The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) Thread - Page 12

MonctonRad · #**221** Posted **Apr 5, 2013, 5:38 PM**

Interesting...

So, with two new expansion franchises in central Canada (Ottawa and Brampton), that will mean six central Canadian teams and four Atlantic teams next year, unless we lose a franchise or two in the meantime (like Montreal).

I wonder what this will mean for divisional alignment?

Will they keep the divisions asymmetric, or will they put Montreal in with the Atlantic Division? Personally, I don't think they would do this, especially with the new Ottawa franchise. They would want to encourage regional rivalries....

I wonder if they won't keep an asymmetric alignment next year, and hope for another couple of central Canadian expansion franchises the following year. Then they could have a 12 team league with three division of four teams each.....

MonctonRad · #**222** Posted **Apr 29, 2013, 1:22 PM**

A few notes on the NBL for next year:

- The Oshawa Power have been sold and will be relocating to Mississauga. This will probably be a good thing as the team was struggling in Oshawa.
- With two new teams (Brampton & Ottawa) joining the league next year, there will now be 10 teams in the league (five in Ontario)
- It has been confirmed that the Montreal Jazz will be back next year. This is obviously a league decision in order to keep a presence in Quebec in general (and Montreal in particular). At present, it is still a league operated franchise but they are hopeful that a new owner will be found.
- With the new Ontario teams, it is likely that the Jazz will be transferred to the Atlantic Division.

The presumed divisional line-ups therefore will be:

Atlantic Division

- Halifax
- Moncton
- Saint John
- Summerside
- Montreal

Central Division

- Ottawa
- Mississauga
- Brampton
- London
- Windsor

MonctonRad · #**223** Posted **Jun 25, 2013, 1:49 PM**

New playoff format for next year:

- two five team divisions
- top four teams in each division make the playoffs
- quarter & semifinals will be intradivisional and will be best of five
- finals (Atlantic vs Central) will be best of seven.

Sounds like a good format to me!

josh_cat_eyes · #**224** Posted **Jun 26, 2013, 3:38 AM**

I quite like some of the logos:

MonctonRad · #**225** Posted **Aug 19, 2013, 2:02 PM**

It appears that the league has given up on Montreal as a market (for the time being at least). It will be a nine team league next year.

Also, the Summerside Storm have decamped to Charlottetown for the upcoming season and will now be called the PEI Storm. It will be very interesting to see what happens to their fan base. I wonder if they will play a few games in Summerside to maintain a relationship to the community?

The Atlantic Division therefore will be:

- Halifax Rainmen
- Saint John Mill Rats
- Moncton Miracles
- PEI Storm

MonctonRad · #**226** Posted **Sep 19, 2013, 1:35 PM**

According to the T&T today, the NBL is now open to considering applications for new teams from western Canada.

This is an interesting development. I presume this will mean the addition of a third division within the league. The distances involved would tend to mandate this......

fenwick16 · #**227** Posted **Sep 20, 2013, 1:54 AM**

It is good to see teams in Brampton and Mississauga. It gives me a couple of options to go and see the Rainmen play.

JHikka · #**228** Posted **Sep 20, 2013, 3:24 AM**

May have to catch the Mill Rats when they visit Ottawa

swish · #**229** Posted **Sep 20, 2013, 4:18 AM**

I really admire those logos as well there is nary a bad one in the bunch at all! I plan to attend a game in Charlottetown sometime this year and it will be my first game but i am sad for Summerside's loss and agree with MoctonRad i hope they can play some games there again.

nwalbert · #**230** Posted **Feb 3, 2014, 5:01 PM**

Saint John has been doing very well in the NBL this season. The Island and Saint John should be able to compete with the top teams, however Moncton and halifax are having pretty rough seasons.

Saint John Mill Rats 18 11
The Island Storm 16 13
Moncton Miracles 11 20
Halifax Rainmen 6 23

Windsor Express 21 7
Brampton A's 20 10
London Lightning 20 11
Ottawa SkyHawks 15 17
Mississauga Power 9 24

Bishop2047 · #**231** Posted **Feb 3, 2014, 11:05 PM**

I wonder what the attendance numbers are in the Ontario division. The Saint John games I have been to have been well attended. Still hoping we get one in Freddy, but I have a feeling we wont for the same reason we wont get a QMJHL team.

Trevor3 · #**232** Posted **Feb 4, 2014, 12:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bishop2047

I wonder what the attendance numbers are in the Ontario division. The Saint John games I have been to have been well attended. Still hoping we get one in Freddy, but I have a feeling we wont for the same reason we wont get a QMJHL team.

Agreed. I'd love to check this league out but I haven't been able to work a trip to SJ into the schedule yet. Still haven't gotten to a Q game since I've been in Freddy either and that's got to change ASAP.

MonctonRad · #**233** Posted **Feb 4, 2014, 12:23 AM**

I think the Miracles have been averaging just shy of 2,000 fans per game this year. A lot of this is due to aggressive marketing of the team (and the product isn't bad either).

As far as I know, attendance for at least some of the teams in Ontario is atrocious. London (and I think Windsor) are doing well, but the teams in the Golden Horseshoe are really struggling. I have no idea how well Ottawa is doing.

Monctoncore · #**234** Posted **Feb 4, 2014, 10:28 AM**

Here are the attendances per game this year, according to the league the team must maintain a 1200 person average over the whole year, most ontario teams with the exception of London are falling behind.

http://frankmartminors.blogspot.ca/2...ce-report.html

nwalbert · #**235** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 2:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

Here are the attendances per game this year, according to the league the team must maintain a 1200 person average over the whole year, most ontario teams with the exception of London are falling behind.

http://frankmartminors.blogspot.ca/2...ce-report.html

You are correct. London has led the league in attendance since league inception. The rest of the Ontario teams have struggled. Does not bode well for the future of the league.

All of the Maritime teams do reasonably well in attendance with Saint John leading the way at just shy of 1700 per game.

Will be interesting to see if the league is around next year. Especially since they have never replaced Rogers as the key sponsor.

nwalbert · #**236** Posted **Feb 27, 2014, 2:17 PM**

The Saint John Mill Rats clinched first place in the Atlantic Division last night with another win over the Moncton Miracles. The Island Storm are locked in for second place, Moncton third, and Halifax the fourth seed.

Saint John will have home court in a best of 5 series against Halifax and The Island will host Moncton as the playoffs kickoff next week. The winners of those two series will play a 7 game set to decided the Atlantic division champion.

The eventual winner of the Atlantic Division will face off versus the Central division winner for the NBL championship.

Taeolas · #**237** Posted **Feb 27, 2014, 4:18 PM**

It's a shame they don't seem to get more advertising. Here in Fredericton, I've never heard them (and not being a sports fan I don't go out of my way to look for them). Fox will give the NBA scores for the Raptors in the sports news section, but there's no promotion for the Moncton or SJ teams at all.

I don't watch TV news at all, do they get any mention on any of the Maritime news casts?

nwalbert · #**238** Posted **Feb 27, 2014, 7:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taeolas

It's a shame they don't seem to get more advertising. Here in Fredericton, I've never heard them (and not being a sports fan I don't go out of my way to look for them). Fox will give the NBA scores for the Raptors in the sports news section, but there's no promotion for the Moncton or SJ teams at all.

I don't watch TV news at all, do they get any mention on any of the Maritime news casts?

Your right, it is a shame. I have rarely if ever seen them on TV. Here in SJ the Mill Rats gets significant coverage in the newspaper. There is almost a daily page article in the sports section.

They really need to do a better job of advertising the talent level as well. I have heard folks compare it to CIS or even indicate CIS is higher quality. The TOP CIS players get destroyed in this league. These guys are past NCAA division I players that are bigger, faster, and more skilled than any ball in Canada.

Hopefully it catches it on. The PEI team just invested in a $100K bus for transporting their team around.

MonctonRad · #**239** Posted **Feb 27, 2014, 7:41 PM**

Good news about the bus for the PEI team.

The Miracles also get significant coverage in the T&T as well, and like in SJ there are articles almost daily. The CBC will report team scores too. There's pretty good awareness about the team in the city, and attendance at the games is in the 1,700-1,800 range.

I am still concerned about the league in general. The central division has to develop an identity in Ontario for the league to survive. I wonder if they shouldn't concentrate on more second tier Ontario cities for expansion (e.g. Barrie, Peterborough and St Catherines) rather than places like Mississauga and Oshawa. Teams in the GTA would just get lost in all the noise, but a team in Barrie for example would be a relatively bigger deal.

Monctoncore · #**240** Posted **Feb 27, 2014, 7:51 PM**

I honestly think, in time the league will flourish, its the same as anything, it takes time before you can draw in the fans, I have a feeling in about 5 years time the teams will be seeing bigger crowds, the league just needs to promote themselves and if they don't the teams should try, do more charity work, get out in the community, make news anyway possible to attract fans.