It appears as if the NHL's position on the Pittsburgh franchise.?

Question

... is that its OK if it moves within the US but not OK if it moves north to hockey-mad Canada. What's up with that? Under the current financial formula Canada could support three or four more teams. It sure seems to me like Winipeg, Quebec, the Maritimes and SW Ontario are all ready and able to start up an NHL team without any arm-twisting at all. What do you Yahoos out there in Answerland think?

Answer 1

Being from Pittsburgh I would not want the Penguins to go anywhere. That being said I feel that we have a few teams too far south for ice hockey. Canada definitely deserves to at least have a team in Winnipeg if not a couple others.

Answer 2

Okay, this is my Canadian hockey-nut boyfriend's answer! We live in SW Ontario and he is originally from the Maritimes.

Economics in Canada right now are prime for NHL expansion. But are there three or four billionaires ready to step up and finance these teams when economics and the Cdn $ go south again?

Winnipeg and Quebec have already had their opportunities to save their franchises (The Jets and Nordiques) before they moved. They didn't build a new arena in Winnipeg until 5 years AFTER they lost their team. Quebec City still has the same old arena.

Now let's talk about Halifax and Hamilton. Halifax would first have to expand the Metro Centre from its current capacity of just 10,000. Could this city of just over 300K truly support an NHL team? Neither Moncton nor Saint John have the arena facilities or population to support an NHL team, so that rules out the Maritimes.

As for Hamilton, they do have the population base and an existing arena (Copps Coliseum) which could be expanded to include more seating capacity and corporate suites, but although the population of Greater Hamilton would be a great fit for the NHL it would also detract from the other two markets within 100 miles of Hamilton (namely Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres). It would hurt Buffalo much more than Toronto.

Although I am a hockey-crazed Cdn who can't wait for December 26th and the World Juniors (go Canada go!!!) I think the true markets for NHL expansion at this time are Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Salt Lake City, Utah due to their population bases and their proximity to the Canadian border for easy travel by Canadians to see games there.

But that's just my hockey-nut boyfriend's opinion!

Answer 3

The Penguin>>>>>> this is the last time im saying this OK OK. Basillie promised Mario Lemieux he would keep the team in Pittsburgh if the Isles Capri Casino Chain got excepted which it didn't anyways Gary Bettman knew that the Casino thing wasn't 100% sure about getting excepted that is why the NHL Gary Bettman stepped in to scare off Basillie's bid off the table cause Bettman knew Basillie was going to move the team to Canada. Basillie wasn't to blame its the Comish Gary Bettman he will do everything in his power to stop Canada to have a team. with the Canadian dollar stronger then the last 5 years and just keeps getting stronger and with the new salary cap, teams in Canada will be better financially. Gary Bettman knows this and he is scared cause he has been trying to sell the best game on earth to the Americans and he isn't succeeding at it, so with all his hard work and ******* around with the game that made it worst today then 20 years ago, Bettman will do everything in his powers to stop Canada from having a team. and Bettman doesn't care if Pittsburgh stays or goes as long as the Pens move somewhere in the U.S. he may seem like he cares but trust me he doesn't.

the only ones that do care are Mario Lemieux and their fans.



GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Answer 4

The NHL has made it clear that the Pens arent moving without a fight. Thats why the last guy Jim Balsali bailed on the purchase Agreement. After the penguins arena deal with IOC wasn't approved for a slots license and It fell on a so called plan B to get an Arena built The NHL and mario are using the threat of moving to get a better deal. Right now plan B calls for the penguins to pay up to 130-140 million for this new arena, More then the total amount paid by the Pirates & Steelers combined on their new Stadiums. Thats unacceptable, This is Mario (after 7 years of empty promises for an arena) saying..we have a free arena waiting in KC and cities willing to give us a new building with no money from us(pens) Match it or give us a sweetheart deal or we are gone.

Note to habitant- Ive watched Buttman screw this league up with out of control Expansion,Bad TV rights deals, and this NEW NHL witch heavily favors soft Euro's over Grinding North Americans. I know he's a Sheep in Wolf's clothing and really cant do anything if The pens decide to leave after their lease is up. But he'd be insane to want the pens to move to a kansas city for example, The pens have drawn pretty well for a real bad team the last few years, And the tv ratings in the market are always among the best in the NHL. If they leave I dont give a dam where they end up, but It's crazy to have hockey in Florida,Carolina and atlanta over canadian Cities who live the game. You choose to believe it's a conspiracy, I choose to believe it's a Non hockey man that doesnt have a clue whats he's doing. For 20 years now the NHL has tried to reach places that dont care about it, instead of embracing those that love it.

Answer 5

I don't want the Penguins to move out of Pittsburgh, If only the Community would take more Responibility they would get a New Arena, their Failure to Work things out is why the Penguins are moving to Kansas City, maybe Houston, Winnipeg, or Portland Oregon.

You heard what Lemeiux last Thursday "the Team's off the Market we're considering relocation outside of Pennsylvania", this is a Wake-Up call for Pittsburgh they can't get their Priorities Straight.

Answer 6

i think that the pens shouldnt go anywhere
plus mario wont let them move