Quoting: coga16
they wont get another NHL team (im from Canada by the way). The money isnt in Canada, especially with the strength of the dollar. There will be an NHL team in Houston before there is ever consideration for Canada
Quoting: Saskleaf
Unfortunatly, I agree. Betman is a crappy commissioner. He cares only about money. He doesn't understand Hockey is Canadas sport and thinks American teams are better even though Canada likes hockey more.
This isn't about the Canadian dollar at all. If we are talking gate, Canadian teams are generally drawing full houses (let's exclude Ottawa right now because of a sh1tty owner). Althiugh fan bases are always fickle, teams north of the border simply make money.
Where Bettman may have a point is in why a Canadian site WILL NOT see a team. The price of an expansion team is what now.... $500 million? Bettman's concern is not the team's ability to make the expansion fee back in a timely fashion when considering the exchange rate. Any owner that wants a team here maybe waiting 20 years to see that franchise in the black.... assuming a healthy profit margin of $30-40 million CDN a season.
As we all saw with Atlanta to Winnipeg, any option involves relocation. Buying a floundering franchise (Hi Miami! Olá Pheonix!!) may run $300 million US. Even with conversion that is well under the current expansion fee, and money that can be made back in half the time frame.
Where Bettman's clear preference for the US markets lies in TV deals. When Columbus entered the league, the selling point was that the city at that time was the 24th largest TV market in the US. More TV exposure = mo' money. It explains is stance in Arizona to a tee really.
Now for the record, I was born and raised Gretzky-berg, and there is no doubt in my mind that Hamilton WILL NOT over time support and NHL team. Too many courtships with the OHL and AHL to convince me it will work. Now Tri-cities? That folks is a conversation worth having due to it centrality to outlying markets of around an additional 400,000; and closer to 750,000 if we include Hamilton/Burlington which is about a 45 minute drive.
Halifax - if Winnipeg can, maybe ..... but sponsor dollars will be a huge issue.
Saskatoon? In the mid 80s the Blues were dangerously close to calling it home. Given the current economic stability there, yeah, I could see it flying.
My 50 cents on this fantastic question.