Quote:
Originally Posted by q12
You've been brainwashed by the PRO USA Bettman.
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I despise Bettman, but he has bosses. If the NHL Board of Governors (team owners) did not like where Bettman was taking the league he would be out of a job. The owners think they can make more money in the States, even if they are a niche product. The league is now making $200 million dollars a year from the NBC deal. Of course they're excited and greedy for more. And since hockey is very regionally driven in the States they need teams to make that work. When their team is gone most Americans (and a lot of Canadians) stop watching. No American teams on TV means no American viewers. You can complain about that but that's how it works.
And don't just blame the American owners. MLSE was none too happy about the prospect of a team in Hamilton, judging by the Balsille debacle. And they won't say it publicly but the Habs probably aren't jumping for joy about another team in Quebec, their prime market. Most of the Canadian owners are happy to continue the American experiment, even subsidizing teams like Phoenix, because that's where the money is.
It's simple math. America has a huge population relative to Canada. It doesn't matter how much we love hockey, we've got to be close to saturation: 7 NHL teams, three CHL leagues, university hockey. You put a team in Halifax, how many NEW fans do you gain. Not too many. Anyone interested in hockey in Canada is already cheering for an NHL, watching HNIC and TSN. Maybe a team eeks out a tiny profit, but what does that do for MLSE, the Molsons, or any of the owners in Chicago, NY, Detroit, Boston, Philly. Diddly squat.
Do I like this. Not really. It's sad when TV ratings, corporate logos, and big time sponsors seem to mean more than quality hockey and player safety. But that's where we are. It's a big business, and hockey mad or not Halifax is a small city.