NHL EXPANSION: Seattle take note...in Hockey it's LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Seattle, welcome to the NHL!
I'm sure you're excited and nervous,
Don't be scared, there are very few things an NHL franchise can do to absolutely kill its self.
But, of those few things, there is one you NEED to avoid.
Make sure your arena is centrally located, with bars and restaurants close by, so people can "make a night of it"
There was a team once that decided to fly in the face of this wisdom and they toil in purgatory to this day.
You've heard of the Coyotes?
Consider their cautionary tale:
First of a;; people need to let go of the idea that the NHL "Doesn't work" in Miami or Phoenix. The Coyotes were doing JUST FINE until, in one of the worst moves in pro sports history, they decide to cheap out and build an arena way out in the middle of nowhere.
To give this some context, Ottawa did the same thing and have ALWAYS had attendance issues because of it, even in the playoffs.
People are NOT willing to sit in an hour and a half traffic to see the Coyotes play the Hurricanes on a Tuesday night. Not in Phoenix not in CANADA,
Look at those few playoff appearances by the Yote's few years back, their arena was ROCKING, and again for playoff tickets, they out-sell Ottawa.
For the playoffs the fans were willing to make the road-trip like trek to Glendale, those are GOOD fans
Teams NEED to have thier arenas in prime locations, so people can start off the night going to the game, then go to the club, catch the subway home, it's all about making the game experience PART of a fun night, you don't make people slog through misery to go to a game.
And FLA? They were VERY popular right off the bat, the Hispanic population loved them as the neutral zone trapping 90's reminded them of soccer, then began a streak of incompetence that continues to this day.
Look at Vancouver, same problem with incompetence, sure, now Brock and Bo are saving them but the home opener in Vancouver this year was like a bomb-scare NOBODY was there
Honestly, I don't really know what keeps happening with ATL and why Bettman didn't make them stick it out, that's a big loss, especially with all the hip-hop guys who were becoming big hockey fans (Turns out black people DO like hockey, A LOT actually)
Bettman couldn't let Phoenix die because they need the presence to earn their TV deal. That's why Bettman funded the team himself. You have to have a minimum of coverage.
I'm sure you're excited and nervous,
Don't be scared, there are very few things an NHL franchise can do to absolutely kill its self.
But, of those few things, there is one you NEED to avoid.
Make sure your arena is centrally located, with bars and restaurants close by, so people can "make a night of it"
There was a team once that decided to fly in the face of this wisdom and they toil in purgatory to this day.
You've heard of the Coyotes?
Consider their cautionary tale:
First of a;; people need to let go of the idea that the NHL "Doesn't work" in Miami or Phoenix. The Coyotes were doing JUST FINE until, in one of the worst moves in pro sports history, they decide to cheap out and build an arena way out in the middle of nowhere.
To give this some context, Ottawa did the same thing and have ALWAYS had attendance issues because of it, even in the playoffs.
People are NOT willing to sit in an hour and a half traffic to see the Coyotes play the Hurricanes on a Tuesday night. Not in Phoenix not in CANADA,
Look at those few playoff appearances by the Yote's few years back, their arena was ROCKING, and again for playoff tickets, they out-sell Ottawa.
For the playoffs the fans were willing to make the road-trip like trek to Glendale, those are GOOD fans
Teams NEED to have thier arenas in prime locations, so people can start off the night going to the game, then go to the club, catch the subway home, it's all about making the game experience PART of a fun night, you don't make people slog through misery to go to a game.
And FLA? They were VERY popular right off the bat, the Hispanic population loved them as the neutral zone trapping 90's reminded them of soccer, then began a streak of incompetence that continues to this day.
Look at Vancouver, same problem with incompetence, sure, now Brock and Bo are saving them but the home opener in Vancouver this year was like a bomb-scare NOBODY was there
Honestly, I don't really know what keeps happening with ATL and why Bettman didn't make them stick it out, that's a big loss, especially with all the hip-hop guys who were becoming big hockey fans (Turns out black people DO like hockey, A LOT actually)
Bettman couldn't let Phoenix die because they need the presence to earn their TV deal. That's why Bettman funded the team himself. You have to have a minimum of coverage.
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