Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[DennisT]

Corey Perry, Katey Perry, same thing.

[Tom W]

Katy Perry's got a better rack

[Optimus Prime]

OP ...... You're spot on about revenues but, what about sustainability?

The mark of modern industry giants is just that - sustainability. NHL franchises, many of them, are not sustainable.

I'd bet owners would rather have a dependable 3-4billion annual take, one that is sustainable, over a dwindling one. And dwindling profitability for some NHL franchises is a certainty in my view. Some of these owners are going to get burned badly. Will they love Bettman's business model then?

For the "Prime Market" owners, yes. As in real estate and business, it's always been, location, location, location.

The Leafs top Forbes list at over billion in value, until this year had not made the playoffs in 9 years still managed 100 million dollar profit last year. Even Detroit made 21 million last year, which is remarkable considering the City has essentially become a third-world disaster.

20 of 30 teams made a profit last year. As for the bottom 3rd of the League, San Jose lost 900K the worst was Phoenix, they lost 20 Million but they are owned and subsidized by the NHL owners until they can entice new ownership.

By and large JB, it works. There is salary cap (cost certainty), league parity for the most part and revenue sharing for small or new market teams. Obviously the NHL cartel wants a stable and profitable league and they have been willing to share the pie in order to do so, Six consecutive years of record profit, where do you see that these days?

[Optimus Prime]

The only franchise that does not make sense right now is phoenix. Why bettman is determined to be there is anyones quess, seeing that he could have moved this team to Hamilton two years ago and done quite well.

New Arena, favorable terms, 1/4 of the Phoenix population are SnowBirds from Western Canada that market has potential.

I suspect the Buds, Wings & Sabres have blocked a southern Ontario team for years. Why compete, your cable providers don't?

Seattle, Kansas City (again) , Hamilton & Quebec City are all logical locations for expansion or re-settlement. IMO.

[Hannibal]

IMHO a team in Hamilton would be a disaster. Too much saturation of that market already, and probably too many established loyalties to the Sabres, Maple Leafs, or Red Wings to provide the financial support needed.

[Optimus Prime]

Copps Arena (19 000 capacity) is within 50 miles of Toronto & Buffalo, both franchises have openly blocked an NHL team there.

London , Ontario will do very nicely, there are 14 million people in the Province and can easily support 3 NHL teams.

In the spring of 2009, the Phoenix Coyotes filed for bankruptcy and Jim Balsillie (BlackBerry) immediately offered a rumoured $212.5 Million US, while stating he wanted to move the franchise to Southwestern Ontario and agreed to a 20 year lease with Copps Arena and the City of Hamilton and a full arena renovation plan.

Instead, now NHL owners bought the Coyotes for 120 million and waste 20+ million a year sustaining the franchise, crazy. Buffalo should fold or relocate too, they have a loyal fanbase but the market is too damn small.

[Hannibal]

The people that you speak of are largely concentrated away from Hamilton. Windsor is Detroit territory, and Toronto is Maple Leaf/Buffalo territory. Ottawa is -- Ottawa. Hamilton will have to draw 19,000 people per game from the relatively sparsely populated area to the west of Lake Ontario that don't already have loyalties. This, to me, is like putting a team in Toledo or Milwaukee. Per Wikipedia, Buffalo actually has a larger metropolitan population than Hamilton, albeit less in the city limits. A team in Hamilton would be a poor man's Quebec Nordiques or New York Islanders.

[Optimus Prime]

Interesting Hannibal.

Although I grew up in Michigan/Alberta, I can say this, as an Ontarian by birth, I can pretty much guarantee that Hamilton Arena would be soldout every single game.

George can you believe a 3-3 knotted series, game 7 tonight against the Bruins?

I gave the Buds about 1 in 100 chance of beating Boston and after watching G1, I downgraded that to zero.

Go Leafs!

[geo weidl]

The people that you speak of are largely concentrated away from Hamilton. Windsor is Detroit territory, and Toronto is Maple Leaf/Buffalo territory. Ottawa is -- Ottawa. Hamilton will have to draw 19,000 people per game from the relatively sparsely populated area to the west of Lake Ontario that don't already have loyalties. This, to me, is like putting a team in Toledo or Milwaukee. Per Wikipedia, Buffalo actually has a larger metropolitan population than Hamilton, albeit less in the city limits. A team in Hamilton would be a poor man's Quebec Nordiques or New York Islanders.

Hamilton would have no problem with a franchise there, there is even talk about putting a second franchise in Toronto area. The only problem that I could see with the nhl and Hamilton in regards to the phoenix move, was Jim Balsilie owner of RIM. Seems as if he rubbed them the wrong way. Canadian teams have never had a problem with filling their rinks, the US dollar was the big problem a few years back. As for Windsor being Detroit territory, it is pretty well split between Detroit, Toronto and Montreal.

[Mike]

I recall that when Balsillie made his bid for the Phoenix franchise he had secured deposits for over 15,000 season tickets in one day. They would have no problem supporting the team and filling Copps Arena.

[Optimus Prime]

I don't think Babcock is going anywhere, even if the Wings get swept by the Blackhawks.

This is going to be a very bad series for Detroit.

Blackhawks in 3!

[WingsFan]

2 game 7s tonight !! Im almost cheering for Toronto over Boston, seems forever they won a playoff series or even was in.

Used to watch them every Sat night on CBC HNIC as a kid, back then they were on more than the Red Wings.

[geo weidl]

Here we are trying to get the violence out of hockey in NA and the russians are starting them off early.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/watch-insane-youth-hockey-fight-russia-flying-players-165817182.html

[Hannibal]

Here we are trying to get the violence out of hockey in NA and the russians are starting them off early.


http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-pu...165817182.html

Does this mean that in 30 years, Russia will have their own version of Don Cherry complaining about what pussies North Americans are?

[madootra]

Right now, Ricky Nash, and Corey Perry are leading in the voting for "Gutless Disappointments".......