Tag Archives: NHL

A done deal: Winnipeg gets its hockey back

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The National Hockey League is returning to Manitoba.

An agreement is in place between True North Sports and the owners of the Atlanta Thrashers to move the team to Winnipeg for next season. The city has been without the NHL for 15 years, when the Jets moved to Phoenix prior to the 1996-97 season.

For fans in Fargo-Moorhead, a team in Winnipeg gives them another option within a 3.5 or 4-hour drive.

The deal still needs approval from the NHL board of governors, which could come as early as June 21.

This is a big move, not just for Winnipeg but for the NHL. And I’m not sure how to interpret it. There was plenty of relocation in the 1990s, but this is the first time since 1981 that a team has moved from a southern market to a northern market. That was also an Atlanta team, as the Flames left for Calgary that year.

Is this just the start of what could be a migration north? I think it’s possible. But it’s pretty safe to say the NHL over-expanded 10 or 15 years ago, and the league would be healthier if there was contraction rather than relocation. Besides Quebec City, I haven’t heard of any other market that’s making much of an effort to get an NHL team. And there’s plenty of teams that are in financial trouble.

But one thing is for sure: The NHL was unable to broaden its fan base by cultivating a strong following in the southern markets. I think having teams in Phoenix and Atlanta and Dallas has actually helped the growth of the sport and spawned youth programs where there might not otherwise be. But the NHL teams themselves play second-fiddle, or more accurately, fifth-fiddle, to college football, pro football, NASCAR, etc.

I’ll leave you with this video from the Jets’ final regular-season game back in 1996. Pretty cool.

Let’s return to the blog on a pleasant note

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I’m back from vacation today. I haven’t been to work in 10 days, and during that time the Minnesota Twins have not won a game. So there’s plenty to talk about there, but let’s leave the nine-game losing streak alive for a moment and talk some puck.

As entertaining as the NHL playoffs can be, the lack of Versus on my provider’s basic package has kept me from watching all but a few of the playoff games that popped up on NBC.

I’ve become much more interested in Winnipeg’s pursuit of an NHL franchise. That would give the Fargo-Moorhead market two NHL teams within about a three-hour drive. So I think it was pretty big news when it was reported that the Atlanta Thrashers owners are talking with a group that’s very interested in buying the team and bringing it to Winnipeg.

The NHL – as of yet – has not interfered with this deal in the same way that it has in other potential moves of franchises, so it appears this could definitely happen. A very motivated seller with a very motivated buyer. Not much is in the way right now.

And it’s been reported that the NHL is working on a schedule for Winnipeg should this happen quick enough to bring a team back as early as next season.

I think this is pretty exciting news for our area. From an F-M perspective, this is almost as big of news as the NHL returning to the Twin Cities. I’m curious to know how many of you out there would go to Winnipeg to see an NHL team play. If Manitoba got a team, would it impact you in any way? Less Wild games for you? Leave a comment.

NHL would benefit greatly from TV deal with ESPN

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ESPN is reportedly prepared to make a run at the National Hockey League’s TV rights, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Here’s a link to the Mediaweek report.

Like a lot of sports fans, I live in one of those 35 million households that gets ESPN but not Versus, which is where the NHL currently has its games broadcast. That means for the last five years, if it wasn’t a Minnesota Wild game, I probably wasn’t watching it (except for the occasional weekend broadcast on NBC later in the season).

But an NHL deal with ESPN goes beyond just getting their games broadcast in 50 percent more homes than they already do.

ESPN is the worldwide leader. Whether you like it or you hate it, a partnership with the network automatically adds more credibility to the product. The NFL knows it. MLB knows it. Heck, Major League Soccer knows it.

More exposure. More relevance. What’s not to like for the NHL?

I really hope ESPN is able to get this done. I used to be a pretty loyal NHL fan, but I’ve been boxed out from watching any games that don’t involve the local market, unless I want to pony up the money to move up a tier on my current cable/satellite package, which I do not.

Rounding the bases on various topics

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Time to touch on a few different topics in a pretty busy sports week.

  • Where was this San Francisco Giants offense all season? Twenty runs in the first two games of the World Series against Texas Rangers pitching, notably Cliff Lee in Game 1. This series could be a rout if the Rangers don’t get rejuvenated playing in front of the home fans in Game 3.
  • Watched a little bit of the Minnesota Wild game tonight against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. One thought, and it has nothing to do with the action on the ice: A 10th anniversary team? Really? No offense to the Wild, but what kind of a team is this going to look like. Seems to me the franchise could have at least waited 20 or 25 years before they released a team like that.
  • The Minnesota Timberwolves played their first regular-season game Wednesday night, losing by 1 to the Sacramento Kings. I admit I watched none of that game, opting instead to have the TV at work tuned to the World Series. But it’s not a good sign to see after their first game that Kevin Love is in head coach Kurt Rambis‘ doghouse. I think he played nine minutes in the second half, despite grabbing 10 rebounds in the first half. Kind of a head-scratcher.
  • Speaking of the Wolves, team owner Glen Taylor on Wednesday squashed any contraction talk regarding his franchise. NBA commissioner David Stern suggested contraction as a way for the league to tighten its economic belts, but Taylor said his franchise will not be contracted. Being the fourth team in a four-team town(s), hard to blame the media for asking the question.
  • And finally, Winnipeg Jets fans have to be smiling if they caught this link from Yahoo’s Puck Daddy blog. The Phoenix Coyotes had an announced attendance of 6,700 fans for a home game last week. Considering the season just started, this is not a good sign for the future of that franchise in Arizona. But if you’re like me and think the NHL would be better served with more teams in Canada and fewer in the southern United States, then you’re not too upset about this development.

Canucks player likely to be suspended after altercation with Wild fan

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For those of you who didn’t see last night’s Minnesota Wild-Vancouver Canucks game, there was an incident involving a Wild fan and Vancouver’s Rick Rypien.

Rypien was heading down the tunnel toward the locker room after getting ejected when he reached into the stands and shoved a Wild fan, who from the video looks like he was merely applauding. Maybe something was said by the fan, but it looked pretty harmless. And it appears the Wild fan and his friend were ejected from the game, which also seemed undeserved. It will be interesting to see what comes of this.

Here’s the video:

Modano talking to Wild about return to Minny

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No shocker here. Mike Modano and the Minnesota Wild are discussing a contract to bring the 40-year-old back to Minnesota.

I was wondering last week whether or not the Wild would pursue this. There were rumors Modano was going to play for the Detroit Red Wings, but nothing has happened yet, so there must be some sort of a hold-up.

For a franchise that has lacked players appealing to the "Average Joe," the Wild would be making a good call in bringing the former Minnesota North Stars standout back. I just hope it doesn’t turn out like Ken Griffey Jr. with the Seattle Mariners this year.

On the radio today

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I make my weekly appearance on "Sports Talk" today from 1-2 p.m. on 970-AM WDAY radio.

Today, Kerry Collins and I will be talking to NHL free agent Matt Cullen, who finished last season with the Ottawa Senators. The Moorhead High School grad will discuss the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals and his offseason.

We’re also going to talk about tonight’s opener at Red River Valley Speedway, and we’ll discuss New York City/New Jersey getting the Super Bowl in 2014. Is a cold weather Super Bowl a good idea?

To take part in the show, call 293-9000 or (800) 279-9329 or e-mail talk@wday.com

Winnipeg returns on NHL radar

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I have to say this story surprised me a bit this morning. But it only surprised me because I thought this was a done deal.

The deal a Jerry Reinsdorf-led group had in place to purchase the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes – which last year had filed for bankruptcy – has fallen apart. And now another group known as Ice Edge – which had its previous bid rejected – is now the frontrunners to buy the team.

However, that doesn’t guarantee the team would stay in Glendale, Ariz.

In the above link: 

Sources told ESPN.com the city must guarantee a number of conditions with the NHL, including covering operating losses incurred next season, before the league will consider agreeing to sell the team to Ice Edge.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of two many cities – especially in this economic climate – that would be willing to do that, though $180 million was spent to build an arena for the team in 2003.

But are you going to invest even more money hoping pro hockey becomes a big deal in the Great Southwest? I wouldn’t.

And then there’s this:

The situation in Glendale remains fluid; if the city does not agree to the league’s conditions, it is possible the NHL will instead move quickly to finalize a purchase agreement with Canadian billionaire David Thomson and move the team to Winnipeg.

Of course, a statement like "it is possible … " is pretty weak reporting. Sounds like something that was just thrown against the wall and hoping it sticks.

But wouldn’t that be something if Winnipeg got their Jets back? I know they have a new arena up there, though I don’t know how well it suits an NHL team.

I’m usually opposed to team’s moving because I think the simplest solution for a team can be found where it is already located.

But as far as failing NHL teams in the southern part of the USA are concerned, it’s not working. It was never going to work.

The NHL really shot itself in the foot. They wanted to grow the league and grow the sport, which are admirable causes.

But moving teams out of markets that love your sport, then moving TV rights from a channel everyone knows about in ESPN to one that many people don’t get in Versus takes away from exposure of the league. If you want to grow the game, you should want as many people to watch it as possible.

I hope the Coyotes do move back to Manitoba. As someone who grew up closer to Winnipeg than to the Twin Cities, I would definitely make a road trip up north to watch a Jets game if they did return.

And now, for Don Cherry’s take on it:

Timberwolves, Wild seasons mercifully wind down

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Baseball season couldn’t come soon enough for most sports fans in this area.

That’s because the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild are wrapping up dreadful seasons.

The Wild are 37-34-6 and are toast in the Western Conference. I heard one Wild fan on the radio say that the team had a winning record, but if that’s the way one wants to look at overtime losses, most NHL teams have a winning record.

The Timberwolves have seemingly been out of contention since the season tipped. Doesn’t seem that long ago when the Wolves beat the New Jersey Nets in their opener on a last-second basket. Looking back at it now, we’ve come to realize no win against the Nets should come down to the final possession.

Target Field opens Friday to the first of two exhibition games between the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals. The forecast doesn’t look accommodating (better than 50 percent chance of rain both days, according to weather.com). Regardless, I can’t wait for baseball.

Are the A’s doomed again?

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The Athletics are baseball’s nomads. They’ve relocated to three different parts of the country in over 100 years of play, and they could be doomed to relocating again.

I don’t normally link too many stories from Deadspin, but I think this one by its founder, Will Leitch, is an interesting read. He likens the franchise to the Montreal Expos, stating that the A’s almost certainly will move again.

It’s hard to argue with that assessment. It looked like a ballpark in nearby Fremont was going to get built, but that fell through. And considering the budget shortfalls in California, it’s hard to believe stadium legislation would get passed in the state without an owner forking over some serious cash for one.

The funny thing about the A’s and their nomadic ways is that they’ve been one of Major League Baseball’s most successful franchises on the field. Those powerful teams just didn’t translate to powerful fan bases.

The nine world championships (five in Philadelphia and four in Oakland) are the second- or third-most in baseball history (can’t remember which, but it’s top three). Some of those teams – 1929-31 Philly A’s and 1972-74 Oakland A’s – are among baseball’s greatest dynasties.

But the franchise just doesn’t stick, despite producing such all-time greats as manager Connie Mack and players Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rickey Henderson and the juiced-up Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire.

ONE MORE LINK

I wrote a column – or as we call them, a "mini-column" – on Gary Bettman‘s upcoming dilemma about whether or not to allow NHL players to compete in the 2014 Olympic Games.

It will be interesting to see what he decides. I personally think the NHL gains more by having a world hockey tournament on the world’s biggest stage in the Olympics than starting one of its own and having it broadcast on Versus or whatever.

It might make the league some moderate immediate profits, but it will knock it a couple more notches down on the sports totem pole, just like the deal on Versus did and the decision to move teams from Canada and northern hockey-loving markets to the South did.

Remember the days of the "Big Four," which was the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA? There’s no doubt the NHL has since slipped behind NASCAR and pro golf – at least, when Tiger Woods is playing – on the average fan’s radar. And UFC is fast approaching, if it hasn’t eclipsed it already.