Bring Back The Whale!!!

[drc72]

The Winnipeg Jets could be a reality soon...... According to this article, the NHL is waiting for the coyotes season to end before announcing the move, but the Jets name might not be brought back.

http://www.nesn.com/2011/04/report-phoenix-coyotes-moving-to-winnipeg-following-stanley-cup-playoffs.html

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Still don;t think it will happen but there's always hope

http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/analysis_can_hartford_be_the_next_winnipeg_for_the_nhl/

[nor'easter]

Still don;t think it will happen but there's always hope

http://www.ctnewsjun...eg_for_the_nhl/

when the fools in hartford cut their deal with these so-called indians, they didn't know that they were killing entertainment for 50 miles around where the tribes have their gambling empires. They let them own the property along nearby state hiway 32, so no one could snag business traveling to the empires. now, even the state has their high school playoff games at their arena. geno has a restaurant there, uconn holds events there. professional women's basketball won't consider hartford. when did gambling casinos become an acceptable place for high school and college kids to play their games? If they had let trump or the vegas guy build a casino(s) downtown or nearby, i think we would have a professional major league team downtown. but now the indian empire has created an environment that stifles entertainment growth in the area around it. i don't believe you can have a major league team as a standalone entertainment venue in these times.

[beerbeer]

Hartford is he 4th largest market for this year's Stanley Cup

Hartford was the fourth biggest market in watching Game 1 of this year's Stanley Cup Finals between the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks, according to television network NBC, which aired the gameWhalers Sports and Entertainment in Hartford, which is trying to encourage the NHL to give the city another hockey franchise, was promoting the recently released ratings on its Web site on Friday. The match between the Bruins and the Canucks on Wednesday was the highest rated Stanley Cup Final Game 1 in 12 years.

The top-rated market was Boston, followed by Providence and Buffalo. Fourth-place Hartford had a 5.5 rating with a 8 share. Hartford had an NHL franchise from 1979 to 1997 before the team became the Carolina Hurricanes.

As a measure of hockey interest, this is very good. Hopefully, someone will notice.

Overall, Hartford is the nation's 30th largest market and the largest market to not have a professional sport frnachise of any kind.

[beerbeer]

nm

[The Voice of Reason]

We need an Arena, thats all I keep coming back to.

I really hope that the city and state look beyond Pro sports and see's that the State needs an arena to host concerts, college sports, political conventions, international speaking tours etc...

the NHL/AHL is just a small part of what the XL center serves, and we need a new one.

with the new arena we would get more sports programming, but also more concerts and more social events.

I really want the whale back, but I think we need to build them a home like Winnapeg did the JetsII

[HartfordHope]

I want to see both a new building and the Whalers. just as much as anybody... but those numbers would have meant a little more if the Bruins were not in the Cup. Yes it proves that there are alot of hockey fans in Hartford but we need to be realistic and realize it also proves that there are alot of Bruins fans. Obviously some of those Bruins fans would rather have a much closer home team like they once did, but others will remain Bruins fans and only go see the Whale when the B's are in town.

[HartfordTycoon]

Will Other Teams Follow Atlanta Northward?

While the players would likely resist a significantly lower cap in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, Cramer said the move would open the door to small and medium-sized markets that have a natural affinity to hockey.

“I think the NHL is headed toward a restructuring of its teams with more of a northern creep again,” said Cramer. He pointed to Seattle, Portland, Hartford, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City or even Boise as possible target cities.

Fox Business

I hope someone is paying attention. Maybe its time to really get on that whole new arena thing. We have to be prepared for when the next team decides to move north. Also, UConn is not showing any signs of slowing down so I think the time is right. Of course I always think the time is right for a new arena so that's probably not saying much. Also, has anyone noticed that Hartford seems to be getting some pretty big concerts in the XL lately? We need to build off of this current success. Whether you guys agree with Malloy's agenda or not, he seems like the type who would not be affraid to pursue an Arena in Hartford. He's going to have to put his mark on this city in one way or another.

[MadVlad]

If Boise gets a team before we do, I'm putting a bullet in my head. Mark it down...

[nor'easter]

If Boise gets a team before we do, I'm putting a bullet in my head. Mark it down...

i have been saying it for about 11 years now (took me a few to figure it out), it's all about tv markets. While Hartford may be the biggest market without a pro team, the world really considers us part of boston or nyc. have you ever listened to 1080 radio. they def consider us a boston suburb. and what's worse, the sports world considers us that; no one more than the bigtime wannabees in the nhl, a league closer to the WBA than nascar in popularity. I feel strongly that if the Travelers is a regular season pga "game" (and I do), it will dwarf any regular season nhl game tv viewing numbers. but discussing what a major sport is can be saved for another time. so put the safety on, MadVlad.

[HartfordTycoon]

Howard Baldwin still fighting the good fight. I will be very interested to see how the market reacts to having Whale games on TV. Hopefully it will not only score decent ratings on TV but will also increase interest and therefor attendance.

CBS CT Radio 1080

What Howard wouldn’t confirm, but I’m getting from sources at the other end, is that the Whale is about to embark on a creative television package that will rival those of lower level NHL franchises.

Baldwin is currently sitting tight on an architectural rendering of a retrofitted XL Center that could vault Hartford right back into the NHL discussion for about 300 million dollars less than a new facility would cost, while keeping it

on the one footprint on which everyone who has ever studied downtown Hartford agrees.

[MadVlad]

This refurbish the Civic Center stuff has to stop. Really, we need a new building...

[HartfordTycoon]

This refurbish the Civic Center stuff has to stop. Really, we need a new building...

I couldn't agree more.

[The Voice of Reason]

This refurbish the Civic Center stuff has to stop. Really, we need a new building...

I was thinking the same thing myself.

the worst myth in the world is that refurbishing a sporting venue is cheaper than building new.

300 million is hardly cheap

[Hartfordfan]

i also agree. i like howard's idea but everytime he says the civic center will be renovated i shutter. everyone knows the arena has served beyond its capacity.

[HartfordTycoon]

Good Jocabs article today. Baldwin is still talking about retro-fitting the XL saying that he doesn't see where we get $400M from but Jocabs brings up UConn and the Yum Center in Louisville as a prime example that not talking about a new arena or doing something about it is short-sighted. I'm glad that the chatter is starting to pick up about this. I think we are starting to see downtown's redevelopment get its second wind.

Hartford Courant

The XL Center is 37 years old. It would be a sad mistake to ignore the aging process until it's too late. We don't need Hartford to do what New Haven did and simply blow up the joint. At some point —all the leases run out in 2013 — a state needs to decide if it wants a modern sports and entertainment facility for its capital. Or do we just shrug, curse our geography and compulsions, and go to Boston, New York and the casinos?

At some point, I'd love to hear the powers at UConn speak to this. Not as threats, but as a course of planning. With many more seats, much more gold than Gampel Pavilion, the XL Center has had a significant impact on UConn athletics. It seems entirely narrow-sighted to leave the arena argument up to hockey. Look at Louisville. Yes, this is as much about the KFC Yum! Center as it is about Winnipeg.

[HartfordTycoon]

OK. Now this is getting interesting. Howard Baldwin is involved in a deal that the NHL has signed with Stan Lee's SLG group to create NHL team inspired super hero characters that will see them come to life across media genres including a deal with NBC Universal. What does it mean that Baldwin is already working with the NHL and media giants about this sort of stuff? I think that it's starting to look very promising for us to have a real shot at getting the Whalers back. Howard is doing so much behind the scenes and a part of me thinks he is talking about retro fitting the XL just to get people talking and thinking about what it might be like to really get a new arena.

MediaPost.com

Last year the National Hockey League introduced a series of comic-book superheroes intended to represent each of the 30 NHL teams. The heroes and their stories are part of The Guardian Project, which in turn is overseen by comic artists and legend Stan Lee. A joint group called Guardian Media Entertainment (GME), which comprises Lee's SLG Entertainment and NHL Entertainment, was introduced last fall at the Comic-Con convention in New York.

At the very end comes this tidbit. Howard is the chairman of the board of GME which is directly affiliated with the NHL. This is big. Something is happening.

The GME deal with NBCU was brokered by Howard Baldwin, former part-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Hartford Whalers, and producer of the Academy Award-winning motion picture "Ray" and chairman of the board of GME.

[Hartfordfan]

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nhl/story/_/id/6823432/long-island-voters-reject-400m-plan-arena

looks like the islanders are leaving. we have no shot unless we have a new arena

[HopHead]

^Yea, the new arena would help I did read an article on ESPN or somewhere else that said the Nets owner may look at buying the Islanders and move them into the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after it's done. That arena is also built to allow for NHL hockey. Out of all the hockey franchises that could be moved, I think the Isles have the least likely chance of leaving the NY metro area. But please, move the Coyotes already!

[The Voice of Reason]

^Yea, the new arena would help I did read an article on ESPN or somewhere else that said the Nets owner may look at buying the Islanders and move them into the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after it's done. That arena is also built to allow for NHL hockey. Out of all the hockey franchises that could be moved, I think the Isles have the least likely chance of leaving the NY metro area. But please, move the Coyotes already!

I was just reading quite a bit about the barclays center in Brooklyn last night and NHL Ice is NOT involved from what I read. Mind you thats 3rd party info, it was not from an official source, but if it is NHL capable its a no brainer for sure.

We need a new arena so badly too, Hell, the city could just give him the land north of 84 and the Arena and say, here build some stuff, including an arena and he would be better off than that lighthouse project.

[HopHead]

^Yea, it's my understanding that the NHL is not involved at this point either. I think more than anything it's speculation right now. I'm sure the NHL would not want to lose a NY-area franchise... then again it's the NHL and they make a lot of decisions that don't make sense as you said. If it becomes obvious that Long Island will no longer work for the Isles, then you would have to think the Barclays Center will become an option. Regarding Hartford, hopefully local leaders can work out a way to get a new arena at some point. It would be way too hard for the NHL to ignore the market if there is a viable facility. I have friends here in NC that still wear Whalers gear but are Canes fans.

[HartfordTycoon]

I have friends here in NC that still wear Whalers gear but are Canes fans.

No offense to the Canes but that is because the Whalers brand and logo is about 1000 times cooler. I wonder if they would keep wearing Whalers gear if we get a reincarnated version of the Hartford Whalers back in the NHL?

[The Voice of Reason]

What I meant was that the arena is not designed for an NHL ice sheet.

some info I found quickly

The arena holds 18,000 seats for basketball, but some seating would have to be removed to accommodate hockey. Sources said the arena could hold about 14,500 seats for hockey.

That cozy capacity is roughly 1,750 smaller than Nassau and 515 seats smaller than MTS Centre in Winnipeg (15,015), which had to overcome the stigma of being "too small" for a return of the Jets. It would be, however, 52 seats larger than the old Boston Garden. Which was built in 1928.

so clearly the NHL is trying to be in larger arenas than 14,500 so I really am not sure its possible. it kind of seemed silly to me back in '09 when they lowered capacity.

would the NHL stand in the way of a 20 mile move into a 1750 seat smaller arena? I do not think so, but I think they would not be thrilled about it. Also, I think Brooklyn is officially part of the territory asigned to the NYR, so they would have to someone appease the rangers.... something based on rivalries that should never happen

[beerbeer]

According to that wealth of misinformation known as Wikipedia.

“The New York Islanders could potentially become a tenant” at the Barclays Center.The Islanders' agreement with the New York Rangers allows them to relocate anywhere on Long Island, including Brooklyn and Queens. However, the final design for the Barclays Center will be too small to accommodate an NHL size rink.

[The Voice of Reason]

Wow! Wikipedia Vs. The Daily News(my source).....

me thinks we need to fine a more reliable source of info lol

I will see what the official paper of long island sports says..... NEWSDAY

According to that wealth of misinformation known as Wikipedia.

“The New York Islanders could potentially become a tenant” at the Barclays Center.The Islanders' agreement with the New York Rangers allows them to relocate anywhere on Long Island, including Brooklyn and Queens. However, the final design for the Barclays Center will be too small to accommodate an NHL size rink.

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/voters-reject-new-coliseum-plan-1.3068047

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/new-coliseum-voted-down-1.3068334

hmm no real info that I can see, Im not a member