Post by mikecubs on Jun 26, 2015 19:54:10 GMT -6
Interest in an NHL team in Houston
An expansion team of the National Hockey League in Houston? A group of Canadian and American business people evaluating the possibility to participate in the NHL expansion process for a team in Houston, learned La Presse . The Montreal financier Drew Dorweiler plays the consultant for this group of investors.
"They have a lot of interest for a NHL team in Houston. It's a project that would make a lot of sense: Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, there is already an amphitheater that could accommodate the team and bring 500 million from these business people is not a problem, "said Drew Dorweiler, managing partner and founder of Dartmouth Partners, a financial firm based in Montreal.
Mr. Dorweiler is not authorized to publicly disclose the names of business people interested in the project of an NHL team in Houston. They have not met the leaders of the NHL, but expect to get in touch with them shortly.
The consortia interested in acquiring an expansion team must submit their applications to the NHL between July 6 and August 10 next. Business people for whom Mr. Dorweiler is a consultant has not made a final decision as to whether they will participate in the expansion process.
"They consider the project very seriously," says Drew Dorweiler.
Mr. Dorweiler has directed several mandates to professional players and leagues, including the NHL, NBA and MLB.
SELLING POINTS
Initially, the Houston group examined the scenario to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes to move the team to Houston if the NHL and the current owners of the Coyotes are coming to the conclusion that it is better to sell and move the team ( which is not currently the case). With the announcement of Commissioner Gary Bettman Wednesday night that the NHL will evaluate the offers for expansion teams, the group added the scenario of an expansion team in its deliberations.
Besides the fact that the business people of Houston have 500 million requested by the NHL, Drew Dorweiler estimated to have several sales points to make to the NHL. First, the metropolitan Houston area (6.5 million people) is the fifth largest in the United States just after Dallas (7.0 million). Then, the financial success of the Dallas Stars (Texas team has generated profits eight times in the last nine years, according to Forbes ) also militate in favor of the candidacy of Houston.
"There would be a natural rivalry with the Stars, said Drew Dorweiler consultant. A team in Houston fits well with the strategy Bettman to have teams in the southern United States. And even if the NHL has indicated that the issue of conferences was not an issue [there are 16 teams in the East and 14 teams in the West], it remains missing two teams in the West. "
CANDIDATE IN THE LATE 1990S
Houston was in the running in 1997 when the NHL chose its last expansion teams. The NHL then chose Atlanta and Minnesota, and Nashville and Columbus. Applications Houston and Oklahoma City had been excluded.
"There were no suitable theater for NHL hockey in Houston at that time," says Drew Dorweiler.
If the project goes ahead Houston this time, the group plans to become a tenant of the Toyota Center, the amphitheater in downtown Houston which already hosts the matches of the Rockets, the NBA team. Inaugurated in 2003, the Toyota Center is also run by the owners of the Rockets. If it is not possible to have a lease at the Toyota Center, the group of business people considering building an amphitheater in northern Houston.
Houston has never had an NHL team, but the city has hosted a team from the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1978 (Houston had also defeated the Quebec Nordiques in the final of the Avco Cup in 1975 ). Houston had been in line to join the NHL in 1979 with the dissolution of the World Association (as did the Nordics), but rather the NHL had accepted applications from Quebec, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Hartford.
In 1994 and 2013, the Houston Aeros played in the International League and the American Hockey League. The AHL Minnesota Wild moved to Houston in Iowa in 2013 because the Wild was unable to agree to a new lease at the Toyota Center. In their last two seasons, the Houston Aeros finished respectively at 7 th place (average of 6793 spectators per game) and the 5 th place in the American League in assists (of 30 teams).
affaires.lapresse.ca/201506/26/01-4881020-de-linteret-pour-une-equipe-de-la-lnh-a-houston.php
An expansion team of the National Hockey League in Houston? A group of Canadian and American business people evaluating the possibility to participate in the NHL expansion process for a team in Houston, learned La Presse . The Montreal financier Drew Dorweiler plays the consultant for this group of investors.
"They have a lot of interest for a NHL team in Houston. It's a project that would make a lot of sense: Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, there is already an amphitheater that could accommodate the team and bring 500 million from these business people is not a problem, "said Drew Dorweiler, managing partner and founder of Dartmouth Partners, a financial firm based in Montreal.
Mr. Dorweiler is not authorized to publicly disclose the names of business people interested in the project of an NHL team in Houston. They have not met the leaders of the NHL, but expect to get in touch with them shortly.
The consortia interested in acquiring an expansion team must submit their applications to the NHL between July 6 and August 10 next. Business people for whom Mr. Dorweiler is a consultant has not made a final decision as to whether they will participate in the expansion process.
"They consider the project very seriously," says Drew Dorweiler.
Mr. Dorweiler has directed several mandates to professional players and leagues, including the NHL, NBA and MLB.
SELLING POINTS
Initially, the Houston group examined the scenario to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes to move the team to Houston if the NHL and the current owners of the Coyotes are coming to the conclusion that it is better to sell and move the team ( which is not currently the case). With the announcement of Commissioner Gary Bettman Wednesday night that the NHL will evaluate the offers for expansion teams, the group added the scenario of an expansion team in its deliberations.
Besides the fact that the business people of Houston have 500 million requested by the NHL, Drew Dorweiler estimated to have several sales points to make to the NHL. First, the metropolitan Houston area (6.5 million people) is the fifth largest in the United States just after Dallas (7.0 million). Then, the financial success of the Dallas Stars (Texas team has generated profits eight times in the last nine years, according to Forbes ) also militate in favor of the candidacy of Houston.
"There would be a natural rivalry with the Stars, said Drew Dorweiler consultant. A team in Houston fits well with the strategy Bettman to have teams in the southern United States. And even if the NHL has indicated that the issue of conferences was not an issue [there are 16 teams in the East and 14 teams in the West], it remains missing two teams in the West. "
CANDIDATE IN THE LATE 1990S
Houston was in the running in 1997 when the NHL chose its last expansion teams. The NHL then chose Atlanta and Minnesota, and Nashville and Columbus. Applications Houston and Oklahoma City had been excluded.
"There were no suitable theater for NHL hockey in Houston at that time," says Drew Dorweiler.
If the project goes ahead Houston this time, the group plans to become a tenant of the Toyota Center, the amphitheater in downtown Houston which already hosts the matches of the Rockets, the NBA team. Inaugurated in 2003, the Toyota Center is also run by the owners of the Rockets. If it is not possible to have a lease at the Toyota Center, the group of business people considering building an amphitheater in northern Houston.
Houston has never had an NHL team, but the city has hosted a team from the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1978 (Houston had also defeated the Quebec Nordiques in the final of the Avco Cup in 1975 ). Houston had been in line to join the NHL in 1979 with the dissolution of the World Association (as did the Nordics), but rather the NHL had accepted applications from Quebec, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Hartford.
In 1994 and 2013, the Houston Aeros played in the International League and the American Hockey League. The AHL Minnesota Wild moved to Houston in Iowa in 2013 because the Wild was unable to agree to a new lease at the Toyota Center. In their last two seasons, the Houston Aeros finished respectively at 7 th place (average of 6793 spectators per game) and the 5 th place in the American League in assists (of 30 teams).
affaires.lapresse.ca/201506/26/01-4881020-de-linteret-pour-une-equipe-de-la-lnh-a-houston.php
