NHL 2020-21

[MU82]

As was the case with Vegas, the Kraken are gonna get some real good players.

It'll all be about managing the salary cap, and there also probably will be some deals. (In Vegas' case, they received draft picks from a couple teams to get the Knights to draft Player X instead of Player Y.)

Several teams left very good but relatively high-salary players unprotected, such as Montreal goalie Carey Price and Carolina's Nino Niederreiter, gambling that Seattle won't want to take on their contracts.

My daughter and son-in-law are very excited about the Kraken starting play, and they already have bought their season tickets. I have warned them that the Knights were not the norm and that it often takes many years of excruciatingly bad seasons before expansion teams win. But I do think there is hope for some optimism because the NHL kept the same expansion-draft rules in place that Vegas had.

[JWags85]

As was the case with Vegas, the Kraken are gonna get some real good players.

It'll all be about managing the salary cap, and there also probably will be some deals. (In Vegas' case, they received draft picks from a couple teams to get the Knights to draft Player X instead of Player Y.)

Several teams left very good but relatively high-salary players unprotected, such as Montreal goalie Carey Price and Carolina's Nino Niederreiter, gambling that Seattle won't want to take on their contracts.

My daughter and son-in-law are very excited about the Kraken starting play, and they already have bought their season tickets. I have warned them that the Knights were not the norm and that it often takes many years of excruciatingly bad seasons before expansion teams win. But I do think there is hope for some optimism because the NHL kept the same expansion-draft rules in place that Vegas had.

The expansion rules help, but Vegas had the assistance of the "Vegas flu".  They got a home ice advantage as the first pro team in Vegas, and all it has to offer, that the Kraken wont have.

[tower912]

Yeah, but the Kraken will have Keefe.   And an endless supply of jokes about their name.

[MU82]

The expansion rules help, but Vegas had the assistance of the "Vegas flu".  They got a home ice advantage as the first pro team in Vegas, and all it has to offer, that the Kraken wont have.

Are you saying that the fans in Seattle won't be as loud and supportive as those in Vegas? That could be true.

Seahawks fans are considered among the NFL's loudest and most supportive, but not so much for the Mariners. Hockey fans, in general, are "rowdier" than those in some other sports, so we'll see how Seattle's NHL fans are.

And an endless supply of jokes about their name.

The name isn't my fave, but their logo is pretty cool.

I jokingly said they should have been the Starpucks.

[JWags85]

Are you saying that the fans in Seattle won't be as loud and supportive as those in Vegas? That could be true.

Seahawks fans are considered among the NFL's loudest and most supportive, but not so much for the Mariners. Hockey fans, in general, are "rowdier" than those in some other sports, so we'll see how Seattle's NHL fans are.

No, I'm saying that the Vegas party life was the big unknown variable that first year that snakebit a lot of teams coming to play for the first time.  There were multiple articles about the "Vegas Flu" regarding both the dry desert air and the extracurriculars that players were surrounded by.

[MUBurrow]

Seahawks fans are considered among the NFL's loudest and most supportive, but not so much for the Mariners. Hockey fans, in general, are "rowdier" than those in some other sports, so we'll see how Seattle's NHL fans are.

I think Seattle's support of the Sounders is pertinent too, as hockey tends to have a somewhat similar cult-ish following.  The question will be is there enough enthusiasm to go around.  If the Kraken and Sounders end up competing for the same target audience's disposable income, things could be a bit rough. I'm guessing that they overlap enough with mainstream Seahawksy fans and cult Soundersy fans to carve out a nice niche.  Probably mutually exclusive with bringing an NBA team back though.

[Its DJOver]

The overlap between the MLS and NHL (regular) season is about as minimal as possible. I see no reason why they can't attract largely the same audience.  If there's a playoff run by either team, you would miss the start of the others season, but by and large the timing is about as good as you can ask for. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Seattle has 4 million people in the metropolitan areas.  I think they'll be able to have enough people to support both a hockey and a soccer team.

[MU82]

My daughter/SIL also are Sounders season-ticket holders and my daughter especially loves the futbol. So that's 2 Seattle-ites, anyway, who will enthusiastically support both teams.

Seattle supported the Sonics quite well. Unenthusiastic fans wasn't the reason the team moved to OKC. The owners wanted a new arena and the politicians said no, which of course has happened to many cities over the years. And the NBA is said to have Seattle very high on its list for its next round of expansion. But I do have to agree with those who wonder if the NBA shouldn't, well, Fear the Kraken!

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

No, a potential NBA team would be fine in Seattle regardless of the NHL's presence.  Denver has a million less people than Seattle yet can support all five professional leagues. 

[MU82]

No, a potential NBA team would be fine in Seattle regardless of the NHL's presence.  Denver has a million less people than Seattle yet can support all five professional leagues.

I'd like to see Seattle get the NBA back, so I hope it happens, and I hope you're right.

There's a lot of money, including tons of high-powered corporate money, in Seattle.

[MU82]

Predators prospect Luke Prokop comes out as gay.

[JWags85]

Honestly, the NHL seems like a place where this would be NBD.  Much of the talent coming from smaller or more conservative areas might skew it as they grew up where it didn't "exist" in the public eye, but otherwise, hockey feels very "if you can skate and hit, who cares what youre into". 

[MU82]

Honestly, the NHL seems like a place where this would be NBD.  Much of the talent coming from smaller or more conservative areas might skew it as they grew up where it didn't "exist" in the public eye, but otherwise, hockey feels very "if you can skate and hit, who cares what youre into".

Here's hoping it will not be a big deal to those involved in hockey.

But as a big-picture story, it is a very big deal.

Oh, and thanks for the clarification on this, too:

No, I'm saying that the Vegas party life was the big unknown variable that first year that snakebit a lot of teams coming to play for the first time.  There were multiple articles about the "Vegas Flu" regarding both the dry desert air and the extracurriculars that players were surrounded by.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1428453837048881159?s=19

Coyotes need a new home.  Milwaukee Coyotes anyone?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1428453837048881159?s=19

Coyotes need a new home.  Milwaukee Coyotes anyone?

To be renamed Hartford Whalers.

[Pakuni]

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1428453837048881159?s=19

Coyotes need a new home.  Milwaukee Coyotes anyone?

Move them to Quebec City as the new Nordiques, and shift Detroit back to the Western Conference to re-establish old rivalries with the Blackhawks, Blues and Avalanche.

As a Marquette fan, I'd rather not have another pro team in the Fiserve getting priority dates and times.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Move them to Quebec City as the new Nordiques, and shift Detroit back to the Western Conference to re-establish old rivalries with the Blackhawks, Blues and Avalanche.

As a Marquette fan, I'd rather not have another pro team in the Fiserve getting priority dates and times.

Mine was not a serious suggestion

[Hards Alumni]

Move them to Quebec City as the new Nordiques, and shift Detroit back to the Western Conference to re-establish old rivalries with the Blackhawks, Blues and Avalanche.

As a Marquette fan, I'd rather not have another pro team in the Fiserve getting priority dates and times.

I'm greedy, and I want a home town NHL team to root for.  Wisconsin deserves a hockey team as much as any other state.

Milwaukee Hogs  (Harley-Davidson tie in)
Milwaukee Muskies  (State fish and alliterative)
Milwaukee Cranes (Bird, plus they could easily tie in the Calatrava design)

These names also all kind of suck.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Move them to Quebec City as the new Nordiques, and shift Detroit back to the Western Conference to re-establish old rivalries with the Blackhawks, Blues and Avalanche.

As a Marquette fan, I'd rather not have another pro team in the Fiserve getting priority dates and times.

Houston would be next man up, hey?

[Pakuni]

Houston would be next man up, hey?

I don't know. It's a huge market with great demos ... but so are Miami, Phoenix and Atlanta, all of which are/have been hockey flops. I'm not familiar with Houston, but is there much of a hockey culture there? Hockey teams rely on the gate and other in-market revenues far more than the NBA, NFL or even MLB, so a team may be better off in a passionate market of 900K residents than one with three times the number of people, but fewer who actually care about the sport.

In the last season with fans, the Houston team ranked 17th in AHL attendance, with an average 5,241 fans per game. Quebec's junior team that year averaged 8,477 per game.

[Pakuni]

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1428453837048881159?s=19

Coyotes need a new home.  Milwaukee Coyotes anyone?

Why?
I think Fiserv's owners would be remiss not to reach out.

[Billy Hoyle]

I don't know. It's a huge market with great demos ... but so are Miami, Phoenix and Atlanta, all of which are/have been hockey flops. I'm not familiar with Houston, but is there much of a hockey culture there? Hockey teams rely on the gate and other in-market revenues far more than the NBA, NFL or even MLB, so a team may be better off in a passionate market of 900K residents than one with three times the number of people, but fewer who actually care about the sport.

In the last season with fans, the Houston team ranked 17th in AHL attendance, with an average 5,241 fans per game. Quebec's junior team that year averaged 8,477 per game.

Quebec City would be ideal. New arena, passionate fan base (they were over 90% capacity when the Nordiques absolutely sucked in the 90's), an ownership group already in place, and theyd be the only game in town.  Not much different than Winnipeg, which has been very successful since returning to the NHL. However, high Quebec taxes, the language issues (Montreal is a bilingual city, in QC it's all French), and the Canadian Dollar are negatives they'll have to overcome. 

Kansas City is also waiting in the wings. They have an empty arena and no NBA competition during the season. When the Islanders almost moved there they sold out of season ticket deposits.

Why?
I think Fiserv's owners would be remiss not to reach out.

Wasn't Fiserv configured to not accommodate hockey? I remember talk about that on here - ice shows but not hockey.

[Pakuni]

Wasn't Fiserv configured to not accommodate hockey? I remember talk about that on here - ice shows but not hockey.

There's a college hockey tournament scheduled to take place there in December, so it seems to be an option on at least a temporary basis.