Now wait a minute... where have I seen THIS before!?

[lmanchur.]

Wayne Gretzky, co-owner of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, appeared on "Satellite Hotstove," Hockey Night in Canada's second intermission show, on Saturday night.

Gretzky said (don't quote me on exact words...), "If we can't build a new arena, we have to possibly look at relocating the team."

Now wait one minute here... whever have I heard THIS before!?

Hhhhmmmmmmmmmm...... let.... me... think....

OH YEAH!!!... back in the early 90s, when some NHL team named the WINNIPEG JETS had to move because they couldn't support an NHL hockey team without a new arena!

...let my memory refresh itself.. hmmm... where did that team relocate to??????????..... let.... me.... think..

OH YEAH!!... The hockey HOTbed -- Phoenix, Arizona!

...if they were going to have this much trouble with the arena and lose so much money anyways, they should have just LEFT the team where it was!... However, I guess one person can only lose so much more for so long... so Berry Shenkrow sold it to someone else (forget his name), and then lost a lot of money also so he sold it to Gretzky & Ellman, and now they'll sell it..... etc., etc., etc...

[Wedge231]

That is very interesting. Maybe they can move back to Canada which is where more teams should be made anyway. I always thought Phoenix had a nice team but I don't think the climate exactly fits the sport...

[Marc]

Originally posted by Wedge231
That is very interesting. Maybe they can move back to Canada which is where more teams should be made anyway. I always thought Phoenix had a nice team but I don't think the climate exactly fits the sport...
I doubt they'd move back to Canada. They moved out of there for a reason... mainly because there wasn't enough dough there.

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by M. James
I doubt they'd move back to Canada. They moved out of there for a reason... mainly because there wasn't enough dough there. ...not enough Dough... right. Also, no Dough for the new arena... In Phoenix, they don't got either, as well!... well, maybe more money (the reason they changed ownership groups was because of the money issue!), but STILL, no arena. But still... there is no way they'll move back to Canada.

Question: has any team ever moved from the USA to Canada!?... I know the Minnesota Moose of the International Hockey League did after the Winnipeg Jets left (now the Manitoba Moose), but that's all I know of.

Anyway, Chris, Phoenix does have a nice team, but are in danger of missing the playoffs this season for the first time since their last season in Winnipeg in 1996... they are currenlty ninth.

[ryanpaige]

The Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary.

The NHL made a mistake allowing an NHL team to move into America West Arena. There are so many obstructed view seats as to make it impossible for an NHL team to make money there. Adding to their woes, the lease strongly favors Colangelo's Suns, making revenues for the NHL team even more scarce.

If not for Bettman's bending over backwards to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix, they'd already be gone. If the NHL had exerted the same effort for the Jets as he has for the Coyotes now, the team would still be in Winnipeg.

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by ryanpaige
The Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary.

The NHL made a mistake allowing an NHL team to move into America West Arena. There are so many obstructed view seats as to make it impossible for an NHL team to make money there. Adding to their woes, the lease strongly favors Colangelo's Suns, making revenues for the NHL team even more scarce.

If not for Bettman's bending over backwards to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix, they'd already be gone. If the NHL had exerted the same effort for the Jets as he has for the Coyotes now, the team would still be in Winnipeg. Ooops!... forgot the Flames! ... I will always hate Bettman because ever since the Jets moved he's said, "we're committed to keeping the six Canadian NHL clubs where they are presently located," and says EXACTLY the same thing about Phoneix.... WHERE WAS HE FOR WINNIPEG!?...

Also, AWA is primarily a basketball arena... definitely not a place for hockey.

[Peck]

Well i think they should move to somewhere like oregon or washinto up there or in canada where they need a few more teams.........

[Marc]

Originally posted by Peck
Well i think they should move to somewhere like oregon or washinto up there or in canada where they need a few more teams.........
Oregon? Are you kidding? So all 6 people who live there can go to the games? :uhoh:

[budman2]

I hope no one out there is forgetting that the great one is formost a canadian, he is not only the greatest man to ever lace on a pair of skates, but maby the greatest ambasadore the game has ever known as well. that being said it may not be out of the picture to see the team come back to winnapeg. (salt over my shoulder , knock on wood, cross my fingers).
the problem is not that the city can not support a franchise , we know it can .It's our tax market. it kills canadian clubs.We need the game to stay in our country. The n.h.l is without question (CANADIAN).the farther south it goes , the more watered down it gets ,( almost melts so to speak). north i say,send it north!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ryanpaige]

Originally posted by M. James
Oregon? Are you kidding? So all 6 people who live there can go to the games? :uhoh:

I think Portland, with a market size of almost 2.2 million, is the place in Oregon where Peck would like the team to go.

Paul Allen is said to want a team for the Rose Garden and his name comes up every time there's talk about a team moving. If anything, Portland is the most likely market for a team to move to at this point (if there was a team to move).

[NickHammy]

what about Seattle...?

[ryanpaige]

Of course, Seattle would be a possibility, too. Key Arena would be kind of small for an NHL team, and there are currently no groups actively seeking a franchise like in Portland. But Seattle would be an attractive market for the NHL.

[lmanchur.]

Seattle? Portland?

These cities were all denied their first chances for teams in the early 90s and again in the late 90s.... San Jose, Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Nashville.. yeah.. THOSE "HUGE Hockey markets" (<- said sarcastically, of course) took NHL clubs instead.

I think they should have gone to Seattle... but Portland? Allen's been trying for a long time to get a hockey team and can't. Of ALL the places the NHL has expanded to, only Ottawa and Minnesota were worthy places of locating an NHL franchise... maybe Miami just to expand the game a bit, but they've over expanded, and really, there was no need for all these teams... Seattle is deserving, I think, as well, but it's too late for them unless Bettman doesn't hold true to his word and the Oilers or Flames have to relocate...

FYI: I've decided to quit being a sports fan upon the relocation of another Canadian NHL team... it will be hard to do, but that is what I've decided to do... I've had enough of it already...

[budman2]

sorry lee! but you can't "quit". a sports fan is like being in the mafia, theres no quitting!!!!!!what quit???

[BTRoots]

Originally posted by SC-Lee


FYI: I've decided to quit being a sports fan upon the relocation of another Canadian NHL team... it will be hard to do, but that is what I've decided to do... I've had enough of it already...

You are kidding of course. A sports fan like you could never quit ... Right?

And just look as those Minnesota Wilds. Not an expansion team to be ignored. But then, they ARE in the midst of hockey country. After the 'Nucks don't make the playoffs this year, and the Avs clean everyone's clock, maybe the Wilds will be my second team (after a healthy 'Nucks, that is). :D

:( We can't belabour the fact that the Jets are gone from Winnipeg. Its a long ago done deal. Its too bad Mr. Gretzky didn't try to save the team for a city that really appreciated it.

Tidbits for another board, but even though we are approaching the time of year when bandwagon hockey fans are starting to tune in, we in Vancouver are having a bit of a Grizzly problem here. It almost makes the papers worth reading!!! :D:D

[PeterDewar]

Im sick of hearing about sports teams moving around! I wish they'd head to CANADA but very doubtful.

[BTRoots]

Hey, you never know. With all the squawking going on these days, maybe Canada will sit up and take notice. Until such time, we can only hope, and appreciate what is. One thing we can count on, is that Lee, a sports fan, is NOT giving up sports, any time soon. Right? :D Lee? :D

[Wedge231]

Haha. He's always a sports fan right???

I think that Canada is the best choice. They would get more fans there and more people could enjoy it. We all know this won't happen though :(