Will Milwaukee get a NHL team? Will Penguins move there?

Question

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been looking into options for moving. Will Milwaukee ever be a relocation possibility? Back in the 80s and early 90s Milwaukee was a great hockey town and it looked like the city was going to get a hockey team. I don't know if it would work now, but what do you think? Will Milwaukee ever get a NHL team in the near future?

Answer 1

I'm assuming you live in or near Milwaukee. It is strange that they don't have a hockey team. Maybe the fans didn't support it well enough in the past. Seems to me that that's the perfect city for hockey since the lakes freeze in the winter. I'd like to see a team go there. I don't think expansion is an option. There's enough teams already.

Answer 2

milwaukee is a horrible hockey town. the only reason it was close to getting an NHL team back in the 80's and early 90's was because of the Pettit's putting tons of their money into building the Bradley Center (which was suppose to be for an NHL team). they ended up backing out on the 50 million dollar franchise purchase at the time and that was that. Hockey culture around the milwaukee area is scarcely thin outside of the suburban areas that have money. Pittsburgh is a prime example of how a working class baseball/football town laid waste to their hockey team and the same thing would happen in Milwaukee. sad but true. the Milwaukee bucks cant even sell out the BC on a consistent basis.. hockey being an even more marginal sport would be a disaster. this town oddly enough doesnt relate to hockey. the Pens moving would much better suit a city with hockey culture like Quebec, Winnipeg, Hamilton or Halifax. Sidney Crosby and Malkin would sell those towns out every game... it would be a 2 week quest in milwaukee before audiences drop.

Answer 3

I'm in Milwaukee, and I'd love to see it, but it won't happen. The Admirals struggle at the box office and they're a cheap ticket.

This Penguins team, wherever it ends up, will be a big draw based on Crosby, Malkin, Staal and Fleury. I just don't think Milwaukee is ever going to be that place.

Just as a footnote, the NHL IS considering expansion to 32 teams. They want to realign the number of divisions from 6 to 4, which leaves two divisions with only 7 teams. That is at least 5 years after the division realignment is accepted however, and that doesn't look good right now.

Answer 4

I really doubt that the Penguins will be going anywhere. Lemieux is playing the oldest game in sports, threaten to move the team if they don't get public funding for a new arena. If they do move, I think Milwaukee would be a good choice. I think that hockey is a regional sport, not a national one. I think one of the biggest mistakes made by the NHL is to expand into Miami, Dallas, Pheonix and warmer weather places. I for one would like to see more teams in the north. Milwaukee would be good, so would Cleveland or any of the other northern AHL cities. I do think that the only way Wilwaukee or any other city would have a franchise is for an existing franchise to move there. The NHL would be committing financial suicide if they were to expand any futher. I honest think that contraction would be the best move.

Answer 5

No, but Like you I wish they did, the Problem is, that in Wisconsin Lawmakers ask Voters and Taxpayer alike to Vote on a new stadium Ex: Miller Park, or Renovation of Current ones Ex: Lambeau Field.

If Milwaukee had to open the Doors to Mario Lemiuex's Penguins they would have ask the Voters and Taxpayers to build a New Arena for the Pens, the Bucks, and Marquette University Eagles or Renovate the Bradley Center the Current Home of the Milwaukee Bucks (NBA), Marquette (NCAA, Big East) and Milwaukee Admirels (AHL's Nashville Predators) into more Skyboxes more seats and a State of the Art scoreboard.

Speaking of the Admirals the Predators may ahve to relocate farm team to another city, that will only complete matters, and the Voters will probably Vote agianist this measure, in fact Brewers fans aren't pleased with the New Miller park five years after it opened its doors to the General Public, Packer Fans on other hand like the Renovated verison of Lambeau Field Keeping Landmark Status, and Modern Accompations is Making Green Bay WI, a Real football Town better then Pittsburgh who have their Green Bay Packers the Steelers, and their Milwaukee Brewers, the Pirates, thier College teams Pitt, and Penn State is like your college Teams Marquette, and Wisconsin One from the Big East the other from the Big Ten, If you move the Penguins to Milwaukee it will be another city like Pittsburgh, the only thing Pittsburgh doesn't have what Milwaukee does is a NBA team, and Milwaukee's Harley Davidson Motorcycles, and Miller Beer are better Products then Pittsburgh's Heinz Ketchup, or Iron City Beer.

So maybe Lemieux and the NHL has Overlooked Milwaukee and the Rest of Wisconsin, because the Owner of Nashville Predators Tom Dupay's from Racine, WI and his farm Team is in Milwaukee, the Admirals.

If you want an Expansion Team of any kind Try to get a Major League Soccer Team and a Stadium to put them in, you'll have a Better Chance, Voters will apporove It will cost less Money to the Taxpayer, Generate more Revenue to the Local Economy, and it may get a Football Team to Marquette University.

Find another Sport besides Hockey.

Answer 6

Being a Penguins fan my gut felling is they aren't going any where. I really think this a scare tatic by Lemuiex to get a new arena. If they do move I don't think Milwaukee will be there destination. Could Milwaukee support an NHL team? If they are leaving Pittsburgh I hope they go to Winnipeg.

Answer 7

Milwaukee is not even in the running for a new team, Lemieux will do everything in his power to keep the Pens in Pittsburgh which they should stay cause they are part of the next 6 to bring the league up to 12 teams after the Original Six. so they've been there for 40 years. the top 3 places the team would most likely move to are Winnipeg, Kansas City and Houston. so no to Milwaukee it will not work their anyways. and don't forget that Basillie might actually come back in the bidding and a team could come to Southern Ontario like Kitchener_Waterloo.


bigdog>>>> Mario Lemieux never told you anything.

erok2020>>>>its been said for the past several months that there will be no team going to Las Vegas, you must of hard it from a friend the top 3 city's that are running for the Pens if they have to move are Winnipeg, Kansas City and Houston NO Las Vegas, get your facts before you speak.


jpspencer...>>>>the NHL has never been consodering to expand the NHL to 32 teams I don't know where your getting your factsbut your way off. there already having trouble with the 30 teams and out of the 24 american teams only NY Rangers, Philadelphia (even when there playing bad) Buffalo, Boston, Tampa Bay (was up and down fans leave when team plays bad) Detroit, Colorado, Minnesota. those are the teams that keep having the fans even with your Anaheim Ducks there not filling the arena so it goes to show you that its not working. you just watch in the next 10 years they might bring the league down to 28 to 26 teams if this keeps up cause allot of owners are losing money. just think you own the Ducks they actualy have the best record going in NHL history after playing 38 games, and there not selling out and at the end of the year the owners lose money not good for a winning team.


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

Answer 8

If they have a large brand new venue with a billionaire who wants to own an NHL team they might have a shot.No one really knows how long the salary cap will last-so that puts small market cities at a major disadvantage.
Kansas City is favored as far as getting the Penguins if they leave.They meet the above criteria and have been trying for years to get back into the NHL.

Answer 9

That is an interesting question. I don't think the Pens are leaving Pitt. I think Milwaukee would be a great hockey town. There are some great fans there and they would back a team, it just won't be the Pens.

Answer 10

I think Milwaukee would be great for a NHL team. Wisconsin loves Badger hockey so I dont see why a pro team wouldnt prosper.