Hollywood
Well-Known Member
Yup, time to pull the plug
on Arizona! No arena deal in place and playing in front of 5,000 people at a University multipurpose facility is the final nail in the coffin 
NHL Thread Because There Isn't An NHL Thread
- Thread starter Absolut Kaz
- Start date
on Arizona! No arena deal in place and playing in front of 5,000 people at a University multipurpose facility is the final nail in the coffin 
Turbo
Well-Known Member
Bettman is going with the premise that the Canadian market is saturated so if any new team gets added, according to this idea, there wouldn't be any more fans but just the splitting of already existing hockey fans towards the new teams. He's hellbent on hitting markets were completely new hockey fans are created, even if it's marginal.
I think it's short-sighted for many reasons.
Hollywood
Well-Known Member
Actually the hockey roots in Utah run deeper than people might realize. I was curious myself, and did a bit of digging and it turns out they had a minor pro hockey team based in SLC called the Golden Eagles
from 1969 to 1984 before relocating to Detroit. And of course, the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL are Utah's premier professional ice hockey club.
Turbo
Well-Known Member
Actually the hockey roots in Utah run deeper than people might realize. I was curious myself, and did a bit of digging and it turns out they had a minor pro hockey team based in SLC called the Golden Eagles
So, not zero, but kind of shallow roots then?
Hollywood
Well-Known Member
Shallow or not, it has a hockey history, and that may be enough, along with Ryan Smith's deep pockets, to convince the league and its BOG to approve the relocation of the Coyotes. I mean it can't be worse than the desert
Sebastian
It’s Wool…
Same as Las Vegas
Turbo
Well-Known Member
Shallow or not, it has a hockey history, and that may be enough, along with Ryan Smith's deep pockets, to convince the league and its BOG to approve the relocation of the Coyotes. I mean it can't be worse than the desert
Oh they will for sure convince the league. This is completely on par with Gary's M.O. of expanding to markets where there aare not a ton of hockey fans in order to create a new hockey market.
And absolutely, nothing can be worse than Arizona has been over the last 10 years.
Turbo
Well-Known Member
Yep, that's the whole point I'm making. Gary likes to expand to places where he hopes a new market emerges, so places that don't already have a lot of hockey fans.
Hollywood
Well-Known Member
Bettman also likes it when an NHL franchise is the first professional sports team to call a
market home i.e. Vegas.
Sebastian
It’s Wool…
Except I think there were already a lot of hockey fans here. When I used to go to Wranglers games, I used to sit with some long time hockey fans who would tell me all the time that the NHL wouldn’t work here because of the price of tickets. I also knew people who would bring themselves to support minor league because it wasn’t the “Pros”. Obviously their current success is a huge factor but I would love to see how much the fans here turnout when the success runs out because this city loves a winner.
I’d also like to see the out of town/local ratio.
Sebastian
It’s Wool…
Bettman also likes it when an NHL franchise is the first professional sports team to call a
But that doesn’t apply to Salt Lake.
Are there any major cities left that doesn’t have a professional team?
Hollywood
Well-Known Member
Austin, TX
Houston and Atlanta are the two at the top of the list.
Sebastian
It’s Wool…
They have pro teams
Sebastian
It’s Wool…
They do have MLS
I know but they're the top two choices the NHL are looking at
Sebastian
It’s Wool…
Hopefully it’s Atlanta.
sahomerrocks
Well-Known Member
My friend texted the group chat that we should start paying attention to the Flyers for the playoff push and they proceeded to lose 8 straight while getting just 2 loser points in that timeframe
