Per Friedman: Coyotes players told team moving to Utah starting next season (Mod warning post #50)

[Turin]

Difference is outside of Montreal, lots of people in QC hate the Habs. Easiest example to illustrate this is Patrice Bergeron.

They lasted in the NHL the first time around for 16 years. The language barrier is far from being as strong as you describe as many people there are bilingual. I agree with you that the economy isn't great at the moment but this shouldn't be a long term deterrent for an NHL franchise provided there's an owner with deep pockets willing to forego short term economic losses for longer term profits.

For every owner who's willing to put a team there, there are 10 richer ones who would rather have a team somewhere that makes sense. And it absolutely is a factor, Montreal can't attract free agent talent and everybody they hire is french Canadian. It would be even worse in QC.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

why do people not like Ryan Smith? I know nothing about him outside of him owning the Jazz. And it doesn’t seem like he’s that rich tbh

2.2 billion is pocket change these days

I mean... I'll take 2.2B if you've got it in between the couch cushions...

 

[BB79]

The uta

14250 for hockey

Thank you, so that gets them a bit closer to the Jets capacity of 16,345. If they renovate they can probably find room to bump that up closer to 16k or 17k.

Given the age of the arena I'd be willing to bet they'll build new

 

[LPHabsFan]

Okay? That doesn't change the fact that the NHL isn't going back to Quebec City because it's not a viable market due to its size.

You can put tinfoil hats on and say it's some sort of grand conspiracy, but the reality is that Quebec City is just not a good NHL market and the NHL realizes that.

Again, tell me you know nothing about the market without telling me you know nothing about the market. Quebec City is 100% a viable market if the NHL would get out of the mindset of chasing that American Dream. The metrics are absolutely there but it requires a little out of the box thinking.

As for the tinfoil hat thing, the external non business factors have even been brought up by a prominent media/hockey person so there is legitimacy to it as well.

They lasted in the NHL the first time around for 16 years. The language barrier is far from being as strong as you describe as many people there are bilingual. I agree with you that the economy isn't great at the moment but this shouldn't be a long term deterrent for an NHL franchise provided there's an owner with deep pockets willing to forego short term economic losses for longer term profits.

The language issues are getting worse, and is in fact one of the main reasons the NHL won't come here and it's nowhere worse than in the capital city. I've always been torn on an NHL team coming back. On the one hand, I want to f*** over everyone in QC. On the other hand, it will just put a giant spotlight on the shit things the government is doing.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

I mean... I'll take 2.2B if you've got it in between the couch cushions...

Well in terms of sports owners, 2 billion net worth is on the smaller side but yes I’d also like 2 billion if someone on HF is giving it away

 

[Empoleon8771]

QC is too small for a team but the idea that it would compete with Montreal for fans is dumb and something you pulled out of your ass.

No, it's completely right. The Habs already have such a dominant stronghold in Quebec City through TV deals and it would be extremely challenging for a new Quebec City team to break into that. Not only from a fan interest perspective, but what the Habs would charge to lose that TV income.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

For every owner who's willing to put a team there, there are 10 richer ones who would rather have a team somewhere that makes sense. And it absolutely is a factor, Montreal can't attract free agent talent and everybody they hire is french Canadian. It would be even worse in QC.

Montreal has easily been an above-average team at attracting FA talent in the last 20 years. That's an absurd statement. And neither of the guys who run the hockey department are French-Canadian. You're talking out of your ass.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Again, tell me you know nothing about the market without telling me you know nothing about the market. Quebec City is 100% a viable market if the NHL would get out of the mindset of chasing that American Dream. The metrics are absolutely there but it requires a little out of the box thinking.

As for the tinfoil hat thing, the external non business factors have even been brought up by a prominent media/hockey person so there is legitimacy to it as well.

You can keep saying this all you want, but facts are facts. Just because fans from Quebec want to say that it's a viable market doesn't actually make it a viable market.

The NHL is "chasing the American dream" because there is drastically more earning potential in larger US cities than there are in niche Canadian cities.

 

[pigpen65]

Arizona about to get very lucky in the draft lottery

 

[Llewzaher]

I'm guessing this is where they'd play in SLC?



Compared to the Mullett-



Maverik was built in the late 90s for the 2002 Winter Olympics and holds around 12,600 from what I've read. I'm guessing they would build something new and play there in the interm.

Out of one bad arena into a worse one.., sure it has more seats , but it will automatically be the 3rd oldest rink in the league

 

[JeffreyLFC]

No, it's completely right. The Habs already have such a dominant stronghold in Quebec City through TV deals and it would be extremely challenging for a new Quebec City team to break into that. Not only from a fan interest perspective, but what the Habs would charge to lose that TV income.

Yes, just like Ottawa and Toronto are competing with the Habs for revenues. Imagine if the Habs were the only team in Canada, all the attention and the TV revenues they would get...

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Yes, just like Ottawa and Toronto are competing with the Habs for revenues. Imagine if the Habs were the only team in Canada, all the attention and the revenues they would get...

The Habs and Leafs still enjoy the benefits of the Original Six era when they were the only teams in Canada. Those fan allegiances have been passed down in a big way.

 

[Llewzaher]

Thank you, so that gets them a bit closer to the Jets capacity of 16,345. If they renovate they can probably find room to bump that up closer to 16k or 17k.

Given the age of the arena I'd be willing to bet they'll build new

It will be the next embarrassment and people will complain why it’s half full..

Media are already complaining they have to go to that arena..

 

[Megustaelhockey]

It will be the next embarrassment and people will complain why it’s half full..

Media are already complaining they have to go to that arena..

The media, and especially the Canadian media, are complicit in the derisive, nasty things being said here and elsewhere on the internet about this.

 

[Section 104]

I’m just surprised it is going to be Salt Lake City and not Houston since Houston is a much larger market. I regret Quebec City seems to be out of the picture but I always wonder how much the owners of the existing Canadian teams want to give a slice of their tv revenues to another Canadian team and pay Bettman to take the abuse. But what went wrong with Phoenix? The fact from the beginning the NBA arena wasn’t built to hold hockey so it had weird viewing angles like Barclays Arena did for the Islanders (remember Wang saying they had an ironclad contract of 25 years at $50 million per year?). Poor ownership that couldn’t convert the Midwest transplants into following their team?

 

[LPHabsFan]

You can keep saying this all you want, but facts are facts. Just because fans from Quebec want to say that it's a viable market doesn't actually make it a viable market.

The NHL is "chasing the American dream" because there is drastically more earning potential in larger US cities than there are in niche Canadian cities.

And yet we have two modern relocations of top 10 US market teams along with several other larger markets losing money every year. As I said, there are lots of financial metrics that would justify bringing a team back to QC. NHL just doesn't want to. But it's not because of the ability to make money.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yes, just like Ottawa and Toronto are competing with the Habs for revenues. Imagine if the Habs were the only team in Canada, all the attention and the revenues they would get...

You mean the Toronto team that has existed basically for as long as the NHL has existed? Man, I wonder why they have such a strong backing!

Also, isn't Ottawa not doing all that well financially? Forbes is notoriously sketchy with its financial numbers, but it only has Ottawa at a $5.1 million operation income in 2023.

 

[BB79]

Out of one bad arena into a worse one.., sure it has more seats , but it will automatically be the 3rd oldest rink in the league

It might only be temporary if they build something new.

Still, I find it funny that an arena built 25-30 years ago that is completely functional is considered old, obsolete, crusty and terrible by people today... yet I grew up watching teams that played in arenas with no climate control, fog over the ice in the playoffs, blackouts during SCF games, locker rooms downstairs. obstructed view seats and rats as big as dogs that were 60+ years old. People are spoiled today. What, no 70 yard wide television screen over the ice?

 

[Llewzaher]

The media, and especially the Canadian media, are complicit in the derisive, nasty things being said here and elsewhere on the internet about this.

100%

 

[JeffreyLFC]

You mean the Toronto team that has existed basically for as long as the NHL has existed? Man, I wonder why they have such a strong backing!

Also, isn't Ottawa not doing all that well financially? Forbes is notoriously sketchy with its financial numbers, but it only has Ottawa at a $5.1 million operation income in 2023.

Well, that is still way BETTER than Arizona....

 

[archangel2]

Out of one bad arena into a worse one.., sure it has more seats , but it will automatically be the 3rd oldest rink in the league

But they are set for a new arena where all governments are on side and it will get built regardless of what happened today

 

[Empoleon8771]

And yet we have two modern relocations of top 10 US market teams along with several other larger markets losing money every year. As I said, there are lots of financial metrics that would justify bringing a team back to QC. NHL just doesn't want to. But it's not because of the ability to make money.

You just keep saying this without providing even a shred of evidence for it.

The "financial metrics" to justify bringing back a team to Quebec City are "I want a team back in Quebec City".

Well, that is still way BETTER than Arizona....

Okay? Arizona isn't going to have a hockey team anymore in 5 days.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Sad...will fans flock to the new team or be done with them

It is one state to the North.

But hard to stomach

 

[archangel2]

The media, and especially the Canadian media, are complicit in the derisive, nasty things being said here and elsewhere on the internet about this.

You should read the comments on the arizona sports youtube channel. They believe it is all because of Serivalli this happened

 

[Turin]

Montreal has easily been an above-average team at attracting FA talent in the last 20 years. That's an absurd statement. And neither of the guys who run the hockey department are French-Canadian. You're talking out of your ass.

They haven't, especially for a team relative to it's spending, history, nightlife and fan support. And yea.. lets just ignore the decades leading up to Ken Hughes were not dominated by french speakers, lets ignore that the guy there now who isn't is still FROM MONTREAL. Lets ignore that the vast majority of their coaches the last however long are all french.. then yea, I would be talking out of my ass. But I'm not.