That's why I avoided mentioning 2003 specifically. But say the deciding game was in Houston instead of Hamilton...that game would have been sold out, no? Bah, it's irrelevant anyway.
My thoughts: 1. if it works in San Jose, Phoenix, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Nashville, Charlotte...it can work in Houston. I was in the Dallas media market when they got the Stars. The people there had the same thoughts. "How will this work in Texas?" They got lucky because they got a very good team early. But they've built a nice little fan base there; 2. you can't look at Aeros game attendance as an indicator for an NHL team. value sports vs. the most expensive pro sport to attend. the NHL is a corporate game. the suites at Toyota Center would be huge. and the media dollars for an NHL team would blow the doors off what the Aeros make in media dollars. The big corporate base in Houston helps make this work.
IMO it doesn't really work in a lot of those places, and those are a lot of the areas where people are talking about contraction. Dallas is a tremendous exception and I think that's for two reasons. First is that Dallas is just a VERY different place from Houston, and the fans there go to games because it's a place to be seen, not because they are FANS of the team. I don't really think we have that sort of culture that much here. Second is that Dallas' team was REALLY good REALLY fast and has stayed pretty good for several years. Let's face it, when the Rockets aren't playing REALLY well, we have a tough time getting the TC half-full, how would hockey be any better?
I don't think it has to be better than the Rocks. I don't think it even has to be on par with the Rocks. Unless they actually contract teams, Houston could do as well as Phoenix, Miami, Dallas, San Jose, or Charlotte in filling seats, if not better. I don't think there's even a question of that, particularly when you consider the size of the corporate base here. You're right...if they start contracting teams, I doubt it will happen. But remember...we had an expansion team back in 99 or so, that was only taken away because of the stadium situation. I think before the NHL works to actually retract a team, they'd give it a shot in the nation's 4th largest city.
The fact that the NHL just canceled its season and nobody (even here in NY) seemingly cared kind of shows that putting teams in those places didn't work. I'd be shocked if Atlanta, Miami, Nashville, Charlotte have franchises if/when the NHL ever starts up again.
4th largest city HUGE corporate base. Why is attendance so poor at Rockets games? Don't the corporations buy out all the seats? Doesn't look good for Hockey if y'all can't sell out for BBall...
attendance at rockets games is picking up. most cities that miss the playoffs for as long as this franchise did don't have regular sellouts. even franchises with great histories, like the celtics don't...and they're not far removed from an ECF appearance in "the greatest sports city in the country." but this is apples and oranges. the question for the NHL in Houston is not how it would do relative to NBA attendance, but rather how it would do relative to current NHL markets. i think you could expect attendance to be every bit as good as it is in places like tampa or charlotte, both of whom were in the last 2 stanley cup finals. there are very few rabid hockey markets, at all. so saying, "we're not a rabid hockey town," is kind of a non-starter...because it can be said of about half the cities currently playing as home to NHL franchises.
You're kidding, right? You honestly think that they would come to a CBA by saying...guess what guys, there are going to be four rosters worth FEWER jobs available in addition to a salary cap. Nope. Not the way to labor peace. Salaries will be scaled back and capped. Ticket prices will decline. Attendance in those places will improve. Keep in mind also...Charlotte doesn't have a team. The Carolina team in situated in Raleigh-Durham.
hockey is a boring sport and i live in Canada...suprise suprise.... the game needs to change first before it will do well in Houston... until that does not happen there is no point.
Well Detroit, Minny, and their respective states are in a state of mourning as the season was cancelled... they, along with the New England States, are the enclaves of hockey in the US... people from these places do care about hockey...
Labor peace? The NHL's problem is not about labor peace, it was iin the financial crapper last season. It's problem is survival, not labor peace, and, when a league is in financial straits as dire as the NHL things happen. What are the players going to do? Not play for a few more years unitl they put a team back in Carolina or Atlanta or Nashville? IN fact a few players have already spoken out in favor of it http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/cba/features/contraction.html though to be fair bettmans says it won't happen - though Bettman's going to get contracted soon too, lol.
The problem with the NHL largely is getting the economics squared away. However, the impetus for the cancellation of the 2004-2005 NHL season was a labor standoff. While it is true that players do not want to sit out forever, owners are not going to allow themselves to have arenas sit empty while paying a lease and all their other non-player related operating costs. Both sides are currently losing money. This is a condition that will not persist. They will come back to the bargaining table and they will hammer out a reasonable agreement. Part of that agreement may likely be no contraction. As an aside, there are other logistical problems with contraction. You are assuming that the owners in Nashville, Atlanta, et al would sit idly by and allow themselves to be dispossessed of their franchise. These are franchises which were purchased not long ago for a hefty price. I don't see them letting it go at pennies on the dollar. If the NHL is as financially embattled as you claim, then they certainly do not have the funds to pay anything close to fair value. Expect lengthy court proceedings should that action be attempted.
Or they can sit idly by and continue to lose more and more money. IF there was ever a time to hedge, the NHL, which collectively is in the red 2 billion for the last decade is at that time. Most sports franchise owners, save an elite few like the Yankees, etc - make their money off of appreciation. NHL franchises are doing the opposite and are losing value. Putting a team in the Toyota Center isn't going to reverse that trend. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2005-03-20-nhl-financial-trouble_x.htm The situation is that bad.
