Is Atlanta Burning?

[The_Admiral]

I would love to see the NHL in Seattle. The league loves to trumpet how affluent and tech-savvy many of their consumers are, since most people think of American hockey fans as latent racists who don't know how to eat with silverware, and a successful Seattle team would go a long way in finally dispelling that myth. You'd think Seattle would've been a natural fit at some point, but that whole "no building" thing is such an obstacle.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

As OMMF pointed out, the region does have 6,500 seats in the ShoWare Center (with is in Kent, WA, which --as a center-city resident -- might as well be North Dakokta). It's below the NHL's standards, but given how hard they fought to keep hockey in a below-standard market, they should be okay with that.

[pmoehrin]

I can't think of too many markets out there with an NHL ready arena at their disposal that doesen't already have a team.

Hamilton, Houston, Kansas City, Cleveland, Portland and Oklahoma City. Most of those markets I don't think the NHL is knawing at the bit to get into. Houston and Hamilton seem to be the two best out of the group. Houston is by far the largest market in the US and Canada without an NHL team. I think that alone should warrant them serious consideration. Hamilton has arena renovations plans on the table and probably would have an NHL arena ready within a year or two after getting a team. But after that prospects aren't good. Cleveland already lost a franchise (albeit to reasons that I feel had much more to do with bad ownership then bad fan support, but nonetheless). Portland draws decent as a minor league market, but decent is about it. Is that going to improve all that much with an NHL team in town? Who knows. Kansas City is almost completely untested as a market and the one NHL team they had drew horribly, and Oklahoma City is even less tested. The only reason I put OKC on the list was because of their arena, but I see no reason for the NHL to go into that market. I think your more likely to see baseball return to Montreal before an NHL team plays in OKC.

Beyond that, its adding a second team in Toronto which may not be a bad idea, or looking into moving into a market like Seattle, Winnipeg or Hartford and playing a couple of years in a below standard NHL arena with the hopes that a new one will eventually get built.

Considering that Houston doesen't seem to care too much one way or another about getting an NHL team, I think Hamilton pretty much becomes by far the best option for any market without a team for either an expansion franchise or for a relocation effort.

[OMMF]

As OMMF pointed out, the region does have 6,500 seats in the ShoWare Center (with is in Kent, WA, which --as a center-city resident -- might as well be North Dakokta). It's below the NHL's standards, but given how hard they fought to keep hockey in a below-standard market, they should be okay with that.

You also have an almost 9000 seat arena in Everett which has held an NHL preseason game before.There are a lot of people from the South who would feel right at home in Snohomish County, that's for sure.

[BBTV]

Considering that Houston doesen't seem to care too much one way or another about getting an NHL team,

Not saying you're right or wrong, but just curious how you know this.

[pmoehrin]

Considering that Houston doesen't seem to care too much one way or another about getting an NHL team,

Not saying you're right or wrong, but just curious how you know this.

I've never seen any city leaders or anyone for that matter express any desire in getting an NHL team, despite them having an NHL sized arena, nor have I ever seen them ever be seriously considered by the NHL as a possible expansion location. I've never even heard so much as rumors of an NHL team coming to Houston.

I don't really know why that is either. I'm not a big fans of having teams in the south, but Houston would seem to be too big of a market to turn down, but I guess not.

[BBTV]

Considering that Houston doesen't seem to care too much one way or another about getting an NHL team,

Not saying you're right or wrong, but just curious how you know this.

I've never seen any city leaders or anyone for that matter express any desire in getting an NHL team, despite them having an NHL sized arena, nor have I ever seen them ever be seriously considered by the NHL as a possible expansion location.

I don't really know why that is either. I'm not a big fans of having teams in the south, but Houston would seem to be too big of a market to turn down, but I guess not.

Well it really shouldn't be up to the city leaders - more likely a private businessman or corp would step up and make the play to bring in a team. I'd wager that if the NHL said something about wanting to get in that market, someone would step up and make it happen. There are only so many teams, and unless you have some gung-ho hot shot who goes to the media to announce his intentions to bring a team to x city, you likely wouldn't hear much until it's close to happening. Did anyone hear anything about Anaheim working to bring in an NBA team? And that just about happened (still might.) More often than not, the more successful bids are the ones that aren't plastered all over the place. Of course it really could be that just nobody has any interest - that's always a possibility. But considering the success of the Aeros, and the size of the market, and the Stars proving that hockey can succeed in Texas if done right, I think it'd be foolish for the NHL not to even explore the feasibility of putting a team there.

[BrianVlietDesign]

I still stand by the fact that I believe Norfolk, Virginia would be a great location for the club to move.

[rams80]

Considering that Houston doesen't seem to care too much one way or another about getting an NHL team,

Not saying you're right or wrong, but just curious how you know this.

I've never seen any city leaders or anyone for that matter express any desire in getting an NHL team, despite them having an NHL sized arena, nor have I ever seen them ever be seriously considered by the NHL as a possible expansion location.

I don't really know why that is either. I'm not a big fans of having teams in the south, but Houston would seem to be too big of a market to turn down, but I guess not.

Well it really shouldn't be up to the city leaders - more likely a private businessman or corp would step up and make the play to bring in a team. I'd wager that if the NHL said something about wanting to get in that market, someone would step up and make it happen. There are only so many teams, and unless you have some gung-ho hot shot who goes to the media to announce his intentions to bring a team to x city, you likely wouldn't hear much until it's close to happening. Did anyone hear anything about Anaheim working to bring in an NBA team? And that just about happened (still might.) More often than not, the more successful bids are the ones that aren't plastered all over the place. Of course it really could be that just nobody has any interest - that's always a possibility. But considering the success of the Aeros, and the size of the market, and the Stars proving that hockey can succeed in Texas if done right, I think it'd be foolish for the NHL not to even explore the feasibility of putting a team there.

Back in the 1990s when it looked really bad for the Oilers and Flames, I'm pretty sure Houston was offered as a possible destination for one of those teams. Also, Houston applied for a team in the last NHL expansion go-round.

[pmoehrin]

Considering that Houston doesen't seem to care too much one way or another about getting an NHL team,

Not saying you're right or wrong, but just curious how you know this.

I've never seen any city leaders or anyone for that matter express any desire in getting an NHL team, despite them having an NHL sized arena, nor have I ever seen them ever be seriously considered by the NHL as a possible expansion location.

I don't really know why that is either. I'm not a big fans of having teams in the south, but Houston would seem to be too big of a market to turn down, but I guess not.

Well it really shouldn't be up to the city leaders - more likely a private businessman or corp would step up and make the play to bring in a team. I'd wager that if the NHL said something about wanting to get in that market, someone would step up and make it happen. There are only so many teams, and unless you have some gung-ho hot shot who goes to the media to announce his intentions to bring a team to x city, you likely wouldn't hear much until it's close to happening. Did anyone hear anything about Anaheim working to bring in an NBA team? And that just about happened (still might.) More often than not, the more successful bids are the ones that aren't plastered all over the place. Of course it really could be that just nobody has any interest - that's always a possibility. But considering the success of the Aeros, and the size of the market, and the Stars proving that hockey can succeed in Texas if done right, I think it'd be foolish for the NHL not to even explore the feasibility of putting a team there.

I think the NHL would be foolish as well for not exploring the feasiliby of putting a team there, but they haven't, at least not to my knowledge in recent years in any serious fashion.

If I start hearing some rumors fly around Houston, I'll change my opinion, but I really think its a case of nobody with any power or money having any interest. The NHL to my knowledge hasn't even played an exhibition game there.

If there is some interst in getting a team to Houston, they are doing a great job of keeping it under wraps, because I haven't heard anything.

Houston did put in an expansion bid back in the 90's but was passed over by the NHL over arena concerns, so there could be some spite issues with the NHL. You want a team in Nashville over Houston, well you got it. It seems childish, but I have met a few owners, and yes they are that childish. I don't think that's the case, but I wouldn't completely dismiss it. I'm convinced the deal the NBA made with the Silna brothers is the reason why the NBA has never gone back to St. Louis.

I think it goes back to nobody including the NHL having any real interst in bringing a team to Houston. If its true it would make no sense at why that is, but why did the NHL decide to come into Phoenix with no arena deal over Houston? Or bring a team into a completely untested market such as Nashville? Alot of the things they have done with franchise locations haven't made much sense.

[Brian in Boston]

I've never seen any city leaders or anyone for that matter express any desire in getting an NHL team, despite them having an NHL sized arena, nor have I ever seen them ever be seriously considered by the NHL as a possible expansion location. I've never even heard so much as rumors of an NHL team coming to Houston.

In 1998, Les Alexander - owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets - offered to buy the Edmonton Oilers from Peter Pocklington for $85-million, going so far as to make a deposit of $5-million. If not for Cal Nichols' 38-member Edmonton Investors Group limited partnership stepping-up at the 11th hour, the Oilers would have been on their way to Houston.

[Magnus]

Has anybody mentioned this place as a possible location for a Seattle-based NHL team?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Dome

[pmoehrin]

Has anybody mentioned this place as a possible location for a Seattle-based NHL team?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Dome

I classify Seattle in the same way as I do Hartford and Winnipeg. You would have to play in a substandard NHL arena for a few years before getting an arena deal which may or may not come.

The Tacoma Dome is a substandard NHL arena. No luxury suites, and it is undersized in terms of capacity. I don't see why you would go to the Tacoma Dome over the KeyArena either.

[rams80]

Has anybody mentioned this place as a possible location for a Seattle-based NHL team?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Dome

Can you say Glendale North?

[OMMF]

Has anybody mentioned this place as a possible location for a Seattle-based NHL team?

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Tacoma_Dome

Can you say Glendale North?

I don't see the comparison. I will say that the Tacoma Dome was terrible for the WHL so even mentioning it for an NHL team is laughable. Yes, it holds about 15-16,000 for hockey but the sightlines are terrible and the amenities would need to be grossly updated for what one would hope would only be a one or two year stay. There's only one arena in the Northwest that is close to being NHL ready and that is the Rose Garden. Even then, money would need to be spent to bring the press box and locker rooms, among other things, up to NHL standards.

[BBTV]

Is Rose Garden really that out dated already? Just questioning because the Wells Fargo Center in Phila. only opened one year later (at a lower cost), and is still considered by most accounts to have more than adequate facilities.

[OMMF]

Is Rose Garden really that out dated already? Just questioning because the Wells Fargo Center in Phila. only opened one year later (at a lower cost), and is still considered by most accounts to have more than adequate facilities.

It's not that it is outdated, it's that it was built for the Trail Blazers and just happens to house a WHL team for half a season. Wells Fargo was built with both the Sixers and Flyers in mind, correct?

[BBTV]

Is Rose Garden really that out dated already? Just questioning because the Wells Fargo Center in Phila. only opened one year later (at a lower cost), and is still considered by most accounts to have more than adequate facilities.

It's not that it is outdated, it's that it was built for the Trail Blazers and just happens to house a WHL team for half a season. Wells Fargo was built with both the Sixers and Flyers in mind, correct?

Well the Fylers built it, and along the way simultaneously merged with Comcast and acquired the Sixers, so while the Sixers weren't in the picture on day 1, I'm pretty sure they had the foresight to consider them as a possible tenant.

[pmoehrin]

Is Rose Garden really that out dated already? Just questioning because the Wells Fargo Center in Phila. only opened one year later (at a lower cost), and is still considered by most accounts to have more than adequate facilities.

It's not that it is outdated, it's that it was built for the Trail Blazers and just happens to house a WHL team for half a season. Wells Fargo was built with both the Sixers and Flyers in mind, correct?

Well the Fylers built it, and along the way simultaneously merged with Comcast and acquired the Sixers, so while the Sixers weren't in the picture on day 1, I'm pretty sure they had the foresight to consider them as a possible tenant.

I'm pretty sure the Rose Garden has the size to host an NHL team if it was called to do so. Just looking at the design it was built with multi-purpose in mind. The seats are positioned way too far back to be basketball only. Compare the design of the Rose Garden to the AT&T Center, or Conseco Fieldhouse which are meant to be essentially basketball only.

[OMMF]

Is Rose Garden really that out dated already? Just questioning because the Wells Fargo Center in Phila. only opened one year later (at a lower cost), and is still considered by most accounts to have more than adequate facilities.

It's not that it is outdated, it's that it was built for the Trail Blazers and just happens to house a WHL team for half a season. Wells Fargo was built with both the Sixers and Flyers in mind, correct?

Well the Fylers built it, and along the way simultaneously merged with Comcast and acquired the Sixers, so while the Sixers weren't in the picture on day 1, I'm pretty sure they had the foresight to consider them as a possible tenant.

I'm pretty sure the Rose Garden has the size to host an NHL team if it was called to do so. Just looking at the design it was built with multi-purpose in mind. The seats are positioned way too far back to be basketball only. Compare the design of the Rose Garden to the AT&T Center, or Conseco Fieldhouse which are meant to be essentially basketball only.

No, it certainly can. The Winterhawks have had over 19000 there for a Seattle-Portland game. It's not the capacity that isn't ready for the NHL, it's the smaller things.