NHL Predators sold

The Nasvhille Predators have been sold to the Candian businessman who unsuccessfully tried to buy and move the Penguins. I'm just sick. I can't help but think that in 365 days (Or less, if the 60-day rule can be met), that my Nasvhille Predators will be the Winnipeg Jets or the Hamilton Predators or the Ontario.....I don't want to think about it..........



I'm just sick. :tear:

 

It's oft said that the Preds are dismal, but the Forbes numbers show that there are teams in more dire straits than the Preds. This year seven teams have worse attendance. (Earlier this decade, they did rank near the bottom. )However, They are middle of the pack in percent of seats sold. Both stats are much better than some of the so-called storied franchises in the NHL. The Islanders, Phoenix, and Devils fare much worse.
Nashville has had the NHL for ten years. The Nordiques and Jets were in their cities much longer (23 years and 24 years respectively). Winnipeg is said to be one possible location for the Preds. The True North Centre holds 15,015. Last year, Nashville averaged 15,259. Does Mr. Blackberry think it's a good idea to move to a town that would have to sell out every single game just to keep step with where his team is now? Will they be able to draw 17,000+ like Nashville does pretty regularly? Of course not. Neither will Hamilton.

If the Preds couldn't draw 70% capacity, okay. But when you're 85% every night, if not sold out (I get almost every game on tv because of sell-outs taking the blackout away), I don't understand people saying there's no community support. The northern media likes to paint that picture, but it's just not accurate.

And how's this for a dismal franchise? Barry Trotz was named coach of the year by Sporting News, and David Poile was named Executive of the Year.

Granted, the NHL needs to lose a franchise or two and over-expanded, but Nashville isn't one of those franchises.

DHK, I don't know where you are in Canada, but is bringing a team to 100 miles of Toronto and Ottawa (and Buffalo) a good idea?

 

If I were an Oiler, I'd just wave my many Cups and remind people you played for a Cup last year

I know the Canadian dollar is stronger than it used to be, but with the inflation of salaries, I wonder if Canadian teams can still be as competitive. Some small market teams in America may lose out. It is going to be hard for teams in Canada to compete economically with teams in America. The Expo collapse is still fairly recent history, and the NHL is economically approaching a baseball model. The big difference is the CBA, which is supposed to help smaller market teams. However, teams like Nashville will need some time to see that help, thus I don't see it helping in the short run, even small market Canadian teams. I don't know if all this would've been enough to have saved Winnipeg or the Nords. The strike hurt the NHL and staved off the surge of hockey here in non-traditional hockey markets. That being said, I still think Bettman was too committed to expansion, though Nashville was a prime market due to the success of its AHL Knights. Some other markets have been good ideas (Minneapolis, Columbus to a lesser extent, though I thought Cleveland or Cincy might win out over them).

I would have to dispute the fact that Nashville has lost money for ten years. They haven't been in existence for ten years The this upcoming season would be the 10th anniversary season. I don't think they've been in the red every year, though. I do know that the post-strike years have not been kind to them. The location of the arena was not a good one (the brainchild of a very beholden mayor, who is now our beholden governor). Downtown Nashville is experiencing an exodus, as the AAA Sounds are about to flee to go to the suburbs. The Titans' Bud Adams got the mayor to throw serious loot his way to get the Oilers/Titans to Nashville. Maybe Mr. Blackberry (I can't pronounce or spell his real name) will get Gov. Bredesen to do the same for him! :laugh: