2009 NHL season thread- Part II

[crashcarson15]

Yeah, I get it. Ovy is god. I dont need three different people to give me a lecture on that.

And Steve Mason is better .

[Lee.]

Yeah, I get it. Ovy is god. I dont need three different people to give me a lecture on that.

Then man up and quit Crosbying about it, Jesus Christ on a cracker.

[NEW.ERA]

I guess you can say we shocked the NHL world the Flames handed the Sharks there first regulation loss since February 14th of 2008

[pollux]

I guess you can say we shocked the NHL world the Flames handed the Sharks there first regulation loss in San Jose since February 14th of 2008

Corrected...

[habsfan1]

I guess you can say we shocked the NHL world the Flames handed the Sharks there first regulation loss in San Jose since February 14th of 2008

Corrected...

That's still impressive though. They almost made it to a full year...

[BrySmalls]

Beginning of the end for the Islanders?

If the Islanders' decision to consider playing a preseason game at glistening new Sprint Center in Kansas City in September was intended as a warning of what might happen if the Lighthouse Project isn't approved soon, the news didn't upset Town of Hempstead supervisor Kate Murray.

Sprint Center is seeking an NHL tenant, but Murray said the preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings will not impact the town's approval process for the Nassau Coliseum development project proposed by Isles owner Charles Wang.

Reacting yesterday to the initial report from TSN in Canada, which said Wang has no plans to move the Islanders, Murray said, "From the article I read, I'm not particularly perturbed or concerned because it's from the mouth of Mr. Wang that he isn't anywhere close to moving the team ... I don't take any threats from an exhibition game in Kansas City."

Murray rejected comparisons to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who received local approval for a new arena shortly after owner Mario Lemieux held well-publicized meetings with Kansas City interests. "I saw the comparison to Pittsburgh, but this is different," Murray said. "Pittsburgh is building a little arena. This is a 100-acre project. The arena is one of the smallest components."

In a lengthy interview with Newsday, Murray repeatedly emphasized that the Coliseum could have been renovated by now if it were a stand-alone project. But the Lighthouse Project proposed by Wang and developer Scott Rechler includes a luxury hotel, conference center, sports training center, housing units, retail stores and restaurants, minor-league baseball field and acres of underground parking.

"I have offered Mr. Wang for over four years the opportunity to re-develop the Coliseum," Murray said. "Mr. Wang has consistently declined my offer. He prefers to keep it within the context of the 100-acre redevelopment project. You can't say new Coliseum development has been delayed because of a municipal bureaucracy. He made a business decision."

Murray said the portion of the approval process involving the Town of Hempstead has been "fast-tracked." The developers meet every three weeks with town officials, and they have been allowed to submit the information for what is known as "the scoping process" by section rather than for the development as a whole.

Murray said the town still is waiting for a significant amount of documentation about details, such as the number of parking spaces required. But Lighthouse Project officials say such specifics can't be provided without knowing how much of the project will be approved.

"The scope that tells you what you have to study seems to be a constantly expanding process," Lighthouse Development Group president Mike Picker said. "Traffic is clearly the most visible issue. We've done 279 location reviews, which is unprecedented for a traffic study. We expect the environmental review to be completed in 30 to 60 days."

Picker said his group plans to complete submission of all supporting documents for the scoping process within 60 to 90 days. He expressed optimism that it's still possible to break ground on the first phase of the Coliseum renovation by the original target date in July but added, "A lot has to happen."

As for Murray's contention that the Coliseum could have been redone by now, Picker noted that Nassau County approved the Lighthouse Project as a whole. "The town and county have been told the arena by itself is economically unattractive," Picker said.

Wang is losing $20 million or more per season in the current facility, according to the Islanders. The decision to test the waters in Kansas City -- where the Sprint Center is operated by AEG, which also owns the Los Angeles Kings -- appears to be a sign of Wang's growing impatience.

Islanders general manager Garth Snow described it as a "hockey operations decision," but it wouldn't happen without Wang's approval.

"I've always been encouraged to find ways to expand our fan base," Snow said. "This is probably a hot-button topic because of the decision to play the game in Kansas City. But I'm being consistent in the way I've scheduled preseason games in the past. It's a good opportunity to touch fans in a different market."

Wang has said he doesn't want to move or to sell, but he has said there is a limit to how long he can sustain millions in losses while hoping for approval of the Lighthouse Project.

Asked if she's worried that the Islanders might leave Long Island, Murray said, "Of course I wouldn't want to see the Islanders leave, but that will be a business decision by Mr. Wang and his associates that he makes for his own well-being."

[crashcarson15]

Beginning of the end for the Islanders?

The question would be, which team do you move to the East, Columbus or Nashville? Or you could go, East-16, West-14 like the MLB, but that wouldn't make sense. With the Jackets, you could just move them into the Isles' slot, or with Nashville, you'd just bump the Caps to the Atlantic.

[BrySmalls]

Beginning of the end for the Islanders?

The question would be, which team do you move to the East, Columbus or Nashville? Or you could go, East-16, West-14 like the MLB, but that wouldn't make sense. With the Jackets, you could just move them into the Isles' slot, or with Nashville, you'd just bump the Caps to the Atlantic.

Questions are: how much longer does Nashville have until they have the same fate as the Isles? Does anyone know what the fallout is/was from the Baggio fraud lawsuits?

[NEW.ERA]

If we woke up tomorrow morning and Nashville, NY Islanders, Florida and lets say Phoenix all left how many would really care but the sad thing in this is...

These markets may have a small fan base but they do have fans who can fill what seats they can it kinda makes you think

[Neon_Matrix]

Beginning of the end for the Islanders?

The question would be, which team do you move to the East, Columbus or Nashville? Or you could go, East-16, West-14 like the MLB, but that wouldn't make sense. With the Jackets, you could just move them into the Isles' slot, or with Nashville, you'd just bump the Caps to the Atlantic.

I think the NHL wants to bring Detroit to the east first and foremost. They want them to have eastern time slot exposure as opposed to central or pacific.

[The_Admiral]

They'd have to move the Blackhawks eastward as well, or else they're an Original Six team with possibly one Red Wings game a year while playing a plurality of its schedule against the Nashville Predators, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Kansas City Thunder. Actually, given how the Wings have owned the Hawks recently, bring on the Isles.

[Still MIGHTY]

If it did happen, the most simple and logical way to move the teams would be to move Nashville to the Southeast and the Capitals to the Atlantic. You get your regional southern games and Nashville isnt on an island. You also get your 6 Ovechkin/Crosby match-ups a year. I think if it happened, thats the way the NHL would want it. It would make too much sense for them not to, if it happened.

I hope it doesn't though. The Isles are one of the iconic franchises in the history of the NHL. That would be a terrible blow to the NHL as a whole. (although I do think that there are too many teams grouped together in that metro area NYR/NYI/NJ/PHI)

[crashcarson15]

War Room 2-Blue Jackets 0

Second time this year we've been jipped by the War Room. It's obvious, the NHL woul much rather want Minny or in tonight's case the Devils in the playoffs than us. Net gets knocked off moorings right before the puck goes in, and they count the goal. It's really stupid.

[nwtrailtrekker]

If we woke up tomorrow morning and Nashville, NY Islanders, Florida and lets say Phoenix all left how many would really care but the sad thing in this is...

These markets may have a small fan base but they do have fans who can fill what seats they can it kinda makes you think

i'm sure panthers, predators, and coyotes tickets dont cost as much as flames, oilers, and canucks tickets do.

[crashcarson15]

If we woke up tomorrow morning and Nashville, NY Islanders, Florida and lets say Phoenix all left how many would really care but the sad thing in this is...

These markets may have a small fan base but they do have fans who can fill what seats they can it kinda makes you think

i'm sure panthers, predators, and coyotes tickets dont cost as much as flames, oilers, and canucks tickets do.

I have no doubt, a team in Winnipeg would outsell all of these teams and so would a team in KC. The issue with NY, Phoenix, and Florida is that more people care about the NBA teams there. The thing is these teams make more money on TV contracts in these "larger markets" than in the "smaller markets" like Winnipeg. Anyways, I would love to see the Predators gone from the Central division. The issue is that if they move to Hamilton, ON then who moves to the West? It's very confusing. Do I hate the Coyotes? No. But Phoenix has no business having an NHL team, as it is over 100 there half of the year. Neither does Tampa, Sunrise/Miami, Atlanta, or Dallas strictly because of their location. But, if you're going to look at a team most likely to move, it has to be the Isles because if you look back on almost every move, the reasoning is an arena issue. The funny thing is then they build the new arena once the team has left.

[Sodboy13]

I have no doubt, a team in Winnipeg would outsell all of these teams and so would a team in KC. The issue with NY, Phoenix, and Florida is that more people care about the NBA teams there. The thing is these teams make more money on TV contracts in these "larger markets" than in the "smaller markets" like Winnipeg. Anyways, I would love to see the Predators gone from the Central division. The issue is that if they move to Hamilton, ON then who moves to the West? It's very confusing. Do I hate the Coyotes? No. But Phoenix has no business having an NHL team, as it is over 100 there half of the year. Neither does Tampa, Sunrise/Miami, Atlanta, or Dallas strictly because of their location. But, if you're going to look at a team most likely to move, it has to be the Isles because if you look back on almost every move, the reasoning is an arena issue. The funny thing is then they build the new arena once the team has left.

I know you're relatively new around here, and relatively young, I believe. So let me take you down a road a lot of us have been down a few times before.

The MTS Centre in Winnipeg, while still sparkling and new, is woefully undersized by NHL standards, holding just over 15,000. Expanding it to NHL size, if even structurally possible, would be a nine-figure undertaking. Even if Peggers stuffed the joint in its current configuration, the team would still rank in the bottom third of overall attendance - on the level of the Kings and Panthers, and just a few hundred above the current numbers of the Coyotes. This would require some of the highest ticket prices in the league just to achieve borderline sustainability. Winnipeg is not a city which could offer up major corporate sponsorship money, and chances are that residents of Winnipeg would not be willing to part with larger bags of loonies than their Canadian counterparts to continue to see a franchise consistently aiming to squeak its way into the 8th playoff slot. Within 4 to 5 years, Jim Balsillie's making a charter trip to Manitoba to kick the tires.

Oh, and don't even try to associate Dallas with being undeserving of an NHL franchise, just because it gets hot there and it's all Texas-y. That has been proven over the past 15 years to be quite the fool's errand. You might as well try making an argument for relocating the Sharks.

[NEW.ERA]

And the problem with Winnipeg getting a team would cause Sportsnet West to cover 3 teams (I'm sure they can find a way to make it work) and as for the MTS Centre I'm pretty sure it can expand to just a little over 16,000 anyone with confirmation on that would be great, there has been talk about building an arena outside of the city I hear that about everytime I head to the Peg but seems unlikely seeing that the MTS Centre is one of the top facilities in North America, I just find it that Winnipeg didn't plan on getting an NHL team within 15 or so years after the Jets left.

As much as I'd love to see hockey back in Manitoba it seems it just gets smaller and smaller each time Relocating or Expanding is brought up.

[Lee.]

The Isles are one of the iconic franchises in the history of the NHL.

Ha! This isn't 1984, champ. The Isles have been a joke since the late 80's, and 4 Stanleys doesn't mean a lick to the NHL if Wang wants to take his toy and go play in a new yard.

[Neon_Matrix]

The Isles are one of the iconic franchises in the history of the NHL.

Ha! This isn't 1984, champ. The Isles have been a joke since the late 80's, and 4 Stanleys doesn't mean a lick to the NHL if Wang wants to take his toy and go play in a new yard.

They didn't win in 1984.

Sheesh, learn your history!

[Lee.]

The Isles are one of the iconic franchises in the history of the NHL.

Ha! This isn't 1984, champ. The Isles have been a joke since the late 80's, and 4 Stanleys doesn't mean a lick to the NHL if Wang wants to take his toy and go play in a new yard.

They didn't win in 1984.

Sheesh, learn your history!

Hesh, you know what I meant.

And it's like Sodboy took every post I ever made about the NHL in Winnipeg and condensed it into one glorious paragraph. Good on you, homes, good to see you paying attention.

And for the record, it's almost impossible to expand the MTSC without it looking like a concrete abortion along the lines of the old Arena. It's already shoehorned into it's current footprint, the only way to expand it is straight up- making even another 1,000 seats an architectural miracle.

It's also a gleaming example of how new sports arenas do nothing to revitalize a downtown, but that's another thread.