Non-Minnesota NHL News XII

[Caior89]

Looks like team USA and Canada are following the same theme... That's a shame.

Team Russia's jerseys are the best yet, IMO.

Russia "white jersey" looks awesome, but, if they play canada for example, it will confuse a lot!

 

[Minnesota]

I like both jerseys for different reasons.

The fake laces and shoulder accents are barely noticeable, which I like.

 

[forthewild]

wow the only thing uglier then the USA jersey is the Canadian Jersey. I don't get why we can't stick with one design that works and is good.

 

[Gaps]

Looks like everyone's going to have those dumb fake laces. Not looking forward to seeing how they've ruined Finland's jersey. Russia's got the best-looking one out of the ones already out in the open.

 

[StealthClobber]

I know the olympics this year are in Russia and all, but was it really necessary to make everyone else's jerseys suck horribly in comparison? I mean that Canada jersey is honestly worse than ours!

 

[Lapa]

I think the white Russia jersey is terrible. Home one is OK, but nothing special.

 

[StealthClobber]

What I love most about the Sabres jersey, is that we didn't even know a release date for the Wild jersey when they started teasing the Sabres jersey, and they STILL released the Wild jersey first.

 

[Avder]

Wow, Nike went and ****ed up Canada's Olympic jersey too?

Well misery loves company. I smell a gold medal battle of ugly-assed jerseys coming up.

 

[W75]

Wow. Now Canada. What are they thinking.. Why they just have to ruin everything that was good? Those fake laces look so stupid! How on earth anybody ever thought anything like that in the first place? And why?

What is going on? Looks like Wild's aways are the only good ones this year? It can't be that difficult.. Can it?

 

[Lapa]

So, Gilbert may go to Switzerland.

I'd be really surprised. He's definitely a decent NHL dman.

 

[Haite]

So, Gilbert may go to Switzerland.

I'd be really surprised. He's definitely a decent NHL dman.

The salary cap is down this year, so it makes sense that more players are inclined to test the European markets. Also, with the impending expansion and all, some might feel like if they want to earn a bit more playing elsewhere, now's their chance to spend a year or two abroad.

 

[Avder]

Impending expansion? All I've heard is a rare rumor here and there.

 

[llamapalooza]

Impending expansion? All I've heard is a rare rumor here and there.

Rumors are swirling about 2014-15.

 

[Avder]

Well theres been Seattle rumblings for years, but the article doesnt say anything about other potential locations. Obviously, if they expand in the east, it will mean either Detroit or Columbus will be coming back to the central, and Seattle would round out the pacific.

 

[Minnesota]

Now that they're finally in the correct time zone, I don't see Detroit or Columbus OK-ing a move back to the West.

 

[llamapalooza]

Well theres been Seattle rumblings for years, but the article doesnt say anything about other potential locations. Obviously, if they expand in the east, it will mean either Detroit or Columbus will be coming back to the central, and Seattle would round out the pacific.

Yeah, the new thing is that there are more reputable sources involved, and more importantly, specific target dates.

If they expand in the east, it's gonna be Québec or bust. They've got the fans, the arena, an absolutely desperate ownership, and a storyline the NHL can market. Toronto area will take a lot longer to sort out for a variety of reasons, and it sounds like they want this thing done now. And yeah, since Detroit will fight to the death to stay in the East, it will be Columbus coming back.

 

[StealthClobber]

Expansion in Houston! *cough*

 

[llamapalooza]

Expansion in Houston! *cough*

Whether or not you think it's a good idea (I don't, but I can see why some do), I think the BoG are kind of spooked from more southern expansion at the moment. For one thing, they're not gonna bring the kind of ludicrous expansion fees that they can get out of somewhere like QC.

 

[Avder]

Whether or not you think it's a good idea (I don't, but I can see why some do), I think the BoG are kind of spooked from more southern expansion at the moment. For one thing, they're not gonna bring the kind of ludicrous expansion fees that they can get out of somewhere like QC.

I'd go for it. Charge an ass load for expansion, and then when/if the team fails, charge another assload in relocation fees to move to Quebec.

 

[MuckOG]

Expansion in Houston! *cough*

IMO, Houston makes more sense then, say, Kansas City or many other US cities. They are the 4th largest city in America and has a long history of supporting hockey. The Aeros didn't move due to a lack of fan support as they were one of the top drawing teams in the AHL.

 

[llamapalooza]

I'd go for it. Charge an ass load for expansion, and then when/if the team fails, charge another assload in relocation fees to move to Quebec.

The thing is, ownership groups in those cities won't pay an assload. IIRC Les Alexander won't let a team he doesn't own play in the Toyota Center, and he isn't really interested in owning an NHL team. The NHL would have to coax him and not the other way around. Meanwhile they could probably pull $350-400M out of Québecor, on a much less risky market, and with a far more marketable storyline.

Keep in mind too that, as big as Houston is, it is far from a slam dunk. It's actually a slightly smaller metro area than Dallas and probably pretty similar demographically. Dallas' current financial state is not what the NHL wants to emulate with expansion right now, what with the lowest ticket price in the league and recent ownership issues and all.

Meanwhile the Jets are the 2nd most expensive ticket and the Habs are the 5th, and those are probably both fairly comparable to QC.

The only real pro I can think of is the TV deal with NBC, but they also won't be signing another one of those for half a decade or more yet. Not to mention a team in QC would substantially jack up the CBC and especially TSN/RDS deals. And they're renegotiating that deal next Summer.

 

[MuckOG]

The thing is, ownership groups in those cities won't pay an assload. IIRC Les Alexander won't let a team he doesn't own play in the Toyota Center, and he isn't really interested in owning an NHL team. The NHL would have to coax him and not the other way around. Meanwhile they could probably pull $350-400M out of Québecor, on a much less risky market, and with a far more marketable storyline.

Keep in mind too that, as big as Houston is, it is far from a slam dunk. It's actually a slightly smaller metro area than Dallas and probably pretty similar demographically. Dallas' current financial state is not what the NHL wants to emulate with expansion right now, what with the lowest ticket price in the league and recent ownership issues and all.

Meanwhile the Jets are the 2nd most expensive ticket and the Habs are the 5th, and those are probably both fairly comparable to QC.

The only real pro I can think of is the TV deal with NBC, but they also won't be signing another one of those for half a decade or more yet. Not to mention a team in QC would substantially jack up the CBC and especially TSN/RDS deals. And they're renegotiating that deal next Summer.

I agree on all counts, the other thing is that I'm not aware of any prospective ownership groups lobbying the NHL to expand there either. Speaking of prospective ownership groups, which potential markets have groups in place right now that ARE lobbying? I keep hearing Portland, but is there a group in place there? Seattle? Kansas City?

 

[Avder]

Ugh if Portland and Seattle both got expansions, we'd have to move another mountain time zone team into the central.

 

[llamapalooza]

Paul Allen (cofounded Microsoft, owns the Trailblazers, Seahawks, and Sounders) has expressed interest in bringing the NHL to Portland, so there's definitely ownership there. The folks who got the arena deal going and were gonna own the Sonics were apparently also interested in the NHL. Not to mention there are plenty of tech billionaires to court. I mean FFS Nintendo owns the Mariners. You can find an owner for a sports team in Seattle, easily.

I think a little cluster of teams in the Pac Northwest could be a lot of fun and possibly make the Canucks a bit more relevant on the national stage.

Also, I'm strongly of the opinion that they'll figure realignment out after the fact, and that it's basically a trivial factor in considering expansion/relocation bids. Far, far less important than ownership/arena/market/etc. Getting up to 32 teams is vaguely important, but making sure they can completely preserve the current order is not.

 

[Avder]

Paul Allen (cofounded Microsoft, owns the Trailblazers, Seahawks, and Sounders) has expressed interest in bringing the NHL to Portland, so there's definitely ownership there. The folks who got the arena deal going and were gonna own the Sonics were apparently also interested in the NHL. Not to mention there are plenty of tech billionaires to court. I mean FFS Nintendo owns the Mariners. You can find an owner for a sports team in Seattle, easily.

I think a little cluster of teams in the Pac Northwest could be a lot of fun and possibly make the Canucks a bit more relevant on the national stage.

Also, I'm strongly of the opinion that they'll figure realignment out after the fact, and that it's basically a trivial factor in considering expansion/relocation bids. Far, far less important than ownership/arena/market/etc. Getting up to 32 teams is vaguely important, but making sure they can completely preserve the current order is not.

Well I am pretty sure you are right about the Canucks. I remember hearing that they would LOVE for an NHL team to come to Seattle so they could have a geographical rivalry.