I have been to a few Aeros games. I had a really good time. That being said, there is nothing quite like the major leagues. Would you rather go to an Astros game, or to an Express game. Minor league sports are a lot of fun, but there's nothing quite like watching a sport at its highest level.
I really want an NHL team. I don't have a favorite team, and I only know a handful of players. But I was able to watch a few NHL playoff games in HD, and they were great. There's a lot of action and it would be even more exciting if I had a team to root for and follow.
I think it depends on your interest level in the sport. I just don't like hockey enough to enjoy minor league hockey. However, I love baseball and I enjoy very much going to Express games as much as possible...especially because they are the Astros AAA team. Since I don't live in Houston anymore, I love the few opportunities I get to go to Astros, Rockets, Texans, & Dynamo games. But going to an Express game (especially with a 21 month old son) is much more enjoyable because it's more personal.
Personally, I think it's quite different in hockey because I just don't think there is as much of a 'talent gap' between the NHL and the AHL. I think baseball and basketball are the two leagues where that talent gap is more pronounced. So speaking for myself, I think the Aeros will do just fine...
Tell that to the leagues using the three fields two blocks from my house Sending the Preds to Hamilton doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Winnipeg ought to be the most likely Canadian destination. Stateside, I think a dark horse contender to get an NHL team eventually is Portland. Portlanders have been trying for years to get the NHL to set up shop in the Rose Garden, and the US Pacific Northwest has no professional hockey presence at all; yeah, the Vancouver Canucks are right there, but having grown up in the region I can assure you that the Canucks get no coverage in Oregon/Washington whatsoever. Plus, Paul Allen has had interest in the NHL in the past. Also, on a little bit of a tangent here, the reason the NHL is so "irrelevant", as some people rather callously put it, is because hockey is not easy to watch on TV if you don't understand the game. Go to a hockey game in person and it's completely different. It has the physical violence of football except at 10x the speed and each player gets a weapon. It's great.
i've been an NHL fan. i would get really excited about having the NHL in Houston. but the reason people are using the word "irrelevant' is because of ratings. because no one is watching. because it's been relegated to a station that isn't featured on basic cable or satellite programs. because of the effects of the work stoppage, which it appears haven't been close to being resolved.
Baseball recovered, and so will hockey. It may recover more slowly, but it will. As long as we in Texas have been in love with football and baseball, folks in the northeast and north central have been in love with hockey. It's not going to go away. I'd *love* to have NHL in Houston.
MLB didn't lose its deal with ESPN in the wake of its work stoppages. Baseball has tons more traction in the US than the NHL did. I agree..I think the NHL will ultimately make a comeback. But it wasn't exactly the biggest game in town when it "left." And it has a LOT of catching up to do to return to where it was then. They HAVE to get to a better TV network, first and foremost.
I've tried watching it in person. IMO, it's actually worse live. Too many stoppages and silly penalties. Why does the game have to completely stop when the goalie makes a save? Offsides doesn't make sense and Icing seems like the most pointless penalty in the history of sport. Keep in mind that I'm a soccer player and my game is perfect.
