New NHL team: Las Vegas Golden Knights

[Royal Tiger]

Seattle Afterburners as a nod to Boeing.

[SSEssence]

Originally Posted by CCMADONNA

yeah if the Kings aren't in it I root for the next geographically closest team.
But srsly, LA's professional sports market is HUGH!

Seattle should get an NHL team!

Go Kings GO!

It looks like this series took a downturn for the Knights

[PoorMansCamaro]

Knights going to win the next 3!

[Cully77]

Originally Posted by PoorMansCamaro

Knights going to win the next 3!

I hope so!

[detamble13]

I'd like to see more hockey... so Caps in 7.

[PoorMansCamaro]

GG. Great inaugural season. Set the bar high for next season.

[detamble13]

Congrats to the Las Vegas Golden Knights on a great first season.

[mickss]

Actually I`m sort of glad Vegas didn`t win and let me explain my reasons why, all NHL teams try to build winners either by entry draft or trades. They invest a lot time and money by scouting and developing players, Vegas did neither of those things but were the lucky recipient of expansion draft players from other teams. Those were players that other teams had already coached, developed and taught them how to play NHL style hockey. What Vegas did in their first season was amazing and here comes the big "BUT"......."But" they were just a lucky accident that was well coached not a team developed and built from the ground up over time. I`m happy for Washington, they built a wining team and waited a long 43 seasons to win that cup and someday it will be Vegas`s time to win the cup, it just wasn`t this year for Vegas. It was a hell of a first season for them.

[102SS]

Looking at that crowd in the last game and it looked like a Caps home game.

Can you imagine how the LV players felt skating out into a sea of red?

Their fans gave up on them and sold out for a few sheckles when they were in a position that the fans of 29 other teams would have killed for.

Congrats to the Caps on the win and to Vegas for a very memorable season.

Hopefully in the year 2020 the Seattle Seagulls will make their debut.

[detamble13]

Mick I see your point but I'm not sure having a new team start with all rookies is the answer either. Building a team worth watching would take several years and miss out on potential fans that a new franchise needs. Maybe decrease the amount of players currently in the NHL that they can pick from.
The problem with expanding into the desert is you do need a relevant product quickly to draw in fans. That seemed to work in their first year and we'll see how it plays out. If Quebec City, Hamilton or Kitchener Ontario were to get an NHL team you could put junior B players on the ice and sell out.
The Seattle Shit Hawks has a nice ring to it.

[mickss]

Originally Posted by detamble13

Mick I see your point but I'm not sure having a new team start with all rookies is the answer either. Building a team worth watching would take several years and miss out on potential fans that a new franchise needs. Maybe decrease the amount of players currently in the NHL that they can pick from.
The problem with expanding into the desert is you do need a relevant product quickly to draw in fans. That seemed to work in their first year and we'll see how it plays out. If Quebec City, Hamilton or Kitchener Ontario were to get an NHL team you could put junior B players on the ice and sell out.
The Seattle Shit Hawks has a nice ring to it.

Hamilton or Kitchener, especially Hamilton would be good except the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres would probably have a problem with either of those two cities so close to their market area. Quebec City would probably be the best choice for expansion given they had a pretty good history with supporting the Quebec Nordiques before they moved to Denver to become the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately for Quebec City the NHL doesn`t seem interested in them, read the following link, the NHL would rather prop up failing teams like Nashville and Carolina.
https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2...s-gary-bettman

[BMR Sales]

Originally Posted by mickss

Actually I`m sort of glad Vegas didn`t win and let me explain my reasons why, all NHL teams try to build winners either by entry draft or trades. They invest a lot time and money by scouting and developing players, Vegas did neither of those things but were the lucky recipient of expansion draft players from other teams. Those were players that other teams had already coached, developed and taught them how to play NHL style hockey. What Vegas did in their first season was amazing and here comes the big "BUT"......."But" they were just a lucky accident that was well coached not a team developed and built from the ground up over time. I`m happy for Washington, they built a wining team and waited a long 43 seasons to win that cup and someday it will be Vegas`s time to win the cup, it just wasn`t this year for Vegas. It was a hell of a first season for them.

While I'm glad the Knights didn't win either (Lightning Ticket Holder here), I think what the Knights did was amazing. There were a Lot of Trades before and during the Expansion Draft - they did their Homework.

Teams today are not made over a long time - for instance, Steven Stamkos is the longest tenured player on the lightning and he's only 28. Most of the team has been assembled over the last 4 years.

[detamble13]

Good read. Disheartening but it makes sense in terms of not adding new fans if Quebec were to get their team back. However using this logic Canada shouldn't have lost the Expo's or the Grizzlies. MLB and the NBA should have done a better job selling their product and convinced people to support it. I don't actually feel that way and if a city can't support their franchise then relocation should be an option.
By pushing the product into new non-traditional markets the NHL is ignoring a large fan base that already exists. I wonder if this will hurt them one day.

[BMR Sales]

Originally Posted by detamble13

Good read. Disheartening but it makes sense in terms of not adding new fans if Quebec were to get their team back. However using this logic Canada shouldn't have lost the Expo's or the Grizzlies. MLB and the NBA should have done a better job selling their product and convinced people to support it. I don't actually feel that way and if a city can't support their franchise then relocation should be an option.
By pushing the product into new non-traditional markets the NHL is ignoring a large fan base that already exists. I wonder if this will hurt them one day.

It's a shame that Montreal lost the Expos, but I think a key is Ownership and their commitment to put a good product out.

Good Example right here in Tampa;

since the Lightning started, we had Japanese Gangsters that were owners and were just laundering money. Then we had a blowhard that was an idiot. Then John Davidson, Owner of the Pistons bought the Lightning and put a Winner on the Ice and Lord Stanley got a Tan! then we had a Former Player and a Hollywood Hotshot that couldn't get along with each other. Now we have the Best Owner in Sports who is Investing over a Billion Dollars in Tampa. The Arena has been Sold out for years.

Now across the Bay, the Rays have had two Horrible Owners that don't care about the product and average about 13,000 people a game (5,000 less than the Lightning). They should be re-located, but the Owner is trying to Milk Tampa to building him a Stadium.

The thing is, Tampa, has a very storied history with Baseball and none with Hockey.