Aww sh!t, I really would love a team in Seattle or Portland, well goes a west coast division dream. Maybe something will happen before I become one of Victoria's nearlydeads.
- Makita

Vegas is going to be a mistake IMO. I know there's some obstacles, but Seattle makes a ton of sense. Portland could become a possibility later if Seattle is a success financially.

Vegas is going to be a mistake IMO. I know there's some obstacles, but Seattle makes a ton of sense. Portland could become a possibility later if Seattle is a success financially.
- Nucker101

Vegas is never a mistake.


unless you ask VanCity

Vegas is going to be a mistake IMO. I know there's some obstacles, but Seattle makes a ton of sense. Portland could become a possibility later if Seattle is a success financially.
- Nucker101

Seattle won't get an NHL franchise until they get their NBA team back. Las Vegas could work because it's a tourist town and casinos can buy up all the season's tickets to comp to big players and the like. It won't make money the traditional way, but it will make money.

Vegas is going to be a mistake IMO. I know there's some obstacles, but Seattle makes a ton of sense. Portland could become a possibility later if Seattle is a success financially.
- Nucker101

I'd love a Seattle franchise for obvious reasons, but I don't know if any of those are viable markets. I don't think that it would be possible for Seattle to show less interest in obtaining a franchise. The interest seems to all be on the NHL's side. Their whole attitude seems to be "yeah, ok, we'll take a franchise if you insist. Hey, do you happen to have the number for the NBA? The one they gave us is a fake."

And while Vegas wants a team it's not because of any particular passion for the game of hockey. It's just another thing to do on top of the millions of other things to do in Vegas. If they do get a franchise I'd be willing to bet that there will be more fights in the stands than on the ice.

Outside of Quebec and the GTA, I'm not sure how many viable hockey markets there actually are. I'd personally rather they deal with all of the struggling markets they have now before they start adding new ones. They should be relocating, not expanding.

I hate this new age of micro-managed computer driven stats when anything as small as a 15 minute delay for a glass replacement can screw with every dynamic stat that they seem to collect.

Good Riddence.


Now... Carol.... there will be nothing new in Canuckland for at least three weeks. You are the best Canuck blogger we have ever seen here on buzz and we want you to know that you don;t have to do dailies right now. Take a few weeks off!
- Beatle_john

It is a generous sentiment.

Still, I hope Carol doesn't go much beyond a few days without posting. Just pointing out/linking some stories she's done for bleacher report or links to stories by other writers that are relevant and maybe her perspective would be great.

Those damn dog days of summer. Heck, I don't mind if Carol posts some bbq recipes...

Did you see that video of the surfer and the shark?
- VANTEL

I saw it...he's very lucky to be alive.

I saw it...he's very lucky to be alive.
- LordHumungous

Half of Calgary is Canucks fans...
- kaptaan

Grow up in the interior and you are right in the middle of Vancouver and Calgary. Looking at the price to live in Van lots of my friends went to Calgary.

Grow up in the interior and you are right in the middle of Vancouver and Calgary. Looking at the price to live in Van lots of my friends went to Calgary.
- rugdnit

Every1 i knew growing up in the interior was a Nux fan. Older people were mostly Habs fans...

Grow up in the interior and you are right in the middle of Vancouver and Calgary. Looking at the price to live in Van lots of my friends went to Calgary.
- rugdnit

That probably wouldn't be the interior...that's probably the kootneys or south Thompson. I live in the middle of the interior and it's only 40km closer to Vancouver than it is to Edmonton.

Every1 i knew growing up in the interior was a Nux fan. Older people were mostly Habs fans...
- kaptaan

Agreed, I once asked why a guy liked the habs and he said cuz the Canucks weren't around growing up and the Leafs/Fanbase were much to arrogant.

Agreed, I once asked why a guy liked the habs and he said cuz the Canucks weren't around growing up and the Leafs/Fanbase were much to arrogant.
- I-own_da-Northwest

Most of the people I know who grew up here not cheering for the Canucks had parents who were Habs/Leafs/Hawks fans. Then there are those who jumped on the Isles/Edmonton band wagon when they were power houses. The rest are mostly from further east. The worst fans in the province are the car flag band wagoners.

Most of the people I know who grew up here not cheering for the Canucks had parents who were Habs/Leafs/Hawks fans. Then there are those who jumped on the Isles/Edmonton band wagon when they were power houses. The rest are mostly from further east. The worst fans in the province are the car flag band wagoners.
- 1970vintage

...and Nucker.

I'm from Kamloops and there isn't a chance that it could support an NHL team. There's well under 100 000 people there, including the surrounding areas.
- CubanBuffet

Halifax is a crazy suggestion to. They can barely support a junior team. Their AHL team moved out because they couldn't get the crowds.

Take halifax out of your list and never talk of it again.

Halifax is a crazy suggestion to. They can barely support a junior team. Their AHL team moved out because they couldn't get the crowds.

Take halifax out of your list and never talk of it again.
- bloatedmosquito

Nunavut all the way.

That probably wouldn't be the interior...that's probably the kootneys or south Thompson. I live in the middle of the interior and it's only 40km closer to Vancouver than it is to Edmonton.
- I-own_da-Northwest

Like I said we have a place at Wasa and the locals (not the Albertan's coming in for the summer) are pretty evenly split between the Nucks and Flames allegiances. I was a Habs fan growing up for lack of choices, that and my little brother liked the Leafs and he was a Richard as a kid... Anywhere West of Cranbrook and its Nucks...

Vegas is going to be a mistake IMO. I know there's some obstacles, but Seattle makes a ton of sense. Portland could become a possibility later if Seattle is a success financially.
- Nucker101

Vegas will be a massive mistake but Bettman and his merry band of idiots will have their way. It would work in Vegas under novelty status for 5 years or so then after the financial problems start (and they will) it will be PHX all over aain. It's not LA, ANA or SJ where they have a 14 million drawing radius.

Seattle does make sense from the outside looking in but Darius is right they are focusing on Basketball first. I spent a week in Seattle in April when NHL playoffs were on and I have to be honest...it was EXTREMELY disappointing the lack of Hockey interest in that town even for the American teams. The coverage was absolutely bloody awful. I'm not sure if that would be the case if an NHL team was actually in Seattle but man it was a real eye opener. I thought the locals in Seattle would embrace NHL playoffs way more than that.

- boonerbuck

Halifax is a crazy suggestion to. They can barely support a junior team. Their AHL team moved out because they couldn't get the crowds.

Take halifax out of your list and never talk of it again.
- bloatedmosquito

At least in Halifax there is over a 400,000 populus for a drawing radius. Halifax would be good for a CFL team but no way for NHL at this point.

Nunavut all the way.
- CubanBuffet

Exactly. St Johns Newfoundland would be a better choice than halifax. At least Newfoundland is a "have province". Lots of money on the rock right now.

Hard to believe Newfoundland makes payments to Ontario and quebec to keep them afloat. (frank)ing middle Canada

Vegas will be a massive mistake but Bettman and his merry band of idiots will have their way. It would work in Vegas under novelty status for 5 years or so then after the financial problems start (and they will) it will be PHX all over aain. It's not LA, ANA or SJ where they have a 14 million drawing radius.

Seattle does make sense from the outside looking in but Darius is right they are focusing on Basketball first. I spent a week in Seattle in April when NHL playoffs were on and I have to be honest...it was EXTREMELY disappointing the lack of Hockey interest in that town even for the American teams. The coverage was absolutely bloody awful. I'm not sure if that would be the case if an NHL team was actually in Seattle but man it was a real eye opener. I thought the locals in Seattle would embrace NHL playoffs way more than that.
- LordHumungous

I think thats the contingency, when its their team Seattle comes out to support. They take pride in their 12's mentality/attitude, so I would imagine that given an NHL team they would get behind their team. Big gamble though with $1b on the line that they can infiltrate the existing sports scene and recieve that much enthusiam

Thanks for your thoughts on my summer blogging schedule.

I got bogged down yesterday with an unexpected extra day of British Open liveblogging - which ended up consuming seven hours! Exciting round, but I'm gassed now after working at odd hours for the better part of the last week.

Going forward, I may not be blogging daily but still plan to check in more often than not with whatever news and nuggets I can find.

Today - my thoughts on expansion and a bit more on Sven Baertschi's contract:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...his-Comparables/194/70090

At least in Halifax there is over a 400,000 populus for a drawing radius. Halifax would be good for a CFL team but no way for NHL at this point.
- LordHumungous

Maybe. But I would bet against it. It's funny but nova Scotia isn't a sports crazy province. Even with all the universities it still has a hard time generating crowds at sporting events.

Now if you put on a party, with some live music, and cheap beer the entire province will show up.

Maybe. But I would bet against it. It's funny but nova Scotia isn't a sports crazy province. Even with all the universities it still has a hard time generating crowds at sporting events.

Now if you put on a party, with some live music, and cheap beer the entire province will show up.
- bloatedmosquito

I haven't been to a concert on the hill in years, but that was something I always looked forward to. 40k+concert goers on the side of Citadel Hill.

NHL wouldn't be able to survive in Halifax. But CFL, with less home games, might work. It is just in the summer time, a lot of people go on vacation and less university students around.