theminister Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 That's an interesting take. My gut belief would be, if they were moving as a stop gap, they would do Vegas first (balances the conferences, and retains a large southern tv market) then expand to QC and Seattle in 2-3 years, but that's a convincing argument for QC first. Hey, was it you who, a month or two back, was saying that there were some indicators in public Vegas city financial records of an nhl team coming? (disclaimer, I'm probably phrasing that very poorly as its a vague memory). Well, we know Gary doesn't give a crap about symmetry. He said so. When does he ever lie or mislead?!? So I'd guess that balancing the conferences is not an immediate concern. They can wait five years for that. Also they will wait until AEG arena is finished before moving to LV.... IMO. They'll want the fresh start. I think the NHL would love to be able to sell two new arenas as a boost in revenue starting next year (Barclay's), and then be able to do the same with LV and Seattle in a couple of years. Disclaimer....I think that the NHL would allow moving into Key Arena until the one in Seattle is ready. I think the plan is to use KC as a fail safe for Phoenix. It was. In their original building permit application AEG listed 'professional hockey' as one of their main products in the building. Dollars to doughnuts that they didn't mean The Wranglers or a once a year event. These type of private investments don't come with that level of speculation. They leave that for publicly funded arenas. LV has been an open secret around the league for two years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 huh, I must've had it backwards, I though LV's arena was ahead of QC's. Looking now I see QC - late summer 2015 LV - spring 2016 consider me swayed by your points Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horny Manatee Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Still louder than Rogers Arena. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebuddy Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 It would be a really good idea actually. Luongo could probably bankroll some of that team, if he wants the team that badly. Of course, I think it's pressure from his wife that's forcing him back to FLA. I think he enjoyed his time in Vancouver and the weather wasn't that bad. But the distance away from the wife and kid was a kill factor. In addition, Vancouver media/and the team itself made some terrible decisions for the Winter Classic... it was not Tortorella's brightest idea. I'm sure he loves being back in familiar territory,especially with a nice contract in place and out of being in the fishbowl in Vancouver. He can probably walk around relatively anonymously now, and wait to see if Tallon can build a Cup contender around him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iinatcc Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 You telling me you wouldn't want to sit in the beautiful state of Florida making millions slapping a puck around? But with no fans. I'm no professional athlete but I would think it would be better playing in a market with a rabid fanbase like a the Canadian or Northern American Markets. That sight of seeing those empty seats in games has quite a depressing feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prana16 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I've seen ten year olds figure skating practices with more moms in the stands than that game..and i'm only barely exaggerating. Time to move on gary I think 20 years is a long enough experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasSkywalker Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 An interesting article on the low attendance by Scott Burnside of ESPN. http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/32801/panthers-president-says-empty-seats-not-acceptable Time to move the Panthers to Quebec for next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Its more accurate to say that what we are seeing now is how its been the whole time, its just that the Panthers are no longer practically giving tickets away. (5$ in some cases) Im sick of the NHL subsidizing these teams that hemorrhage money. Maybe Im being callous, but its not like there are many Panther fans to offend here. If they are going to blame anyone for the state of things, maybe just for once it should be all their fellow Floridians who have no interest whatsoever in the game. Once upon a time, they had some pretty hardcore fans, as mentioned earlier in this thread by some people here. Back then, the team was ACTUALLY good. The interest is there. Tampa Bay Lightning more or less reflects that. No surprise that it's starting to become a good team and there's results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckNORRIS4Cup Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 As embarrassing as it is, it's also very embarrassing to the NHL, and their name. What needs to happen, is every time this happens it needs to be all over the media, let everyone in the world see how much of a disgrace this franchise is to the NHL. By doing this the NHL will be forced to do something, so they aren't some laughing stock. The NHL would rather have people talking about their superstars, but if the media is showing the world how bad attendance is for one of their teams, it will make the name NHL look bad and they will have to do something to change it. Keep showing the world how no one cares about this team and change will happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jägermeister Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Remember the good times That might be the coolest video ever. From the music to the graphics, just so dope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Provost Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Luongo will probably retire when the team gets relocated to Quebec City or elsewhere in the next couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 But with no fans. I'm no professional athlete but I would think it would be better playing in a market with a rabid fanbase like a the Canadian or Northern American Markets. That sight of seeing those empty seats in games has quite a depressing feel. When you are making millions of dollars to play a sport where your "Best Before Date" ends before many people think about starting a family, you will play wherever you can. Remember, athletes are people with families too. They want to go to a place that is the most comfortable for them, while also getting the most for their dollar. If I had the choice to play wherever I wanted in the NHL, Florida/Tampa would be at the top of the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabreFan1 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Having a poor team is no excuse not to go to hockey games. Not going until "there's a good team on the ice" shows that the fans in a market are fickle and fair-weather fans. Not only should you love your team, but above all you need to love the game of hockey itself. If you live in a city that is privileged enough to have an NHL team, there's no excuse for not showing up to your own arena to watch your team play the game. The only message that's being sent by not going is that certain markets are having silent years long temper tantrums. If you can't even bother to show when your tickets are among the lowest price in the league, then you do not deserve a team. Like I said, don't just love your team, love the game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNACanuck Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Having a poor team is no excuse not to go to hockey games. Not going until "there's a good team on the ice" shows that the fans in a market are fickle and fair-weather fans. Not only should you love your team, but above all you need to love the game of hockey itself. If you live in a city that is privileged enough to have an NHL team, there's no excuse for not showing up to your own arena to watch your team play the game. The only message that's being sent by not going is that certain markets are having silent years long temper tantrums. If you can't even bother to show when your tickets are among the lowest price in the league, then you do not deserve a team. Like I said, don't just love your team, love the game! Well said. If you've got less than 2-3K seats filled out of 20K going on a winning streak will not solve the problem. Even if they did start winning, the fanbase(as tiny as it is) has become accustomed to $25 tickets. Start filling the arena and raise the prices and they'll probably scoff at paying. People go to Florida for southbeach, bikinis and retirement. Moving the team is gonna happen, sooner or later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boudrias Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 By no stretch is Quebec City a major league city. For those complaining about NHL 'equalization' payments going to Florida I suggest revisiting Canada's national equalization program. The province of Quebec receives almost $15 Billion a year from the rest of Canada. They get the $9/day daycare and subsidized education that no one else can afford. I suggest that any team moved to Quebec City will be on the NHL dole within 5 years. Move the Panthers to a real sports town, Seattle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepouet Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 By no stretch is Quebec City a major league city. For those complaining about NHL 'equalization' payments going to Florida I suggest revisiting Canada's national equalization program. The province of Quebec receives almost $15 Billion a year from the rest of Canada. They get the $9/day daycare and subsidized education that no one else can afford. And how is that related to having a NHL team? Yeah you're right, hockey can't work in this province. Just look at the Habs and their razor thin profits... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amish Rake Fighter Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 By no stretch is Quebec City a major league city. For those complaining about NHL 'equalization' payments going to Florida I suggest revisiting Canada's national equalization program. The province of Quebec receives almost $15 Billion a year from the rest of Canada. They get the $9/day daycare and subsidized education that no one else can afford. I suggest that any team moved to Quebec City will be on the NHL dole within 5 years. Move the Panthers to a real sports town, Seattle. During the Nordiques last year in Quebec, they had a higher average attendance than the Canucks, the Bruins, the Oilers, the Jets, the Capitals, the Islanders, the Senators, the Whalers and the Panthers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winter Soldier Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 During the Nordiques last year in Quebec, they had a higher average attendance than the Canucks, the Bruins, the Oilers, the Jets, the Capitals, the Islanders, the Senators, the Whalers and the Panthers. Only to have the Avs win the cup the next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boudrias Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 So what. They still folded for financial reasons. Very little corporate support. I agree that long term the Senators and Jets are in challenging markets, even today. Why add another? Especially one so firmly on the Canadian Equalization tit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 So what. They still folded for financial reasons. Very little corporate support. I agree that long term the Senators and Jets are in challenging markets, even today. Why add another? Especially one so firmly on the Canadian Equalization tit. You are aware how much things can change over two decades though, right? If there had been a new building and a salary cap they wouldn't even have moved then, and a strong argument can be made that they never should have in the first place. The city and province have lots of potential corporate support, the majority of which will come from Quebecor who has already committed. The CDN dollar notwithstanding, which is a huge factor, there are more hockey fans in this small market than in many large markets in the States. They have a built in market rather than needing to create one. What is important is that the arena will be sold out every night for the first 5 years, and that's pretty much a guarantee. They will sell merch. They will have luxury boxes. They will have tv viewership. Most importantly, if it were the Panthers relocating, this would take them from the bottom of the revenue scale toward the middle of the pack meaning that the revenue sharing pot could be redistributed toward teams in more need, giving them a larger share. At the same time it would raise league revenue meaning a higher cap floor which would make the NHLPA happy. Look at the Jets....very similar circumstances and factors, except QC will have a greater seating capacity. Who would say that was a mistake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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