NHL Expansion back on agenda?

[TheLegend]

Here's the thing: The Phoenix Coyotes moved to the suburbs. They wanted a hockey only arena. And now they're gone. Sports in the suburbs is a bad long term goal. Ask the Cleveland Cavaliers.

You need a strong regional brand, or to be a "national team" in your sport i.e. The NY Giants, Cowboys, Dolphins (they play in Miami Gardens), etc.

Otherwise, when starting a new team, give access to the entire region. It will be tough for someone from Decatur or Jonesboro to do the drive to Forsyth 2x a week for game.

Had they made the move to the suburbs of south Scottsdale as originally planned they would have been fine.

BTW…. the arena in Glendale was built with more than just hockey in mind. They had an NBA level basketball court floor. The high school state championships were played there for several years until it became too expensive for the AIA to rent the arena.

 

[GKJ]

Oh absolutely. I still remember the Thrashers going on a win or lose streak, and yet nary a syllable about the team was mentioned on 640 WGST. I remember the one billboard in town was at the Brookwood Interchange., and nowhere else. The NHL in Atlanta was almost one of the best-kept secrets in the city, and that's pretty damn depressing.

If the ownership -- whichever ownership group it might be -- storms out the gate with some solid marketing, it should go some distance toward making the rest of the metro area sit up and take notice. Whether it be Krause or Carter, I believe both of them have that plan firmly in mind. Both of them firmly believe in the NHL in Atlanta (and you'd be a knuckledragging moron to drop over $1bn on a franchise if you didn't).

While I understand where you're coming from, please refer back to: No one wants to go downtown, at all, ever, period.

There's a reason the Braves moved out of that area. I think once Ressler gets tired of trying to make State Farm Arena work, he too will move the Hawks out of downtown.

What works in some cities does not work in all cities.

Atlanta also has a reputation for being absolutely brutal for traffic. Another argument that you gotta bring it to the people.

 

[uhlaw97]

OK, so let's say........best case scenario, Houston gets a franchise.

Should it be called the Aeros or the Apollos? Or something else altogether?

Let me know!

 

[OG6ix]

OK, so let's say........best case scenario, Houston gets a franchise.

Should it be called the Aeros or the Apollos? Or something else altogether?

Let me know!

Do they either name locked up?

 

[uhlaw97]

Apollos was used for a minor league team in Houston in the early 80s.

Aeros was the name of both the WHA team in the 1970s with Gordie Howe, and the IHL/AHL team in Houston. Not sure if the Wild still have the rights to that name.

 

[dj4aces]

OK, so let's say........best case scenario, Houston gets a franchise.

Should it be called the Aeros or the Apollos? Or something else altogether?

Let me know!

It depends on whether the owner of a Houston NHL team can secure the rights to the Aeros. According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, the current owner is the "Minnesota Hockey Ventures Group".

It's entirely possible that trademark can simply be given to Houston, should the organization choose to go that route. Else, they could probably go with the Houston Apollos.

 

[GreenHornet]

Apollos was used for a minor league team in Houston in the early 80s.

Aeros was the name of both the WHA team in the 1970s with Gordie Howe, and the IHL/AHL team in Houston. Not sure if the Wild still have the rights to that name.

If it's available, Aeros is (to me, anyway) the only choice. I guess Apollos would be an appropriate if it's not.

 

[edog37]

Quebec fans are going to be furious

Who cares. They were never going to get a team anyway. QC & Hartford only had NHL teams because of a unique circumstance..the NHL-WHA merger. There’s no way the league would’ve awarded those cities teams in a normal expansion.

 

[edog37]

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.

Disagree on that. They can be used as a stalking horse, but any team moving to QC is a major setback for the league.

 

[uhlaw97]

As for having venues downtown or elsewhere, in Houston, only the Major League Rugby franchise plays in the burbs.

The MLB, NBA, and MLS venues are all downtown. The NFL stadium isn’t downtown, but is squarely within the city limits. Any NHL team would likewise play downtown in the Toyota Center, which has a capacity just under 18K for hockey. If it is good enough for the NBA, then it surely is good enough for the NHL.

I went to college in Cleveland, OH, and remember when the Cavs played way out in the Burbs.

They were an afterthought as a result.

Moving downtown was better for them.

I definitely don’t recommend the burbs for major sports venues, even though I live in the burbs. Centralized locations are best.

If Houston gets a franchise, then minor league locations will also need to be chosen.

I recommend an AHL team in Katy at the Merrill Center, and an ECHL team in Beaumont, TX at Ford Arena.

 

[joelef]

As for having venues downtown or elsewhere, in Houston, only the Major League Rugby franchise plays in the burbs.

The MLB, NBA, and MLS venues are all downtown. The NFL stadium isn’t downtown, but is squarely within the city limits. Any NHL team would likewise play downtown in the Toyota Center, which has a capacity just under 18K for hockey. If it is good enough for the NBA, then it surely is good enough for the NHL.

I went to college in Cleveland, OH, and remember when the Cavs played way out in the Burbs.

They were an afterthought as a result.

Moving downtown was better for them.

I definitely don’t recommend the burbs for major sports venues, even though I live in the burbs. Centralized locations are best.

If Houston gets a franchise, then minor league locations will also need to be chosen.

I recommend an AHL team in Katy at the Merrill Center, and an ECHL team in Beaumont, TX at Ford Arena.

The only teams that can really survive the burbs is the nfl

 

[Anisimovs AK]

The only teams that can really survive the burbs is the nfl

True, though moving the Atlanta Braves to the burbs seems to have worked pretty well too

 

[joelef]

True, though moving the Atlanta Braves to the burbs seems to have worked pretty well too

They basically had to build a Mini city to do it.

 

[dj4aces]

The only teams that can really survive the burbs is the nfl

True, though moving the Atlanta Braves to the burbs seems to have worked pretty well too

It's all about knowing the area, who the fans are and where they live. It's about knowing driving conditions and where people want to go as opposed to where someone thinks people should want to go.

In the Atlanta Metro area? Downtown is void of anything that would otherwise draw locals to the area, driving sucks, mass transit is a joke, and the majority of the population in metro Atlanta lives outside the city, not within it. Atlanta's population is only roughly 500k, and it's been that way for a number of decades now, with its low point in recent years being the 1990 census, when it was only ~390k while population was skyrocketing in the areas around the city.

While in other markets, the NFL might be their only team that could survive in the suburbs, the exact opposite is true in Atlanta.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

It's all about knowing the area, who the fans are and where they live. It's about knowing driving conditions and where people want to go as opposed to where someone thinks people should want to go.

In the Atlanta Metro area? Downtown is void of anything that would otherwise draw locals to the area, driving sucks, mass transit is a joke, and the majority of the population in metro Atlanta lives outside the city, not within it. Atlanta's population is only roughly 500k, and it's been that way for a number of decades now, with its low point in recent years being the 1990 census, when it was only ~390k while population was skyrocketing in the areas around the city.

While in other markets, the NFL might be their only team that could survive in the suburbs, the exact opposite is true in Atlanta.

My older brother went to college at Morehouse, I am well aware of the traffic issues lol

 

[StreetHawk]

Expansion is going to happen. I just hope that the nhl also considers everything about the situation, and that the team will continue to operate well financially with different owners down the line. That if sold, with or without the arena, that they are financially viable.

NHL had not expected to expand right away after Ott/TB but when Disney and Blockbuster asked in the nhl granted them teams. Eventually both were gone from the nhl. Disney was out in 2005 after a dozen years of operation. Wayne H was out of Fla in 2001 after 8 years.

 

[These Are The Days]

If QC has an owner willing to pony up a cool billion, send it. The league being at 36 is fine. People need to stop overreacting so damn much. It's either people mad as hell Canada hasn't won a Cup since the mighty Tyrannosaurus roamed the plains of Manitoba. Or Canada not having more teams. Or their own team sucks and expansion makes it harder.

The NHL is the only league of the big 4 that services 7 franchises to an area that has a smaller population than California and getting mad as shit about too many teams and ignoring the other 330 million people in the USA and all the money they bring is stupid.

You want less teams? The NHL would probably start with the Flames, Oilers, Jets and probably Ottawa and you'll get down to 28 in a hurry.

 

[WeaponOfChoice]

Bring it to the all new FOC-U Centre!

 

[JMCx4]

OK, so let's say........best case scenario, Houston gets a franchise.

Should it be called the Aeros or the Apollos? Or something else altogether?

Let me know!

Houston HC

 

[takimaki]

If Houston gets a franchise, then minor league locations will also need to be chosen.

I recommend an AHL team in Katy at the Merrill Center, and an ECHL team in Beaumont, TX at Ford Arena.

I know you're excited about this (I also think Houston is 1st in line for a team), but don't you think an AHL team in San Antonio makes more sense? They already proved they can support one for almost 20 years until Vegas bought and moved the Rampage a few years back.

Put an ECHL club in Katy.

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

How, exactly, would that work? If you're talking about having enough teams to make relegation a thing, it will never happen in any North American sports league.

So we're just going to have 50 teams sports leagues?

 

[dj4aces]

So we're just going to have 50 teams sports leagues?

I mean... I guess, if you insist. I'm simply pointing out that relegation isn't going to work. Fans won't accept it, and owners would never approve of it anyway. So if that's your only idea, then I suppose we'll have exactly that.

 

[ponder719]

I know you're excited about this (I also think Houston is 1st in line for a team), but don't you think an AHL team in San Antonio makes more sense? They already proved they can support one for almost 20 years until Vegas bought and moved the Rampage a few years back.

Put an ECHL club in Katy.

On top of that, a few months back, there was a guy making noises about trying to build up New Orleans for hockey, and that's not super far away, either. That's another potential contender for either an AHL or ECHL affiliate to land.

 

[GreenHornet]

On top of that, a few months back, there was a guy making noises about trying to build up New Orleans for hockey, and that's not super far away, either. That's another potential contender for either an AHL or ECHL affiliate to land.

NOLA ain't exactly next door to Houston. It's about 350 miles or so (roughly 5-6 hours depending on traffic). San Antonio (and especially Katy) would be closer, if that is, indeed, a consideration.

 

[ponder719]

NOLA ain't exactly next door to Houston. It's about 350 miles or so (roughly 5-6 hours depending on traffic). San Antonio (and especially Katy) would be closer, if that is, indeed, a consideration.

Fair enough. I always think of them as closer than that, because I have family in New Orleans who tend to decamp to Houston or thereabouts whenever a hurricane bears down on the city. It's certainly not as convenient as, say, the Marlies, or what the Flyers and Phantoms used to have, but it's no Syracuse-to-Tampa, either.