Globe: Second NHL Team for Toronto?

[ShonTron]

Ha! I'm from Kanata, and I think that is the funniest (and truest) thing I've read all day.

Thank you! Of course it was a bit of a put-down aimed directly at the Palladium, which got its own freeway interchange of all things! At least OC Transpo is able to operate the Connexion buses, largely on bus-only roads, but could they build that thing anywhere closer? LeBreton Flats at the time was completely vacant and would have made a good location (revitalization, close enough to the 417, right on the Transitway and the later O-Train line).

It is not a white elphant only because it is well used with the games and the concerts, but it might be able to attract more business if it were closer.

I know the Townline interchange is being upgraded, but this will be horrible. The Gardiner is bad enough when the corporate functions, er, Leafs games let out, but some of that traffic is going elsewhere, and the subway and GO Trains take a lot of the pressure off. Everybody is going to try to get on the 401, except some Cambridge folks and a few heading down to Brantford or Hamilton. (Even K-W people will try to get up to 8 North from the 401), and the people of Hespeler (as those headed to Guelph or say eastern Waterloo head north), the Eagle Street area of Preston and others will be mighty pissed.

And no spillover opportunities whatsoever.

 

[billonlogan]

I have to agree with Bettman, another team in this market would be a challenge. I would rather have one strong team in this market, then 2 teams competing for the same fan dollars. In theory sounds great, but realistically I can't see an NHL team locate in Hamilton, K-W or Mississauga. Now an 19,000 seat arena in Vaughan, with direct subway access, plenty of parking might work. Who knows we might even have our own subway series one day.

 

[adma]

Oshawa?

 

[roch5220]

Bettman has to go.
Lets not talk about anything else until he goes, because, Bettman just doesn't care, if its non-american, non-nba like.

 

[interchange42]

Why even consider Hamilton, Vaughan, Oshawa? MLSE will never allow another team within the 80 km exclusion zone. Cambridge is as close (on the west side) as one could be located.

42

 

[Bogtrotter]

Indeed- the KW proposal is the only one that wouldn't require permission from the Maple Laughs or Buffalo as it is beyond their territorial limits. However ANY move would require the permission of the NHL Board of Governors, many of whom might not want a second team aroundthe GTA. Judging from his remarks yesterday, it seems Commish Buttman is open to the 'Peg or possibly Quebec City. I'm very interested to see what restrictions and conditions they put on this deal with Balsillie as i rather suspect they're not too keen on a team in KW. Just a hunch of course, but I still think Buttman is determined to keep marching 'forward' in search of new markets in the states- houston, portland for instance. Houston would be the perfect rival to Dallas.

 

[roch5220]

Hmm, let me list the possible sites that Buttman would like:

Cleveland, they can call it the Cavs.
Indiana, they can call in the pacers
Milwaukee, the bucks
Orlando
San Antonia
Houston
New Orleans
Memphis
Portland, etc. etc.

 

[ShonTron]

Given how much California loves hockey, why not Sacramento?

Canada has less people than California, yet has twice the teams. Sounds like an inequity that only Buttman can solve.

 

[wyliepoon]

Don't forget Las Vegas! The fastest growing metro area in the US.

re: Sacramento

Some people say that Sacramento has the worst arena in the NBA. Ottawa's Scotiabank Place is located in a suburban office park. Sacramento's ARCO Arena is not only located in a suburban office park, but the building itself looks like it should belong in an office park.

Google Map link

 

[Observer Walt]

Balsillie bought land in Cambridge? That's interesting news. They'll have to widen Hwy. 8 between Cambridge and Hamilton, to accommodate the fans travelling from the latter.

 

[CDL.TO]

Hmmm...

"The Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Hamilton, and London Furry Animals"?
"The Ontario-West-of-Toronto RIMmers"?
"The Hespeler Blackberrys"?

The Blackberrys could be fun... we'd never hear the end of how Southern Ontarians don't understand how to pluralise.

 

[isaidso]

Given how much California loves hockey, why not Sacramento?

Canada has less people than California, yet has twice the teams. Sounds like an inequity that only Buttman can solve.

I'm assuming you are making a cruel joke, but just in case you're not, most Californians don't even know the Stanley Cup is going on let alone who is in it.

Saskatoon could draw more fans than Sacramento, and they wouldn't have to get a celebrity to show up to do it.

 

[roch5220]

Some people say that Sacramento has the worst arena in the NBA. Ottawa's Scotiabank Place is located in a suburban office park. ]

In the NHL, the worst arena isn't Ottawa's, its NJ's. Continental Arena is located of the side of a highway, very hard to get to. Hmm, options to getting their. $20 return bus ticket from the Port Authority, or $12 parking - while being stuck in a traffic jam getting in and out, by far is the worst. They got smart and built a new one, atleast you can take the PATH there. Even though it is in downtown Newark. I think they start playing there in the new season.

 

[roch5220]

I'm assuming you are making a cruel joke, but just in case you're not, most Californians don't even know the Stanley Cup is going on let alone who is in it.

Saskatoon could draw more fans than Sacramento, and they wouldn't have to get a celebrity to show up to do it.

If its not a latino sport, then it'll never compare with their true love, soccer. Cali's sports market is already over saturated. They love baseball, and nascar, not to mention everything else. It was pretty interesting though, when I was staying in San Diego, the local Gulls hockey team was getting a lot of coverage on the daily news.

 

[ShonTron]

Yes, the last game played there for the Devils was when Ottawa eliminated them from the playoffs. A touch of irony.

The Meadowlands was bad for being an old, lousy arena as well as its terrible location.

The new arena should do something to help out Newark. It's a great location for transit - not just PATH, but the Newark City Subway, Amtrak, and NJ Transit commuter trains to Trenton and NY Penn Station.