Yeah, it most definitely is. We can talk about how big our media market is all we want, I think the NHL would rather wash their hands of us.
e: To go even further, I would argue we would be a horrible expansion candidate at this moment. Our attendance was already not great, and the team just left. I doubt there would be much enthusiasm for a brand new expansion team here.
The arena situation is a massive question mark, and we don’t have anyone stepping up to the plate to try for an expansion team in the first place.
velo_hots
I doubt it, NHL will probably cap out at 36 teams, not 34. That 36 will be with or without us though
ultgambit266
Why do they keep trying Atlanta?? This will be the 3rd time they’ve tried
Substantial_Pop_5673
These are just the two markets that are ready to start the official process. They have plans for a place to play, the financing for the expansion fee, and likely some business plan to make it happen. I don’t believe they are picking cities and hoping they are ready. I would image the people listed as buyers have privately expressed the desire for a team.
Once Arizona has a committed ownership group, plans for an arena, and the financing ready to make it happen, they will drop a similar article about them.
terminalhockey11
They aren’t coming back here without an arena and long vetting process of the owner.
That’s before even considering the issues with how the general population here feels about state money/etc being used towards arenas. In the next 10 years not sure it’s anyone but Ishbia
Atlanta is a good sign for hockey here as it’s their 3rd time trying it out. Maybe Hamilton will finally get their team in a decade or so. Also putting the rink closer to Alpharetta where the $ is along with the Cooler being there for 30+ years it’s a live example of building in the right place.
Azcollector
No team will come here because we don’t have an Arena
No Arena will be built because we don’t have a team. Couldn’t even get one when we had a team.
Wyden_long
I’m just so fucking tired. I just don’t care anymore. I have this team all I had for 27 years. If they come back I might be interested. But at this rate I’ll be in my 50’s before it’s even an option. It’s just sad.
jfriedrich
The league wants to expand to 36 teams eventually.
They’re competing in the states with 3 other major sports leagues: two of which have 29 markets, the other with 32 markets, while they’re only in 25.
Atlanta and Houston would put them in 27, still short of the MLB and NBA’s 29.
It’s also important to note how recent the Coyotes saga was. There’s no ownership group in place trying to bring a team back to Arizona right now the way that there are two ownership groups who have been named in Atlanta and Houston.
Even then, people are still pissed about the league eyeing a return to Atlanta over a decade after they left, regardless of the fact that they have a new ownership who has been working with the league on their plans for the last couple of years. The exact same comments and conversations of “why the fuck would the league ever even consider going back there, those people don’t even like hockey” are going to happen without a doubt with Arizona, whether the process of bringing a team back starts next year or in 10+ years. There’s no exceptionalism in this market because of the situation: the conversations are going to be the exact same.
Grinning_Dog
I think there will be an inevitable expansion to 36 to make cleaner, more even divisions/conferences. Arizona will probably be a finalist for one of the next batch. They could always get Atlanta’s team when they fail a third time too.
N7Panda
Did y’all forget that Meruelo still owns the rights to the team for another 5 years? Of course we’re not in the running by this time, we have none of the prerequisite infrastructure *and* we’re still tied to Meruelo. We won’t even be in consideration until we have an arena and a potential buyer who isn’t related to the Meruelo Group.
ProJoe
We were never going to get a team without an arena.
It’s no more over today than it was yesterday.
ajonesaz
Expansion aside there are at least 2 teams a few bad seasons away from relocation at any given point.
Could you imagine if the Jets moved to az again. Canada would collectively shit themselves.
13 Comments
Yeah, it most definitely is. We can talk about how big our media market is all we want, I think the NHL would rather wash their hands of us.
e: To go even further, I would argue we would be a horrible expansion candidate at this moment. Our attendance was already not great, and the team just left. I doubt there would be much enthusiasm for a brand new expansion team here.
The arena situation is a massive question mark, and we don’t have anyone stepping up to the plate to try for an expansion team in the first place.
I doubt it, NHL will probably cap out at 36 teams, not 34. That 36 will be with or without us though
Why do they keep trying Atlanta?? This will be the 3rd time they’ve tried
These are just the two markets that are ready to start the official process. They have plans for a place to play, the financing for the expansion fee, and likely some business plan to make it happen. I don’t believe they are picking cities and hoping they are ready. I would image the people listed as buyers have privately expressed the desire for a team.
Once Arizona has a committed ownership group, plans for an arena, and the financing ready to make it happen, they will drop a similar article about them.
They aren’t coming back here without an arena and long vetting process of the owner.
That’s before even considering the issues with how the general population here feels about state money/etc being used towards arenas. In the next 10 years not sure it’s anyone but Ishbia
Atlanta is a good sign for hockey here as it’s their 3rd time trying it out. Maybe Hamilton will finally get their team in a decade or so. Also putting the rink closer to Alpharetta where the $ is along with the Cooler being there for 30+ years it’s a live example of building in the right place.
No team will come here because we don’t have an Arena
No Arena will be built because we don’t have a team. Couldn’t even get one when we had a team.
I’m just so fucking tired. I just don’t care anymore. I have this team all I had for 27 years. If they come back I might be interested. But at this rate I’ll be in my 50’s before it’s even an option. It’s just sad.
The league wants to expand to 36 teams eventually.
They’re competing in the states with 3 other major sports leagues: two of which have 29 markets, the other with 32 markets, while they’re only in 25.
Atlanta and Houston would put them in 27, still short of the MLB and NBA’s 29.
It’s also important to note how recent the Coyotes saga was. There’s no ownership group in place trying to bring a team back to Arizona right now the way that there are two ownership groups who have been named in Atlanta and Houston.
Even then, people are still pissed about the league eyeing a return to Atlanta over a decade after they left, regardless of the fact that they have a new ownership who has been working with the league on their plans for the last couple of years. The exact same comments and conversations of “why the fuck would the league ever even consider going back there, those people don’t even like hockey” are going to happen without a doubt with Arizona, whether the process of bringing a team back starts next year or in 10+ years. There’s no exceptionalism in this market because of the situation: the conversations are going to be the exact same.
I think there will be an inevitable expansion to 36 to make cleaner, more even divisions/conferences. Arizona will probably be a finalist for one of the next batch. They could always get Atlanta’s team when they fail a third time too.
Did y’all forget that Meruelo still owns the rights to the team for another 5 years? Of course we’re not in the running by this time, we have none of the prerequisite infrastructure *and* we’re still tied to Meruelo. We won’t even be in consideration until we have an arena and a potential buyer who isn’t related to the Meruelo Group.
We were never going to get a team without an arena.
It’s no more over today than it was yesterday.
Expansion aside there are at least 2 teams a few bad seasons away from relocation at any given point.
Could you imagine if the Jets moved to az again. Canada would collectively shit themselves.
Yup, we are done. GG.