Penguins for sale - still and again

The only NHL franchise I could find in KC was the Scouts who eventually moved to Colorado to become the Rockies and then moved to New Jersey and became the Devils. The KC Kings played in the NBA and eventually moved to Sacramento, if i have my history straight. Although I know there have been a few minor-pro teams through KC, maybe that's what you are thinking.

 

You're right. I knew about the KC Scouts... I thought there was one other NHL team in there. The KC Blades, which started out as San Jose's top affiliate were all the rage for 10 years or so. They even won a Turner Cup.

Part of their demise was that Kemper Arena was a dump when it hosted the Final Four in 1988, much less when a hockey team finally moved in.

Like I said, if it happens, I just want the franchise to stay put for a good while.

 

How can one forget that Kansas City briefly shared the Kings with Omaha? [/sarcasm]

 

You know, if the arena is already built you have to think the deal is already done.

In 1980 or 81, somebody told me that the then-Colorado Rockies would move to New Jersey and the deal was already done. That made sense.

Beef, is there any posibility that a Canadian city might be where the Penguins will move?

 

What NHL-less city north of the border could support them? Already mentioned in here that Winnipeg's new arena is smaller than most NHL rinks. Quebec seems too small.

 

I thought the Blackberry guy would have been the best bet.

Hamilton will never happen, besides Copps Coliseum would likely need a multi-million dollar shot in the arm just to bring it in liine with other NHL arenas, neither will Quebec City. Although Winterpeg has a brand new arena, last I checked it only held about 15,000 and that's about 2,500 too small to realistically beable to financially sustain an NHL club, even intoday's market. Even the Oilers who play out of Rexall at capacity with 16,800 and change has trouble breaking even. 2,500 seats makes a pretty big difference in the NHL. They two are also in the market for a new building and a billion dollar downtown project is being discussed that the new mayor is in favour of. I also don't think the maritimes could support a team, first there isn't a suitable building that I am aware of, and second I don't think their is enough money there to support the team considering their job market is in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Would love to see another Canadian team, but I don't see it happening, I think we are maxed out at six, unless Winnipeg is willing to retrofit another 2,500 seats into their brand new building, but even then I don't know if they could survive financially in today's market. I could be wrong. Or unless the Blackberry guy can trump the KC offer.

EDIT: Others may also bring up Saskatoon, noting they previously nearly were the home of the St. Louis Blues in the 80s and the rabid support that the roughriders get in Regina. However, The arena in Saskatoon is far to small (I think only 10,000 or so) and there is no way they are building a new one for a town of about 250,000. Plus there is a big difference in a province travelling to Regina 9 times during the summer on shitty roads for cheap tickets and booze (because really the team is rarely worth watching) and expecting them to drive to Saskatoon on some of the worst roads in the developed world during shitty winter weather 41 times.

 

One more time. The Post-Gazette story you cited is inaccurate. It's all happy spin from the noble side that paid off debts six years later without interest (except to the hockey players). If you actualy read the horseshit story you cited, you would notice that some people sold their claim to speculators at 10 percent of value. That means they got 10 cents on the dollar. That means that everybody did NOT get all the money they were owed. That means the story is at minimum incomplete, if not desperately inaccurate. That happens when sports writers do business stories. A business writer would know that bankruptcy stories don't wind up with warm and fuzzy endings for all involved.

 

Smasher, get over it.

 

The Leiwekes are brilliant people. If they could get the old Kansas City Comets to draw better than the Kansas City Kings (even though the Comets were shitty and in their heyday were rarely over .500), I think they can help the Kansas City Penguins ( ) succeed.

 

Wow, this thread disintegrated quickly.

 

Mark Madden says if the Pens leave, he's going with them.

God, I'm now torn...

 

Jeez, and you'd think one of the positive points of moving out of town for Lemieux would be getting away from Madden.