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Teams that were almost relocated

Lupul1990

Registered User
Aug 30, 2006
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With the whole Coyotes thing dragging on for the last few years, I've been wondering what other teams have almost been moved to another city.

So far I've been able to find something about the Blues potential move to Saskatoon in 1983.

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/2009/4/5/823172/the-saskatoon-blues-the-story

I also remember that there were plans to move Devils to Nashville in the 90's, but I don't really know anything about it. I would appreciate it if someone could provide links to some stories concerning this relocation.

Lastly, I'm sure that there were other such attempts in the NHL history, that didn't pan out. So does anyone know anything?
 
The Penguins have almost moved quite a few times to cities including Seattle and Kansas City. The Canadiens almost moved to Cleveland in the 1930s. The Whalers almost moved to Columbus in the 1990s. The Oilers almost moved to Houston in the late 1990s.
 
Don't feel like looking for links however...

Edmonton nearly moved to Houston in the late 90's. Only a last minute intervention by Bettman to allow large groups to combine allowed the EIG to save the Oilers (something Bettman did NOT do for the Jets 1.0).

Ottawa did or almost declare bankruptcy in the late 90's, not sure if there was relocation talk though.

Pittsburgh was the subject of many rumours before getting Crosby, most notably with a rumour of them going to Kansas City to move into the then new Sprint Centre when Kansas City did not realize they would not need a full-time tenant to be successful.

Jim Ballsille (sp? whatever) tried to move Nashville to Hamilton in around 2007ish.

Off the top of my head.
 
Never really reached anything nearing advanced stages but chipman did have prelimanary discussing of Nashville to Winnipeg a number of years back. They were having ownership or lease issues or something that has since been resolved
 
Any team that is not doing well at the gate is currently targeted to Quebec City. That included, from time to time Tampa, Florida and Carolina among others. How serious this talk is I can't say it may just be wishful thinking from fans in QC.
 
There's a lot of these.

I remember there was a threat in 1980 or 1981 to repeal the Amusement Tax or the Washington Capitals may move to Ottawa. I may try to find some of these later.

Jets v1.0, before moving to Phoenix, were trying to move to Minnesota first. They couldn't get agreement on a lease.

Seals to Vancouver in the early 1970's. Penguins to Seattle, somewhere around their first bankruptcy in 1974ish.
 
Wade Grassman said:
Any team that is not doing well at the gate is currently targeted to Quebec City. That included, from time to time Tampa, Florida and Carolina among others. How serious this talk is I can't say it may just be wishful thinking from fans in QC.
Click to expand...

VERY wishful thinking with no backing in reality. All 3 of those teams (now with regards to Tampa) have very stable ownership groups.
 
St. Louis Eagles planned to move to Cleveland before they ultimately folded.
 
During the sens bankruptcy a Houston group was kicking the tires, presumably the same one that was after the oilers.
 
Wade Grassman said:
Any team that is not doing well at the gate is currently targeted to Quebec City. That included, from time to time Tampa, Florida and Carolina among others. How serious this talk is I can't say it may just be wishful thinking from fans in QC.
Click to expand...

There had been tire kicking at Carolina before the 04 lockout from Winnipeg, absolutely nothing even came close to happening there and that was when the team was absolutely languishing in terms of attendance because of how bad it was. Since winning the cup in 05-06 they've been over 17K average more often then they've been under 16K average.

Extremely wishful thinking that they'd even be a candidate to move in the next 20 years with as strong as their ownership group looks since Karmanos picked up some significant local investors.

Likewise with Florida where, while the team itself may lose money, the guy that owns the team also owns the arena which is one of the most profitable in the world, and has absolutely zero interest in moving out its prime tenant.

Tampa was unstable for a little while but now that those idiots Barrie and Koules are gone they're doing fine.


Essentially any legitimate relocation rumors were from a team that has serious ownership issues, and basically that and that alone. Doesn't even mean they don't have deep pockets as evidenced by how those A$G ****ers handled the Thrashers since they wanted nothing to do with the team from the get go despite it being a package deal. Back when they were owned by Turner they were fairly successful as an expansion team but A$G deliberately ran them into the ground.


IIRC I do remember hearing Pens to Portland rumors YEARS back, but again that was when things were terrible for them. The KC rumors were the most frequent recent ones, and of course there was baldy's attempt to buy the team and move them to Hamilton like he attempted to do with both Nashville and Phoenix.
 
Cleveland was a potential destination for the Montreal Maroons and Canadiens in the late 30's, as well as a potential expansion team in the 40's and 50's that the NHL never accepted.

Seattle was awarded an expansion team in 1974, the Totems, to begin play in 1976, but they missed a number of deadlines to secure financing. As someone mentioned, they also tried to acquire the Penguins in 1975 and relocate them to Seattle, but that failed.

The Maple Leafs were in relocation talks up until Maple Leaf Gardens was built, with Philadelphia being the front runner to get the team.

The Colorado Rockies were in talks to move to Ottawa in 1982 before settling in New Jersey. The team was to play two years at the Ottawa Civic Centre before moving into a 15,000 seat heavily expanded Nepean Sportsplex.
 
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Brodie said:
St. Louis Eagles planned to move to Cleveland before they ultimately folded.
Click to expand...

There are quite a few almosts', failed attempts at either Expansion or Relocation since 1917, another being the New York / Brooklyn Americans. The NHL assumed ownership in the late 30's when Bootlegger & bon-vivant about town Big Billy Dwyer got hammered by a combination of events & essentially abandoned the team. The league took over (Dwyer suing them over that move) and installed Red Dutton to Manage operations however they were being squeezed by the Rangers & playing out of the same MSG, needed a home of their own. Some investors stepped forward with a plan to build an arena in Brooklyn however that cratered and with WW2 ramping up considerably, it was decided to "suspend the franchise" (41/42) until hostilities had ended, the NHL promising the investors that they'd reactivate the franchise upon conclusion of the war. In 1945 a site in Brooklyn had been selected, the money in place to build, however, the league reneged & shut down the franchise altogether. Philadelphia is another that but for a suitable building with early attempts to secure financing failing couldve been playing in the NHL a whole lot earlier. Lots of interesting stories really, from Los Angeles in the late 50's early 60's, quite a number of locations really that for various reasons were shut out or messed up through ill conceived relo's, intransigence, duplicity etc...
 
Grudy0 said:
Capitals threats to move, 1982, from from Washington's City Paper, article circa 2009.
Click to expand...

^^^^^^
About a decade earlier, the NHL had given D.C. an expansion franchise over Baltimore, Kansas City, Cleveland, Phoenix, San Juan, and Mexico City. Pollin beat out a number of big-money folks, including Ted Lerner, to be named owner of the new team.


Wait a moment....The NHL at one time was considering San Juan Puerto Rico, and Mexico City as Possible NHL cities?:banghead::banghead:
 
Pittsburgh was rumoured to move to Hartford pre-Crosby.

Carolina could move back to Hartford once the lease ends as they lose a lot of money there.
 
Tackla said:
Pittsburgh was rumoured to move to Hartford pre-Crosby.

Carolina could move back to Hartford once the lease ends as they lose a lot of money there.
Click to expand...

no, they don't actually. Used to before the 04 lockout, but basically since 05-06 the team has been either break even or close to it even in their non-playoff years. They made money in the two playoff years and in 10-11 when they hosted the ASG.
 
Wolf357 said:
^^^^^^
About a decade earlier, the NHL had given D.C. an expansion franchise over Baltimore, Kansas City, Cleveland, Phoenix, San Juan, and Mexico City. Pollin beat out a number of big-money folks, including Ted Lerner, to be named owner of the new team.


Wait a moment....The NHL at one time was considering San Juan Puerto Rico, and Mexico City as Possible NHL cities?:banghead::banghead:
Click to expand...

Just because those places put in bids doesn't mean that the NHL seriously considered them; though who knows.
 
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