Quote:
Originally Posted by polishavenger
I dont follow NHL but isnt Nashville, Florida, NY Islanders, New Jersey, Phoenix, Tampa all in crappy markets?
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Crappy market doesn't necessarily mean they are wanting to move.
Nashville has seen a large jump in valuation recently and Calgary's Brett Wilson has joined the ownership group.
Florida, yeah kind of but the team was purchased in 2009 and has sucked for a long time. Things are looking better for them.
The Islanders need a new building badly but moving out of the area makes no sense.
New Jersey is an enigma.
Phoenix is a gong show and as long as the City of Glendale is dumb enough to keep paying for the team or an owner actually comes up with financing the team will stay. They are the most likely to be moved but the NHL is in no rush.
Tampa has had some of the worst ownership groups in the league but as of 2010 have had a really strong ownership that have made some really good moves to better the team and have had some successes with Yzerman as GM.
NHL owners are quite happy to break even or not on NHL hockey if they can make money on other events through owning or operating an arena. The Oilers neither own nor operate Rexall Place. They don't get to deduct any costs for hockey related revenue owed to the league to pay players. Outside of Rexall being a dump, the primary reason for a new building is to deduct as many costs by either owning and/or operating a popular building.
There are a few markets that will soon support NHL hockey but there is no way the NHL board of governors OKs a move of an existing team and gives up a massive expansion fee for Qubec City, Seattle, GTA. As far as I know (outside the Coyotes) there are no teams currently up for sale.