[Newsbot]

Title: Winnipeg finally returning to NHL fold
Category: Sports
Posted By: Regina
Date: 2011-05-31 06:01:41
Canadian

[PENATRATOR]

FINALLLY the NHL HAS COME BACKKKKKKK to Winnipeg

[Freakinoldguy]

I'll believe it when I see the ink drying on the paper, the 13000 season ticket sold and all the skyboxes full of corporate weenies.

Until that happens I thing Buttman will do everything in his power to keep teams in the Southern states, including selling them to owners with no money and criminal intentions ala the Nashville franchise.

[fifeboy]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

I'll believe it when I see the ink drying on the paper, the 13000 season ticket sold and all the skyboxes full of corporate weenies.

Until that happens I thing Buttman will do everything in his power to keep teams in the Southern states, including selling them to owners with no money and criminal intentions ala the Nashville franchise.

I am with you on this one. However, if the Jets do come back to the Peg, I will have a reason to watch the NHL again. I used to love the $5 seats back when I was a struggling married student at U of M. The other thing I never could understand is Buttman's (ha ha, that is good) wanting hockey in the south. I mean really, why. Nobody is interested, the Saskatoon Flames get more butts in the bleachers. Why?

[bootlegga]

fifeboy fifeboy:

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

I'll believe it when I see the ink drying on the paper, the 13000 season ticket sold and all the skyboxes full of corporate weenies.

Until that happens I thing Buttman will do everything in his power to keep teams in the Southern states, including selling them to owners with no money and criminal intentions ala the Nashville franchise.

I am with you on this one. However, if the Jets do come back to the Peg, I will have a reason to watch the NHL again. I used to love the $5 seats back when I was a struggling married student at U of M. The other thing I never could understand is Buttman's (ha ha, that is good) wanting hockey in the south. I mean really, why. Nobody is interested, the Saskatoon Flames get more butts in the bleachers. Why?

The reason Bettman wanted teams in the south was so that the NHL could get a bigger TV contract. The other Big Four leagues get a billion dollars or more annually from TV networks, whereas the juiciest the NHL ever got was around $155 million per year IIRC. Many NFL teams, for example, don't even need to sell tickets to turn a profit, because they make so much off network deals and merchandise sales. In the NHL, it's the other way around - hockey teams desperately need ticket sales just to stay solvent, nevermind profitable.

[Thanos]

Not to defend Bettman or the league too much back then but things were a lot different in the 1990's than they are now. First, the exchange rate was clobbering the Canadian teams, with too many players not wanting to play in Canada because they weren't making as much as they would on a US team. Second, neither Winnipeg or Quebec City were able to put together enough interest, and received no government help at all, for new stadiums that would have provided the extra-seat revenue to keep the Jets and Nordiques in Canada. Third, there wasn't a salary cap agreement in place that would have equalized the gross salaries paid out per team; this was back when the NY Rangers and other big US teams were moving well above what most of the other teams, and almost all of the Canadian teams, were capable of paying their players. Fourth, thanks to too many bad previous years of subpar performances, both Winnipeg and Quebec had lost a lot of season ticket holders, and they were playing in front of half-empty seats for too long; the local fans coming back and selling out the stadiums for the last ten games of the season just before the teams left for the US just wasn't good enough to stop the moves from happening.

1990's economics were terrible in Canada for the NHL teams, and were also vastly different from the way things are today. That's the main reason why the move southwards looked like such a good idea at the time.

[PimpBrewski123]

Congrats Winterpeg

Let's get more teams in Canada, and that is in Quebec City.

As a certain radio commentator said this afternoon, while Winnipeg gets to enjoy its new team, here in Quebec City, there are always couple nitwits trying to stop any sort of progress as usual. There is currently a feud with a ''few'' people and perhaps some idiot politician trying to block the agreement between the city and potential Quebecor ownership.

[Zipperfish]

This is awesome news. I was a huge Jets fan growing up. I didn't live there when they folded, but I know it ripped the heart out of that town. Bettamn did bugger all to save that team. He couldn't wait to pack them out of town. Unlike the shenanigans with Phoenix, where he's pulling all stops to keep them there. Don't get me wrong--he should pull all stops to keep them there. The Phoenix fans deserve no less. Too bad he never paid Winnipeg the same courtesy.

A return of the Jets and a Stanley Cup for Vancouver. That's what I call an awesome hockey year.

[Curtman]

It's almost like nobody even remembers how much The Jets sucked. Oh well, great news for Toronto I guess. They're probably sick of being the worst team in Canada.

[fifeboy]

bootlegga bootlegga:

The reason Bettman wanted teams in the south was so that the NHL could get a bigger TV contract. The other Big Four leagues get a billion dollars o more annually from TV networks, whereas the juiciest the NHL ever got was around $155 million per year IIRC. Many NFL teams, for example, don't even need to sell tickets to turn a profit, because they make so much off network deals and merchandise sales. In the NHL, it's the other way around - hockey teams desperately need ticket sales just to stay solvent, nevermind profitable.

OK, I understand that part, but southern Americans don't even like (ice) hockey. I mean, if some guy introduced polo to Saskatoon I might go a few times just out of curiosity, but to become a fan...not really. Southern Americans don't have a clue about hockey any more than you understand the appeal of noodling for cats.

[Proculation]

PimpBrewski123 PimpBrewski123:

Congrats Winterpeg

Let's get more teams in Canada, and that is in Quebec City.

As a certain radio commentator said this afternoon, while Winnipeg gets to enjoy its new team, here in Quebec City, there are always couple nitwits trying to stop any sort of progress as usual. There is currently a feud with a ''few'' people and perhaps some idiot politician trying to block the agreement between the city and potential Quebecor ownership.

I'm all for the return of the Nordiques but you have to admit Labeaume is looking like a little dictator. If the deal with Quebecor is illegal, it's illegal. We still live in a state where the Rule of Law must apply. Even if 99% is for something, if it's illegal, it can't be made legal "because people wants so".

[Gunnair]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

This is awesome news. I was a huge Jets fan growing up. I didn't live there when they folded, but I know it ripped the heart out of that town. Bettamn did bugger all to save that team. He couldn't wait to pack them out of town. Unlike the shenanigans with Phoenix, where he's pulling all stops to keep them there. Don't get me wrong--he should pull all stops to keep them there. The Phoenix fans deserve no less. Too bad he never paid Winnipeg the same courtesy.

A return of the Jets and a Stanley Cup for Vancouver. That's what I call an awesome hockey year.

[ShepherdsDog]

The Winnipeg White Elephants. Let's see how long the euphoria lasts when they maintain their shitty record, and require tax dollars to subsidize them....I'd like to be proven wrong, but that doesn't happen often.

[PimpBrewski123]

Proculation Proculation:

I'm all for the return of the Nordiques but you have to admit Labeaume is looking like a little dictator. If the deal with Quebecor is illegal, it's illegal. We still live in a state where the Rule of Law must apply. Even if 99% is for something, if it's illegal, it can't be made legal "because people wants so".

Not sure about the entire deal. Apparently, they were open to bids, Quebecor is the only one that was on the list. Bell went way after the deadline.

Some people did not want 100% public funding. Others do not want private funding. So it is to point out that no matter, there are always people there to bitch about whatever.

The thing about this province is that there is too much media attention for the very ''few'' minority bitching groups. Also, the ''parasite'' Khadir does not belong in that debate. So then, have someone find the appropriate solution or someone else to fund the arena, but it should get done.

[Regina]

Bettman is only an advisor and a spokesman for the NHL owners. They tell him what they want and he makes it so. If the majority of NHL owners wanted more teams in Canada it would be done.....but they don't.
I think it's great Winnipeg got another team but they are going to have a though time. The rink is too small and therefore will have to sellout nearly every night, which may be doable for the first couple of years. After that......it may end up being the Las Vegas Moose.