NO DOOT ABOOT IT
The NHL owes Canada another franchise
6:35 pm - Canada deserves another NHL team, withoot a doot. Congratulations to David Shoalts of the Globe & Mail for what already may be the most hit and linked hockey story of the month. Two short anecdotes to illustrate my position.
The Islanders never had a bigger press following than when they acquired Ryan Smyth from Edmonton. Sponsorship should have hit up Air Canada for all the business we got them with Elliotte Friedman and everyone else flying to Laguardia to follow Smyth around for a few days. At Ryan’s introductory press conference, Garth Snow bumped his way through the crowd, got behind the podium and said, “Wow, who knew hockey was this popular in Canada”?
About a decade ago, I had the opportunity to bring my wife Catherine to a road game in Montreal. As the team bus pulled in front of the hotel, there were more than a hundred people waiting on the curb, looking really excited about something. Catherine said to me, “Is there like a big rock band staying here or something”? No, Cath. Believe it or not, they were there to see Claude Lapointe, Kenny Jonsson and our New York Islanders.
Yes, hockey is kinda big in Canada. That’s why I don’t care where it is – Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Flin Flon, the Sutter Farm…Canada deserves at least one more NHL franchise.
I know some of the immediate reaction: be careful what you wish for, they could take the Islanders. Uh, no. The team is under a crappy enforceable lease. And besides, Charles Wang is not going to allow that to happen while he and Scott Rechler continue the push for the development of the Coliseum property.
With that out of the way, back to Canada – which is where the NHL needs to go. I’m aware of the potentially damaging impact on the Buffalo Sabres if the league goes to Hamilton. Okay, fair enough. I don’t know if Winnipeg can handle a cap floor of $40 million or if there are any other Canadian cities that could make it work. All of this is for greater minds. Gary Bettman, too.
Maybe the team could represent Ontario. Maybe it could be Canada’s team. Without a Cup the last few generations, the Leafs certainly are not. The new team could play 30 games in Toronto (just think: between the two teams, the Air Canada Center could be the site of at least four goals a week!).
The team could barnstorm a bit, play five games in Winnipeg, a few in Hamilton and single games in other great Canadian hockey towns. To reward them for being good sports and living on the road so much, the players would not get income taxed. It’s Canada – the prime minister can make that happen.
Bottom line is if there is a new team, or if there is a relocation, Canada gets dibs.
Can you think of one single nation where one sport means so much?
20 Responses to NO DOOT ABOOT IT
The NHL owes Canada another franchise
-
JKP in Halifax says:
Hey Chris, the barnstorming idea sounds good to me. We could easily make 4 or 5 games profitable out here on the eastern edge of the continent.
-
Peter Rogers says:
I always feel sorry for Hamilton – they have hoped for a team there for the longest time. I remember going to the Canada/Russia game in the Canada Cup there and it was electric.
-
Mike from Queens says:
Why not add a second team to Toronto or Montreal? If hockey’s really that big there, they should be able to have a city which can carry two teams. I’d love to see one of the warmer weather franchises move–expansion is not even an option.
-
Mikko Makela says:
Nice jab on the 4 goals a week comment. Can I think of another nation where sport means so much? Maybe Brazil with futbol.
-
Mike says:
We all know that when Nassau shoots down Wangs Lighthouse it will be the Isles moving north to Copps coliseum in Hamilton.
-
Mike… I think you’re absolutely right. I don’t expect the Islanders to be around by the time I have any kids to bring to the Coliseum, and I’m 24.
-
Brian from Massapequa says:
I’ll respond to two of the first seven comments on CB’s latest post.
1) The NHL will not want to add another team anywhere in Quebec as they will not want another franchise to have to deal with the language issues there (this is different from the eventual European division idea).
2) Nassau has solidly supported the Lighthouse Project so far. The next (big) needed approvals are from the Town of Hempstead.
-
James says:
Is this the part where I get to rail on Gary Bettmann’s misguided and horrible decision to move teams into the southern U.S.? Actually that’s been talked aboot forever so there’s no need to rehash it. Put teams back in Quebec and Winnepeg, add a team in the Toronto area, and bring back the g*dammed Whale!!
-
In order to get another team in Canada, they’d have to get the Leafs to agree to it. Good luck with all that.
-
Andre Legault says:
Hey Brian (reply # 8), what’s the problem with the language ??? Why would you think it is a problem for the NHL to manage teams from La Belle Province ? Most of the translation issues are handled by Les Canadiens de Montréal.
Quebec city actually doesn’t have a modern enough arena. The Colisée has not been improved since the Nordiques era. But if there ever is a plan to build a new arena, Quebec city absolutely deserve an NHL team. Same for Winnipeg.
-
Hey Andre (#11), I’ve been waiting for this response (not from you in particular). I am aware of alot of the issues in Montreal when it comes to language. Some players do not want to play in Montreal do to the language difficulties dealing with the French media and the bi-lingual life in Montreal. I happen to love the city. I assume Quebec (city) would have similar issues though with players in this day and age.
Now before you get upset with me, realize that my Mother was born in Montreal, I have spent months of my life Province du Quebec, I have seen hockey at both the Forum and the Keg and I have cousins both English and French and they would agree that this is an issue (one cousin is flying in to attend the game with me on 11/1 against Les Hab).
I have no argument against another team in Province du Quebec, I just don’t expect it to happen. Do I want to see another team in Canada absolutely. I would prefer it is a moved franchise from south of the Mason-Dixon line. I like the Hamilton idea if only cause I saw the Grateful Dead there back in 92. Winnipeg of course deserves a team. Those are my furhter thoughts. Bon Soir.
-
AM says:
Bring back the Whale!!
-
Look at the score, for chrissakes! It’s only the second period and I’m up 12 to 2. Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, “the Whale,” they only beat Vancouver once, maybe twice in a lifetime.
-
dmarie says:
I have to say it always surprised me that Canada doesn’t have more teams across the board, if anyone should get another team? it should be them. We have enough here in the States.
Bettmen wants to bring hockey more to life here in the states and if he would learn to promote what he already has here, where are the commercials for the sport, where’s all the Media attention for the sport? We don’t need anymore teams here, we need Marketing for the ones we already have. -
bCarey says:
can i think of one place where one sport means so much? i was in europe last year for the qualifiers of the euro cup and it was mayhem every night for every game in every pub. some of the most fun i have ever had was in dublin watching croatia beat england. awesome.
-
Dan Down South says:
Chris – I hope you are just kidding about the Barnstorming idea. If not, please look at the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals for an example. They played in just two “home” cities – DC and Puerto Rico – and I dare say that was a disaster for the players on the team. Too much moving between locales to even become comfortable with no true home games – and they had a home in DC already!
As for the original idea of the post, I love the idea of a second team in Toronto. If New York can have two (three, really), I would think the biggest hockey market in the world could support two teams. I am all for it. O, Canada!
-
Isles75 says:
Gary Bettman is a A**hole moron who should have never received the job he did. If Bettman actually cared about the game and it’s history he would have bent over backwards to find new owners, Money, or a new arena for the Jets and Nordiques. He would have done what was necessary to keep those teams in those cities.
-
NYI365-318j1 says:
Canada definitely deserves another team, or two or three! Winnipeg, Quebec, and Hamilton would the perfect locations. Sux that bettman dosn’t see things the same way, and i don’t think he would approve of moving teams out of the south, so the only way Canada get’s more teams is if the league expands. I’m all for expansion! might as well put in some more teams, Utah, Seattle, Portland, Oakland, Kansas city, Texas, Harford, and Cleavland. that would make 41 teams, then every team can play each team once home and once away =82 games. this would certainly make every game more intense and meaningful, and it would definitly help with marketing while attracting alot more fans. Seriously the NHL is NOT working right now, something needs to change! And think about it, in the NFL teams only play each other once or twice in a season, in English soccer teams play each other once home once away and those two sports sell out almost every game!
-
ohh and in my perfect NHL teams would earn 3points for a regulation win, 2points for a s.o. win, 1point for a s.o. loss, and no o.t. in the regular season, only the playoffs!
i agree that our neighbors to the north deserve at least one more nhl franchise. i’m against expansion but i think that at least one of atlanta, florida, and nashville will eventually move. my vote goes to winnipeg b/c they supported the jets well and b/c there is no nhl team anywhere near that city. putting a team in southern ontario might hurt the sabres and red wings and the leafs owners can (and probably would) block a team from going there. so let’s bring back the (winnipeg) j-e-t-s, jets, jets, jets!