Project MLH - Major League Hockey

[oz615]

Listed below is a TENTATIVE list of the 24 teams I'm going to (re)invent for Project MLH. Teams with an * are the ones under fire, and those with two *s are new teams altogether, or revived franchises.

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Boston Bruins

Buffalo Sabres*

Calgary Flames

Chicago Blackhawks

Cleveland Barons*

Colorado Avalanche

Detroit Red Wings

Edmonton Oilers

Halifax IceBreakers*

Hartford Whalers*

Los Angeles Kings

Minnesota Wild*

Montreal Canadiens

New York Rangers

Ottawa Senators* (the old Sens don't count here, boyos!)

Philadelphia Flyers

Pittsburgh Penguins

Quebec Nordiques*

Seattle Thunderbirds/Totems*

St. Louis Blues

Vancouver Canucks*

Toronto Maple Leafs

Washington Capitals*

Winnipeg Jets*

with all due respect to the Wild,I think now is the time to revive the NorthStars

[P.I.L.L.]

I'm against taking away a goalie's right to play the puck. But if he's going to act like a skater, he should get treated like one. If a goalie's going to play the puck outside of his crease, any player on another team should have the right to check him as if he was a regular skater.

ABSOLUTELY...

[OMMF]

Where are the logos?

[Suigi]

OK, you guys are right.

Bad idea, and man did we get off-topic quickly!

Good point about Dallas, though.

However, this was kinda the idea of "get-the-crap-out-of-nontraditional-markets," and since Cleveland is a FAR better sports city than Columbus (no offense), I figured to stick the team there.

And as for Halifax, I feel that there's gotta be at least 8 Canadians teams, no matter what. Should I scoot Quebec in there?

And as for the N-Stars...if I give Dallas a team, what should I call them?

[ColeJ]

OK, you guys are right.

Bad idea, and man did we get off-topic quickly!

Good point about Dallas, though.

However, this was kinda the idea of "get-the-crap-out-of-nontraditional-markets," and since Cleveland is a FAR better sports city than Columbus (no offense), I figured to stick the team there.

And as for Halifax, I feel that there's gotta be at least 8 Canadians teams, no matter what. Should I scoot Quebec in there?

And as for the N-Stars...if I give Dallas a team, what should I call them?

if the northstars are coming back, don't give dallas a team

do whatever you want. it's your project anyway. sorry for taking this off-topic... i'm just very passionate about the sport

[twi]

I think the Minnesota team should be named the Northstars. And Tampa should be in there in place of Cleveland. I don't think Cleveland even gets good crowds for AHL games. I've heard the Sharks are looking for a new affiliate location.

Halifax = no. If you want 8 Canadian teams, definitly go Quebec instead. Hartford might also be a weak choice, and if a new league was starting they'd want proven places where fans would watch, so I don't know if they'd try a new market like Seattle.

[Brian in Boston]

I'll preface this comment by stating that my father and I were original season-ticket holders for the New England Whalers at the Boston Garden. Upon the franchise's shift to Hartford, we went in on four season tickets with my uncle and cousin who lived in Connecticut. WE held those seats until the franchise was moved to North Carolina. My passion for Whalers' hockey was the equal of my love for the Boston Bruins.

That said, Hartford is NOT a realistic target market for a major professional sports franchise. Period. It is wedged in between two larger markets, Boston and New York, both of which are home to pro sports franchises that claim the loyalty of fans within Connecticut. It has an insufficient population base to support a major pro franchise. The cities of Providence, RI and Worcester, MA both have larger populations than Hartford. The glory days of the dominant industry in the city - insurance - have come and gone, meaning that corporate support for a major professional sports in the municipality is not adequate.

Bottom line? The Whalers had a nice run in Hartford. As a result, the city was able to claim a spot in the major pro sports heirarchy for a few years. However, the pro sports industry has changed significantly since the Whalers moved to Hartford... indeed, since the team was absorbed into the NHL. The result is that Hartford's best chance at playing host to pro sports is as a top-tier minor-league market: AHL hockey... Triple-A baseball if the New Britain Rock Cats are ever relocated... an NBDL team if the parent NBA ever expands the circuit outside of the Southeast. That's the realistic goal for Hartford on the pro sports scene.

[oz615]

That said, Hartford is NOT a realistic target market for a major professional sports franchise. Period. It is wedged in between two larger markets, Boston and New York, both of which are home to pro sports franchises that claim the loyalty of fans within Connecticut. It has an insufficient population base to support a major pro franchise. The cities of Providence, RI and Worcester, MA both have larger populations than Hartford. The glory days of the dominant industry in the city - insurance - have come and gone, meaning that corporate support for a major professional sports in the municipality is not adequate.

with that being said i'd replace them w/ Milwaukee Admirals

[sean69]

Cole, your funny buddy. Texas a hockey state? More like football friend.

[boardname]

Devils have won 3 Stanley Cups and have been one of the more stable, successful franchises over the last 2 decades.. you can't leave them out.

[Suigi]

Just realized...

I had NO idea that MLH was also a fantasy league on the boards!

I'll change the name soon!

[erikstoll]

Cole, your funny buddy. Texas a hockey state? More like football friend.

Texas <3's hockey

[ColeJ]

Cole, your funny buddy. Texas a hockey state? More like football friend.

first of all, it's "you're".... unless you were using some strange new slang like "my bad", and saying that it was "my funny"

but what makes texas NOT a hockey state? because we're also a football state? hell, we're also a basketball state, with 3 wildly popular NBA teams.

texas is a sports state. we love our sports. we support our sports. we obsess over our sports. hockey is no exception.

[OMMF]

Cole, your funny buddy. Texas a hockey state? More like football friend.

first of all, it's "you're".... unless you were using some strange new slang like "my bad", and saying that it was "my funny"

but what makes texas NOT a hockey state? because we're also a football state? hell, we're also a basketball state, with 3 wildly popular NBA teams.

texas is a sports state. we love our sports. we support our sports. we obsess over our sports. hockey is no exception.

Realize you're trying to rationalize to someone with "69" in their name. Unless he's turning 36 this year, it's probably a lost cause.

One need only look at the CeHL to see that hockey is gaining popularity in the Lone Star State.

[ColeJ]

Cole, your funny buddy. Texas a hockey state? More like football friend.

first of all, it's "you're".... unless you were using some strange new slang like "my bad", and saying that it was "my funny"

but what makes texas NOT a hockey state? because we're also a football state? hell, we're also a basketball state, with 3 wildly popular NBA teams.

texas is a sports state. we love our sports. we support our sports. we obsess over our sports. hockey is no exception.

Realize you're trying to rationalize to someone with "69" in their name. Unless he's turning 36 this year, it's probably a lost cause.

One need only look at the CeHL to see that hockey is gaining popularity in the Lone Star State.

not to mention, a team from dallas just recently won a mini-mite tournament up in ottawa, against mostly canadian teams despite the classless playing of "dueling banjos" during the annoucement of the team....

i mean seriously.... it's little kids. that's just rude.

oh well, the texans won

[Frenchie]

I've made this prediction before:

Watch Mario pack it uo and go "home" with HIS team:

[schtee]

Unfortunately, Brian in Boston is right on, Hartford, like many northeast cities, has fallen from the ranks of cities that can properly support big-money, big-league sports.

Expanding the point a little bit, I'm not sure if additional Canadian teams, as proposed in this chain, could properly compete in the NHL, if ever revived. Although the american dollar does continue to lose strength.

Ideally, and this might seem absolutely crazy, I would like to see a Canadian-only conference (vancouver, winnipeg, calgary, edmonton, toronto, ottawa, montreal, quebec) and a pared-down american conference (goodbye atlanta, anaheim, pittsburgh, florida) and have the winner of each play for Lord Stanley's Cup.

[bulldogbarks55]

Cut the league to 16 teams. Keep the Original Six, bring back the Nords and Jets, keep all the other Canadian teams plus the Flyers, Blues, Devils and Wild.

Two conferences of eight teams each- one Canadian, one American.

You play each team in your conference six times- that's 42 games. Each team from the other conference four times- that's 32 games. Then play each team in your division an additional two times- that makes 80 games. Under this plan the Leafs would play Ottawa, Quebec abd the Habs twice more. The Red Wings would play Chicago, Minnesota and St. Louis an additional two times and so on.

The top eight teams in each conference would be seeded and re-seeded after each round of four-of-seven playoffs.

I'd also limit the number of "imports" to six players per team. Existing players would be grandfatherd in. But when a Sundin retires, his spot would be takrn by a North American, provided the import slots are already filled.

Cities such as Pittsburgh and Buffalo should go back to the AHL. Go Hornets! Go Bisons!

[-Helix-]

Devils have won 3 Stanley Cups and have been one of the more stable, successful franchises over the last 2 decades.. you can't leave them out.

You're kidding..... right?