File :-(, x, )
NHL wants to expand to EUROPE. Anonymous
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=249235&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_main

Gary, please go away. You are ruining the league.
>> Arutima
fucking bettman need to go
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Just as planned.
>> Anonymous
>>331525

I'm really starting to believe every word of that.
>> Anonymous
Why? Making the sport actually international sounds like a great idea to me. The only problem I see with it is the cost of sending teams overseas all the time. If we finally figure out how to run engines without fucktons of oil, which should happen sooner rather then later, I personally am 100% behind this idea.
>> Anonymous
The only three places that care about hockey are russia usa and canada why would you think of moving to europe need i bring up the NFL europe failure
>> Anonymous
>>331531
me too :(
>> Anonymous
>>331540
A big reason NFL Europe failed was because that wasn't the top tier of competition. Eurofags weren't seeing the top players in the world and were well aware of it. If an NHL team moved there or if the league expanded there (not the AHL level but actual NHL franchise) it could potentially be a big hit.
>> Holy Emperor Anon vi Philadelphia !!CF3BKIiUIDY
>>331522
That'll work well. Not.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>331546
>> Anonymous
fuck Europe let's get more Canadian teams jeez
>> Anonymous
so...

Winnipeg, Seattle and Milwaukee don't have teams, but they intend to expand to Europe?

ok.
>> Anonymous
>>331545
I agree with this guy, Hockey is big enough in a lot of European countries that they will draw in the fans. Not only that but European teams would surely have a chance at the cup.

Seriously, the only problem with the expansion would be travel costs and time. But make Europe its own conference, make them play one another 20-40 times a year dependent on number of teams and send American teams over there for cross-conference play.

The only real argument against this is misplaced jingoism and xenophobia, seeing how many Europeans are already in the NHL. I could see this working out great.
>> Anonymous
>>331569
also hartford ;__;
>> Anonymous
>>331570


I have no problems with them making their own league, Europe NHL as you will. But to EXPAND the current NHL into Europe would just be a bad idea. You've got jetlag to over come, players aren't going to be happy having to travel 8 hours to play a game. Then there is the whole time zone thing, where a game would probably start 7PM GMT, which would be around 1PM EST, of course that's in the UK, out in Russia, it's what, 10 hours ahead of EST? It won't go over well. It's just another long line of bad ideas from Gary Buttman.

They need to stop worrying about EXPANSION and worry more about contraction, a couple teams have to go imo.
>> Anonymous
>>331585
Well, not so much contraction as shuffling, I think the number of teams is perfect in the NHL, just not really agreeing with the positions of all of them.

And I do like that NHL Europe idea... how about having the NHL have its year, Europe have theirs, and the champions from each of the leagues vie for the cup? Maybe just one or two crossover series during the year for publicity sake.
>> Anonymous
>>331593
There should be no more then 12 American teams, and no less then 8 Canadian teams. And a requirement for American teams should be that atleast 80% of the teams' location recive snow.
>> Anonymous
>>331603
>>the teams' location recive snow
>>location recive snow
>>recive
>> Anonymous
>>331603
Not that extreme... Ducks, Hurricanes and sometimes the Lightning are alright in my book.

Panthers, Predators, and especially Coyotes are an abomination however. It all depends on if you contribute something to the league.

And even from that list, I'm willing to give the Preds a couple more years to see if they can be consistently decent.
>> Anonymous
>>331540
Na, NFL Europe failed because no one here cares about ameriball, but if we would begin to be interested, it would be in the top league... Now Hockey it's possible because there are strong fanbases in, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia and Sweden. Though one problem is we all have national league systems with our local teams that we support... There is also the Russian league "Continental Hockey League" I think they're called who want to expand with pan-european teams.
>> Anonymous
>>331603
Are you Bettman's bastard child?
>> Anonymous
>>331623
Germans fucking loved their "Ameriball" league (aka NFL Yurop) or so I've heard
>> Anonymous
>>331690
Is that why it closed 5 years ago, or sumthing like that?
>> Anonymous
>>331623

I think the KHL is why they'd want to expand to Europe right now, get a share of the market in western europe before the KHL grabs it up...

It makes sense, seeing how all of the KHL teams are in east europe (for now), the NHL would have to act quick to establish fanbases in the west...
>> Anonymous
>>331709
It wasn't successful enough for NFL's liking (reportedly losing $30 million a year) and y'know it was pretty much the Germany Football League but it still had a dedicated fanbase.

Wikipedia says the league consistently drew over 500,000 fans per season; with 30 games in a season that's about 17,000 people per game which is not bad at ALL.