NHL wanted in KC

[OMMF]

If you go to Sprint Center.com, the site has a countdown to when the brand new arena in Kansas City opens. Right below it is a poll asking the site visitors which league they would like to occupy. As of right now, the NHL leads over the NBA 62% to 38%. Perhaps people have underestimated the popularity of hockey in the KC area. Or there are a lot of hockey boards linking to the site.

[fonz]

They'll get a team eventually. Not any time soon though.

[Ez Street]

The economics of the NHL will allow it to do better long term in Kansas City than an NBA team. The NBA doesn't favor smaller markets. As you can see with the Finals every year. The exceptions are San Antionio, who lucked out by drafting Duncan and getting him to stay. The Pacers made the Finals once also. Meaning it is POSSIBLE to make the Finals as a smaller market. But not as likely as the LA's, Miami's, and Detroit's.

The NHL had two makets smaller than KC playing for the Cup this season.

I think the fans in KC will only turn out in numbers for a winner. Is that good or bad, well that is up to you. But we don't sell out Kauffman for the HORRIBLE Royals. Though per capita, we still draw good for a lousy team.

So, in a nutshell.

NHL = Chance to aquire talent, and compete with the Big Markets.

NBA = Talent less likely to go to KC than NY or LA. Luxuary Cap is a joke. Big markets dominate.

[MisterE]

I wouldn't exactly call San Antonio a small market. San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the US with 1.2 million people and its metro-area has a population of over 1.8 million. San Antonio is actually larger than Miami and Detroit. BTW if you're wondering, Kansas City is ranked 34th in population.

[pflava]

Here we go again with the San Antonio argument.

Yes, SA is a big city, but it is also a small market in terms of t.v. households. Plus, SA has no real suburbs.

[Ez Street]

Yes, I should have stated small market for TV purposes. That is how leagues make money you know.

[ashbob]

If you go to Sprint Center.com, the site has a countdown to when the brand new arena in Kansas City opens. Right below it is a poll asking the site visitors which league they would like to occupy. As of right now, the NHL leads over the NBA 62% to 38%. Perhaps people have underestimated the popularity of hockey in the KC area. Or there are a lot of hockey boards linking to the site.

I think the latter. Hockey has a much larger fan base that uses the internet and goes to random online polls.

[-Helix-]

A family member of mine that lives in Kansas City said that it is actually the mindset of those who he knows atleast. He says theres alot of excitment about the new arena and the prospect of a major league team.

He agrees that an NHL team probably is more wanted, especially with the city's rivalry with St. Louis, and the NHL just being a more respected league by most of those in the area. Not many people care about the NBA there he says. Alot of NCAA hoops fans, but not many of the professional game.

So that probably has alot to do with it. Although he said they would not settle for anything less than an NHL team. If they got an AHL team it probably wouldn't do too well.

So Kansas City might be out of luck since it looks like Pittsburgh is keeping the Pens.

[marlinfan]

I wouldn't exactly call San Antonio a small market. San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the US with 1.2 million people and its metro-area has a population of over 1.8 million. San Antonio is actually larger than Miami and Detroit. BTW if you're wondering, Kansas City is ranked 34th in population.

Miami is a small part of the South Florida metropolitan area of 5.5 million. Which is currently one of the 10 biggest in the US.

Anyone who tries to seperate Miami's population from the other 2 million in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County from each doesn't know what they're talking about.

[VC//]

I don't get why KC deserves a team before Quebec or Winnipeg...from friends that are old enough to know about the franchise is that it never really did well there and the city barely does well with a crappy baseball franchise.

[VC//]

A family member of mine that lives in Kansas City said that it is actually the mindset of those who he knows atleast. He says theres alot of excitment about the new arena and the prospect of a major league team.

He agrees that an NHL team probably is more wanted, especially with the city's rivalry with St. Louis, and the NHL just being a more respected league by most of those in the area. Not many people care about the NBA there he says. Alot of NCAA hoops fans, but not many of the professional game.

So that probably has alot to do with it. Although he said they would not settle for anything less than an NHL team. If they got an AHL team it probably wouldn't do too well.

So Kansas City might be out of luck since it looks like Pittsburgh is keeping the Pens.

The team will be like a fad, something new, something to go to after a while they will stop going to the games. The team won't win games right off the bat and to generate a solid fanbase in KC would be hard, in Nashville after a solid year, the fans still didn't really give 2 ****'s about the damn team.

If you have that same franchise in a canadian city, it would be hockey fever there. For the US residents that love hockey, don't take offense to it. NHL needs the US market to get better for it to survive but that doesn't mean adding another US market, that means marketing the current ones BETTER.

IF the NHL were to expand, they should expand in Canada where hockey is more popular than ever. I mean if a damn team like Edmonton can get tons of fans cheering for them in Vancouver & Calgary (their rival cities) then well, what does that say?

No to KC, Salt Lake, Vegas, Seattle, Portland and every other US City that wants an NHL Franchise. I would focus on trying to make the current US markets stronger.

It should be interesting to see how many Carolina fans show up next season, i mean people diss my Penguins (Canucks my hometown boys are safe, they sold out like what 200 games or something in a row?), but the Penguins had a very very solid attendance record this year, higher than Carolina i am sure on average.

So i would love to see how many fans return to the rink in Anaheim, Nashville, Carolina, and then see how long that lasts before i would even think about expanding in the states and that would only be after the NHL awards the Jets or Nords a team again.

[-Helix-]

The team will be like a fad, something new, something to go to after a while they will stop going to the games. The team won't win games right off the bat and to generate a solid fanbase in KC would be hard, in Nashville after a solid year, the fans still didn't really give 2 ****'s about the damn team.

If you have that same franchise in a canadian city, it would be hockey fever there. For the US residents that love hockey, don't take offense to it. NHL needs the US market to get better for it to survive but that doesn't mean adding another US market, that means marketing the current ones BETTER.

IF the NHL were to expand, they should expand in Canada where hockey is more popular than ever. I mean if a damn team like Edmonton can get tons of fans cheering for them in Vancouver & Calgary (their rival cities) then well, what does that say?

No to KC, Salt Lake, Vegas, Seattle, Portland and every other US City that wants an NHL Franchise. I would focus on trying to make the current US markets stronger.

It should be interesting to see how many Carolina fans show up next season, i mean people diss my Penguins (Canucks my hometown boys are safe, they sold out like what 200 games or something in a row?), but the Penguins had a very very solid attendance record this year, higher than Carolina i am sure on average.

So i would love to see how many fans return to the rink in Anaheim, Nashville, Carolina, and then see how long that lasts before i would even think about expanding in the states and that would only be after the NHL awards the Jets or Nords a team again.

Oh great, another elitist Canadian "holier than thou" post on hockey. Imagine that.

For one, nobody said anything about expansion. KC is the leading candidate for the relocation of the Penguins is all. It's common knowledge and you're not going to change that by confronting me.

The team will be like a fad, something new, something to go to after a while they will stop going to the games. The team won't win games right off the bat and to generate a solid fanbase in KC would be hard, in Nashville after a solid year, the fans still didn't really give 2 ****'s about the damn team.

How do you know they won't win right off the bat? Look at Colorado. Colorado is still selling out too and is one of the most popular teams in the country. Sure it's not likely to win the Cup in your first year, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.

Nashville doesn't have the corporate sponsors like the big market teams do. Nashville has alot of it's money come out of it's own pocket book. They do pretty well considering all that. So I'm not sure what the complaints are against them. For a small market team, they are pretty popular. Besides UofT, the Preds dominated all the headlines in that area. (They got help last season with the Titans sucking I guess.)

Of course, Nashville still does have problems. Like, they were one of only two teams that didn't sell out all their playoff games. The other team being New Jersey. But New Jersey has won THREE STANLEY CUPS and nobody complains about their attendance. When Nashville has won four Stanley Cups, and they still aren't selling out. Then you can call me.

If you have that same franchise in a canadian city, it would be hockey fever there. For the US residents that love hockey, don't take offense to it. NHL needs the US market to get better for it to survive but that doesn't mean adding another US market, that means marketing the current ones BETTER.

It could be hockey fever in Kansas City too. They could fall in love with the team and never look back for all you know. And that doesn't mean that a Canadian team would always be popular either. Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa all had pretty bad attendance just a few seasons ago. But then they started winning, and just like any other sports team in the world they got their fans to come back. Just because they're Canadian doesn't mean they're ALWAYS going to be supported 100%. They will be a fad there too if they don't start winning after a few seasons.

And like I said earlier, they're not adding a new franchise, they're moving a hurting one (the Penguins) to a new location. Well, atleast that's the plan.

IF the NHL were to expand, they should expand in Canada where hockey is more popular than ever. I mean if a damn team like Edmonton can get tons of fans cheering for them in Vancouver & Calgary (their rival cities) then well, what does that say?

The NHL is not expanding. This is the third time we've been over this.

And the reason a team like Edmonton can get it's rivals cheering for it is because Canadians care more about being superior and nationalistic than having common sense. I would never cheer for Florida just because they're "American" or "Floridian" because I don't bring crap like that into sports. Canadians take hockey too seriously and ruin the atmosphere by bringing national conflict into the Stanley Cup finals.

This is why I hope next year's final is either a Canadian team v.s. Canadian team, or American team v.s. American team. Because two years of listening to that Canada v.s. USA crap is enough. (American v.s. American team would be preferred. Or else say goodbye to the NHL forever. It's bad enough for the ratings that there has been a Canadian team in the finals the last two seasons. They probably wouldn't even bother showing two Canadian teams.)

No to KC, Salt Lake, Vegas, Seattle, Portland and every other US City that wants an NHL Franchise. I would focus on trying to make the current US markets stronger.

I agree with you. I'm a Penguins fan myself. They're who I grew up watching and were basically my local team back then. I never want to see the Pens leave Pittsburgh. They are loved there, they're just getting screwed over by the city government. Not to mention a Stanley Cup winning team should never relocate.

But it looks like we can rest easy now with the Cuban+Marino group buying the Pens to keep them there as long as they need to get a new arena.

It should be interesting to see how many Carolina fans show up next season, i mean people diss my Penguins (Canucks my hometown boys are safe, they sold out like what 200 games or something in a row?), but the Penguins had a very very solid attendance record this year, higher than Carolina i am sure on average.

I wouldn't be suprised if they sold out every game like the Lightning did. But at the same time I don't live anywhere near Raliegh so I don't know what the post-win atmosphere is like. I think there will definately be an improvement though. Everybody likes a winner. And they're the first professional team to win a title in the state.

Penguins did okay in attendance this year. Probably about middle of the road in the NHL. But you have to admit, most of that was Crosby hype. Attendances started to plummet dramatically after the Pens started sucking again like always. You could see it on TV. Not to mention Pittsburgh's arena is small so it doesn't take much to sell out. And yes, higher than Carolina's I'm sure as well. It look Carolina fans awhile before they realized just how good the Canes were this season. At first they seemed skeptical, only coming out for the big games. But by the end of the season they were selling out easily. Carolina didn't have the same excitment coming out of the lockout that the Penguins did after getting Crosby.

So i would love to see how many fans return to the rink in Anaheim, Nashville, Carolina, and then see how long that lasts before i would even think about expanding in the states and that would only be after the NHL awards the Jets or Nords a team again.

Anahiem.. I hope the fans boycott the horrible new uniforms. So I actually WANT to see bad attendance there. Nashville's will probably be about the same. Not great, but not bad either. Carolina I think will definately raise though.

Although I don't see how the Jets or Nords, who also failed like the former Kansas City Scouts, deserves a team first. They could all be big busts, or huge succeses like the Avalanche. You can't know just from what side of the border they fall on.

Besides, the Nords and Jets just are not feasible and don't have a chance compared to markets like Kansas City, Houston, or Portland which have shown interest, corporate support, brand new, good sized arenas, and larger television and sports markets than any prospective Canadian city. $$$$$$ is the key factor. Not nationality or which area has a more traditional hockey fan base.

Hell, Moose Jaw probably has a more traditonal hockey fan base than Houston. Doesn't mean they're going to get a team before the 4th largest market in North America.

I've always wondered why Canadians have always had a problem with spreading their favorite sport. They always want teams in cities where everyone ALREADY likes hockey and has no growth potential. That just sounds stupid to me. Hockey is nowhere near popular, and sticking to what we have now would be suicide for the sport. As a true hockey fan, I enjoy seeing the game find success in non-traditional markets with growing support. But I guess for Canadians it's just part of the greedy nationalistic pride factor. Trying to hold on to the only thing they really have?

[zer0dotcom]

I've always wondered why Canadians have always had a problem with spreading their favorite sport. They always want teams in cities where everyone ALREADY likes hockey and has no growth potential. That just sounds stupid to me. Hockey is nowhere near popular, and sticking to what we have now would be suicide for the sport. As a true hockey fan, I enjoy seeing the game find success in non-traditional markets with growing support. But I guess for Canadians it's just part of the greedy nationalistic pride factor. Trying to hold on to the only thing they really have?

Hockey IS popular, it just isn't as popular in newer markets as it is in older ones. it's not that Canadians have a problem with spreading the sport, most sit and wonder why the NHL is expanding so fast into markets that aren't traditional markets.

Why suddenly throw two teams into Florida right away rather than just one to see how it would do before adding a second? Why is it suicide to let things grow as they are right now and strengthen the teams they have? What makes you a 'true' fan of the sport? Are you implying others aren't because they don't see things your way?

the only thing I get out of your posts is that you're xenophobic. Why is it wrong for Canadians to care about something that we're good at? Hey, if we're going to go that route, American's already have baseball, it's the National Pastime. Nothing like going to the ballpark on a sunny afternoon. and Football, the biggest effent of hte year in sports is a Football game at teh beginning of the year. And Basketball. College hoops and the NBA are far more exciting that Ice Hockey in alot of cities. Just look at your ratings.

So that leaves Ice Hockey. In the other three sports, there are a total of 2 Teams (excluding CFL, but you probably won't count that, since it's Canadian, it doesn't exist) both in Toronto. The NHL is the only sport where we have a significant presence. Excuse us if we like to support the one sport where we actuall have teams participating.

I have no problem with the NHL expanding. However, it's been expanding for the past 16 years. Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Florida, Anahiem, Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus Minnesota. It's moved into Dallas, Colorado, Carolina and Pheonix. So in the past 16 years, the NHL has moved into 7 brand spanking new markets, 2 with a significant exposure to the NHL already, and 3 former NHL markets. that accounts for 12 of the 30 teams in the league.

I love that you think we're causing a national conflict by having the whole country cheering for the lat Canadian team standing. yes, we turned it into a national conflict, yet it was Sanjose who was the first to boo our national anthem. Of course, we being the national conflicters that we are, we struck right back by singing the American anthem back. You can feel the tensional boil, can't you?

[IceCap]

I love that you think we're causing a national conflict by having the whole country cheering for the lat Canadian team standing. yes, we turned it into a national conflict, yet it was Sanjose who was the first to boo our national anthem. Of course, we being the national conflicters that we are, we struck right back by singing the American anthem back. You can feel the tensional boil, can't you?

He won't listen, zer0. He's as xenophobic as he claims us of being.