The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) Thread - Page 9

JHikka · #**161** Posted **Nov 14, 2012, 4:37 PM**

That's good news for the NBL to get Ottawa. I think it helps for smaller markets like Saint John if there are seemingly bigger markets visiting (Ottawa/Montreal)...at least I think it would be better for ticket sales and interest. We already have Moncton and Halifax as decent rivalries but it's good to have those larger markets as well. I suppose this can be said more for the QMJHL than the NBL, but it does apply to some extent.

Clayton Park · #**162** Posted **Nov 14, 2012, 8:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I seriously think this league is here to stay!

You're probably right about the league, but Ottawa might not be the 9th team.

Montreal and Windsor have to be question marks (until a team makes it through a 1st season, you never know) And wasn't Oshawa on thin ice last year?

Ottawa could end up an expansion team in a 6 team league.

MonctonRad · #**163** Posted **Nov 14, 2012, 9:03 PM**

Yes, you are indeed right about Montreal, especially since it is currently under league ownership.

The league governors however tried to make sure that prospective owners would realize that they might face 2-3 lean years in the beginning. Hopefully the franchise owners will be patient. Windsor hopefully will be OK, they had 4,000 out to their home opener. If Oshawa fails, I'm sure the NBL will try to come up with another location and ownership group in the GTA.

What are Oshawa's attendance figures like so far this year?

JasonL-Moncton · #**164** Posted **Nov 15, 2012, 1:56 PM**

Wish I'd made it to the game last night between Moncton and Saint John...sounds like it was a back and fourth barn burner from what I read on Twitter.

Final 109-106 for SJ in double overtime! <<< bet that was a good game!

MonctonRad · #**165** Posted **Nov 15, 2012, 2:27 PM**

I was there, it was a good game, especially in the overtime sessions.

Moncton squandered a lot of scoring chances in regulation time, and probably should have won the game outright. Saint John on the other hand did very well with free throws and shooting three pointers.

Give out boys credit though, they battled back from a 15 point defiicit in the fourth quarter to tie the game and almost won it in the final minute.

Only slightly more than 1,300 in attendance, which was disappointing. I suppose this was because it was a mid week game....

David_99 · #**166** Posted **Nov 15, 2012, 4:22 PM**

Yeah, I was surprised how empty it was. I was lucky to score some free court side seats. You're right, great game and could have easily gone Moncton's way. It was enough to make a fan out of me!

PS
Moncton's mascot looks like the "Greendale Human Beings" mascot on Community lol.

MonctonRad · #**167** Posted **Nov 23, 2012, 1:55 AM**

Moncton Miracles defeated Summerside Storm tonight 97-86.

We are on a three game winning streak and are now tied for first place in the Atlantic Division!

This is certainly a different team that the previous year (although we have four returning players)

MonctonRad · #**168** Posted **Nov 30, 2012, 2:10 AM**

Moncton Miracles beat Oshawa Power tonight 93-88.

This is a significant win because Moncton now has more victories so far this year (not yet 1/3 of the way through the season) than they had all last year.

The Miracles record is now 8-4 and they stand first in the Atlantic Division and second in the league.

nwalbert · #**169** Posted **Dec 17, 2012, 4:37 PM**

The Saint John Mill Rats just completed an impressive week where they beat all three teams in the Atlantic Division and have moved into a tie for second place. Two very exciting games against Halifax and Summerside followed by a complete blowout of Moncton yesterday.

Moncton has lost five games in a row and currently sits in last place.

Across the NBL it looks as though the London Lightning are still the team to beat as they sit at 11-1.

MonctonRad · #**170** Posted **Dec 17, 2012, 4:45 PM**

Ricky Benitez has just been fired as Moncton's head coach. I gather there was a player revolt and they complained to the owner. He was pretty strict and the team was getting demoralized.

It will be interesting to see what this means for the rest of the season.....

nwalbert · #**171** Posted **Dec 24, 2012, 12:23 AM**

Saint John extended their wining streak to five game this weekend.

On Saturday night they blew out Moncton again and beat PEI in a close one this afternoon. Saint John now sits alone in first place.

Moncton broke their six game losing streak with an overtime win against Halifax this afternoon.

MonctonRad · #**172** Posted **Jan 21, 2013, 4:07 PM**

The Moncton Miracles are currently on a four game winning streak (their first ever) and sit second in the Atlantic Division with a 15-15 record and fourth overall in the league.

The new coach, Dennis Truax, has the boys settled down and playing good basketball. He has been pretty steady since taking over from Ricky Benitez. Perhaps the change was necessary, I gather that the team was pretty demoralized playing for the strict Benitez.

The team has established a pattern of being behind by 10-15 points at the half, but then blowing out the opposition in the third quarter to take the lead. I wonder if this is a deliberate strategy?

We have a new point guard, Herman Favors, who is working out very well. Between him and Oliver McNally, we have a good one-two punch at that position.

I am beginning to get quite confident for a playoff birth this year!

Attendance is creeping up, with the team pretty consistently getting 1,600-1,700 per game. If we make the playoffs, it will be interesting to see how many come out to the games. A good deep run in the post season might make a big difference for attendance next year.....

Bishop2047 · #**173** Posted **Jan 22, 2013, 11:13 PM**

Glad to see the league doing so well and growing in popularity! Would love to see a team in Fredericton. Would make some great rivalry games and would have a monopoly of the sports scene (minus unb). However I wonder if the same issues that have impeeded the qmjhl from expanding to the area will keep the nbl out.

MonctonRad · #**174** Posted **Jan 22, 2013, 11:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bishop2047

Glad to see the league doing so well and growing in popularity! Would love to see a team in Fredericton. Would make some great rivalry games and would have a monopoly of the sports scene (minus unb). However I wonder if the same issues that have impeeded the qmjhl from expanding to the area will keep the nbl out.

The league isn't out of the woods yet, and in particular we will have to wait and see what happens to the central Canadian teams but I would give the NBL at least a 50/50 chance at long term success.

The Maritime teams are doing quite well. The Miracles actually have the lowest attendance in the Atlantic Division. I am particularly shocked at how popular the Summerside team is. They get 2,200-2,400 per game in attendance in a city of only 15,000.

If the NBL can survive another 3-4 years and can form a stable cadre of 12 franchises, then I think it will be here for the long haul.

As for Fredericton, wasn't there a prospective ownership group fronted by Kelly Lamrock that was looking at a franchise? Whatever happened there? If the university kept the NBL out of the Aitken Centre, is there another option like the new Grant*Harvey Centre?

Bishop2047 · #**175** Posted **Jan 22, 2013, 11:48 PM**

There was a group headed by Mr. Lamerock, unsure of what has come of that. The ideal place would be the new Currie center (unb owned) can seat up to 2000 I beleive. Such a great facillity, but probly will not happen. I am not sure if the new Harvey Grant arena can be adjusted for a baskeball game as easily as the aitken center, or if thats even an option.

I am happy to see the league thrive in a smaller market like summerside. What is the current average attendance in the maritimes? I am sure that the ontario teams are doing quite well.

JHikka · #**176** Posted **Jan 23, 2013, 12:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bishop2047

I am happy to see the league thrive in a smaller market like summerside. What is the current average attendance in the maritimes? I am sure that the ontario teams are doing quite well.

I can calculate an average attendance some time tonight/tomorrow.

Edit - Averages calculated!

Average Home Attendances
As of: January 20th, 2013
Halifax - 2,679
London - 2,331
Summerside - 1,980
Saint John - 1,913
Moncton - 1,638
Windsor - 635
Montreal - 488
Oshawa - 420

Montreal and Windsor have played fewer home games than the other teams and Montreal barely had a team this year (and they're very poor at that) so they can be given a moderate pass. I would be concerned about Oshawa and Windsor, whereas London seems to be doing well attendance-wise. Halifax, Summerside, Saint John, and Moncton are all drawing well. Halifax holds the title of highest attendance so far this season when they drew 4,538.

Clayton Park · #**177** Posted **Jan 23, 2013, 5:13 PM**

Thanks for those numbers JHikka

Windsor, Oshawa and Montreal appear to be on thin ice.

But with Ottawa coming on-line that still leaves us with (at worst) a 6 team league for next year

JHikka · #**178** Posted **Jan 23, 2013, 5:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clayton Park

Thanks for those numbers JHikka

Windsor, Oshawa and Montreal appear to be on thin ice.

But with Ottawa coming on-line that still leaves us with (at worst) a 6 team league for next year

As I said before I think Montreal can be given a bye this year as they 1)Almost didn't exist anyway and 2) Have an absolutely dreadful team. I would be interested in seeing how their attendance figures would react given a better team and a year for a base to develop.

Oshawa and Windsor are worrisome.

MonctonRad · #**179** Posted **Jan 23, 2013, 6:00 PM**

Windsor is a new team this year too. I think they will likely get to have at least another season to prove themselves attendance wise,

The real question mark is Oshawa. They are competing for attention in the GTA. This is a big problem for them. Maybe the franchise should move somewhere like Kitchener-Waterloo..........

cormiermax · #**180** Posted **Jan 23, 2013, 6:24 PM**

Oshawa wont last long with numbers like that.