whole, and what's the best thing for Boston," he said. "Right now, the 30 teams are pretty good for all of us; talking where we stand today, I feel good about where we are."


Full story here: http://www.tsn.ca/jacobs-not-sure-if-nhl-has-will-to-expand-1.370223

Click to read more...

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Good.

 

[What The Puck]

Good.

Are you sure? I interpreted the comments as trying to drive up the price by pressing all the right buttons. Vegas, you're almost there! Quebec, we don't think you can do it! Seattle, you should have applied (an indirect pressure point for the other two cities, as if telling your current prom date option that you had your eye on a special someone). There is no way that a guy who stands to profit millions of dollars from expansion is making statements for the hell of it.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

Are you sure? I interpreted the comments as trying to drive up the price by pressing all the right buttons. Vegas, you're almost there! Quebec, we don't think you can do it! Seattle, you should have applied (an indirect pressure point for the other two cities, as if telling your current prom date option that you had your eye on a special someone). There is no way that a guy who stands to profit millions of dollars from expansion is making statements for the hell of it.

"What I read compared to my agenda driven paranoia"

 

[Fenway]

Here is the ESPN story - it happened at Bruins media day

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/...-i-dont-know-if-theres-a-desire-for-expansion

While Jacobs admitted Quebec has the history and a beautiful new arena with a strong fan base, he believes Las Vegas would be more viable.

"Take a look at what’s gone up in Nevada -- it’s scary. I mean, it really is. It’s a heck of an arena built there, and there’s a strong interest there," Jacobs said. "Balance the fact, Quebec has a great hockey interest, [but] it’s an extraordinarily small market."

When a comment was made that the league wouldn’t want to expand into Quebec because the franchise could then possibly fail, Jacobs said: "No, we don’t want to do it again."

Jacobs admitted he was a bit surprised that only Quebec and Las Vegas applied for expansion. Applicants had to pay $10 million up front, and would surrender $2 million if not selected. Jacobs said the thinking behind the process was to weed out those groups that thought it would be a low-cost entry.

"Take a look and see who applied. We had no applications from Toronto -- interesting," Jacobs said. "We had no applications from Toronto, so that says a lot. We had two legitimate ones, Quebec and Nevada -- it speaks volumes. I’d love to see us in the West to be up in Seattle. Seattle’s a natural, and I would love to see one in Houston, but we can’t get into that building. There are conditions and circumstances in each one of these that we have to take into consideration."

 

[Therick67]

"What I read compared to my agenda driven paranoia"

No, I believe everything JJ says at face value. He'd never put anything out in the media to drive his own agenda.

Expansion is coming, like it or not.

 

[Gordoff]

No, I believe everything JJ says at face value. He'd never put anything out in the media to drive his own agenda.

Expansion is coming, like it or not.

No, "never."

 

[ap3lovr]

He's basically saying the BOG wanted a team in Toronto and Seattle. Neither place applied. So the "expansion process" was invalid from the start.

 

[Gordoff]

He's basically saying the BOG wanted a team in Toronto and Seattle. Neither place applied. So the "expansion process" was invalid from the start.

Really? There's a lot of reading between the lines here. You could be right, time will tell. Bottom line is what's "best for the league (owners)" pocketbooks. Toronto = Hamilton?

 

[Banded Peak]

Well considering the QC metro area is larger than either Hamilton or Winnipeg and considering they'd pack the building and buy tones of merch even if the team was a dumpster fire and owned by a media conglomerate I'm really not sure what he's worried about. Even at 70 cents on the greenback I can almost guarantee the Nords would make more money than a team in Vegas. Not to mention not playing to a building full of the visiting teams' fans.

For what it's worth Bettman is quite pleased with how the Jets are doing and if the Quebec team is anything like that that'd be a win for the league.

I think Vegas is a terrible idea and doomed to fail.

 

[jgatie]

I think Vegas is a terrible idea and doomed to fail.

Hey, the last time the NHL decided to put a hockey team in the middle of a desert worked out just great!

 

[BostonBob]

Expansion is coming, like it or not.

I still think relocation of a couple of teams should be more of a priority.

 

[bb74]

Stupid comment for the BoG of the NHL given the circumstances and fees for expansion teams. Comes across as an ass given the circumstances if you ask me .... which you didn't but anyway...

 

[compan]

Here is the ESPN story - it happened at Bruins media day

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/...-i-dont-know-if-theres-a-desire-for-expansion

My one hope after I moved away from home and ended up in Seattle is that Seattle would get a team and I could watch my B's again. Nice to see Jacobs in support of one here. Now if only the people here in Seattle can get it together...

 

[Frenchy]

Not sure that JJ's comment is the reflections of what all 30 owners think ( aside from Molson ) about the situation . 2 teams at 500M each divided by 30 is what 33 millions per team and JJ would say no to 33 millions falling from the shy ?? I dont by that .

 

[KrejciMVP]

Whatever Jacobs. Can't deny people who want hockey forever