Stadiums and Arenas of Canada part 2

[Rollerstud98]

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

maybe Winnipeg Jets should have had similar fundraisers during the same time period so that Winnipeg wouldn't have had to loose team in the first place.


Saskatchewan has more disposable income with average household income of $85,000, Manitoba is $75,000



..so then you are saying it doesn't matter how broad Saskatchewan's audience base is anyway
Most of NHL season isn't during Winter (Dec 1 to Feb 28)
true 800,000 live within 45min drive of where Jets play in Winnipeg, and 800,000 live within 2 hour drive of Saskatoon. The extra 75mins is rather nominal considering commute time is more than a hour each & every work day for average Canadian.


Quebec City's airport is same size as Saskatoon's
Quebec City's only year-round permanent air connection is to NYC, nothing non-stop even to a city like Boston. Saskatoon has year-round to Minni PLUS even more American connections during NHL season (Vegas, Phx)



I'm curious to know what extra corporate support Quebec city has more than province of Saskatchewan?
.
.
again, I don't think Sask is going to get or are even interested in an NHL team, especially with Bettman at the NHL helm.
Winnipeg will probably loose the Jets a second time before Sask ever tries to buy a team again.

How old are you?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by thurmas

We as a country cant even get a rail line between Edmonton and Calgary which encompasses over 2.6 million people when combining their 2 Metro populations, and you want a rail line between Saskatoon and Regina which is maybe what 600,000 people?

Why I said "I know I'm getting way off track and we could jump into a huge debate about rail travel between other major cities."

Conversation was about NHL viability in Saskatchewan, and I was suggesting that a rail link would be a huge step forward to make that happen. It would also be fairly quick and cheap compared to high speed rail warranted in the Québec City-Windsor Corridor or Calgary-Edmonton. Priority should go to the latter two, not Saskatchewan on hopes of possibly getting an NHL team in some distant future.

[JHikka]

Saskatchewan isn't getting an NHL team.
Halifax isn't getting an NHL team.

Pretty much end of the line of discussion right there.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Saskatchewan isn't getting an NHL team.
Halifax isn't getting an NHL team.

Pretty much end of the line of discussion right there.

Indeed. We mustn't forget that the NHL is now essentially an American league, catering to American tastes and expectations. Bettman doesn't want Canadian expansion (beyond perhaps Quebec City). American owners don't want Canadian expansion. American media companies don't want Canadian expansion. They all know that American sports fans want to see American teams playing American teams. An LA Kings - New York Rangers game on TV will always generate more viewership (and more ad revenue) than an LA Kings - Winnipeg Jets game.

The only thing that matters to the NHL BoG is money. Canadian fans just have to get used to this idea or develop their own national professional hockey league (which isn't going to happen).

Ultimately I expect a 32 team NHL with 24 American teams and 8 Canadian teams, and we will be damned lucky to have those eight teams to cheer on, because if Bettman and the Board of Governors had their way, there probably wouldn't be any more than three Canadian teams in the NHL..........

[someone123]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The only thing that matters to the NHL BoG is money. Canadian fans just have to get used to this idea or develop their own national professional hockey league (which isn't going to happen).

In the long run it seems to me like there is going to be a big drop in the level of interest in professional sports. Young people today are much less interested in them than middle aged and older people are now or were at the same age in the past. Sports like baseball and golf are doing particularly badly but hockey isn't doing great either.

It could just be who I know but I know a lot more young-ish people (20's-30's) who are interested in Twitch than they are in NHL games. A lot of them don't have cable and some don't have TV at all; is there a good way for people like that to watch sports? I am not sure. Almost all younger people in big cities are poor now too by the way so they are less able to pay for expensive game tickets than older people, and may be less able in the future as well. Video games offer a cheaper form of entertainment to compete with.

On the surface this makes it seem like there won't be many new or expanded leagues in the future, and that it will become harder to make a professional sports team work in a smaller city. But sometimes Canada and the US operate at two different speeds or move in different directions, so who knows?

[J.OT13]

In my circle (men, 26-32), I'd say 80% of us follow hockey closely while a solid 50% go to a few games a year. A few of us are seriously considering half season ticket packages.

Depends on who yo hang out with.

[Rollerstud98]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

In my circle (men, 26-32), I'd say 80% of us follow hockey closely while a solid 50% go to a few games a year. A few of us are seriously considering half season ticket packages.

Depends on who yo hang out with.

Yep, I'm hoping to get in on some Flames season tickets for the upcoming season.

[Oilkountry]

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

^^
If the same number of people that go see a Riders game in Regina, were to see two NHL games in Saskatoon that would make up the difference in CFL & NHL teams attendance, not particularly hard to believe.

I think again the biggest hurdle comes outside the province itself in attitudes like Oiler fans like OilCountry who fear a Sask team rather than from people within Saskatchewan itself.

Again, I don't think there is any appetite for an NHL team by people in the province, they are over with thoughts of paying $billions to greedy sports leagues.

Ahh yes. My pessimistic outlook on Saskatchewan getting NHL team is due to the fear of what damage it will do to the Oilers. Not that Regina and Saskatoon are shit hole Prairie cities in the eyes of NHL and the players. Or that their isn't a building nor owner there. Or that Saskatoon's population is almost 3x smaller than Winnipeg And the cooperate sustainability would reflect that. Or that Canada has more attractive and deserving markets waiting in line. let alone the rest of north america.

You people are delusional

[Oilkountry]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Are you counting the GTA and Hamilton separately?

Quebec, Hamilton and GTA markets are the only markets in Canada that can and will be considered for NHL expansion and relocation. Period

And I'm not saying that Hamilton and a GTA could happen I belive it would be 1 or the other. From a financial standpoint.

The NHL is waiting Seattle out. Once they have a building which is sounding like they will sooner than later, The league will expand to 32 teams and balance out the east and west.

Quebec will be on top of the relocation discussion from there. But with the leagues new TV contract and bettmans stance on relocation combined with owners of struggling teams commitments to the markets they play in (florida,carolina,arizona). I don't know if it will happen anytime soon. And that posses a problem... is videotron gonna look as attractive in 20 years? The best Canada can hope for is the Hurricanes or Florida to continue to flop and get worse and worse untill the owners are forced to sell to an outside market.

[jigglysquishy]

Saskatchewan won't be getting an NHL team in the next 30 years. It's impossible to know where the sports world will be in 30 years. Maybe the NHL will by eyeing 64 teams.

Saskatchewan is certainly behind Quebec and Hamilton/GTA II in terms of Canadian markets. Probably Halifax as well.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Oilkountry

Quebec, Hamilton and GTA markets are the only markets in Canada that can and will be considered for NHL expansion and relocation. Period

And I'm not saying that Hamilton and a GTA could happen I belive it would be 1 or the other. From a financial standpoint.

The NHL is waiting Seattle out. Once they have a building which is sounding like they will sooner than later, The league will expand to 32 teams and balance out the east and west.

Quebec will be on top of the relocation discussion from there. But with the leagues new TV contract and bettmans stance on relocation combined with owners of struggling teams commitments to the markets they play in (florida,carolina,arizona). I don't know if it will happen anytime soon. And that posses a problem... is videotron gonna look as attractive in 20 years? The best Canada can hope for is the Hurricanes or Florida to continue to flop and get worse and worse untill the owners are forced to sell to an outside market.

I think that's a fair assessment for the most part. I do think Carolina, or possibly Florida, will be moved to Québec City within the next 5 years though.

[Oilkountry]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I think that's a fair assessment for the most part. I do think Carolina, or possibly Florida, will be moved to Québec City within the next 5 years though.

really? why do you think that?

They both have great buildings. Carolina has one of the bests leases in the league.

(Jan 2017)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says Carolina Hurricanes fans shouldn't worry about losing their team to Quebec City. Bettman swiftly knocked down speculation about a possible relocation of the Hurricanes on Saturday during All-Star weekend, saying the league is committed to keeping the team in Raleigh, North Carolina."The club is not moving," Bettman said.

"Peter may sell, he may not sell," Bettman said. "He may sell all of it. He may sell some of it. He may sell none of it. There's no formal sale process going on. There's no imperative for the franchise to be sold on any immediate basis, and the franchise is not moving. I hope that was definitive enough."

Florida just signed an 8 year lease deal with the city to keep them there till 2024.

Arizona is looking for a long term future in the desert. They just lost out on the new building in tempe but they can move back into talking stick arena or find another way to get a new building.

Islanders won't be in Brooklyn for long but there is talk of bringing them back to Nassau Coliseum. Let's face it they arent leaving new york anytime soon

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Indeed. We mustn't forget that the NHL is now essentially an American league, catering to American tastes and expectations. Bettman doesn't want Canadian expansion (beyond perhaps Quebec City). American owners don't want Canadian expansion. American media companies don't want Canadian expansion. They all know that American sports fans want to see American teams playing American teams. An LA Kings - New York Rangers game on TV will always generate more viewership (and more ad revenue) than an LA Kings - Winnipeg Jets game.

The only thing that matters to the NHL BoG is money. Canadian fans just have to get used to this idea or develop their own national professional hockey league (which isn't going to happen).

Ultimately I expect a 32 team NHL with 24 American teams and 8 Canadian teams, and we will be damned lucky to have those eight teams to cheer on, because if Bettman and the Board of Governors had their way, there probably wouldn't be any more than three Canadian teams in the NHL..........

There's always the CHL. Isn't it the development league for the NHL in the same way that the NCAA is the development league for the NBA?

Only 7 Canadian cities have a NHL team. There are 52 Canadian cities with a CHL team. If Canadians want more hockey they should support and watch the teams we already have instead of devoting so much attention on the NHL. The 'national' media lavishes time and money on the former at the expense of the latter. It should be the other way around but try getting media based in an NHL city to do that.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

Saskatchewan won't be getting an NHL team in the next 30 years. It's impossible to know where the sports world will be in 30 years. Maybe the NHL will by eyeing 64 teams.

Saskatchewan is certainly behind Quebec and Hamilton/GTA II in terms of Canadian markets. Probably Halifax as well.

Personally, I think that an NHL team would suck too much out of the economy in cities such as Halifax and Saskatoon (even Hamilton), especially if such teams are well supported. Money for NHL season tickets and corporate dollars could go towards supporting other entertainment events such as Major Junior A hockey, theater and dining at restaurants.

I was an avid NHL fan when I was younger, but now it is just too rich for me to root for. I would rather that Halifax go for a CFL team with much lower payrolls and much less money for season tickets. In all honesty, I think Halifax would get far more promotional value for its money from the CFL since most tourists to Halifax come from Canada than from the USA. However, I am just looking at this from an economic viewpoint as opposed to a fan's viewpoint.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by isaidso

There's always the CHL. Isn't it the development league for the NHL in the same way that the NCAA is the development league for the NBA?

Only 7 Canadian cities have a NHL team. There are 57 Canadian cities with a CHL team. If Canadians want more hockey they should support and watch the teams we already have instead of devoting so much attention on the NHL. The 'national' media lavishes time and money on the former at the expense of the latter. It should be the other way around but try getting media based in an NHL city to do that.

I agree. I posted similar thoughts just a minute after your post.

[#1Fan]

I couldn't post pictures but now that the Riders have opened the lid, here's a few shots for the out of town folks.

The biggest meeting room on this floor is the auditorium, a 2,100-square-foot room that features 120 theatre-style seats in five tiered rows. Each seat has a table that stores away and a power supply for recharging tablets. The room also includes two projectors and a front wall that doubles as a whiteboard.

Down the hall from the auditorium is the 5,400-square-foot training facility. Aside from stacks of weights and training machines, the room features a strip of artificial turf four yards wide and 22 yards long on which players can do explosive drills.

Back down the hall from the fitness room is the grand staircase, which the players can take to get down a level to the locker room. The staircase features several lightboxes on two walls, forming a large, wraparound picture of a group of players huddling at midfield before a game.

Through another set of doors is the Roughriders’ locker room, a 4,450-square-foot monstrosity that features an open concept.

It contains 72 permanent lockers, all of which are bigger and wider than the ones at old Mosaic Stadium.

Each locker features a “jewel box” (a green-lit storage bin for the player’s helmet), a bin for shoulder pads (featuring a power hinge that swings the door up and out of the way) and a lockable cupboard (with a power outlet for the player’s electronic devices).

The lockers also contain a forced-air system into the shoulder pad and shoe boxes that should help eliminate odours.

A barber shop where players can cut each other’s hair. The room will feature an old-style barber chair, a traditional barber pole — and a glass jar filled with the blue liquid in which barbers soak their combs.

And other assorted pictures:

[#1Fan]

Sorry for the size folks. I don't understand why this vBulletin site doesn't keep image size formatting? PM if you can help.

[Dalreg]

Originally Posted by Oilkountry

Ahh yes. My pessimistic outlook on Saskatchewan getting NHL team is due to the fear of what damage it will do to the Oilers. Not that Regina and Saskatoon are shit hole Prairie cities in the eyes of NHL and the players. Or that their isn't a building nor owner there. Or that Saskatoon's population is almost 3x smaller than Winnipeg And the cooperate sustainability would reflect that. Or that Canada has more attractive and deserving markets waiting in line. let alone the rest of north america.

You people are delusional

Someone find his pacifier. Oil is about to spit his dummy again....

[Rollerstud98]

Originally Posted by #1Fan

Sorry for the size folks. I don't understand why this vBulletin site doesn't keep image size formatting? PM if you can help.

Beautiful stadium! You guys are lucky out there and so is that team! That gym is amazing.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

It's hard to imagine another scenario like the Thrashers moving Winnipeg ever taking place again. Never say never, but I think Bettman/ the League is better prepared to deal with those sorts of issues today than he was a few years back.

If memory serves, there were serious issues with Thrashers ownership, like, nobody actually wanted to own them or buy a ticket to watch them. At that time, I'm not sure the NHL was willing to operate failing teams as they are now. Throw in David Thomson and a relatively new arena, and there you go. And relocation is a really negative thing, to be honest. The NHL wants no part of such high profile examples of failure.

The real money is in expansion franchises. Massive amounts of dough involved that's spread around the league. Everyone feels good. Everyone's richer for it.

Along those lines, there are existing fan bases in both Quebec and Hamilton and they'd both be successful in their own right. But these are not exactly growth areas for the League. I'm really not sure having teams in those cities would change the fortunes of the NHL at all. To wit - there is no interest in expanding to those markets.

Seattle? A big yes! Kansas City? Houston? Hartford? Cleveland/ Cincinnati? Serious maybes. Hamilton and/ or Quebec? Only as an absolute last resort, unfortunately.