There are reports that the NHL is planning to expand to Las Vegas. I believe that this is a terrible mistake. They should expand or relocate to cities (Winnipeg, Quebec City, Hamilton, etc.) where hockey is seen as practically as a religion. Agree or disagree?
2007-06-09 09:07:41 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Hockey
No, why go to a market with so much competition for the entertainment dollar? Think about why there are no other top level sports teams there already. The other leagues are much more financially sound and they won't go near the place. Why does Bettman think the NHL would succeed there?
The Las Vegas Wranglers can pull right around 5000 on average as an "AA" franchise with an average ticket price in the $20 range. So Bettman and Co. think they're going to miraculously pull another 10k-12k fans a night consistently over the life of a franchise at about double that ticket price? Anything less than a 15k a night average would mean the death of that team. Also, where the heck do they put them?
Winnipeg, Hamilton, or Quebec City would be the better choices. I also don't have a problem with new ownership moving a financially troubled team to another city (a la the Penguins). If they were solid franchises, it wouldn't matter how old their arenas were, they'd make enough money to stay. The Pens have never really been on solid financial ground, even when Mellon was newer.
2007-06-09 10:06:17 · answer #1 · answered by Tommy B 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It would have support for all of 2 years in Vegas (like Nashville), then people would stop caring. I think Winnipeg and Quebec deserve second chances if the NHL expands (especially Winnipeg, cause as much as I despise the Avs, they at least have fan support). Hamilton has been a popular place that has been mentioned too, and I'm sure they would be much more loyal than any fan in Vegas. Wisconsin has good support for hockey as well, and a team in Milwaukee I think could do well. Maybe another team in the northeast, like the classic Hartford Whalers (not saying put them there, just saying New England is a good hockey area).
In the end though, the best answer is to eliminate Nashville, Florida, Atlanta, and Carolina, and move Phoenix back to Winnipeg, and look at moving possibly Anaheim to Quebec (why the hell does the L.A. area have two teams anyway?!).
2007-06-09 09:27:48 · answer #2 · answered by mama_kin_034 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
As long as it is a team that moves to the city, then maybe. If it it to be a new team, I would be against that forever and a day. The NHL is hurting as is due to the fact that the talent pool is too small to support the league. Players who 20 years ago wouldn't have even made it through the first day of try-outs are now centers on third lines for clubs. It's not right. The NHL is to big as is, and if anything, needs to down-size. Not by much, but they do need to down-size. Las Vegas doesn't really seem like a hockey town to me, but if they can put forth a good case, I'm all ears. The NHL has no right to expand, only down-size.
2016-05-21 00:28:55 · answer #3 · answered by laticia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can't say for CERTAIN of course, whether a team would be successful or not...
But I agree... No team in Las Vegas, ugh... I really would like a team to go to Canada. I fear for the league's future, I really do, and I think hockey-crazy Canadian fans won't fail to disappoint in terms of attendance (like Nashville's "fans" did) and if they have a team again, they'll buy merchandise. Everyone brings up the luxury boxes... There are "wealthy" people in Canada, damnit, and I'm sure some of them like hockey. If things don't work out splendidly the first year, give it some time. They've given the Phoenix Coyotes some time...
All this worrying about the Canadian dollar and how it would do... UM, if the NHL can let teams go to places like Nashville and Phoenix to gamble with a sink-or-swim mentality, than they sure as hell can take a CHANCE on a Canadian city. The only reason there is reluctance on their part is that they'd rather have the U.S. dollar lining their pocket than the Canadian one.
2007-06-09 13:34:12 · answer #4 · answered by Erica 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hope that the NHL does not expand into Las Vegas. Just what the league needs right now like that. Why don't they look at places like Quebec City, Winnipeg (both of whom had NHL teams and who would love having them back there) and how about one into the Atlantic Provinces of Canada? Halifax, Nova Scotia would be a perfect choice! So close to Boston, Buffalo etc. Fprget Las Vegas... go elsewhere!!
2007-06-09 12:16:50 · answer #5 · answered by a1a5g6 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't see how they will get season ticket holders in LV. Tourists won't be buying them and neither will the folks who make beds, wash dishes, etc. I've never heard of anyone who included the Magic on their to do list on a trip to Orlando, so why expect tourists to go to games?
On the other hand the potential owner is a man who is very, very succesful in the entertainment business. I have to think he knows what he is doing and he will have the folks who star in his films at the games. They had better accept his invitation to a hockey game or else they won't work in Hollywood again-LOL. So expect to see Johnny Depp, Bruce Wills and other A-listers at a LV NHL game.
The Las Vegas CFL franchise actually sold a lot of tickets to the casinos to give away, so a hockey team could do the same. I'm sure the casinos would lease luxury boxes for the use of their high-rollers. So we'll see-I think it's pretty much a done deal at this point. LV city council decided they didn't need the NBA after the all-star game gangster show, so it's game on for the NHL.
2007-06-09 10:32:19 · answer #6 · answered by michinoku2001 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think a team in Vegas would have a far better chance of doing well than a team in say, Nashville, or Raleigh NC, but I do agree that putting hockey in a hockey town (the ones you mention are perfect examples of actual hockey towns) would be more viable financially, and would be fairer to the hungry fans in those towns!
I grew up just outside of Hamilton, and I can't describe the empty feeling of having an NHL-ready arena sitting there for decades with no team!
2007-06-09 09:12:38 · answer #7 · answered by maddog27271 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well I live in Vegas and I think it would be a struggle for it to be successful here. I think most people who are interested in hockey here are people re-located from other cities and they might not change their team. Most people did not even know the playoffs were going on when I was watching the Sabres. Personally I would love to get a team here, just so I could hopefully see them out here!!
2007-06-10 05:01:03 · answer #8 · answered by Lora 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. A hockey team in Las Vegas would be a novelty item there, just another show. Like one other poster suggetsed if Vegas is such a good market why isn't baseball, football or basketball there? Probably bcasue they don't have twit like Gary Bettman running things.
If it's a stupid idea - Gary will do it.
2007-06-09 09:25:27 · answer #9 · answered by Terry S 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, not a chance. Hockey right now can barley keep up with last years re runs of Law and order let alone the vegas strip.
2007-06-09 13:25:53 · answer #10 · answered by The Failsafe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋