I don't know if Houston should have an NHL team just because it's the fourth largest city in the country. Atlanta has the ninth largest metropolitan area in the country (compared to Houston's 6th), and the NHL didn't work there. The Aeroes are a successful team, but don't seem to get a ton of fanfare. Yeah, you could say it's because they're not in the NHL, but people who put up that argument are the same people that would say, "Yeah, but we have the Texans, the Astros, and the Rockets, it's hard to get to games." The fact of the matter is that hockey could survive in Houston, but only if the team was a perennial winner. The point that the team quit winning for a couple years would be the point that it would be another NHL franchise that is moving. That seems to be happening all too often lately.
I would hope the NHL would want to continue bringing back old WHA franchises since the Atlanta Thrashers are becoming the Winnipeg Jets. The other 4 left: Edmonton Oilers (only original left); Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche (not going anywhere); Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes (could move); New England-Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes (could move) The Coyotes can't become the Jets again now that the Thrashers are moving and taking it. 4 teams merged from WHA to NHL and only one team name remains (Oilers) with the Jets about to make two. We should be talking about bringing Phoenix, Nashville or Carolina here and renaming them Aeros. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to get the rights and we would keep the 2 WHA titles and Gordie Howe's number retired. I'm pretty sure our 1999 Turner Cup and 2003 Calder Cup banners wouldn't fly in NHL, it wouldn't be the same franchise anyway. Heck, the Aeros right now aren't the same franchise as the WHA Aeros. Point is we should have an NHL team and they should be named the Aeros. Having 2 banners already hanging and one of the greatest players ever (Howe) number retired would help with attention from fans which could help attendance. Not to mention corp seats and all that fun stuff owners love is great in Houston. It can work in here, I know it would work better than Atlanta, Nashville, Carolina or Phoenix.
This was pretty obvious years ago. But most folks here are so Rockets-centric none of that mattered. The only concern was to "Save Our Rockets".
Certainly that was the majority opinion. As a practical matter, the arena deal set up Les Alexander as the ony viable option for an NHL owner and he seems to have lost interest. Thus, the passage of the arena referendum turned out to be the death knell for the NHL in Houston.
Really can't use the arguement that climate plays a factor. Some people even forgot to add teams like the Tampa Bay Lighting and Florida Panthers to the list of hot weather cities. Hockey tradition just isn't enriched into the Houston community.
Carolina is a good franchise. It's Phoenix, Nashville, and New York, especially New York who Houston should be looking at.
Cause they can't/won't get an arena. The Nassau Mausoleum.. err Coliseum is a dump. They can't build one anywhere. People really don't give a damn about the Islanders. It's a poorly run team. This Charles Wang guy doesn't know **** about hockey.
cool..when does their lease expire? i'd rather have a Houston franchise playing against teams east, anyway.
according to this wapo article, it says 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...ce-aging-arena/2011/06/22/AGNusQgH_story.html Maybe they have something going, it says in the article.
cool...but i think the coyotes move in 2012. of course all of this assumes les is interested...and i doubt he is. we're stuck with what he wants, unfortunately.
I'll be down with Phoenix too. We could always build a 350 million dollar arena in Sugar Land, Pearland, The Woodlands, Katy and bring an NHL team to town.
true, true. remember there was talk of that when Watson was trying to bring the Oilers to town....that perhaps Sugar Land would get behind building an arena for an NHL team. it would take that, unfortunately. i'd be fine with it, but obviously i'd prefer Houston's teams play in Houston. of course, beggars can't be choosers!
HOUSTON -- An NHL exhibition game between the Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars scheduled to be played in Houston's Reliant Stadium on Sept. 23 has been canceled. Stars spokesman Rob Scichili said the game was called off because of the cost of putting ice in the stadium. Scichili said the game will not be rescheduled. Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/07/06/3204748/stars-coyotes-exhibition-game.html#ixzz1RQnoQU6w
Dude, I know for a fact that Nashville is working. You just picking out cities and thinking they aren't working because they are in a non-traditional area. I don't think you know what you are talking about.
