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Post by NHLWinnipeg on Jul 29, 2011 20:25:41 GMT -6
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Post by macitect on Jul 30, 2011 17:50:55 GMT -6
I really think that Quebec will be next. Some of you may remember why I have a Quebec bias, but I really do think that Bettman has made statements that are very much akin to the hints he gave to us, and that the people (government and business) in Quebec can and will make it happen for them.
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Post by Guardian on Jul 31, 2011 14:47:37 GMT -6
Given the state of the US economy, I can see two or three more teams move to Canada.
Quebec City, Hamilton, Toronto 2.
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Post by tkaatz on Jul 31, 2011 15:49:11 GMT -6
love to see another metre set up for a great city
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Post by Best Jets Fan on Jul 31, 2011 18:08:27 GMT -6
With the US economy it makes sense for more Canadian teams. If Bettman swallows his pride. It's just not working in some southern locations.
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Sam
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Post by Sam on Aug 1, 2011 10:51:15 GMT -6
Over time, probably over the next 10 years, Canada will have around 3 new teams. When they were all relocated in the 90's, they were relocated to places which had little or no interest in hockey, which is pretty obvious. I think after next season we will see the return of the Nordiques, probably from Phoenix. If this does happen, I'd like the Yotes to give the history back to the Jets, if they don't already do it this season. But as regards to the Nordiques, yes, I say give it 2 years and we shall see the Quebec team returning
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Post by tkaatz on Aug 1, 2011 10:53:03 GMT -6
Over time, probably over the next 10 years, Canada will have around 3 new teams. When they were all relocated in the 90's, they were relocated to places which had little or no interest in hockey, which is pretty obvious. I think after next season we will see the return of the Nordiques, probably from Phoenix. If this does happen, I'd like the Yotes to give the history back to the Jets, if they don't already do it this season. But as regards to the Nordiques, yes, I say give it 2 years and we shall see the Quebec team returning i could also see places like seattle doing well as it is close to vancouver and the coast and people out there love their hockey
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Sam
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Post by Sam on Aug 1, 2011 11:02:03 GMT -6
Over time, probably over the next 10 years, Canada will have around 3 new teams. When they were all relocated in the 90's, they were relocated to places which had little or no interest in hockey, which is pretty obvious. I think after next season we will see the return of the Nordiques, probably from Phoenix. If this does happen, I'd like the Yotes to give the history back to the Jets, if they don't already do it this season. But as regards to the Nordiques, yes, I say give it 2 years and we shall see the Quebec team returning i could also see places like seattle doing well as it is close to vancouver and the coast and people out there love their hockey yes, good point, I have also heard that. Seattle has never been given a chance for hockey, with the last team there being the Metropolitans (I think) around 80-90 years ago (again, I think). I think a good Northwest rivalry with Vancouver could develop. A side note, I have also heard a lot about a return to Hartford, which I think will be good
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mrconfusion87
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Post by mrconfusion87 on Aug 2, 2011 22:06:11 GMT -6
I actually see QC and Seattle coming up next for the NHL! There will be/already is pressure in QC to get the whole thing off the ground ASAP so its just a matter of time before they start getting the arena built. With the Coyotes' never-ending woes in Phoenix, QC seem to be the best option for them these days.
And for Seattle the momentum for building a new stadium in the area is there and I have a gut-feeling they'll get it started sooner than many would expect them to... However I'm not sure if it will be the Panthers (their time on the chopping block will come soon enough for sure), or the beleaguered Islanders. Hoping its the Panthers though cuz it would be a shame to see a relatively old-timer franchise such as the Islanders leave the Long Island/NYC-area and practically no one in South Florida gives two shizz about them Panthers.
If it boils down to both the Panthers and Islanders moving, it will be hard to guess what city will be joining Quebec City and Seattle though I hear other places (other than those mentioned earlier in the thread) like Hamilton, Kansas City, Portland and Houston popping up.
However here are some of their issues:
Hamilton - As far as I can tell it has the things needed to get a franchise off the ground but with one BIG hydra-headed problem - Toronto and Buffalo objecting. Toronto's stance frankly doesn't make sense except from the standpoint of greed! Buffalo's objections are more understandable however because the economy of their core market Upstate New York isn't exactly strong.
Kansas City - They've got an arena but LACK the public support for an NHL franchise. Case in point - the exhibition game they had a few years ago that FAILED to sellout. They're better off running after the NBA if they need a regular Sprint Center tenant!
Portland - An arena is available and they've got a wealthy sports-loving benefactor in the form of Paul Allen but I doubt he has the interest to purchase a hockey team. Besides their hockey market is not all that its cracked up to be - for instance OR's hockey participation statistics leaves a lot to be desired while WA's is growing fairly rapidly even without a locally-based NHL franchise.
Houston - They had an interested owner in the form of Les Alexander who actually came quite close before, a fairly viable arena in the form of the Toyota Center though I'm unsure if he still wants an NHL team. Or anyone else there for that matter...
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crow
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Post by crow on Aug 2, 2011 22:08:46 GMT -6
QC isn't getting anything until a shovel goes in the ground on a new arena!!!
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Post by lukemiguez on Aug 2, 2011 22:57:50 GMT -6
The Panthers are sucked into some mega long lease with their arena, they aren't likely to go anywhere for decades. Seattle's new arena plan was killed.
Hamilton is another case entirely, they will never get an NHL team so long as the Buffalo Sabres are around. 1/3rd of the Sabres season ticket base is Canadians from across the border and the NHL won't risk destroying that franchise's economic base with a team in the Hamilton area.
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mrconfusion87
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Post by mrconfusion87 on Aug 3, 2011 19:33:41 GMT -6
The Panthers are sucked into some mega long lease with their arena, they aren't likely to go anywhere for decades. Seattle's new arena plan was killed. For the Panthers - thanks for reminding me about that but isn't there some kind of loophole they can exploit if things don't pan out financially for them? I suspect there's gotta be like in any legal contract... Seattle - If you mean this (linkie: www.kirotv.com/sports/28696803/detail.html), you're probably right for the time-being as having local power players on your side is VITAL. However, I doubt this will be the last time you'll hear of something coming out of Seattle... True... Wouldn't argue with you there! And I totally understand Buffalo's stance - I personally wouldn't want to lose the Sabres as they serve one of the USA's 4 BIGGEST hockey regions! Anyway, whatever happens though, it may be a number of years until someone follows Quebec into the league!
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Post by lukemiguez on Aug 3, 2011 23:20:31 GMT -6
Florida's lease is very airtight and I don't see them breaking it, not that is without a very wealthy owner capable of paying the money needed to break the contract. People keep noting them as a relocation candidate, but the reality of the situation is that they're locked into their building and aren't going anywhere soon.
If Quebec City keeps a team, it'll be the Coyotes next year, the Islanders on a deal where they play out their lease then move, or the Columbus Blue Jackets sometime further into the future.
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mrconfusion87
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Post by mrconfusion87 on Aug 3, 2011 23:52:17 GMT -6
Florida's lease is very airtight and I don't see them breaking it, not that is without a very wealthy owner capable of paying the money needed to break the contract. People keep noting them as a relocation candidate, but the reality of the situation is that they're locked into their building and aren't going anywhere soon. If Quebec City keeps a team, it'll be the Coyotes next year, the Islanders on a deal where they play out their lease then move, or the Columbus Blue Jackets sometime further into the future. Nyek! That sucks about the Panthers! I guess I'm being extremely biased against them! Anyway, to me the ONLY team in Florida should be the Lightning hence my desire to see them move. I guess we'll have to observe the next several years whether by the end of their lease if anything changes for that market as a hockeytown... Agree with you about Coyotes to QC strongly! For the Islanders there's still 4 years for them to sort it out and Columbus only needs more good seasons and give fans a reason to cheer and they'll be set. CLS will be at least as good as, if not better than Nashville today if they could get a good on-ice product together and reach the playoffs more times!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2011 3:07:54 GMT -6
Quebec government: infrastructure crisis will not derail plans for new NHL arenaBy: Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press Posted: 08/3/2011 3:40 PM MONTREAL - The Quebec government says the province's infrastructure crisis will not derail plans to build a new, NHL-style hockey arena in the provincial capital with public funds.The provincial government has pledged $200 million and it has no plans to reconsider the project, which is popular in the electorally volatile region around Quebec City.The government says Quebec has the cash to build the new arena even while inspecting, repairing and maintaining the crumbling network of old roads around Montreal. "It's not on our radar to reconsider the investment in the amphitheatre — not at all," said Maxime Sauvageau, a spokesman for Transport Minister Sam Hamad, who's also the cabinet member responsible for Quebec City. "There's a fund and the money is there and we're doing the work." The city and the province are planning to split the cost of the estimated $400-million arena, which will be built with the goal of attracting an NHL team back to Quebec City. The arena plans had generated debate in the spring, causing divisions within the opposition Parti Quebecois before being placed on the back-burner during the politically quiet summer months.In the meantime, a new issue is raging: fear about the safety of major structures around Montreal. Outraged Quebecers have been calling for urgent repairs after a 25-ton concrete structure, used to shield drivers from the sun's glare, fell from the entrance of a tunnel and onto a major Montreal expressway last Sunday. The Montreal mayor, meanwhile, is demanding more funds from other levels of government for the city's visibly eroding road system. No one was injured in the latest incident of falling roadway concrete in the Montreal region, where sections of bridges and overpasses have been shut down due to safety concerns. Meanwhile, memories of the 2006 overpass collapse that killed five people in Montreal's neighbouring city of Laval remain fresh in the minds of Quebecers. Critics have cited politics as a key culprit in the phenomenon — arguing that a desire to dazzle voters with fancy projects has, over the years, caused policy-makers to neglect mundane matters like maintaining roads. But a senior government official said the province can walk and chew gum — build new things and maintain old ones — at the same time. "All governments, at all times, always have some budgets to maintain existing infrastructures and also to develop some new infrastructures," said the source, who didn't want to be named. He noted that Premier Jean Charest's Liberals are spending more money on infrastructure upkeep than past governments. "Obviously, there are some new infrastructures that you need to build." But the contentious debate whether to construct — or not to construct — the Quebec City arena has been a political minefield in the provincial capital region. The federal Conservatives' stance against funding the rink may have contributed to the party losing a few seats in the House of Commons.After toying with the idea, the Harper government ultimately decided against financing the arena — a choice that triggered a backlash in a city starved for NHL hockey.On election night, voters turfed local Tories, including former cabinet minister Josee Verner and Sylvie Boucher — the two Conservatives most closely associated with the arena question. At the provincial level, the arena discussion has also created political unrest. Opposition Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois championed the project, but the decision proved to be highly controversial within her own caucus. When several high-profile PQ MNAs abruptly quit the party last spring, they cited Marois' support of the arena project — without her taking the time to reflect on it — as a clinching factor in their decisions. source: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/quebec-government-infrastructure-crisis-will-not-derail-plans-for-new-nhl-arena.html?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:1606178d-47b7-4c81-8e71-d3b77c6438e9
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