975 replies to this topic

[jonny]

The chance of them leaving Calgary is next to zero.

Where are they going to go? Oklahoma? Salt Lake City?

Oh, I know, a hockey loving town like Albuquerque!

Who are they kidding. Now if they want a fancy stadium they can arrange to build it, but to hold their fan base hostage like this is absolutely outrageous.

 

Welcome to pro sports extortion 101, where teams have been threatening to leave since 1965 unless cities bow to their stadium demands! 

 

I agree that the Flames probably will not leave Calgary...but, stranger things have happened

[VicHockeyFan]

I don't really like John Oliver anymore, but this is pretty good...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcwJt4bcnXs

[Mike K.]

Every guy out there with a Flames tattoo is sweating a little, no doubt, but for the team to treat their fans this way is ...it's horrible. Where's the loyalty? Where's the appreciation for generations of Calgarians calling the Flames their home team in a city that lives and breaths hockey?

Actually, you know what? The Flames can move. The Calgary market will then be wide open for one of the other silly franchise locations to move to a true hockey town.

[VicHockeyFan]

Canada is lucky to have 7 teams as it is.  I'm not so sure a team would come back if Calgary left.  See:  Canada's one NBA team, one MLB team and zero NFL teams.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 13 September 2017 - 03:35 PM.

[Bingo]

Canada is lucky to have 7 teams as it is.  I'm not so sure a team would come back if Calgary left.  

I think the same holds true for Vancouver. The Canucks would go just as the Grizzlies did 16 years ago.

[AllseeingEye]

Seattle isn't a hockey town, not even close. That's not to say the NHL wouldn't be interested in the event a new arena is built mind you...

 

....however, In order, they are a Seahawks, college (UW) Huskies, Mariners, college B-ball (if like the NHL the NBA ever returns) and then last and certainly least "hockey" market. Hell in a Seattle Times poll of Seattle sports fans less than four years ago NASCAR was actually number 5 - and the NHL? Rated twelfth among the 5000+ participants in the poll.

 

Seattle hockey fans had an opportunity to see some guy named Gretzky in his prime in an exhibition game between LA and Detroit in the early 90's when the Kings were on the verge of getting to the Stanley Cup finals and barely pulled in 8000 fans: and in the US the Red Wings are the most popular "road" team by quite a margin. While I agree 'anything' is possible I think its safe to say the Flames are going nowhere....

Edited by AllseeingEye, 13 September 2017 - 04:17 PM.

[lanforod]

Hard to call Vegas a Hockey town either, but...

[LJ]

There are private interests in Seattle that have stated that they will build an arena at their expense to get an NHL team.

[AllseeingEye]

There are private interests in Seattle that have stated that they will build an arena at their expense to get an NHL team.

Yep headed up by Ted Leiweke ex-CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment now head of the Oak View Group out of LA. They have deep pockets for sure although I suspect the ultimate prize from their standpoint is the potential return of the NBA to Seattle.

[jonny]

Canada is lucky to have 7 teams as it is.  I'm not so sure a team would come back if Calgary left.  See:  Canada's one NBA team, one MLB team and zero NFL teams.

 

Baloney. 

 

The owners of Arizona, Anaheim, Dallas, Florida, Carolina, Colorado, St Louis, Columbus and probably a few others would trade franchises with Calgary in a heartbeat. 

[VicHockeyFan]

You are only looking at bums in seats. That's now a small part of major pro sports.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 14 September 2017 - 07:47 AM.

[jonny]

Every guy out there with a Flames tattoo is sweating a little, no doubt, but for the team to treat their fans this way is ...it's horrible. Where's the loyalty? Where's the appreciation for generations of Calgarians calling the Flames their home team in a city that lives and breaths hockey?

Actually, you know what? The Flames can move. The Calgary market will then be wide open for one of the other silly franchise locations to move to a true hockey town.

 

Now that the Flames have made this negotiation and battle public, Nenshi is firing back and has in fact gotten the blessing from city council to publicly disclose the city's offers. The latest offer was apparently for a $600M arena (approx what Edmonton's arena cost) with $400M in public funding and $200M from the Flames. 

 

Yep headed up by Ted Leiweke ex-CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment now head of the Oak View Group out of LA. They have deep pockets for sure although I suspect the ultimate prize from their standpoint is the potential return of the NBA to Seattle.

 

They have stated that they want both a NHL and NBA teams. 

[jonny]

You are only looking at bums in seats. That's now a small part of major pro sports.

 

No I'm not. I'm looking at franchise values and revenues. 

 

According to Forbes, the Canucks are the 7th most valuable NHL franchise. The Flames are 16th. The Oilers are 14th. 

 

https://www.forbes.c...s/#65972772408d

 

The Flames, Oilers and Canucks all routinely spend to the maximum on the NHL's salary cap. Many, many NHL teams do not because they have internal caps that are much lower (i.e. they cannot afford to). 

Edited by jonny, 14 September 2017 - 07:56 AM.

[jonny]

I think the same holds true for Vancouver. The Canucks would go just as the Grizzlies did 16 years ago.

 

lol you're cray. 

 

The Canucks are one of the NHL's big boy teams. 

 

Even the NBA has admitted letting the Grizzlies move was a mistake. The Expos should still be in Montreal, and Vancouver has been suggested as a possible future MLB market. 

[jonny]

Hard to call Vegas a Hockey town either, but...

 

Surely the business case around Vegas revolves around planeloads of visiting fans cheering on whoever the away team happens to be for that night. 

[VicHockeyFan]

^ that business plan can only go so far.

There is no capacity to carry 10,000 Winnipeg fans to LV on a Tuesday night in February.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 14 September 2017 - 08:07 AM.

[jonny]

^ that business plan can only go so far.

There is no capacity to carry 10,000 Winnipeg fans to LV on a Tuesday night in February.

 

It'll be interesting to see how things shake out this year. I guarantee that there will be lots of away fans. Thousands per game.

 

Vegas is not a particularly large or wealthy city and has zero hockey pedigree. But, things have worked out pretty well in Nashville, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I guess the hope is that the locals are so starved for a major league team that they'll give the NHL a shot. 

[VicHockeyFan]

LV had one of the most successful ECHL teams. So they know a bit of hockey.

[lanforod]

It's going to take more than a year to see the real results for two reasons:

1. More pro teams are coming. NFL for sure, NBA probably at some point.

2. The initial wave of support will likely die down over time.

[AllseeingEye]

Wow..Brock Boeser...the Canucks have a special player in that kid for sure as long as they bring him along and develop him properly. Kid has hands, a high hockey IQ and can snipe the puck for sure. Horvat and Boeser will definitely be leading that team once the Sedin's are done.