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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Mar 28, 2005 4:25:55 GMT -5
NHL bypasses Oklahoma City in expansion
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Hopes for an NHL expansion franchise were undone by the realities of television, although there is still a chance of landing an established team in Oklahoma City, officials said Tuesday. Clay Bennett of the Oklahoma Sports Commission said the city lost out on its bid for an NHL franchise because of the size of its television market. "It all leads up to the television contract," he said. "When you look at how the television is and the geography and where they need to be, it was clear we were a dark horse," Bennett said. Mayor Ron Norick, who heads the commission, hoped to bring an NHL team to the city by 1999 to play in a 17,500-seat arena. The plan is part of MAPS, a downtown redevelopment project, which local residents are funding through a five-year, 1-cent sales tax. Norick said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the expansion committee liked what it saw of the 43rd-ranked market of Oklahoma City. "The size of our market was the only drawback to our bid for a franchise," Norick said. "Bettman indicated Oklahoma would fit the profile for the next NHL expansion and encouraged Oklahoma to continue to pursue an NHL team. However, another expansion is not expected for the next several years." Norick spoke after the NHL tentatively approved expanding to Nashville, Tenn.; Atlanta; Columbus, Ohio; and Minneapolis-St. Paul in the next four years. "Our bid was economically viable. Our business operations would have been successful," Bennett said. "It was not a decision that Oklahoma City could not be successful. We strongly believe that Oklahoma City would have been successful." Norick said that despite losing an expansion team bid, the commission is continuing efforts to bring major league hockey to Oklahoma City and is looking at a possible purchase of the Edmonton Oilers. "That is a decision I have visited counsel about and is one we will be looking at over the next few months," Norick said. "I will go through the Edmonton situation first." Peter Pocklington, who has owned the Oilers for 21 turbulent years, wants offers in the $85 million range by the end of the summer and the deal done by the end of the year. He said he would prefer any new owners keep the team in Edmonton, but offered no guarantees. Oklahoma City has greatly supported its minor league hockey team, the Blazers, since the Central Hockey League was formed in 1992. The Blazers often sell out the 13,400-seat Myriad Arena, and averaged 9,500 fans per home game last season. "I can't say 'I wish I had done one more thing or I wish I had said something.' I just felt like we did everything we possibly could do," Norick said.
This article is from late 1997, but now that an arena has been built, and the huge TV network deal never came through for the NHL, it would have to place Oklahoma right up with Houston and Winnipeg for a future team.
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Post by Yar on Mar 28, 2005 13:28:48 GMT -5
i just dont see oklahoma being an NHL city. i could be wrong. its just a feeling i have.
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Post by AO8/EM71 on Mar 28, 2005 15:48:34 GMT -5
I agree with Yar.. I don't know why they keep trying to expand to the south in places that don't even get cold. Put it somewhere that's definately passionate about their hockey.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Mar 28, 2005 20:35:25 GMT -5
I agree with Yar.. I don't know why they keep trying to expand to the south in places that don't even get cold. Put it somewhere that's definately passionate about their hockey. Oklahoma City is fairly passionate about hockey, unlike most southern US markets. For the past 20 years, they have routinely led the CHL in attendance. Sometimes, their average attendance has surpassed any team in the AHL/IHL, an amazing feat!
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Post by bigchris on Mar 29, 2005 22:28:55 GMT -5
Oklahoma is a football state period. Hockey would be as iffy there as Carolina and Nashville.
However, kevin donnelly would prefer that they be ahead of us in line for an expansion team so he can book more 3rd tier concerts at chipman's arena.
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Post by MOC on Mar 29, 2005 22:31:06 GMT -5
However, kevin donnelly would prefer that they be ahead of us in line for an expansion team so he can book more 3rd tier concerts at chipman's arena. Right. Hot air must be a nice thing to have in abundance on those chilly nights.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Mar 29, 2005 23:53:31 GMT -5
Oklahoma is a football state period. Hockey would be as iffy there as Carolina and Nashville. Once again, you badmouth a city you have never been to. Can you even point out where Oklahoma is on a map?
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Post by vivianmb on Mar 31, 2005 20:57:40 GMT -5
i've been there .the rodeo comes into town along with the state fair around sept 20.it last i think 2 weeks. the hockey season would open with not a peep.the reason okc likes the chl is because it is brawlers paradise.the nhl played today would not draw as well imo.no i think oklahoma city is NOT a feasible move for a league trying to regain whatever credibility it had with it's core fans.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Mar 31, 2005 21:48:45 GMT -5
i've been there .the rodeo comes into town along with the state fair around sept 20.it last i think 2 weeks. the hockey season would open with not a peep.the reason okc likes the chl is because it is brawlers paradise.the nhl played today would not draw as well imo.no i think oklahoma city is NOT a feasible move for a league trying to regain whatever credibility it had with it's core fans. It does not matter if hockey makes the front page in Oklahoma City. Can you name 5 American cities where the NHL is as huge as the other 3 big league sports. I can only name three (Minnesota, Colorado, Detroit). Most US NHL markets do not care at all about hockey, yet still put up decent attendance figures. You can't dispute the facts. OKlahoma City's CHL team has drawn more fans than any other minor league team in the last 20 years, regardless of what league it is (AHL, IHL, ECHL, CHL, etc...).
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Mar 31, 2005 21:49:33 GMT -5
Oklahoma is a football state period. Can you name any state that has an NHL team, and is NOT a football state?
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Post by vivianmb on Mar 31, 2005 22:56:00 GMT -5
massachusetts.until the patriots won the first super bowl they were fourth in line behind 1.the sawx 2.the celts 3.the bruins.
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Post by vivianmb on Mar 31, 2005 22:59:38 GMT -5
It does not matter if hockey makes the front page in Oklahoma City. Can you name 5 American cities where the NHL is as huge as the other 3 big league sports. I can only name three (Minnesota, Colorado, Detroit). Most US NHL markets do not care at all about hockey, yet still put up decent attendance figures. You can't dispute the facts. OKlahoma City's CHL team has drawn more fans than any other minor league team in the last 20 years, regardless of what league it is (AHL, IHL, ECHL, CHL, etc...). add boston,and philadelphia to that as well.new york supports three teams well.but only the rangers get the headlines over other sports.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Mar 31, 2005 23:16:20 GMT -5
massachusetts.until the patriots won the first super bowl they were fourth in line behind 1.the sawx 2.the celts 3.the bruins. Not true... The Pats were always ahead of the Bruins...
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Mar 31, 2005 23:18:04 GMT -5
add boston,and philadelphia to that as well.new york supports three teams well.but only the rangers get the headlines over other sports. Maybe Boston. Philadelphia is not even close to the Eagles and Phillies. Maybe they are comparable to the 76ers. In NYC, despite having three teams in the area, NHL will always be a distant fourth to the NFL, MLB< and NBA.
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Post by WinnipegJets17 on Apr 1, 2005 0:41:30 GMT -5
Guys you argue soooo much all we should be saying is BRING BACK OUR JETS !!! GO JETS GO !!! not that Oaklahoma blah blah blah and blah blah blah ... its all about getting our JETS back !!!
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Post by jamiebez on Apr 1, 2005 10:13:41 GMT -5
Can you name any state that has an NHL team, and is NOT a football state? Ironically, Arizona! At least not pro football...
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Post by vivianmb on Apr 1, 2005 19:31:36 GMT -5
Not true... The Pats were always ahead of the Bruins... you are wrong,joel the pats almost moved about 9 or 10 years ago.believe me the pats were 4th fiddle until tom brady showed up. as for philly..half of the fans in eastern penn.are steeler fans.and the phillies havent drawn well for years.the flyers are at least equal to both the eagles and the phillies.
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Post by Jari on Apr 1, 2005 19:55:31 GMT -5
Why is your kid wearing a Bridgeport Sound Tigers jersey?
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Post by HartfordWhalers on Apr 2, 2005 7:53:18 GMT -5
i just dont see oklahoma being an NHL city. i could be wrong. its just a feeling i have. your not wrong. trust me.....
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Post by HartfordWhalers on Apr 2, 2005 7:59:51 GMT -5
Maybe Boston. Philadelphia is not even close to the Eagles and Phillies. Maybe they are comparable to the 76ers. In NYC, despite having three teams in the area, NHL will always be a distant fourth to the NFL, MLB< and NBA. Have to disagree man... The flyers are huge in Philly....and New Jersey for that matter. Either way the NHL needs to stop sending teams to the Southern US of A no matter how big of an arena a team could get. First priority is to move a team to Winnipeg or Hartford. Once that's done I would look into either Salt Lake city or Quebec city.
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