2011 attendance in non-traditional markets

[slickdtc]

Even if they do, they'll have to sustain that kind of success for the fans to consistently come out. Just making the playoffs won't be enough, even though it should be. A competitive team is a competitive team, once you make the playoffs everyone has a chance to win it all. But unless the Coyotes become the Wings, I don't think the fans will ever keep coming out. It is not easy to sustain success, especially with the constraints the team has on it with money, though they have a good core of guys. But when these guys need raises for their good work, they'll be gone. Unless they have a really good front office where they find bargains that pan out, the team will be up and down.

[leafs nation]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

There's always going to be peaks and valley's in nearly every market. The problem I have is that Phoenix has only seen valley's (pardon the pun). They've been one of the best teams in the NHL the past 2 years and still they can't manage to get more than 5,000 people in the building. If the Coyotes don't go to the Conference Final this year, I don't know if they ever become a major attraction in Glendale.

I hear you man. I think it's pretty obvious that Phoenix is not a hockey market but is this really a surprise to anyone? I won't dispute that for one second. But if you want to talk about Gary Bettman and how good he is for the NHL thats a whole other conversation.
I just feel that we as Canadians get a little too rah rah about ourselves here and feel almost entitled to tell everyone else the way things are about a game that they enjoy. We have just as many fair weather fans up here as they do down there. In my opinion there are maybe 2 or 3 rock solid franchises in the entire NHL. I love watching hockey but the way the NHL is run as a buisness is pretty funny.

[slickdtc]

Yeah, the NHL is a business, which I often forget. What other business would keep afloat an asset like the Coyotes that is really not looking good right now and doesn't have many prospects for the future, either (considering the market and history)? It just doesn't seem like a good business move to me. Obviously, you can't give up too quickly, but it's going to be a long, hard, tough road for Phoenix and I don't know if it's going to be worth the trouble. Especially when you can put the team elsewhere and have it pay immediate dividends.

The NFL has a few struggling franchises, and it seems if one ever gets too bad, they'll quickly relocate. Hell, they openly say how much they want a team in Los Angeles or even overseas. The NHL, on the other hand, seems to be doing everything to keep the struggling franchises alive, including taking over those franchises.

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by slickdtc

Yeah, the NHL is a business, which I often forget. What other business would keep afloat an asset like the Coyotes that is really not looking good right now and doesn't have many prospects for the future, either (considering the market and history)? It just doesn't seem like a good business move to me. Obviously, you can't give up too quickly, but it's going to be a long, hard, tough road for Phoenix and I don't know if it's going to be worth the trouble. Especially when you can put the team elsewhere and have it pay immediate dividends. The NFL has a few struggling franchises, and it seems if one ever gets too bad, they'll quickly relocate. Hell, they openly say how much they want a team in Los Angeles or even overseas. The NHL, on the other hand, seems to be doing everything to keep the struggling franchises alive, including taking over those franchises.

I know this is a very radical way of thinking, but the NHL should stop trying to win a big US TV deal.
In my mind, they're missing the big picture from Europe. Like soccer, hockey's a sport that's played all over the globe.

They should look into cutting a few teams in the NHL and then having an NHL Europe with the champ from both continents facing off for the cup.
Forget about logistics of travel and time zones, and think about how big a championship like Philly/Bos/Det/Mon against Russia/Sweden could be.
You'd have millions and millions of viewers for that one.

[jyoung]

Yeah it would be cool to have a cross-continent tournament like soccer does with the Champions League.

But I'm not sure it would work unless there was a NHL Europe to go along with the regular NHL.

The NHL is just a way more talented league than any of the current Euro leagues.

[leafs nation]

I think you make some really good points money so I don't mean to sound disagreeable, but I for one could never get used to that. Being as the nationality of the players has nothing to do with the teams they play for I don't really see the rivalry. There are even games when my team is playing that I already find it hard to get into as there is either no rivalry or not much support for the other team even in their home city. However it is a money driven league and what you are suggesting might be a really big thing for the majority of fans.

[slickdtc]

You may be on to something, Money. And I'm usually not on board with North American sports leagues trying to plant teams in Europe. It just wouldn't seem viable, considering the travel if they tried to put them in the league as it is. But if there's an NHL North America and an NHL Europe league, that's viable. None of that crazy trans-Atlantic traveling stuff.

And the NHL is the one league that could really strip teams from here and place them over there. Why? Because the NHL is so full of Europeans. I don't think many NFL, NBA, or MLB players would want to play in Europe. That's not where they are from. But many Europeans play in the NHL, and I think it would be the opposite problem for the NHL; all the Euros would want to play in Europe!

But you'd have to strip teams from here and put them over there to make sure they have the talent to compete when it's NA v. Europe. I could see that really taking off, actually. Everyone hates Philly, but if we're representing North America, we're all the same team.

[jyoung]

I think it would also help people feel more attached to their home teams if most of the players were North Americans.

When your average joe sports fan can't even pronounce half the names on his home team, he's much less likely to be interested in the club.