Phil Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Howard Baldwin has contacted the City of Hartford, of possibly building a new arena here. He is also trying to buy the Penguins, meaning they could come back to Hartford. Isn't that the guy who has failed spectacularly as an owner several times before? I'd hope the NHL would be smarter than to let that guy back in, but unfortunately they're suckers for a few bucks in their pockets, and the NHL's proven that it can't be considered smarter than anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosioux76 Posted June 12, 2004 Author Share Posted June 12, 2004 When Pittsburgh built a new arena for University of Pittsburgh Basketball they should have built one for the Pens instead and let the Panthers use the same arena. The Petersen Events Center wasn't built by the City of Pittsburgh. It was built by the University of Pittsburgh, two different entities -- one public, one private. Sure, cooperation would have been nice, but a university has only itself to look after.As for the thoroughbred track/gambling issue, the Mountaineer folks are one of a half-dozen or so parties interested in bringing a race track to Pittsburgh, though they're really the only ones to designate revenues to the Penguins. At this point there's no guarnatees they'll get the last remaining thoroughbred license or that gambling will be passed by the state.And, as Gov. Rendell said in the posted news story, revenues from gambling would be used for things like digging Pittsburgh out of debt. The Penguins arena would only be a possible funding source, not a guaranteed one. Still, gambling looks like the Pens only bet for a safe future in Pittsburgh. And that's not even a safe bet. ( i couldn't resist. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winters in buffalo Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 There was an article in one of the Business Journals this past week about KC trying to get then Pens. The city probably is the frontrunner at this point. I'd put Winnipeg and Houston high on the list. Haven't heard much about Cleveland pursuing a team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosioux76 Posted June 12, 2004 Author Share Posted June 12, 2004 W.I.B., do you have a link to that story? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrdevil Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Cleveland isn't a possiblity. I doubt the NHL would let a team move to Cleveland when there is a tames (A succesful one) in Columbus. I would say we know one of the interested parties is Winnipeg since they've already stated they contacted the Pens.You can forget Hartford getting a team. If a team wants to move there you will have 4 teams trying to block it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceCap Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 it wont be houston. bettman, in the only intelegent thing he ever said, stated that the nhl will only look at "traditional hockey markets" when granting an expansion team, or when a team relocates. my geusses- winnipeg, kc, quebec city PotD 26/2/12 1/7/15 2020 BASS Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal Regular Season Champion 2021 BASS NFL Pick'em Regular Season Champion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsfannova Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Forget the Q. 1)Couldn't support the AHL or IHL team. 2) The PA won't be happy, Quebec City is an almost unilingual Francophone city. English players aren't very inclined to play there. And with all the fighting going on, the last thing the League needs is ANOTHER thing that pisses the union off.3)Montreal's gonna bitch, and might try to block a move. Remember, the only reason Quebec was added was because of the merger, and only a boycott of Molson Breweries by hockey fans in other markets made the Canadiens vote for the merger. I doubt they'd be friendly to a team moving there.3)Little corporate support.4)And, the magical two words that spell the end of every classic arena and market: LUXURY BOXES.Best bets? KC and Winnipeg Decent bet: Contraction by lockout. Longshot? Staying there. 500-1? Quebec City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notch Novelty Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 What about Oklahoma City, they are supporting AAA hockey fantastic for years. New arena too.Why do we keep saying Cleveland should have a team or Quebec City? Quebec City is great hockey town but no new arena and Q Major and Senior Leagues are good entertainment for that providence err country.Cleveland, would be horrible with James' Cavs being on the rise the team would be second fiddle till he was gone. The NHL needs cities like Columbus the only major sport in town besides college sports. Even if it doesn't fit well with my northern hockey only attitude I would like the NHL to suceed.Oklahoma City would be the best fit. Kansas City always supported their team with no winter sports competition either. Winnipeg always.Wild Card - Manchester. I think they would sell out every game.Def No's - San Antonio drawing 4,900 in a new arena, Cleveland not built for hockeyTrust me Seattle and Cleveland are built for basketball and watching a game is terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapshot Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Manchester? As in New Hampshire?New Hampshire won't get an NHL team. That's the Bruins fan base area. A team in Manchester is not going to draw fans away from the Bruins.Besides, Manchester doesn't even have 100,000 people. That's way too small a market for the major league team to enter. Southern New Hampshire is almost treated as Boston metro area. But it's perfect for minor league & college sports (AHL hockey & AA baseball). Back-to-Back Fatal Forty Champion 2015 & 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notch Novelty Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Manchester would be Green Bay of the NHL if the right structure is formed in the NHL a team in Manchester would work. Just as a wild card though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 What about Oklahoma City, they are supporting AAA hockey fantastic for years. New arena too.Why do we keep saying Cleveland should have a team or Quebec City? Quebec City is great hockey town but no new arena and Q Major and Senior Leagues are good entertainment for that providence err country.Cleveland, would be horrible with James' Cavs being on the rise the team would be second fiddle till he was gone. The NHL needs cities like Columbus the only major sport in town besides college sports. Even if it doesn't fit well with my northern hockey only attitude I would like the NHL to suceed.Oklahoma City would be the best fit. Kansas City always supported their team with no winter sports competition either. Winnipeg always.Wild Card - Manchester. I think they would sell out every game.Def No's - San Antonio drawing 4,900 in a new arena, Cleveland not built for hockeyTrust me Seattle and Cleveland are built for basketball and watching a game is terrible. Oklahoma has been supporting AA hockey not AAA. The CHL is AA level but not as high quality playing wise as the ECHL.There is a reason the Cleveland Barons are nicknamed the Barens ... NO ONE shows up for the games. They usually have the lowest average attendence in the AHL.Quebec supports the Senior and Junior league but if it full on pro they only accept the BEST which is why they want the NHL but are settling for the WHA for now.Agreed on Columbus. What also helped Columbus is that it was already a hockey loving town because of OSU hockey and they didn't have to worry about loyalty because you can love the college team AND the pro team.OKC would fit arena wise and once people there learn it's THE BEST, they will fill that thing every night. OKC = CHL hockey in an NHL arena.Winnipeg has got the Manitoba Moose (which is the same reason why Houston wouldn't be good with the Aeros).Don't worry about San Antonio. A lot of SA fans are mad from when the IHL folded and the AHL had a rule about every team having and NHL parent club and they wouldn't allow SA. The fans there would more the likely support NHL hockey. Athletic Director: KTU Blue Grassers Football Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notch Novelty Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Correction AA Hockey is what I meant.Quebec needs a new arena. End of story.San Antonio is def no. Spurs are too much for them to handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 OKC, when you set a league record that can only be broken by you because you have an NHL arena, you nee to go NHL. The drew over 18,000 for a CHL game. That's fluffin nuts. Athletic Director: KTU Blue Grassers Football Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAD! Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 San Antonio is def no. Spurs are too much for them to handle. Plus you also need to build a new arena because part of the SBC Center seats are blocked off under the hockey configuration, just like America West Arena I saw, I came, I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puckcool22 Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 my friend is the son of lemeuix's attorney. he really doesn't get much info from his dad, but as far as he knew the only city he knew that was getting attention from the pens was portland, ore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puckguy14 Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 The Penguins situation is somewhat similar to the Browns in 1995. The city of Cleveland puts up money for a new ballpark for the Indians, a new arena for the Cavaliers (and back then the IHL LumberJacks), and the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. Of course we know what the Browns did. Wasn't Portland the city that was going to be home to the Pens before Lemieux saved it? I would think if any place, these cities would be mentioned for it (some I'm duplicating so we have a full list to look at):-Winnipeg-Hartford-PortlandA note on Howard Baldwin. Refresh my memory but he owned the Whalers at one time too right? I also remember he had a 60-day stint as co-owner of the North Stars with (prepping for boos from the State of Hockey) Norm Green. Baldwin took the Penguins after that. If he did get the team, and moves it to Hartford, would it be the Whalers or the Penguins?Also some inside info as well. My neighbor's son is a VP for the Mighty Ducks. They said that the Ducks are still up for sale, sort of. If a lockout takes place, they will hold off on any sale. Word is that the Maloof brothers (owners of the NBA's Sacramento Kings) may look to the Ducks as the team to buy and then move to Sacramento once they get their new arena that would be more hockey friendly. Arco Arena, is just like SBC Center and America West as in a hockey layout. 2004 San Jose Sharks 7th Man Fan of the Year San Jose Gold Miners - 4x Lombardi Cup Champions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsfannova Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Well, it'd be interesting how it affects alignment. I would think that any movement to KC or Portland would send them to the Western Confrence. I'd think that Nashville would be the team traded to the East, and Washington would be sent to the Atlantic division to replace Pittsburgh, and Nashville to the Southeast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 My guess would be Columbus because it's further East then agaibn this is pro sports so they usually don't do what makes since. Athletic Director: KTU Blue Grassers Football Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsfannova Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Well, the thing is, Nashville would theoretically get better attendence being with traditional rivals (Carolina, Altanta, Florida teams)and Columbus likes being in the same division as Detroit.Could be either or... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJR Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 Detroit has already been bitching about being in the Western Conference for a few years. All of their traditional (read: "Original Six") rivals except for Chicago are in the East and they're one of only two Eastern Time Zone teams in the Western Conference. Supposedly there was already a deal in place to put the Wings in the Northeast Division had the Sabres been forced to move. FantasyHockeySim.com || DetroitHockey.Net || DetroitHockey.Net FHL || cjr.dev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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