NHL Expansion back on agenda?
- Thread starter uhlaw97
- Start date
nhlfan79
Registered User
I just want my Atlanta Whatevers subforum!
TheLegend
"Just say it 3 times..."
Be interesting to see of Fertitta does agree to the expansion price after all his comments years ago.
Tom ServoMST3K
In search of a Steinbach Hero
I only wish ESPN or some official source would report this.
Hopefully, the “billionaire buyer” Fertitta finally gets a team in Houston!
Hopefully, the “billionaire buyer” Fertitta finally gets a team in Houston!
I'd be surprised if it's an actual "process" like it was for LV round.
I think the NHL has targeted Hou and ATL. They want those markets after they have basically exhausted all non NBA markets (got into LV and SEA before NBA did).
Houston, really 2 questions. 1 will Fertitia pay the price the NHL wants which is going to be over $1 billion USD. Second is the arena. Will a big renovation be around the corner as the arena is 21 years old now or will they build a new one. Think it is located in the right place, so a reno should be all that is needed to secure another 25 years.
ATL, as I understand have 2 parties looking at building a new arena. NHL is going to have to pick from one of those.
Fertitta is worth 10 billion. He can afford it. I think he wants a new arena, and Houston and Harris County told him there won't be one without an NHL expansion team.
Yukon Joe
Registered User
Houston - the price isn't going down. If the league is going to go to Houston it's 100% because Fertitia is willing to pay.
Atlanta - while I know there's a second group out there it seems clear (including from the Tweet at the start of the thread) that the league has been talking to Vernon Krause.,
Yukon Joe
Registered User
Will they? Or rather should they?
Maybe you can argue about SLC, but both Houston and Atlanta are massive cities. According to the first hit I found they are the 5th and 6th largest MSAs in the US, and together with Phoenix (at 10th) the only ones without an NHL franchise.
Quebec City is only the 7th largest metro area in Canada, and wouldn't crack the top 50 in the US. (it looks like it would come in the 70s).
That's why I don't think it will be a "process". The NHL should have spoken to Fertittia and the 2 ATL groups. They should have their answers now. This should all go more like the Seattle than it did for LV. All of the work is being or has been done behind the scenes already.
dj4aces
An Intricate Piece of Infinity
Will they be upset at Bettman, or the BoG? Or the myriad of groups out there that *could* provide PKP with additional financial backing (something he has been begging for since 2018), but haven't? Or, how 'bout that CAD hovering at around $0.74 to every $1 USD? If I recall, currency value was cited as a factor during the last attempt made to bring an expansion team to QC.
In this way, fans there *can* be pissed if they want, but it's a poor use of ones time and energy.
dj4aces
An Intricate Piece of Infinity
Krause's funding plan allegedly includes property sales at the mixed-use development that won't be under construction until the league approves.
Carter's funding is reportedly coming from his own businesses, Aaron Zeigler (of Zeigler Automotive Group), and Simon Sports (owners of the Halifax Mooseheads)
Tilman "Billionaire Buyer" Fertitta is in businesses (casinos and restaurants) that are HUGE cash cows. He's the one guy that has the cash for sure. The Toyota Center isn't brand new, but it is NHL ready, by all accounts. We still have the former WHA Aeros and former IHL/AHL Aeros practice rinks, if needed for those purposes. Come one Tilman and Bettman.........MAKE IT SO!!!
Headshot77
We saw him heading straight for the mountains
They can be as furious as they want but QC simply doesn't have the population or economic upside as these major American cities. QC is still a prime relocation destination for an Eastern conference team.
No Fun Shogun
34-38-61-10-13-15
I get it, but any prospective buyer has gone radio silent since the expansion fee of half a billion was announced, and it’s doubled since then.
It just doesn’t seem like any rich folks think that’s a good investment in QC.
Takuto Maruki
Ideal and the real
Considering Quebecor and Peladeau especially used the potential of a team in QC as a political chess piece, it says a lot that they shut up once VGK's expansion price was revealed, and nothing has been said publicly out of QC since then.
LadyStanley
Registered User
They have NHL caliber arena right?
But where's the owner/ownership group? Does not have to be local, but should have some local connections.
hockey20000
Registered User
- Dec 23, 2018
- 4,906
- 2,930
atlanta LOL just leave that awful place permantly already oh well quebec city by 2050 if atlanta comes cause we know it wont last AGAIN.
Small town Canada is not the NHL's future. The petulance coming from up there is making me glad they aren't getting another team.
ORRFForever
Registered User
- Oct 29, 2018
- 19,852
- 11,096
Put a team in Quebec City. Right that wrong, once and for all.
It would take Lino Saputo and Alain Bouchard teaming up to offer major slices of their fortunes to buy Videotron off of PKP and make an obscene bid out of sheer patriotism to make Quebec City happen at this stage of the timeline.
The time was 2011 and Winnipeg/Chapman was at the front of the line, Quebec City was not. If the NHL and Glendale (pick whichever side you'd blame or both) had stopped their agreement in 2010 or 2011.......maybe, hard MAYBE, Quebec City happens.
Hey, I got duped too. When they built the Videotron Centre, I naturally assumed the 32nd team would be Q.C. They wouldn't stupidly build that arena without a plan to fund an expansion franchise, right........right? Well, turns out they would. And we're now three years away from VC being as old as Philips/SFA was when the Thrashers left.
Re: the teams that will actually "bid," I agree with the general sentiment that this isn't a bid. They want Houston and Atlanta, circumstances are lining up that they'll have owners, so that's why they're going to open up now. I still have a mild amount of skepticism about both (skepticism not about the markets "working" or anything like that, just ownership logistics). But is there anywhere else anyone here can think of that opening up a process would be catered to?
The time was 2011 and Winnipeg/Chapman was at the front of the line, Quebec City was not. If the NHL and Glendale (pick whichever side you'd blame or both) had stopped their agreement in 2010 or 2011.......maybe, hard MAYBE, Quebec City happens.
Hey, I got duped too. When they built the Videotron Centre, I naturally assumed the 32nd team would be Q.C. They wouldn't stupidly build that arena without a plan to fund an expansion franchise, right........right? Well, turns out they would. And we're now three years away from VC being as old as Philips/SFA was when the Thrashers left.
Re: the teams that will actually "bid," I agree with the general sentiment that this isn't a bid. They want Houston and Atlanta, circumstances are lining up that they'll have owners, so that's why they're going to open up now. I still have a mild amount of skepticism about both (skepticism not about the markets "working" or anything like that, just ownership logistics). But is there anywhere else anyone here can think of that opening up a process would be catered to?
