OHL Expansion

[frontsfan67]

The only reason Peterborough draws more than Brantford is because Brantford's arena is smaller. Last season Brantford was at 104.3% capacity, Peterborough 86.6% . This season Brantford is 103.5% capacity, Peterborough 81%. There's a need for a new arena in Brantford because they are bursting at the seams.

The last place Pete’s are still selling the place out here and there and have very loyal fans to the team. During their championship run didn’t they sell out almost every game in the playoffs or am I dreaming that? Pete’s could use an arena of 4500-4700 and still make it work. Believe capacity is 3700 right now but I could be wrong.

 

[OMG67]

So you knew about the new arena in Branford that’s coming all along?
Peterborough seems to have concerts and shows at that arena every week from what I see and have no issue drawing already.
It will get to the point (probably has already) where the Maintenance cost of operating that building costs more then it’s worth keeping it operational if they do not replace it.
That building is literally falling apart in places right now.
Maybe Peterborough decides next year to build an entertainment district for all we know.
That arena is pasts its life.
They cants really renovate that building there is no real estate to do it where it sits unless they removed all parking.
No one thought Brantford would have a new arena either though I get it.
For having no business in Peterborough awfully strange how the boards and walls are plastered so try sponsorship from local businesses.

No. I didn’t. What I said at the beginning is that for these new arenas, there needs to be a larger development project attached to it. I said that before I even knew about Brantford. I opened the link you sent and saw it was part of a $1.5bil development project. That supports what I said previously about new arenas being a part of a larger development project. It was the same thing in Ottawa with the Lansdowne redevelopment project. They are building a new rink so they can replace the existing one and pop a new mixed commercial/residential development where it currently sits…. Plus new stadium seating replacing the north side stands for the Red Blacks.

That is how most sports complexes of that size are justified. A new arena as a stand alone venue “typically” cannot support itself as a self contained business plan. It is getting really difficult to get those built with significant levels of public funding. As soon as private investment is used, it is almost always part of a redevelopment project where the developer gets the public lands for free with an agreement to build public infrastructure.

 

[ScoutLife4]

The last place Pete’s are still selling the place out here and there and have very loyal fans to the team. During their championship run didn’t they sell out almost every game in the playoffs or am I dreaming that? Pete’s could use an arena of 4500-4700 and still make it work. Believe capacity is 3700 right now but I could be wrong.

Peterborough added seats around the whole rink to add an extra couple hundred and sold them out too it was a pretty great atmosphere.
Peterboroughs draw was limited to the arena size for that playoffs.

 

[Section7fan]

I’ve been to north bay twice and their arena is way better than the PMC.

The PMC smells like a cheap apartment and is crazy outdated- even has box tvs in the concourse. Seats are real small too not a lot of leg room, benches on opposite sides, square corners, old bathrooms etc. HOWEVER there is automatic soap dispensers in the bathrooms.

If they aren’t going to build a new arena at some point they’re definitely due for a big renovation.

Can’t say I’ve ever noticed a smell. The concourse is much better than NB imo. I usually go to watch hockey on the ice, not a tv. The seats are small and the leg room could be better but I find the same issue with the kingston arena but at least there’s usually nobody there so it’s easier to stretch

 

[Petes1987]

There has been rumblings about the City of Peterborough wanting to get out of owning a hockey team and find a private owner.
With that said it was mentioned they have a long list of conditions like building a new arena and keeping the team safe from relocation.
I doubt any owner is going to agree to fund a new arena at a couple hundred million + price tag and spend 15M on a hockey team though.

The City of Peterborough are not the owners of the Peterborough Petes. They are community like the Kitchener Rangers are. The team is run by a board of directors that are the trustees for the team. It is that body which would make the decision to sell the team and I have not heard that they are considering selling unless it is because of problems of getting a new facility built. Any money from the sale of the team would go to minor sports which was the conditions when the Montreal Canadiens gave the community the team.

 

[beastintheeast]

Agree 100% . I have a hard time seeing it work, but if there going to try, I’d say do something abstract or a little less traditional.

It would be a great project for someone who is super rich and wants to own a hockey team, loves junior hockey and like EvenSteven said won’t mind loosing money for multiple years to get it up and ready. I don’t know how many people are out there lol

Toronto will not work and has not worked because
A. it is Junior hockey failed before every time people with money tried to put a team not associated with the leafs.
B. University students can go to Uni games which are cheaper and have their almamater playing.
c. Rent for MLG or varsity would be cost prohibitive and ice time as well as facilities would be an issue.
d. No one lives in Toronto anymore
e. Toronto has too much entertainment and things fighting for the dollars.
Consider billeting and costs to operate.

If the fan base is there and there is an owner interested than Cornwall would be interesting.
Belleville would need the sens to leave and I don't see that happening.

 

[beastintheeast]

I’ve been to north bay twice and their arena is way better than the PMC.

The PMC smells like a cheap apartment and is crazy outdated- even has box tvs in the concourse. Seats are real small too not a lot of leg room, benches on opposite sides, square corners, old bathrooms etc. HOWEVER there is automatic soap dispensers in the bathrooms.

If they aren’t going to build a new arena at some point they’re definitely due for a big renovation.

Consider where it is and the ownership and fan base. They like it the teamhas history and as long as it is functional it is cheaper than building a new arena

 

[ScoutLife4]

The City of Peterborough are not the owners of the Peterborough Petes. They are community like the Kitchener Rangers are. The team is run by a board of directors that are the trustees for the team. It is that body which would make the decision to sell the team and I have not heard that they are considering selling unless it is because of problems of getting a new facility built. Any money from the sale of the team would go to minor sports which was the conditions when the Montreal Canadiens gave the community the team.

I just read about this and realized it's ran as a none profit organization and doesn't have an owner.
It just has a board that operates it.
I always thought the city of peterborough was the owner of the team. (I guess technically it is but not on paper)
This would be such a strange business move if they couldn't afford to run the team and had to sell who would get the money from the sale?
I remember back in 2016 when they had released to the media they would be bankrupt in 4 years without major concessions on their lease agreement.
The board is just volunteers with no ownership stake from what i understand.
Can a not for profit even be sold?
What a strange operation.

 

[OMG67]

I just read about this and realized it's ran as a none profit organization and doesn't have an owner.
It just has a board that operates it.
I always thought the city of peterborough was the owner of the team. (I guess technically it is but not on paper)
This would be such a strange business move if they couldn't afford to run the team and had to sell who would get the money from the sale?
I remember back in 2016 when they had released to the media they would be bankrupt in 4 years without major concessions on their lease agreement.
The board is just volunteers with no ownership stake from what i understand.
Can a not for profit even be sold?
What a strange operation.

Based on what I know of these arrangements, the “ownership” is held in trust with conditions of sale etc. all part of the founding language of the Trust. The trust would hold the team and any funds from the sale of the team (and annual profits) would remain in the trust and the Trustee’s would administer the funds from the trust. The relationship wouldn’t change. I have no reason to believe @Petes1987 is not accurate when he says financial instruments from the sale of the team would go to support minor hockey programs. If that is set in stone, then the trustee’s would funnel funds annually to minor hockey programs from the trust. In that scenario, the funds would likely be invested and Minor Hockey would get the “legacy” money which is the after tax and admin profits from Investment Income. This would be somewhat similar to the legacy funding from the 1988 Calgary Olympics that funds Amateur Sport in Calgary.

That doesn’t mean that some of the money couldn’t be allocated to a new rink or a renovation of the existing if it justifies the terms of supporting minor hockey. For example, if there is a multi-pad facility that allows for minor hockey growth, there is a possibility that some of the $20mil from the sale of the team could go towards a project like that. I am speculating though.

But, as I mentioned previously, a new arena isn’t likely without private investment. Private Investment isn’t likely without it being a part of a development project where the City likely provides the land for free as well as some public funding or tax diversion etc. If there are multiple rinks as part of the development, maybe the Trust sells the team cheaper than market value because it supports Minor Hockey etc? A lot of potential moving parts for these types of deals.

 

[donjohnson]

So everyone has done a good job picking apart the pros/cons of various cities where expansion makes (or doesn't make) sense.

My question is this...why does the OHL want to expand?

Of course the answer to all questions is money but in most pro sports it has to do with television/advertising dollars. The OHL does not have a television contract like the NBA or NHL does. If a team is added in Muskegon Michigan, how does that benefit the league??? I'm sure there's a one-time expansion team cost that would be paid to the league but beyond that, what is the benefit??? More teams means the talent would be spread out and (potentially) will water down the competition making an inferior product and if there's no additional money coming into the league, why go through the trouble of expanding??? There has not been a team added to the league since 1998 (Brampton)...all other "new" teams were a relocation of an existing franchise. If expansion was lucrative for the league, wouldn't they have added at least 1 additional team in the last 25 years???

Maybe the new commissioner has some big plans for media/advertising rights but to me, expansion doesn't make sense because even with the influx of American players, as you add teams, the product is going to slowly get watered down.

 

[NorthernVoice]

I just read about this and realized it's ran as a none profit organization and doesn't have an owner.
It just has a board that operates it.
I always thought the city of peterborough was the owner of the team. (I guess technically it is but not on paper)
This would be such a strange business move if they couldn't afford to run the team and had to sell who would get the money from the sale?
I remember back in 2016 when they had released to the media they would be bankrupt in 4 years without major concessions on their lease agreement.
The board is just volunteers with no ownership stake from what i understand.
Can a not for profit even be sold?
What a strange operation.

There's a lot of misinformation around the Petes in here, they're not looking to sell at all and they're not losing money. The deal with the city was restructured years ago to ensure their long term viability and sustainability and their off ice fortunes have done nothing but increase since then.

They do want a new arena and it will be tied to (re)development of downtown. It's been a process years and years in the making and they still don't have a site, so there remains a lot of local skepticism.

Generally, the appetite for tax payer money going to sports arenas is waning almost everywhere and for good reason. If they can't prove it will have significant spin off benefits and help towards the revitalization of downtown, it wont and shouldn't happen.

In the meantime, the PMC isn't really limiting the Petes in any way in terms of remaining competitive or profitable. It's a barn but it has more charm and history than about 15 other cookie cutter arenas combined and because it is near capacity most nights with dedicated fans, it's a way better environment than rival division arenas like Ottawa and Kingston.

Even Oshawa, which has great fans so can match the environment can feel pretty sterile. Going to games in the old arena packed in tightly was so much fun there. I don't really care to go these days, it just feels like any other game in any other rink but I guess based on the comments in here that's what people want.

 

[NorthernVoice]

Frankly, I find this whole thread and discussion around the Peterborough franchise/arena pretty depressing. The fact that the Petes are a non profit who are succeeding on and off the ice without taking millions and millions of dollars of tax payer money OR acting as just another vehicle to move money from working class people to a multi-millionaire/corporation owner should be commended and celebrated.