I’ve never hid my dislike for so many southern NHL teams, just ask my former students.
For years there has been a problem with certain teams having a hard times filling up their arenas, and having a hard time generating any interest when competing for fan dollars with baseball, basketball and/or football depending on the city.
This isn’t a problem unique to Atlanta – who could forget that the NHL had to actually step in and take ownership of the Coyotes last year? And let’s go further back, how about 2004 while in the playoffs the Lightning tried using free beer to entice people to buy season tickets for the following season?
Before the Jets migrated south, their attendance was low, but if attendance was the only determining factor to a team staying, the Islanders would have been gone years ago. Poor management, financial troubles, and the need for a new arena were all contributing factors. (Actually, maybe Islander fans should be worried they’re looking at the next iteration of the Nordiques.)
I’m happy to see a team return to Canada, to a city whose fans were punished when a local owner wouldn’t or couldn’t purchase the team. Winnipeg deserves the return of an NHL team. Which team will be next?
