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Post by wolfmannick on Jul 20, 2015 18:37:49 GMT -6
^ Just because they put in bids dose not mean they automatically get teams. Nor does it mean they will pay the full $500 million amount the NHL was asking for.
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Post by mikecubs on Jul 20, 2015 21:37:22 GMT -6
^^ Oh cool thanks mike I did not know that. ^ Unfortunately this means nothing. If the NHL believes that this group is close to having their sandwiches in the basket for a team in the Seattle area they will bump them ahead of Quebec in a heart beat. The NHL said right off the bat there is no guarantee that this process will lead to an actual expansion, they will say that the cities that applied now will not have to apply again in the future and when Seattle is ready, they and Vegas will get franchises and Quebec will be kept int he dark as the city the League uses as the threat of relocation just like they did with Winnipeg right up until they got the Thrashers. The biggest problem for either suburban Seattle or downtown Seattle is this. An arena in either spot will be privately financed or mostly privately financed. It just doesn't work without the NBA. If you do NHL only and the NBA never comes you take a horrifying BLOOD BATH in either location. That's why neither spot bid. Remember only a few elite teams in any of the major 4 sports can privately finance their own arena. A Seattle NHL team if they reach their "ceiling" and everything goes right would be a better version of the Colorado Avalanche. That's not anywhere close enough to pay off $500M for arena construction plus a $500M expansion fee to top it off. Unless either spot finds someone who's a total insane risk taker the NHL isn't coming until the NBA expands(likely in 2017/2018 after the NBA CBA). The other problem with suburban Seattle is this. Even if that moron Ray B. wants a hockey team in that spot and Bettman allowed it(he would because he's an idiot who loves suburbs) the problem is you need Adam Silver to go along with the spot too. Unless Silver is the complete opposite of David Stern and he learned nothing from him(ala Bettman) that spot is screwed. You are right though. Despite all the deadline talk if Ray B. did find some idiots who would invest in a suburban NHL arena along with him and with no guarantee of the NBA Bettman would pick that spot in a heartbeat over Quebec. That site is a Bettman wet dream.
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Post by mikecubs on Jul 20, 2015 21:45:58 GMT -6
I guess this means that Las Vegas and Quebec are going to be in the NHL, by default? I always thought the $500 million entry fee was ridiculous. If it were $250 million, there would have been applications from 10 markets at the least. It's good they made the fee $500M. It separates the boys from the men. Bottom line is Seattle isn't ready(no shovel ready arena, no NBA), Portland is still too small for a second fulltime team at this point population wise and it sucks corporately, plus the NBA team is just beginning a massive rebuild to top it off and only has one star player and a bunch of unknowns(they lost 4 of 5 starters this offseason including all-star Lemarcus Aldridge). In the future(10-20 years) when the city is bigger plus the Blazers aren't this bad maybe it would work but not now. Toronto doesn't have a second arena and I find it hard to believe you will ever get past MLSE. Alexander doesn't want a team in Houston and I doubt that changes. Houston's only hope is he sells/dies.
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Post by mikecubs on Jul 20, 2015 21:53:28 GMT -6
^ Just because they put in bids dose not mean they automatically get teams. Nor does it mean they will pay the full $500 million amount the NHL was asking for. Foley/Quebecor just p!ssed $2M away then. Both places seem willing to pay the $500M. If the NHL pulls a stunt like not giving either place a team then next time no one will bid. Both Quebec and Vegas should get a team. They've fulfilled all the requirements. Both have arenas properly located, both paid the application fee, Vegas has commitment for 12,500 season tickets, Quebec will be sold out forever.
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LT
1st Line Centre
Posts: 499
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Post by LT on Jul 20, 2015 22:25:57 GMT -6
There is no doubt in my mind that Quebec gets a team along with Vegas. I personally think they will end up with Phoenix moving to Vegas.
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Post by mikecubs on Jan 31, 2016 10:47:16 GMT -6
Pierre LeBrun ✔ @real_ESPNLeBrun NHL governor says expansion update today was "two minutes" long. The process continues.
Rick Westhead ✔ @rwesthead Bettman says NHL’s exec committee met re expansion. "We're not ready to make a recommendation." Still a few months away.
Rick Westhead ✔ @rwesthead Canadian dollar plunge not discussed at NHL BOG meeting today, Bettman says. "Nobody's overly concerned...," he says.
Michael Farber @michaelfarber3 According to sources, Gary Bettman has signed a new contract through 2022. He declined comment, saying he never discusses his own situation.
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Post by mikecubs on Jan 31, 2016 10:50:41 GMT -6
Posted this in the Other Sports thread but this should be posted here since in affects NHL. The Oakland Raiders meet with Las Vegas on Friday to talk about a new 65,000 seat stadium. If this was to happen Vegas becomes a LOT less attractive for NHL. Vegas would be one of the smallest 2 team cities with a very low per capita income and a ton of transplants. A huge part of the attraction of Vegas is/was that an NHL team would be the ONLY team in town.
The NHL should hold off 1 year on expansion not just a few months. It's not the right time to expand. A year from now we will have a better idea what will happen to the Coyotes plus what will happen to the Raiders. If San Diego passes a new stadium the Raiders will go to LA, if not then Vegas is in play along with San Antonio and staying in the Bay area.
If Vegas was to get the Raiders I'm not in favor of going to Vegas. Give Quebec the Coyotes and move Detroit back west.
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