Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
I long considered the NHL to be a joint league like you do but over the past few decades I have lost this impression.
Not sure if others feel the same way, but it's always the imperatives of the American market that seem to carry the day, even if it is to the detriment of the Canadian market, teams and fans.
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Bettman treats the Canadian teams like an inconvenience that the league is barely willing to tolerate, but those teams sure are a cash cow for the league.
Just consider the fan experience in Florida as opposed to Winnipeg... people in Florida can get season tickets starting at $7 a game and watch road games for free. In Winnipeg you have to sit on a waiting list for years ($100 a year) to get a crack at $50 per game nosebleed seats. Oh, and want to watch games on TV? That'll be another $10 a month.
Meanwhile Bettman shows up to introduce the new owners in Florida and tells the fans they're building a Stanley Cup contender. When Bettman came to announce the new owners of the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise, his only remarks were to threaten us that the team would leave if we didn't buy 13,000 season tickets pronto. Gee, we're really so fortunate that the NHL has deigned to give our unworthy city a franchise