Yea but the expectations for NHL crowds are much less than say NBA crowds. Corporate dollars will definitely be there as you pointed out but I think we can definitely match some of those crummier and smaller NHL franchises. I don't expect us to be able to pull crowds like the teams in Canada and the Northeast but we can definitely have a mid-market team. There are enough transplants and curious fans like me who'll show up.
I don't think Nashville really "stole" the oilers - bud moved them there. Bud wanted a new stadium deal, they wanted a franchise, they put up the cash to build a new stadium, and we explicitly refused to do so.
You can't judge how an NHL team would do here based on attendance at minor league hockey games. Seriously, it's completely apples and oranges. An entirely different target market.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=2322036 Interesting column about the Pittsburgh Penguins. They're up for sale and their lease ends after next season. Sounds like the best target.
Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please.
Houston Hurricanes actually sounds good. "Predators" is LAME. Makes me think of a Whoopi Goldberg looking alien with a nuke in his forearm going "HA HA HA HA" in a robot voice.
I just hope we're not trying to get a team just keep up with the other big cities having all 4 major sports, because hockey is quickly proving itself as not belonging with the other 3. Here's why I don't care for hockey: I need my sports to be larger then life where the athletes can do things the common joe schmoe can't do. Not too many guys can hit a 98mph slider, or catch an ally-oop and dunk it in one motion, or throw a pinpoint 40 yard pass. I'm sure not anyone can pickup a hockey stick and start playing at a high level, but nothing about what they do seems extraordinary to me. Plus the athletes don't look larger then life, they look common and ordinary, some look like they work in a lumberyard. Give me a choice to get an autograph and chat with between Wayne Greztky and Michael Jordan, I'll choose Michael even though I think he's a self promoting prick. Gordy Howe or Nolan Ryan, I'll take Ryan. Mario Lemieux or Steve Young, I'll take Young. Hockey = Yawn
I understand a lot of people think this way, but just a question: have you ever played hockey, with a puck, on ice?
No, but let's say I've never picked a bat, basketball, or a fooball in my life either. I would still notice and appreciate those athletes doing something that I know your normal clutchfans member can't do, and maybe watching them inspires me to take up the sport as a hobby. So what about the argument that the same thing applies with hockey, sure putting on skates, picking up a hockey stick and hitting a puck into a goal with precision isn't as easy as it seems, but I'm sure you can't be good at curling overnight either but that does not inspire me to watch it, let alone try to learn the sport and play it and become a fan. It just seems to me that the skills involved to excel at the Big 3 sports is way more interesting to watch then the skills involved to play hockey. Hockey players = guys who couldn't make it in the other Big 3 (no shame in that, they still get fat contracts, albiet smaller then their 3 counterparts now) The one thing I like about hockey is the bodies flying into the glass but that's about it.
you should go over to 24 hour fitness and youll see plenty of people dunking a ball from an alleyoop pass in one motion i dont think hockey is that easy of a sport and any "joe schmo" can play it i think your a little off on your opinion
To me hockey looks like the most difficult and demanding sport by far, but that doesn't make it entertaining.
If you read my posts completely then you'd read that I've been trying to say also that hockey isn't easy as it seems, but not alot about it excites me to watch it or become a fan. And why would I want to go to a gym to watch a bunch of wannabe Kobes or T-Macs doing ally oop dunks when I can turn on the TV or go to the TC and watch the real deal. I think you're missing the point of what I was saying; yeah alot of people can dunk, sure someone can hit a baseball, or throw a football, but there's a reason why T-Mac, A-Rod, or Peyton Manning are getting big bucks and those wannabe hoopsters have 9-5 jobs. That's the reason why I like watching the Big 3. And when the whole team is playing at a high level where that you're not even a fan of the team but can't help admire the teamwork and fluid chemistry, even better. I'll never be a Pistons fan or Spurs fan but watching their games theses days are pretty entertaining to watch because of their teamwork. With hockey, even at the highest level, I really don't find myself being pulled in (the most apparent difference I see between NHL and AHL is the speed of the game, that's about it). I guess if I actually tried to play it, maybe my opinion would change but again, watching it does not inspire me. None of the superstars of hockey seem larger then life, they're just better then their peers.
Is the NHL or AHL different from Olympic or International hockey? I've tried to get into hockey (NHL) before but I wasn't able to sustain any kind of interest for it. But every four years I can't get enough of Olympic hockey. I thought it was because every game was like a play off game but I couldn't follow the NHL team I was rooting for during their play off run. I then thought it was because it wasn't a Houston team so I tried to follow the Aeros but it wasn't as strong as I thought it would be. (maybe I'm a snob and only like the majors) Is it national pride or is the game very different?
