4 ms·

For outsiders of the region, Hamilton is basically a suburb of Toronto. Certainly it is it's own place, but it's fair to say there's a lot of back-and-forth bet

For outsiders of the region, Hamilton is basically a suburb of Toronto. Certainly it is it's own place, but it's fair to say there's a lot of back-and-forth between the two, ie. commuting and fan loyalty. It's also a hour away from Buffalo, so there are ties there as well. They question is, what effect does giving this area a new team have on the league overall. Obviously there are fans there, but these fans are already probably going to games in Toronto and Buffalo. Are they expecting to make fans in the area? That seems unlikely. So you are cutting into the bases of 2 other teams in the league for what?

r7000 17y ago
There are multitudes of under-served fans in the region. Yes they go to Sabres and Leafs games. But the Leafs have the longest waiting list and the highest prices of any team (all while serving up a very sub-par on ice product). Tickets are largely locked up by corporate season ticket holders and the "regular fan" has enormous difficulty obtaining an over-priced ticket. Hockey is, by far, the number one sport. There would be no need whatsoever to create new fans. The existing market would buy anything and everything a new team would be selling.
- sachinag 17y ago
  See, you're thinking from the fans' perspective. That's just about the last thing anyone at the NHL is thinking about. If they let in a Hamilton team, the NHL would be sued so fast by both the Maple Leafs and Sabres. (Yes, franchisees can sue their franchisor.) Territory rights are golden to sports franchises - it's their one sustainable asset, even more valuable than their logo/brand. Again, the $750 million payment to Glendale, the KC arena, and the desire to be on ESPN are all issues that would have to be resolved before we even get to a territorial rights fight. Balsillie is hoping that bankruptcy court solves these issues - and court certainly does help him overcome these actors - but they're huge, huge issues.
  - r7000 17y ago
    I was just addressing a single issue raised in the prior comment. I was not offering an opinion on the merits of a move or other issues (from any perspective). Of course there are other issues. (It is not guaranteed the Leafs would sue. NHL territory rights have never been tested in court and it is probably to everyone's benefit that they never are - in order to ensure that value is maintained).
omnivore 17y ago
The New York Metro area has 3 teams. All have had varying degrees of success and the Rangers are the dominant team, but New Jersey plays in an arena too close to New York and the Islanders play too far from the city. The Hamilton-Buffalo connection is overrated. People in Hamilton don't support the Sabres and you see lots of Habs fans there, simply because they hate the Leafs. Giving them a team would create an instant rivalry and allow fans who have wanted their own team since forever. It's akin to people saying Devils fans only support the Rangers and Flyers. It's just not true. New Jersey teams don't play close to the majority of the state's population, so fans go where it's easier to get to. The Newark arena helps that a bit, but there are some problems with that city and people's perceptions, which don't help anyway...plus it's still not close to most of Central Jersey on most game nights. Hamilton would be successful and it's not going to hurt the Leafs or Sabres, as much as they'd like you to believe.

r7000 17y ago

There are multitudes of under-served fans in the region. Yes they go to Sabres and Leafs games. But the Leafs have the longest waiting list and the highest prices of any team (all while serving up a very sub-par on ice product). Tickets are largely locked up by corporate season ticket holders and the "regular fan" has enormous difficulty obtaining an over-priced ticket. Hockey is, by far, the number one sport. There would be no need whatsoever to create new fans. The existing market would buy anything and everything a new team would be selling.

sachinag 17y ago
See, you're thinking from the fans' perspective. That's just about the last thing anyone at the NHL is thinking about. If they let in a Hamilton team, the NHL would be sued so fast by both the Maple Leafs and Sabres. (Yes, franchisees can sue their franchisor.) Territory rights are golden to sports franchises - it's their one sustainable asset, even more valuable than their logo/brand. Again, the $750 million payment to Glendale, the KC arena, and the desire to be on ESPN are all issues that would have to be resolved before we even get to a territorial rights fight. Balsillie is hoping that bankruptcy court solves these issues - and court certainly does help him overcome these actors - but they're huge, huge issues.
- r7000 17y ago
  I was just addressing a single issue raised in the prior comment. I was not offering an opinion on the merits of a move or other issues (from any perspective). Of course there are other issues. (It is not guaranteed the Leafs would sue. NHL territory rights have never been tested in court and it is probably to everyone's benefit that they never are - in order to ensure that value is maintained).

omnivore 17y ago

The New York Metro area has 3 teams. All have had varying degrees of success and the Rangers are the dominant team, but New Jersey plays in an arena too close to New York and the Islanders play too far from the city. The Hamilton-Buffalo connection is overrated. People in Hamilton don't support the Sabres and you see lots of Habs fans there, simply because they hate the Leafs. Giving them a team would create an instant rivalry and allow fans who have wanted their own team since forever. It's akin to people saying Devils fans only support the Rangers and Flyers. It's just not true. New Jersey teams don't play close to the majority of the state's population, so fans go where it's easier to get to. The Newark arena helps that a bit, but there are some problems with that city and people's perceptions, which don't help anyway...plus it's still not close to most of Central Jersey on most game nights. Hamilton would be successful and it's not going to hurt the Leafs or Sabres, as much as they'd like you to believe.