2022-23 NHL Thread

[bustaheims]

Whenever the idea of a team in Houston comes up I like to remind myself that Houston is a massive, wealthy city that couldn't hold onto their Football team. In Texas.

Yeah, but Texas is weird about football. High school and college football are so ingrained into the culture and the Cowboys have such a legacy of winning that there isn't room for more - especially when the team isn't particularly successful.

On the flip side, their basketball and baseball teams have a strong level of support - even with multiple teams in the state - and the Stars have built a solid fanbase.

 

[rdowdall]

I actually kind of think Salt Lake City works better than Houston. Works better geographically, probably a better potential ownership/arena situation, more of a winter climate...

I'm there.

Welcome to the NHL: The Salt Lake Tabernacles.

I imagine The Salt Lake City Sister Wives as a name is off the table.

 

[Kin]

Yeah, but Texas is weird about football. High school and college football are so ingrained into the culture and the Cowboys have such a legacy of winning that there isn't room for more - especially when the team isn't particularly successful.

On the flip side, their basketball and baseball teams have a strong level of support - even with multiple teams in the state - and the Stars have built a solid fanbase.

Well, that's sort of the joke. Football is such a big deal in Texas(and fwiw the only real college programs in the city are Rice and UHouston, neither of which are huge deals) and they still couldn't keep the team. I know it's more complicated than that, after all Canada lost NHL teams too, but I think it's still a snappy line.

If I were making a more serious case I think this is one of those situations where the proof is in the pudding. Houston's a massive city with good bones. The NHL has expanded twice in recent years. By my recollection there was never even a passing discussion about a team there. I think that's pretty telling. If there was the perception that a team in Houston could work, if they had the ownership/fan interest necessary, there would be no great reason to favour Seattle or Vegas over them for a lot of the reasons you mention.

Which isn't to say they couldn't be where the Coyotes end up. Just that the League's seeming indifference to a team there is telling.

 

[Kin]

I actually kind of think Salt Lake City works better than Houston. Works better geographically, probably a better potential ownership/arena situation, more of a winter climate...

I'm there.

Welcome to the NHL: The Salt Lake Tabernacles.

I imagine The Salt Lake City Sister Wives as a name is off the table.

;

Form an instant and meaningful local rivalry: The Salt Lake City Golden Tablets.

 

[Highlander]

I actually kind of think Salt Lake City works better than Houston. Works better geographically, probably a better potential ownership/arena situation, more of a winter climate...

And growing just as fast as Phoenix and surrounding cities.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

I actually kind of think Salt Lake City works better than Houston. Works better geographically, probably a better potential ownership/arena situation, more of a winter climate...

I'm there.

Welcome to the NHL: The Salt Lake Tabernacles.

I imagine The Salt Lake City Sister Wives as a name is off the table.

Never understood polygamy.  Like dude, I got one and sometimes that's too many.

 

[ZBBM]

I actually kind of think Salt Lake City works better than Houston. Works better geographically, probably a better potential ownership/arena situation, more of a winter climate...

I'm there.

Welcome to the NHL: The Salt Lake Tabernacles.

I imagine The Salt Lake City Sister Wives as a name is off the table.

I actually kind of think Salt Lake City works better than Houston. Works better geographically, probably a better potential ownership/arena situation, more of a winter climate...

I'm there.

Welcome to the NHL: The Salt Lake Tabernacles.

I imagine The Salt Lake City Sister Wives as a name is off the table.

Never understood polygamy.  Like dude, I got one and sometimes that's too many.

There's a little community just on the border in AZ called Hildale, UT, that is notorious for being a stronghold of polygamy.  Drove through there once.  Many HUGE but plain houses with multiple entrance doors ... creepy.  But:

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-06-14/with-its-polygamist-rulers-gone-a-community-makes-a-comeback

Granted, this is a long way from SLC.

 

[ZBBM]

I actually kind of think Salt Lake City works better than Houston. Works better geographically, probably a better potential ownership/arena situation, more of a winter climate...

And growing just as fast as Phoenix and surrounding cities.

And running out of water even faster.  Hasta la vista, Great Salt Lake.

 

[ZBBM]

I actually kind of think Salt Lake City works better than Houston. Works better geographically, probably a better potential ownership/arena situation, more of a winter climate...

I'm there.

Welcome to the NHL: The Salt Lake Tabernacles.

I imagine The Salt Lake City Sister Wives as a name is off the table.

;

Form an instant and meaningful local rivalry: The Salt Lake City Golden Tablets.

It's not well known, but Joseph Smith played goal in his youth.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Houston should get a long look, the #7 television market in the country and the NHL are in 8 of the top 10.

The owner of the Toyota CenterLorenzo Fertitta(sp?) commented while I lived there that the building had renovations done to accommodate an NHL team.

It's the only top 10 American market not to have had a team. The idea that Fort Lauderdale and Sunrise Florida can support teams and Houston couldn't is so wrong that it's ignorant.

 

[Kin]

The owner of the Toyota CenterLorenzo Fertitta(sp?) commented while I lived there that the building had renovations done to accommodate an NHL team.

So it's Tilman Fertita and his attitude towards an NHL team sure seems to be that he has little-to-no interest in pursuing and owning one but is open to having one paying him rent in the building he owns. So any prospective NHL team not owned by him would either face the issue of not owning their own arena, which is not good for the bottom line, or try to convince Houston to build a second arena for a sport that may or may not be successful.

It's the only top 10 American market not to have had a team. The idea that Fort Lauderdale and Sunrise Florida can support teams and Houston couldn't is so wrong that it's ignorant.

I mean, the team in Sunrise is really supported by Miami and all of Southern Florida in theory but also...they haven't been that successful?

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/sellishockey/status/1659927402103861249
Hmm I wonder why he dropped down the draft board?

 

[Jolly good show chaps]

His Wiki has been updated.

"Veleno is best known for trying to stomp Swiss player Nino Niederreiter?s calf with his skate blade and then subsequently diving when Niederreiter legally pushed him later in the same game during the 2023 IIHF World Championships, leading to calls to ban Veleno from hockey for life.[7]"

 

[Arn]

NHL DOPS is bad, but only 5 games from the IIHF for that is pitiful.

 

[Arn]

Not quite NHL, but I know we've touched on this kind of thing in game day threads, so just throwing out as a discussion point, but a few changes around penalty rules in the European Champions Hockey League next season.

https://www.championshockeyleague.com/en/news/chl-introduces-on-ice-rule-innovations-for-2023-24-season

Minor penalties dealt the same as major: a team which caused a minor penalty will remain shorthanded even if the opposing team score a goal

Serving delayed penalties: a minor penalty will be served even if a goal is scored while a delayed penalty is pending

Shorthander erases current minor penalty: if a shorthanded team score, the minor penalty against will end

 

[CarltonTheBear]

A powerplay getting wiped if a team scored on a delayed penalty never really made any sense to me. I think seeing the other two changes get implemented to the NHL as well would be cool but the delayed penalty one is probably the only one that has a realistic chance of seeing the light of day here.

 

[bustaheims]

The powerplay not ending after a goal would be a throwback. Not sure if that would go over super well, but would be fun to see.

Don't like the idea of a SHG ending a PP. No need to punish the team twice for that.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Don't like the idea of a SHG ending a PP. No need to punish the team twice for that.

I wonder how many times a team is able to respond to a PK goal with a PP goal later. I imagine it'd fairly rare so I'm not really sure how much it would necessarily punish a team twice.

It'd be cool to see if it would push PKs to attack a little bit more... which in turn could also end up making powerplay's more successful.

 

[bustaheims]

Don't like the idea of a SHG ending a PP. No need to punish the team twice for that.

I wonder how many times a team is able to respond to a PK goal with a PP goal later. I imagine it'd fairly rare so I'm not really sure how much it would necessarily punish a team twice.

It'd be cool to see if it would push PKs to attack a little bit more... which in turn could also end up making powerplay's more successful.

Taking away the opportunity to respond on the PP is a punishment, regardless of success rate.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I think that allowing multiple goals on a PP may work but my fear would be that a 5 powerplay goal night may lead to even more " the nhl is fixed" or "the refs won the game" BS.