Hockey Bay?

[charger77]

I live in metro-detroit (for refrence sake)

I think Minnesota having the nickname "The State of Hockey" is a little more accurate than Detroit being "Hockeytown"

Dan

[yh]

Seems to me the Sharks' faithful have an argument to lay claim to the "Hockey Bay" moniker.

Just a little something I was thinking of here in St. Louiis, a place that is gradually going from being a hockey town to more of a, say, hockey tent.

[leedsunited]

Seems to me the Sharks' faithful have an argument to lay claim to the "Hockey Bay" moniker.

.

Not without a Stanley Cup, they don't.

[CJR]

I figured it was due to the Davidson Illitch rivalry.

I thought that rivalry had kind of died out. There was a thing in the Freep quite awhile ago about how Ilitch and Davidson had kind of put it behind them and were cooperating on some things.

I am live just outside of Detroit and I think its kinda lame that the "hockeytown" slogan was never heard/mentioned in detroit until they were really really good. (that slogan did not appear in detroit until the 1996-97 season)

And if the Wings hadn't won that year, it would never have been heard again. It's too bad they didn't use it the year before, I'm tired of it and they probably could do some better stuff if they weren't tied to it now.

[Pirates29]

Speaking of corny, and something else thats utterly embarassing......before they drop the puck, they bring in a celebrity or whatever, and they get on the microphone and say "LETS....PLAY....HOCKEY!!" It's AWWWWFUL. Hell, I'm embarassed to be typing this.

Hmmm, this sounds familiar... like the same thing the Wild have done before every home game since they started.

As residents of Minnesota, my wife and I about fell over when we saw they did the whole "Let's Play Hockey" bit.... I suppose you do what you can to get fans in the seats, even if it is corny and embarassing

[EatSleepJeep]

"Let's play hockey!" is the famous catch-phrase of some famous Minnesota hockey personality whose name escapes me at the moment. Minnesota's hockey newspaper adopted the name because of this. I think it was someone associated with the state tournament.

[PeytonManningRocks]

How about some of these other slogans I thought up?

St. Louis - The Gateway of Hockey?

Atlanta - Hockey-lanta??? (As in Hot-lanta)

Dallas/Texas - The Lone Puck State?

Montreal - Titletown, Canada? Might be relatively acceptable...

Washington - Hockey's Capital? (even though it's not really true, it works with the team name)

Denver - Mile High Hockey?

No wonder people don't like these slogans. Not much good to choose from. "State of Hockey" and "Hockeytown, USA" work pretty well, but any other slogan is bound to suck.

Come to think of it, Sloganizer could easily do a better job than some of these guys...

[So_Fla]

Hockey Bay? I'm not even sure Tampa is a hockey city, even after a Stanley Cup.

Not to mention the bad ice.

Oh...have you skated on the Forum's ice? That must have been a treat!

I live in metro-detroit (for refrence sake)

I think Minnesota having the nickname "The State of Hockey" is a little more accurate than Detroit being "Hockeytown"

Dan

Didn't the Red Wings and the Vipers win their respective leagues in the same year not too long ago?

[charger77]

Red Wings play in detroit the Vipers were from Auburn Hills

That makes it hockeytown?

[So_Fla]

Red Wings play in detroit the Vipers were from Auburn Hills

That makes it hockeytown?

I was just asking the question since they both are/were identified by the moniker "DETROIT".

I don't remember the Auburn Hills Vipers...What league were they in?

[speedo]

I think it's true... taking for granted that it's "Hockeytown, USA" (let's not even pretend that Detroit is on the level of a Toronto or Montreal).

Oh, let's. I live in the Toronto 'burbs and T-O (which is hockey-mad in its mindset the way Detroit would never be) is a Leafs town, not a hockey town. You, me and a dozen others could don the uniforms of the Maple Leafs and be feted and fawned over like conquering heroes. But the AHL Marlies draw flies and three major junior teams in the immediate region are sobbing over the lack of fannies in the seats. In Motown, the Vipers drew reasonably well, the OHL Whalers outdrew any of Toronto's juniors and (spreading the net a little further), the madhouses at Yost and Munn were packed in. All at a time when the Wings were filling JLA. Admittedly, the bloom's off the rose now, but (aside from Leafs' fever), it was never on in Toronto.

[charger77]

I think it's true... taking for granted that it's "Hockeytown, USA" (let's not even pretend that Detroit is on the level of a Toronto or Montreal).

Oh, let's. I live in the Toronto 'burbs and T-O (which is hockey-mad in its mindset the way Detroit would never be) is a Leafs town, not a hockey town. You, me and a dozen others could don the uniforms of the Maple Leafs and be feted and fawned over like conquering heroes. But the AHL Marlies draw flies and three major junior teams in the immediate region are sobbing over the lack of fannies in the seats. In Motown, the Vipers drew reasonably well, the OHL Whalers outdrew any of Toronto's juniors and (spreading the net a little further), the madhouses at Yost and Munn were packed in. All at a time when the Wings were filling JLA. Admittedly, the bloom's off the rose now, but (aside from Leafs' fever), it was never on in Toronto.

The Whalers are in Plymouth not Detroit. Yost is in Ann Arbor not Detroit and Munn is in East Lansing not Detroit. And I'm assuming the Vipers left because they had too many fans?

Dan

[boum_911]

The city is hockey (la ville est Hockey) for montreal

[Guest]

People do not understand the goddamned concept of a greater metropolitan area, do they. Why split hairs over Plymouth and Detroit? They're all Greater Detroiters in the big picture.

[CJR]

The Whalers are in Plymouth not Detroit. Yost is in Ann Arbor not Detroit and Munn is in East Lansing not Detroit. And I'm assuming the Vipers left because they had too many fans?

While I can't disagree that including Plymouth, Ann Arbor, and East Lansing in Detroit would be like including Hamilton and Buffalo in Toronto, the Vipers left because the IHL shut down. At the end, they weren't drawing too well or doing too well but they didn't shut down until the rest of the league did.

[FlyersHockey1967]

Hockey Bay? I'm not even sure Tampa is a hockey city, even after a Stanley Cup.

Not to mention the bad ice.

Oh...have you skated on the Forum's ice? That must have been a treat!

I live in metro-detroit (for refrence sake)

I think Minnesota having the nickname "The State of Hockey" is a little more accurate than Detroit being "Hockeytown"

Dan

Didn't the Red Wings and the Vipers win their respective leagues in the same year not too long ago?

Actually, it was sort of half joke half fact. The fact that it's so warm down there makes the ice softer than, say, the ice at Rexall Place. I also hear about it from the commentators when the Flyers play there. Pucks bounce around everywhere.

Unless, of course, you were joking as well...

Then again, maybe not.

[BigShoop]

to add insult to injury, the letter "o" in Hockey bay, is the logo the Lightning SHOULD be using as their primary...

I totally agree that the Lightning should be using the "O" with the lightning bolt as their primary logo. Perhaps the Lightning will take the opportunity to change their uniforms from the "designed by a 3rd grader" jerseys to something that looks a bit better when the new jerseys come out next season.

You and me both....you and me both....

Hockey Bay? I'm not even sure Tampa is a hockey city, even after a Stanley Cup.

Not to mention the bad ice.

Hockey Bay? I'm not even sure Tampa is a hockey city, even after a Stanley Cup.

So, if Tampa isn't a hockey city...

BEST. REPLY. EVER. hahahaha

I thought it was hilarious all the "tampa doesnt sell out their games" crap that we heard nationally over the past couple years. This team lost 50 games for 4 straight seasons(hockey's been around awhile, and that was a first) in the last 90's-early 00's, an EASY way to lose a fanbase for sure. It took a year or so to convince people to come back, but once we did, we havent looked back. In the 2 years before the Cup, Im almost positive we averaged 15,000 or so and until last month, they had sold out something like 60+ games in a row. In a city with SO many other options and with a relatively mediocre income(compared to other cities that have 3 major sports teams and a college team), i'd say thats pretty damn impressive.

Did Tampa Bay even know what hockey was before 1991?

Considering Tampa is just a bunch of northern transplants, yes.

Very good point But I'm sure they weren't there to cheer for Tampa, everyone would be cheering for the visitors.

Oh they still do, trust me. Those northern transplants are the biggest bandwagoners goin!

I just don't see Tampa ever being a hotbed for hcokey....... but I am one who thinks that the NHL should pack up every other southern team and move them to the north where snow falls on a regular schedule.

That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Well, I guess it makes sense......maybe if they got rid of the Southeast Division, Canada might have a shot at a Cup.

Actually, it was sort of half joke half fact. The fact that it's so warm down there makes the ice softer than, say, the ice at Rexall Place. I also hear about it from the commentators when the Flyers play there. Pucks bounce around everywhere.

Unless, of course, you were joking as well...

Then again, maybe not.

If it was REALLY about the ice, then you wouldve made that same comment in other posts. Maybe posts that involved Florida, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, etc. But let's get real here, the only reason you made it is because you dont like the Lightning. I mean, I can understand why. If my team had lost 7 straight games to someone, I'd hate them too.

[IronChefShark]

I am one who thinks that the NHL should pack up every other southern team and move them to the north where snow falls on a regular schedule.

and you are wrong for believing that. true hockey fans want to see teams in every possible climate, not just places where it snows.

[StevieY19]

Here's why Detroit is Hockeytown, as a whole:

- The Red Wings, the most successful U.S. NHL team ever. Probably the team most synonymous with Detroit over the last 10-12 years.

One of the most recognizable hockey teams, period.

- Two successful college hockey programs, one in the suburbs (University of Michigan) and one slightly west (Michigan State) that are perennial national championship contenders.

- One of the highest percentages of hockey players in the country.

- Lots of local NHL talent (Pat LaFontaine, Mike Modano, etc)

- One OHL team, the Plymouth Whalers that has been very successful.

- A general culture of hockey within the area.

Anything that I forgot?

[js °]

I completely agree with everyone on the ridiculousness of this HockeyBay garbage ... completely silly and forced. Hockeytown and State of Hockey are the only two slogans that work for the reason that they are natural.

to add insult to injury, the letter "o" in Hockey bay, is the logo the Lightning SHOULD be using as their primary...

totally agree with this too .. they would look far better by eliminating that silly script on the jersey ... heres a better shot for anyone interested: