[quote][cite] Triniman:[/cite]No, I'm not one of those folks who believe the NHL could be viable in Winnipeg. However, for those who believe, this can only be encouraging news.[/quote]I believe this city can do anything it sets it's collective mind to - it's discouraging that it often sets it mind to being second-rate and afraid to take chances.
I was born here but raised in Eastern Ontario. When i was a kid, Winnipeg was my mecca! My job broiught me here in 1993 and i don't regret for a single moment making the move. I had a career opportunity in Ottawa last year that i turned down so that my wife and I could stay in Mecca. We all need to find the reasons why we can make this city great, not the reasons why we should sh!t on bold ideas!
[quote][cite] Jimmytufish:[/cite]I thought the problem the Penguins were having was the size of their rink. Isn't ours too small for the NHL, and designed that way?[/quote]yep
The size of the MTSC is small compared to the rest of the NHL's rinks, but what's really [i]too[/i] small? As far as I know, there's no magic number of seats that an NHL (or potential) NHL arena must have to be admitted to the club.
Considering that at least half a dozen markets in the States regularly see less than 10,000 show up, the MTSC's 15,000 seats would look quite nice.
The capacity of the MTS Centre isn't an issue. Never has been, never will be. It doesn't need any "expansion" or "renovation" to be NHL-ready.
There's a chance we could get the Penguins, but I'm much more optimistic in the next NHL team (ie. Florida, Atlanta) to go up for sale. Mario Lemieux never has been too keen on Winnipeg (who knows why), and the commissioner of the NHL seems to want young superstar Sidney Crosby in a U.S. market. As if that'll make a difference...
And Pittsburgh isn't having trouble because "their arena is too small" for God's sake! Boy I'd sure love to hear your sources for *that* one... it has the same problems the old Winnipeg Arena had... it's ancient; obsolete. Built in the 60's. They need a modern building with restaurants, bars, and lotsa luxury suites.
I completely agree with BT. I don't think the Penguins are in the cards for Winnipeg. But one of the other teams BT mentioned will be looking in the near future, and Winnipeg will be the prime location.
We've waited 10 years, we can wait a bit longer. Patience (mixed with positivity which would be a nice change for Winnipeger's) is what we need (well, besides an owner lol)
[quote][cite] Stonekiller:[/cite]The Raptors suck, along with the rest of the NBA, talk about a league of thugs. Allmost as bad as some NFL teams (Cincinnati Bengals come to mind).
As long as Gary Bettman is the Commissioner Canada will never get another NHL team.[/quote]
Winnipeg does not have the deep pockets to support an NHL team in the 21st century.
With the MTS Centre built to hold barely 15,000 people per game the team would have no choice but to increase ticket prices to a level which allows them to compete with 18,000-20,000+ seat arenas.
Does Winnipeg have 5000 people that would be willing to pay over $100/game to watch an NHL team?
[quote][cite] Sputnik:[/cite]Winnipeg does not have the deep pockets to support an NHL team in the 21st century.
With the MTS Centre built to hold barely 15,000 people per game the team would have no choice but to increase ticket prices to a level which allows them to compete with 18,000-20,000+ seat arenas.
Does Winnipeg have 5000 people that would be willing to pay over $100/game to watch an NHL team?[/quote]
2 comon fallacies - first, the 18K-20K seat arena requirement.....outside of maybe Toronto, Montreeal - no team in the NHL pulls those numbers, especially in the US. 15K sold seats is better than a 17.5K rink with maybe 12K sold and 8K actually attending.
Secondly, average ticket price would likely be around $60-$70. Would there be $100+ tickets? Of course, just as there would be $35-$40 tickets available.
The NHL, like most professional sports leagues, grossly overpays its players.
If they chose not to pay them the outrageous salaries, where else could they go to grossly overpaid? No where.
Owning an NHL team has become a big tax writeoff for these billionaires. They don't care about a places like the Peg or Saskatoon where hockey is almost a religion. Consequently, the heart is missing from the NHL. And it has no one to blame but itself.
They really had a chance to bring player salaries back to a level that Winnipeg could easily afford (not to mention, that average families in NHL cities could afford) but they didn't.
The real suckers are the people who piss away what should be going to their retirement savings, on overpriced pro sports players.
Greed is killing pro sports and yet, we cheer and celebrate when our favorite players end up with massive salaries.
Note, I'm not saying the Bombers are overpriced. Their tickets are affordable to almost anyone who has a job.
I'm getting pretty sick of half-truths, lies, and false interpretations by some of you...
1. NHL hockey isn't for families. It's marketed/directed towards the die-hard hockey fan. Minor league sports are marketed to families. BIG LEAGUE sports aren't. How many "families of four" do you see in the stands when watching the NFL, NBA, and NHL games/highlights? ZERO. I don't care "if your family of 4" can't afford to go to the game, and neither does the NHL. Watch the game on tv or listen on the radio.
2. MTS Centre. It's big enough. Move on.
3. I find that 90% of people who piss on this dream aren't really big hockey/sports fans. Yet they feel the need to chip in with their $.02. I don't care about ballet or the opera... but I sure wouldn't knock some big ballet/opera production that came to Winnipeg...
4. Ticket prices. Please, show me some proof that every seat will be $100.00+. You won't, because there is none. Tickets will be a little expensive, sure, but no one is forcing you to buy tickets. The people that want to go will go. Period. Ticket price is a non-issue to me. I'll split the cost of season tickets with friends/family and pay off the cost in monthly installments (as all NHL teams allow its STH's to do). Simple. Affordable.
I think an NHL team would be great in Winnipeg, if it can be done without any government money. Let the hockey fans support the enterprize if they want it.
The Islander have the smallest arena in the league 16,234 seats in Nassau Colliseum. The MTS centre seats 15,015 for hockey so would be the smallest arena in the league by a significant amount.
I find that 90% of people who think that NHL in Winnipeg is feasible are single guys who live with their parents and think that as long as enough friends of theirs will buy tickets it's possible. Maybe after they all grow up and have wives and children they'll understand the whole idea of a family, and why they need to be factored into their pipedream equation.
Families do things together, there's a huge portion of the city that make up these "families". You have to attend 4 times as many games as an individual as a 4 person family. You have 1/4 of a families buying power, now explain to me again why families do not matter and you do?