Should the NHL give up on America?

[Habsfan84]

My question is why the NHL is still trying to market the NHL in the United Sates. Sure some areas of the united states there are hockey towns and it was worth putting a team there. But in places to the south, hockey means hardly anything to them. In canada you could put a hockey team any where and there would be fans. Its time to bring some of the hockey teams back that were taken from Canada.

Tell me if you think the NHL should stop bringing more hockey teams to the states when there could be so much more money made in Canada.

[Habsfan84]

Americans like Baseball, Football and Basketball. Hockey will never catch on in some parts of the USA so i say bring teams to Canada that are in poor hockey markets, for a Good hockey Market. Hockey has caught on in parts of the US. Television is also a problem for Hockey in the US. Thats another problem so well leave that television problem out of the topic right now.

[Boonader93]

I Think They Should Put A Hockey Team In Every Big City!!!

[bedir than average]

Why should every "big" city have a team? What is a BIG city? Should it matter if the city has failed at the NBA or NHL in the past?

How big should the NHL be anyway? 40 teams? 50? 100?

[Drury77]

There is no perfect solution to this problem.

I will say the biggest issue IMHO that the NHL has is the lack of a relevant TV deal. Though the game just doesn't translate to those who are first time viewers on TV. Most hockey fans will tell you they can tolerate the games on TV but too much is lost from the in stadium action.

[John F]

The only people who think the NHL should "Give up on the US" are Canadian nationalists who believe that the NHL teams in certain provinces should have had exclusive rights to players who come up through that province.

The idea that the NHL should "Give up" on the US is absurd. At the same time, there are many ills of the game that are helped along by the ultra-traditionalists in ownership who guide Gary Bettman in decision making.

Could the NHL contract? Arguably yes... But it won't change the fact the game loses credibility on ice and off ice with how Bettman, Campbell and the owners have been pulling the strings. No accountability among refs, no accountability for Bettman's failings and zero plans to hold either group accountable in the future.

[WingsForDinner]

Just a quick question for Habsfan -- Have you been to Dallas lately? I dare say that it's almost as much of a hockey town as the likes of Detroit or Minnesota (exaggeration, yes...but not by much). Yes, the Cowboys and Mavs will always rank higher among fans, but the fact of the matter is that there is a passion for the sport in Dallas, as I'm sure there's a passion for the sport in most other markets.

Currently, I live in Arizona, and when I go to watch the Stars and Coyotes play (only 4 games I attend here...not a huge fan of the Yotes...), I'm seeing wishy-washy Yotes fans and a growing contingency of Stars fans (this is over the past 3 seasons, I should add). So, I'll give you as much as to say 'Yes' some Southern markets are flopping, but on the whole, the passion is still evident in every Southern market I've had the chance to visit.

So, no, I don't think giving up on the US is a particularly smart idea.

[eb26188]

Hamilton sold more "prospective" season tickets when it was rumoured that the Preds were coming here than 75% of pre-existing teams.

There are markets in canada that make more sense than those currently in america but noone here should be dumb enough to think Bettman is about to change his philosophy

[bedir than average]

eb, how much money had to be pledged? Probably only a couple hundred dollars? That's rather easy.

I bet you could get thousands to pledge that in any city. Its the spending in the thousands for season tickets that would lower that number.

[Drury77]

First of all, EB welcome to Fanhome, thanks for joining the conversation.

Secondly, so just because Hamilton had all those committments, that should overrule the fact that the Preds had a local group come up and save the team for the city of Nashville, and had an outstanding plan to sell tickets, and successfully I might add.

I'm not saying that Canada doesn't deserve another team, they do in my eyes, but Why exactly did Winnipeg and Quebec lose their teams again?

[Habsfan84]

Good that this is a great debate.

I'm in no way saying that hockey in the USA has failed but if you look at it. There are 24 teams in the US. There are 6 in Canada.

In the USA they do have Hockey Cities but a few that aren't. Florida doesnt have Great attendance. Nashville is terrible. A few other american teams have low attendance.

Now look at Canada. 6 teams running on almost Capacity crowds. Montreal sells out all of there games and isnt even the best team out there like a Nashville. Montreal even has the biggest arena Capacity(21,273). Toronto sells out all of there games. No Canadian team is struggling.

The NHL already has enough teams in 30. Canada has proved that they are a good hockey market. I say move a teams like Nashville to Canada. I project Canada getting 8-10 teams in the future. Thats probably not likely to happen. Maybe 10 is a bit much just because of Canada's population compared to the USA. But 8 should be a minimum.

Keep Posting

[Drury77]

ok, again, why is Nashville always the the frist choice for Canadiens to have taken away.

You say it's horrible, but I'd like to know what facts you have to back that up. Because we didn't reach the 14K mark in attendance. This is a traditionally college and football area, yet has taken very well to the NHL being in town.

Sure it might not be showing up completely right now. But we have a very loud arena, Section 303 (or Cellblock 303), and the atmosphere is outstanding at the games.

I'm just curious why ppl aren't willing to give Nashville a little more time, but yet cities like Florida, are not nearly criticized as much as Nashville is.

Hell being From Boston and a Bruins fan first and foremost, I could say that the Team should be taken away from Boston, or even Chicago. Now I realize these are original six cities and it will never happen (thank god) but the principle is the same.

At least Nashville has put a great team on the ice, way more than either of those two afor mentioned cities.

[WingsForDinner]

Originally Posted by Habsfan84

Good that this is a great debate.

I'm in no way saying that hockey in the USA has failed but if you look at it. There are 24 teams in the US. There are 6 in Canada.

I'll agree with you there, Canada has been given the short end of the stick. Then again, Winnipeg didn't exactly go over too well. It'd be nice to see the NHL branch out to some other Canadian cities, and with teams like Phoenix and Florida doing as they are, it wouldn't be a bad thing to see a few teams relocate.

Originally Posted by Habsfan84

In the USA they do have Hockey Cities but a few that aren't. Florida doesnt have Great attendance. Nashville is terrible. A few other american teams have low attendance.

Florida, yes, but Nashville? I seem to remember them having somewhat of a decent turnout at their games. I haven't had the chance to actually visit Nashville in person, but most of their games on Center Ice seemed pretty packed to me. The Stars/Preds game in particular was well-attended.

Originally Posted by Habsfan84

Now look at Canada. 6 teams running on almost Capacity crowds. Montreal sells out all of there games and isnt even the best team out there like a Nashville. Montreal even has the biggest arena Capacity(21,273). Toronto sells out all of there games. No Canadian team is struggling.

Wasn't Ottawa the team that was considering filing for bankruptcy at one point?

I do agree that Canada's NHL teams are doing very well, and it'd be great to see some of the less-populated US teams move to better locations, most likely in Canada, but I certainly wouldn't want to see the NHL expand beyond 30 teams to accommodate any of those changes.

Originally Posted by Habsfan84

The NHL already has enough teams in 30. Canada has proved that they are a good hockey market. I say move a teams like Nashville to Canada. I project Canada getting 8-10 teams in the future. Thats probably not likely to happen. Maybe 10 is a bit much just because of Canada's population compared to the USA. But 8 should be a minimum.

Keep Posting

I'll agree with 8 in the future, but as I said before, it would have to be at the expense of an existing suffering franchise, not a new one.

Speaking as neither an American nor a Canadian, I do believe there's a bit of a double standard in where the recent moves have been projected. I mean, Kansas City? I thought they'd already tried that once. It does seem as though American cities are given the benefit of a doubt far more than Canadian cities are these days. I still don't believe that the NHL should 'give up' on the US, but I will say that at some point in the not-too-distant future, Canada should be given that same benefit.

[Habsfan84]

Yes Ottawa was filing for bankruptcy at one point but Buffalo was as whell. Both buffalo and Ottawa are great Hockey markets so i wouldn't say both those bankruptcys told the whole story.

[I'mChadCordero]

Originally Posted by Drury77

ok, again, why is Nashville always the the frist choice for Canadians to have taken away.

You say it's horrible, but I'd like to know what facts you have to back that up. Because we didn't reach the 14K mark in attendance. This is a traditionally college and football area, yet has taken very well to the NHL being in town.

Sure it might not be showing up completely right now. But we have a very loud arena, Section 303 (or Cellblock 303), and the atmosphere is outstanding at the games.

I'm just curious why ppl aren't willing to give Nashville a little more time, but yet cities like Florida, are not nearly criticized as much as Nashville is.

Hell being From Boston and a Bruins fan first and foremost, I could say that the Team should be taken away from Boston, or even Chicago. Now I realize these are original six cities and it will never happen (thank god) but the principle is the same.

At least Nashville has put a great team on the ice, way more than either of those two afor mentioned cities.

Fixed. I just find it offensive when its spelled wrong. Nashville, Tampa Bay, Florida and Atlanta should all be contracted.