2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs

[Uncle Rico]

Florida Panthers just beat Toronto in OT to advance.

Big night for South Florida pro sports. Like the Heat, the Panthers are the 8-seed in their conference.

Just need the Oilers to lose and we’ll have eliminated the Canadian menaces to hockey

[tower912]

One.more year of disappointment for the polite socialists.  Oh, well, there are always Tim-bits and poutine.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Oilers aren’t done yet!

[tower912]

True.   I just couldn't get that image out of my head.

[MU82]

Tempe voters rejected a proposal for a new Coyotes arena, and the team is now considered likely to leave Arizona.

The proposal called for the arena to be privately funded but opponents of the deal said it would have given the owner more than $500 million in tax breaks. They also were still upset that the team has unpaid bills from when it played in suburban Glendale.

Cities talked about include Atlanta -- which already has failed twice to as an NHL city but is buildng a new suburban arena -- Houston and Salt Lake City.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Tempe voters rejected a proposal for a new Coyotes arena, and the team is now considered likely to leave Arizona.

The proposal called for the arena to be privately funded but opponents of the deal said it would have given the owner more than $500 million in tax breaks. They also were still upset that the team has unpaid bills from when it played in suburban Glendale.

Cities talked about include Atlanta -- which already has failed twice to as an NHL city but is buildng a new suburban arena -- Houston and Salt Lake City.

Move to Hartford where this team will be welcome almost unconditionally.
Hartford/New Haven market is regularly Top 10 in NHL viewership.
Whalers gear is still among the best selling for NHL items.
Connecticut has some of the best hockey talent outside Minnesota and Massachusetts.
And the college teams sell out and win championships and go to Frozen 4s.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Tempe voters rejected a proposal for a new Coyotes arena, and the team is now considered likely to leave Arizona.

The proposal called for the arena to be privately funded but opponents of the deal said it would have given the owner more than $500 million in tax breaks. They also were still upset that the team has unpaid bills from when it played in suburban Glendale.

Cities talked about include Atlanta -- which already has failed twice to as an NHL city but is buildng a new suburban arena -- Houston and Salt Lake City.

This is interesting.  The new arena (or at least "a" new arena) is part of a large mixed use development planned for about 3-4 miles from where I live  in northern suburban Atlanta, I just read the announcement about it within the past week.  Wonder if that's the one.  Do you have any other details?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

This is interesting.  The new arena (or at least "a" new arena) is part of a large mixed use development planned for about 3-4 miles from where I live  in northern suburban Atlanta, I just read the announcement about it within the past week.  Wonder if that's the one.  Do you have any other details?

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/forsyth-county-new-arena-nhl-team

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Move to Hartford where this team will be welcome almost unconditionally.
Hartford/New Haven market is regularly Top 10 in NHL viewership.
Whalers gear is still among the best selling for NHL items.
Connecticut has some of the best hockey talent outside Minnesota and Massachusetts.
And the college teams sell out and win championships and go to Frozen 4s.

They'd need a better arena than the XL Center.

This is where they should move.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videotron_Centre

[ATL MU Warrior]

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/forsyth-county-new-arena-nhl-team

Thank you.  That's the one. 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

They'd need a better arena than the XL Center.

Definitely!

[MU82]

They'd need a better arena than the XL Center.

This is where they should move.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videotron_Centre

I love Quebec City, and it certainly would be the romantic choice. But it's a metro area of about a million and it brings nothing to the TV folks.

Move to Hartford where this team will be welcome almost unconditionally.
Hartford/New Haven market is regularly Top 10 in NHL viewership.
Whalers gear is still among the best selling for NHL items.
Connecticut has some of the best hockey talent outside Minnesota and Massachusetts.
And the college teams sell out and win championships and go to Frozen 4s.

I'd love to have the Whalers back and I think they'd be supported. I agree with Sultan about the XL Center, though, and I also wonder if Boston would have veto power. (I'm not sure how the latter works in the NHL.)

[JWags85]

I love Quebec City, and it certainly would be the romantic choice. But it's a metro area of about a million and it brings nothing to the TV folks.

I don't disagree, but SLC is talked about and you could say pretty much the exact same thing for them.  Size and all.

[MU82]

I don't disagree, but SLC is talked about and you could say pretty much the exact same thing for them.  Size and all.

True.

But ... 'Murica!

[Pakuni]

Toronto would be the best choice, but can't imagine the Leafs allowing that.
Houston has a ton of advantages.  Largest market without a team. Adequate arena. History of support for hockey (the AHL team there did well until it moved). Lots of corporate dollars. No need for conference realignment. Bittman gets to keep a team in the southern US.

[MU82]

Toronto would be the best choice, but can't imagine the Leafs allowing that.
Houston has a ton of advantages.  Largest market without a team. Adequate arena. History of support for hockey (the AHL team there did well until it moved). Lots of corporate dollars. No need for conference realignment. Bittman gets to keep a team in the southern US.

Houston is the leader. Totally agree about Toronto being able to support a second team but it's been floated many times before and the Leafs won't allow it.

[JWags85]

Toronto would be the best choice, but can't imagine the Leafs allowing that.
Houston has a ton of advantages.  Largest market without a team. Adequate arena. History of support for hockey (the AHL team there did well until it moved). Lots of corporate dollars. No need for conference realignment. Bittman gets to keep a team in the southern US.

Agreed, and I think there is not-insignificant amount of Canadian transplants in the greater Houston area from the O&G industry, which could help.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Rocky Wirtz dead

Rip

[DegenerateDish]

Rocky Wirtz dead

Rip

A very complex legacy Rocky leaves.

Things potentially could get complicated for the Hawks, Bulls, and White Sox coming up.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

A very complex legacy Rocky leaves.

Things potentially could get complicated for the Hawks, Bulls, and White Sox coming up.

Yea, obviously not the way it was intended, but the Blackhawks have now completely “cleaned house” from 2010. Literally nobody left.

From what I’ve heard, when Jerry dies, Michael Reinsdorf is gonna keep the Bulls but sell the Whote Sox.

[JWags85]

A very complex legacy Rocky leaves.

Things potentially could get complicated for the Hawks, Bulls, and White Sox coming up.

Truly complex.  Brought the Hawks back from irrelevance and absolutely captured the city for a 5 year stretch.  I know the Bears always have top billing, but the Hawks had a chokehold on the city from 2010 until the Cubs took the WS.  And from many accounts, from my friends and other acquaintances, Rocky was a really nice, friendly, and gracious guy.

…but there is literally no denying the stain of the last few years.  Complicated legacy indeed.

Kind of crazy…Bill Wirtz died months after the Hawks selected Kane first overall.  Now Rocky passes right after the Hawks selected Bedard first overall.

[DegenerateDish]

Truly complex.  Brought the Hawks back from irrelevance and absolutely captured the city for a 5 year stretch.  I know the Bears always have top billing, but the Hawks had a chokehold on the city from 2010 until the Cubs took the WS.  And from many accounts, from my friends and other acquaintances, Rocky was a really nice, friendly, and gracious guy.

…but there is literally no denying the stain of the last few years.  Complicated legacy indeed.

Kind of crazy…Bill Wirtz died months after the Hawks selected Kane first overall.  Now Rocky passes right after the Hawks selected Bedard first overall.

The timing as you mentioned is crazy from a hockey aspect. It’s also interesting that Rocky’s immediate goal was to clean up his dad’s mess, and now Danny will I assume try to clean up Rocky’s mess.

What’s interesting is there have been very soft whispers that once Jerry Reinsdorf were to pass, that he had a gentleman’s agreement with Rocky for Jerry’s White Sox shares to have some (all?) right of first refusal go towards Rocky. Jerry & Rocky were close friends, I have not heard that about Danny Wirtz & Michael Reinsdorf.

Wait to see, but in a city with very old primary owners of each sports team, no one expected Rocky to die first (as morbid as that sounds).

[JWags85]

Wait to see, but in a city with very old primary owners of each sports team, no one expected Rocky to die first (as morbid as that sounds).

Now that Queen Elizabeth has passed, Virginia McCaskey has ascended to the role of very rich old woman in the spotlight who seemingly will live forever.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

What’s interesting is there have been very soft whispers that once Jerry Reinsdorf were to pass, that he had a gentleman’s agreement with Rocky for Jerry’s White Sox shares to have some (all?) right of first refusal go towards Rocky. Jerry & Rocky were close friends, I have not heard that about Danny Wirtz & Michael Reinsdorf.

That makes a lot sense from the perspective that Michael has little to no interest in the White Sox.