Nashville Predators moving to Canada? NOPE! Sorry, Canucks (and KC!)...

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

I get your point, but a subway from the Ex to the ACC? Maybe they could take the Lakeshore streetcar. ;D

In all seriousness, a subway to the Ex would make a helluva lot more sense than the Sheppard line to nowhere.

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

But Bob, it's been going on for forty years and the NHL just doesn't get it: most Americans don't care about hockey.

It's a niche sport so you market it like a niche sport, not like a mass market consumer product.

And then if you can exploit someone like the Baby Jesus, you can tap into that mass consumer potential--as an added bonus for a short period of time. But you cannot build an entire marketing strategy on one and only one person.

And ignore your niche i.e. dedicated market at your peril.

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

I'd imagine the Sabres or Leafs could still block Hamilton even as a temporary site, couldn't they?

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

Probably. Sabres would do it before the Leafs.

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

No doubt the Sabres would be first, but MLSE is full of enough greed they'd be right there knocking on the door. I think the NHL standard for a temporary venue is at least 10,000 though and the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium seats about 7,500. They'd either have to spruce up the Aud (and I'm not sure there's room) or look to Hamilton, London, or somewhere else in the meantime if KW is indeed on Balsillie's radar.

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

No way the Aud is that big. My OHL Guide says it's 5,750 with 6,400 for standing room but I've never seen that many in there. I agree that there isn't much they can do to the Aud after the renos a few years ago (which have kept it one of the three or four best rinks - and certainly the only one with some years on it - in the OHL).

And you're right, MLSE wouldn't be far behind the Sabres.

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

Well they currently have a building they are playing in in Nashville that they could play another couple of years in while they built a new rink in Kitchner or wherever Balsille plans to move the team. What's the difference if he's getting 12,000 out in Nashville or less than 12,000 out (depending on size of temp. building) where ever he moves the team. I'm sure there has to be some way to excersize the out clause and then sign a one-year lease agreement of some sort with Nashville. I'm sure they'd be happy to still have the dates filled in the arena. That way they don't have to deal with MLSE and Buf bitching and moaning about moving a new team in their territory. There is no clean easy way to move a franchise in my opinion.

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

I must have misread that 7,500 figure somewhere when talking about the Memorial Cup or OHL attendance issues or something. That sounds about right. It's definitely far too small for an interim facility. I wonder about London with standing room though, that might work and it is certainly more modern than either Copps or the Aud.

I don't think I'd particularly want to play a couple years in Nashville with the fans knowing it's a lame duck team. Teams who have been doing that for less than a year had enough backlash. A couple years would really not be very pleasant I wouldn't think.

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

I think the John Labatt Centre in London seats around 9500 or so.

Huggy, please confirm.

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

Capacity at the JLC for hockey is 9,090.

 

Re: Nashville Predators moving to Canada? Sure seems like it...

That's correct. The developers wanted to build a larger capacity rink, but the Hunters convinced them to stay below 9,500 because they were afraid they couldn't sell a larger building. Now, of course, the Knights are one of the most sought-after tickets in all of junior hockey. In hindsight, too bad.

When you look at buildings that might be upgradable to reach that target in a pinch in Southwestern Ontario, that's probably the place. They'd have to do a deal to use Copps, and the only other place I'm aware of with the capacity is Ricoh — and even if it wasn't blocks from the ACC, it still is owned by MLSE.