NHL team to Saskatoon??!?!?

[blacktrojan3921]

Another major problem that people keep pointing out with having an NHL team is what will happen to the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL, personally I don't think it will have much difference, the Calgary Hitmen, Edmonton Oil Kings, and Vancouver Giants have been very successful in they're respective cities even with an NHL team to compete with.

[Ayreonaut]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

@Ayreonaut

I admit to being a little high when I wrote that but I'm not so sure I deserved the bitch-slapping you gave me.

Bottom line: More teams will be relocating in the coming years and Saskatoon shouldn't be discounted outright.

BTW Columbus does not have strong fan support and the franchise is hemorrhaging money like nobody's business. I reckon they'll be auctioned off to the highest bidder sooner rather than later; relocation might be a different story however.

Heh, nothing personal.

I know the numbers won't back my claims about fan support in Columbus, but I still believe they exist. The team has made the playoffs once, and they were swept. This season could not have gone much worse (especially with the preseason expectations), but attendance is actually higher than last year (nearly 15,000 - similar to what the Flames were drawing during their 7-season playoff drought). Maybe it's just because Columbus is one of my favourite cities in the US, but I think if they can ice a decent product, the support will be there; this has not been the case in Phoenix or Dallas this season (and I believe the latter has the cheapest tickets in the league, and Phoenix can't be much more).

There are a few teams I wouldn't mind seeing move to Seattle or Canada, but I'd like to see the Jackets stay put.

[Wigs]

NHL to Saskatoon - would be nice! but while Gary Bettman (or another American pushing hockey on Southerners who don't get it) is commissioner of the league-no chance in hell

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

The Roughriders play mostly on the weekends, and driving from S'toon to Regina is a once a week thing. You aren't going to get many people wanting driving 2 hours back to Regina after the game ended at 11PM on a Wednesday night. Apples to Oranges.

Originally Posted by Me&You

During the winter

Well all you need is highspeed rail between Regina and Saskatoon, duh

[earl69]

Not in any of our lifetimes.

[Dalreg]

Originally Posted by earl69

Not in any of our lifetimes.

You plan on dying soon? I bet in my lifetime it does happen

[swilley]

Don Cherry says Saskatoon will get an NHL team
Legendary hockey icon thinks it'll be sooner, not later
Reported by News Talk Radio staff

Saskatoon will get an NHL team in the end, according to hockey icon Don Cherry.

He said it was the NHL itself that leaked information about a pitch being made for the new prairie team Saturday night on Coach's Corner, but did not have time to go into details.

He ripped through all of them Monday however, on News Talk Radio's Richard Brown Show, confirming with no lack of confidence the NHL will indeed be coming to Saskatoon, and that the Bridge City would have no trouble keeping a stadium arena sold out for home games.

"I really believe they're going to get it. Quebec's going to get one too, there's no doubt about that," Cherry said.

"If you can get 16,000 people to squeeze in around in there in boxes and the whole deal, well Winnipeg is doing it so why couldn't Saskatoon do it?"

He said Saskatoon's will come first, as the fact that Saskatoon has a rink ready to go is a big benefit which won't go overlooked.

"You've got a beautiful building there...everything's going for you, I'll tell you that," he added, pointing to Saskatoon's recent economic booms and status as one of the fastest growing cities in North America.

"When you've got a firm offer they'd better sit up and take notice."

Last week TSN's Bob McKenzie wrote about an unnamed group pitching a team for Saskatoon; media reports suggest it's the same group that's been bringing exhibition games to the city.

MLA confirms rumoured interested group

Saskatoon-Silver Springs MLA Ken Cheveldayoff has confirmed a group looking to bring the NHL to Saskatoon has contacted him, but they weren't asking for anything in particular yet.

"They've given us their information, and we've said Saskatchewan is a place where it's a hockey hot bed -- obviously," he said.

"We encourage them to do well, but it's much too early [to say for certain]."

Cheveldayoff echoed the premier's weekend comments, saying he too believes that if Winnipeg can do it, Saskatchewan can too.

He joked that it might be just the thing to bring home his brother, who is the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets.

Edited by News Talk Radio's Jared Knoll, with files from Richard Brown, David Kirton and Justin Blackwell.

http://www.ckom.com/story/don-cherry...nhl-team/46644

[cormiermax]

For some reason I don't believe him. It just makes no business sense. Not even larger Canadian centres like Halifax, and Victoria are able to support teams as of yet.

[blacktrojan3921]

Originally Posted by cormiermax

For some reason I don't believe him. It just makes no business sense. Not even larger Canadian centres like Halifax, and Victoria are able to support teams as of yet.

Those two are not really the best examples dude; Victoria was without a WHL team for nearly twenty years after the cougars moved to Prince George back in 1994. They only just got a team this past season the Royals after they were relocated from Chiliwack last year.

Plus, both Halifax and Victoria don't have CFL teams either, which is a sort of double whammy against Halifax, as with Victoria it is understandable since the whole province is throwing they're weight to the BC Lions. Halifax on the other hand doesn't have an excuse as to why they don't have a professional sports team. And no, I don't think they're National Basketball League team the Halifax Rainmen doesn't really count xD

[cormiermax]

Originally Posted by blacktrojan3921

Those two are not really the best examples dude; Victoria was without a WHL team for nearly twenty years after the cougars moved to Prince George back in 1994. They only just got a team this past season the Royals after they were relocated from Chiliwack last year.

Plus, both Halifax and Victoria don't have CFL teams either, which is a sort of double whammy against Halifax, as with Victoria it is understandable since the whole province is throwing they're weight to the BC Lions. Halifax on the other hand doesn't have an excuse as to why they don't have a professional sports team. And no, I don't think they're National Basketball League team the Halifax Rainmen doesn't really count xD

I was making the argument that they both have larger populations to draw from, meaning more people to sell tickets too. One can also make the argument that Halifax has a larger regional population to draw from. But I really don't want to get off track and turn this into a city vs city thing. I don't think any of the three cities could support an NHL franchise, the CFL is a completely different beast and is no indication to weather or not Saskatoon would make a good NHL city.

[RyanNS]

I don't see the Credit Union Centre being NHL ready anytime soon. Not saying it can't be done, just going to take a lot of work.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by cormiermax

For some reason I don't believe him. It just makes no business sense. Not even larger Canadian centres like Halifax, and Victoria are able to support teams as of yet.

Don Cherry isn't the brightest crayon in the box.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Don Cherry

"If you can get 16,000 people to squeeze in around in there in boxes and the whole deal, well Winnipeg is doing it so why couldn't Saskatoon do it?"

How can one begin to argue against such ironclad logic?

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Don Cherry isn't the brightest crayon in the box.

even if his suits sometimes are.

[Only The Lonely..]

Everyone in Manitoba is interested in seeing Sask get an NHL team, the rivalry would be fantastic...and the Jets Ownership group feels the same way.

http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/...569/story.html

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

Everyone in Manitoba is interested in seeing Sask get an NHL team, the rivalry would be fantastic...and the Jets Ownership group feels the same way.

http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/...569/story.html

We'll have to wait a few decades

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by WIGS

NHL to Saskatoon - would be nice! but while Gary Bettman (or another American pushing hockey on Southerners who don't get it) is commissioner of the league-no chance in hell

The irrational hatred towards Bettman from Canadian fans is unbelievable.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

The irrational hatred towards Bettman from Canadian fans is unbelievable.

It's hardly irrational. There are many good reasons to dislike/hate the guy.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

It's hardly irrational. There are many good reasons to dislike/hate the guy.

Why? Because he does his job extremely well? Guess I need to roll out my general Bettman Defence..:

Originally Posted by kdb09

Bettman did not move the North Stars - Norm Green did.

Bettman did not move the Whalers - Peter Karmanos did.

And while we're at it, lets run down the litany of other "sins" GB gets accused of:

Bettman did not move the Nordiques - Marcel Aubut did, when he sold them to Comsat.

Bettman did not move the Jets - Barry Shenkarow did, when he sold them to Gluckstern and Burke.

Bettman had nothing to do with the expansion teams in San Jose, Anaheim, Ottawa, Florida, and Tampa - they were granted under Zeigler.

Bettman was involved in the expansion process to Minnesota, Columbus, Atlanta, and Nashville - so OK, you can pin a grand total of two "Southern" markets on him.

And of those two southern markets, Nashville has some of the strongest crowds in the league and is the most underrated hockey market in North America.

Bettman acts as a spokesman for the Board of Govenors (the 30 owners) and essentially voices their concerns on issues. Bettman's/Zeigler's aim towards granting southern markets was to gain a larger demographic of the American viewing public on television to gain a national TV contract (which they never got). They weren't trying to push the sport on southerners, they were trying to get a national American audience that was wide enough for a national TV contract to be awarded.

I think Bettman has done a magnificent job, and to be quite honest, under his tenure, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa,and Buffalo could have all bitten the dust if it wasn't for the NHL stepping in and saving them in much the same way that they're doing with Pheonix currently before finding a new owner. I believe Phoenix is going to be moving this summer (Hi, QC) because of a lack of owner, which is exactly why Atlanta moved last summer, and why the Nordiques moved to Colorado, and why the original Jets moved to Phoenix, and why the Whalers moved to Carolina...

Sport franchises in North America aren't determined so much on places that deserve them as much as they are on owners who are willing to foot the bill for the team.

[reidjr]

GregHickman
Nashville is a ok market i think it gets a bit over hyped at times as for Bettman he has done a good job i don't think he has been that bad.