Respectfully thats a narrow, small minded vision. Any franchise owner knows that expanding their brand is king, you do this by tapping into new markets. Right now an entire generation of Nordiques and Canadians faithful are turning over and a new generation of 'neutrals' are growing up. They are in our broadcast region so it makes perfect sense to go after that, its a missed opportunity not to.
We b1tch and moan about leafs and habs fans taking over the CTC and this is a building block in the long process of rectifying that. You're talking about a billion dollar business, if you aren't thinking big you are getting overshadowed and left behind. Let's ditch the inferiority complex and let Andlauer expand the sphere of influence. After 30 years the sens deserve a new outlook
Also. Everyone assume for a moment the arena gets built. I know we don't feel that way with recent news but an arena WILL get built. Dwell on that. Your attitude toward this move in QC completely shifts right? All of a sudden it feels pretty good that we are looking to grow outward.
All the people insecure about this will do a 180 when good news comes out about the arena.
Exactly this. Expand the brand. This franchise has done a awful or non existent job of appealing to people a close as in Gatineau for the most part. No one is moving a team to Quebec city. Every problem Ottawa has as a small market is worse in Quebec city, smaller population base, gov't town- even less non gov't employment as Ottawa. Quebec city cannot support an NHL team, they are in the Habs backyard but have hated the Habs since the Molson/Okeefe days. This opportunity has been there for a while, almost since the birth of the modern day sens and no one has tried to develop it. A lot of former Nordique fans became Bruin fans because of Bergeron. If only the Sens had a Qc city guy like Chabot who still lives there.
Lets be realistic, if you rely on just the greater ottawa area you are not selling enough tickets to justify the price he paid for the team and the cost of a new building. A couple preseason games in Qc is a great idea- probably earns more $$ that having them here in short term and starts building a base. That 5 year old kid who goes to his 1st NHl game in Qc may become a sens fan, esp if sens make habit of playing a game or 2 there. How about a reg season game? it will do more to build the brand to play in Qc city than it will in Sweden. Plus that 5 yr old kid who loves the sens may convince his dad to drive the 5 hrs to ottawa to watch the sens in their new barn.
If the NHl is to grow the brand they have to be more than a gate receipts league. Its going to take owners who understand that, embrace that. Ottawa has a great owner and the minute he tries to do something to help his team which in turn helps the fans here, a large portion of the fan base starts shitting on him.
I live in Ottawa (moved here in 2008 - fan of another team, stopped going to games with Eugene as owner- basically decided after one rant to many about fans of other teams in his building that he would never see another red cent from me. Went to 3 games last year, will probably hit 5+ this year. I love NHL hockey. I love living in a city with NHL hockey, I love having a great owner here to keep it that way. Small markets can have fans outside there market. I am a Green bay fan too, anyone else a fan of that team outside Wisconsin?
A couple preseason games in Qc is a great thing not something to bitch over. If he starts talking playing half his games in San Juan- then you have a problem but that will only happen if he doesn't succeed in expanding the brand.
