This was originally going to go into the last post, but it got long enough that it deserves its own.
I mentioned that Matt Donovan of the Dallas Stars committed to Denver. I find it interesting that this news came on the same day that it was announced that the Nashville Predators were sold, essentially becoming the final nail in the coffin for hockey in Nashville. After next season, the Predators will likely be playing hockey somewhere north of the border.
How are the two related? Dallas provides a perfect example of everything the NHL's much-maligned southern expansion can be, and could be.
The Stars moved from Minnesota to Dallas for the 1993-1994 season. It was a tough loss for Minnesota, but in all honesty, Minnesota didn't really need a pro team for hockey to thrive in the state. Dallas on the other hand didn't have much in the way of hockey infrastructure.
It was slow moving, but as the Stars became successful, more rinks were built and more kids started playing hockey. In 2001-2002, as some the first generation of young Stars fans grew, the Dallas Stars AAA program started. Since then, the program has sent dozens of players on to junior hockey, and a few on to the Division I collegiate level. The status of the program has grown to the point that players are now committing to colleges straight from the Stars program.
Dallas is slowly becoming a hockey hotbed. Other than David McKee, Texas' impact on the hockey world hasn't necessarily been felt on the NHL level, but that looks likely to change soon with some of the young players currently playing in Texas.
Nashville hasn't had the same success with junior hockey as Dallas. Nashville has really only produced one major prospect in Blake Geoffrion, and he can be considered an anamoly due to his bloodlines. Though the Predators have only been in existence for 9 seasons, and haven't really had any playoff success to really energize the city and get them excited about hockey.
Nashville struggled to draw decent crowds, and if they move to Ontario, as is being rumored, they'll likely make more money. But in the long run, which place would be better for the sport? Which place will grow the game more? Ontario is probably pretty close to maximizing their potential in terms of developing hockey players. Nashville is no where near maximizing their potential to produce quality hockey players. Without an NHL team in Nashville, chances are much greater that the next potential NHL star will choose to play football, or baseball, or God forbid, soccer, instead of hockey.
The biggest problem facing the NHL today is a lack of skill players. Watching a boring clutch and grab style of hockey is no fun to watch. So how do you get more exceptionally athletes? You get them by expanding to untapped areas and finding more exceptionally gifted athletes. You can't do it by cramming another team into a country of only 31 million people. There just aren't enough people to produce that many great athletes.
So on the surface, Nashville losing a team may only look bad for the 50 diehard Predators fan out there. But seeing hockey fail in such an untapped market is bad for hockey fans all over the world.
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Matt Donovan is not from Dallas. He is from OKC. His dad and Mick/Josh Berge's dad are coaches for Oklahoma's club program, but as OKC lack an adequate youth structure at the upper end, all three kids went to Dallas-area squads for their for their midget years.
Still the point with Dallas vs. Nashville is a valid one. Dallas, with Jim Lites in control, was wise to launch a development system across the Metroplex - essentially modeling it after Detroit. Nashville hasn't, and how they have suffered.
I have never understood this about the NHL. One aspect of developing the game is an NHL product, another is building rinks for kids to experience the game, after all they are your future season ticket buyers.
They could plan to implement community based hockey or high school hockey. I know there is a itnitial cost for infastructure but you have to spend a little to make a little.
What needs to happen is the NHL and USA hockey need to come together on a plan where you could operate a high school hockey system ala high school football of basketball.
Can you imagine?
Where in Ontario would the club move? Hamilton?
As a lifelong, diehard hockey and soccer fan and player, that gratuitous swipe you made there was a nice reminder that both fanbases have similar propensities towards retardedness. No wonder they're both hapless in this country.
I enjoyed a marvelously drunk four days in Nashville once and think kindly of the city for that, but the part of me still holding a grudge for almost totally ruining the Devils' '95 Cup run - when media reports were pronouncing the move to Nashville complete on the afternoon of the fan celebration - right now, that part is saying "good, fuck 'em."
How long do us Canadian fans have to watch hockey suffer in order to justify ourselves?
Nashville is not a hockey market, and frankly I'm sick of waiting for them to become one.
We welcome them to Canada were everyone has grown up with the game, and there will be fan support.
It is not the NHL's duty to build hockey, it's to sell tickets.
I know quite a few people in Huntsville, AL that would go to Preds games. Good local college hockey (UAH in the tourney-tough loss to ND)and highschool hockey.Best attendance for the local Havoc SPHL team. Hockey can be good in the South. Nashville and Atlanta are cities that like what's new and now. They are all about the next big thing.
Sorry, the NHL is past the point of affording their markets time to grow and learn and love hockey (like Dallas and San Jose - back when the NHL was coming into its own as an exciting league buoyed by a fat TV contract that guaranteed tons of exposure - and highlighted by the Rangers' cup win in 94, probably the apex of American NHL hockey right there).
It's time to retrench, rethink and get back to the markets where the product will be eaten alive with both hands - and that's Canada. The noble experiment of forcing the NHL as a sport that can appeal to all of America is over.
Balsillie just bought 27 acres in Kitchener, ONT. That is the rumoured site of the proposed stadium. It's 60 miles outside of Toronto (W) and 40 miles (NW) from Hamilton.
How about a pro franchise in Madison, WI? They could share the Kohl Center until a new arena was built and the rest of WI could come and get drunk at the NHL games.
Do not be surprised if Kansas City tries to make Balsille an offer he can't refuse (even tho hockey has failed there on numerous occasions). The Sprint Center is looking for an anchor tenant, and the Pens were one casino vote away from moving there earlier this year.
However, if Ontario is the destination, then the first interim step will probably be Hamilton and Copps Coliseum. The question is whether or not Ontario can support an additional NHL team (on top of the several AHL teams already located throughout the south province).
My personal preference would be for the Preds to move to the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, for no other reason than to right a colossal wrong.
As a preds fan, I am disappointed at the prospect of losing the team, but I'm not going to go cry or burn my jersey if they move. I'd personally trade having the preds in nashville for having an MLB team here, even if it was a terrible franchise like the Devil Rays or the Royals.
If the idea is to develop prospects for college hockey, then setting up NHL franchises across the south is about the worst value-for-money out there. For every kid from Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, or wherever that make it to the Div I college level, there are five from small towns in Western Canada. Fyi, I come from a small town in southern Manitoba and I can think of four or five guys who have played at big time programs like Maine, North Dakota, etc. There are better ways of developing young hockey players than running money-hemorraging NHL hockey teams.
Okay, then what are the best ways to develop young hockey players?
Keep in mind you are trying to sell the sport where it is unknown and not subsidized by the government.
Kind of like moving farming in the U.S. to another country......Oh man, Goon ain't gonna like this one....
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