PREMIER: TOO SOON TO TALK ABOUT AN NHL TEAM IN SASKATOON

[Fozzy33]

SASKATOON -- Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says talk of an NHL team for Saskatoon is very speculative.
Hockey fans have been tweeting up a storm since TSN journalist Bob McKenzie wrote a column musing about the possibility of an NHL team relocating to Saskatoon.
But the premier suggested Friday that it's too soon to lace up the skates.
"Obviously this is very hypothetical and in early stages and sort of the stuff of rumours right now," Wall told the Business News Network (BNN) in an interview from London, England.
"But I'm pretty biased. I would wonder why the NHL's not already in Canada's greatest province. I think we produce more per capita NHL players than anywhere else in the country. And obviously it's a hotbed of hockey.
"If Winnipeg can do it, I like our chances."
A recent report from the Conference Board of Canada concluded that the country could sustain as many as nine National Hockey League franchises. The report from the Ottawa-based think-tank said Quebec City and Hamilton would be the most suitable cities.
The researchers looked at population size, market wealth, corporate presence and the level playing field created by a Canadian dollar that hovers around par with its U.S. counterpart. They ruled out any area with a population lower than 750,000.
Report co-author Mario Lefebvre said there were questions about Halifax and Saskatoon and Regina, but he said those markets are too small for teams to survive.
Saskatoon estimates its population is about 234,200. The city is home to the Saskatoon Blades, a junior team in the Western Hockey League.
Wall pointed out that the province supported the world junior hockey championships when they were held in Saskatoon and Regina in 2010. That included making upgrades to Saskatoon's Credit Union Centre.
But the premier said it's too soon to talk about what might be needed for an NHL team.
"We always look at reasonable proposals, based on a need for recreational infrastructure, for those kind of facilities. But I don't make that comment in the context of this NHL speculation. I think that'd be way ahead of ourselves," he told BNN.


Love pipe dreams.

[Fozzy33]

No one is suggesting the NHL is considering relocating an existing franchise to Saskatoon.

But it is fair to say there have been expressions of interest from parties in the prairie city to purchase, relocate and house an NHL franchise in Saskatoon's Credit Union Centre.

Obviously, if the NHL is faced with relocating another franchise -- those options may have to be legitimately explored in the coming weeks or months with regards to the long-term future of the Phoenix Coyotes -- the most logical landing-spot candidates are Seattle, Quebec City, Kansas City and perhaps Las Vegas.

But interested parties in Saskatoon have contacted the league and suggested there are individuals or parties in Saskatoon who would be willing to ante up the required purchase fee while various levels of government in Saskatchewan would make necessary arrangements to expand and make NHL-suitable the 15,800-seat Credit Union Centre.

Even though Saskatoon's actual population is around 250,000 -- which at face value would seem to be far too small to support an NHL franchise -- the Saskatoon interests are pitching that an NHL franchise there would be supported by the entire province and it would be a viable operation.
In 1983, the St. Louis Blues almost moved to Saskatoon. Then-owner Ralston Purina were going to sell the franchise to Bill Hunter, who was going to relocate it to Saskatoon. The league blocked the move, took the franchise over when Ralston Purina effectively abandoned it and sold it to Harry Ornest, who kept the team alive in St. Louis.

Meanwhile, the NHL continues to focus on negotiations with three groups who have expressed varying degrees of interest in buying the Coyotes from the NHL and working out a deal with the City of Glendale to keep the franchise there long-term. But if those negotiations don't progress in the coming weeks, it's believed the NHL willl have no other option but to begin pursuing a parallel track to look at its relocation options while still trying to make the Phoenix scenario work.

Either way, one would assume by the end of the NHL regular season -- in mid-April -- the league will need to know whether it's staying in Phoenix for another year or relocating the franchise. Conventional wisdom is the league can't wait as long as it did last spring when Atlanta was relocated to Winnipeg in a process that started in late April and was consummated in late May. Ownership group True North in Winnipeg had an existing infrastructure in place that permitted a relatively smooth transition at such a late date.

But as interested as parties may now be in Seattle and Quebec, for example, none are as fully developed or operationally sound as True North was.
In the meantime, the short-term focus of the league is entirely on trying to nail down a completed agreement to purchase in Phoenix.

[Greco Roman]

CUC is nowhere near up-to-date for the likings of the NHL. And besides, Saskatoon is much much MUCH too small to host an NHL team at this time. I say maybe in about 50-100 years once the population grows and the NHL softens it's stance on bringing teams to small market Canada (if that ever happens) then perhaps this will work.

Until then, this is only a pipe dream.

[Greco Roman]

Originally Posted by Fozzy33

"If Winnipeg can do it, I like our chances."

Winnipeg and Toontown are not even close to being in the same league at the moment. S'toon is much smaller, has less corporate support, and even worse, are not even being close to a pipe dream for the NHL brass to consider.

50-100 years from now, I say they have a decent shot.

[Fozzy33]

l wonder if they thought of Regina as a place to be a possible NHL location which is a bit bigger then Saskatoon.

An AHL team for Regina would be nice to see happen for either Winnipeg or Edmonton. Winnipeg again does have a 5yr contract with St. John's.

Overall this is something only ppl see on April 1st about a city like Saskatoon getting an NHL team. Not out of the blue someone saying that it could happen.

[Calvin W]

Originally Posted by Greco Roman

Winnipeg and Toontown are not even close to being in the same league at the moment. S'toon is much smaller, has less corporate support, and even worse, are not even being close to a pipe dream for the NHL brass to consider.

50-100 years from now, I say they have a decent shot.

Wow you have very high expectations....
50 to 100 year...
Want to bet?

A lot sooner than most people outside of Saskatchewan realize. Some very big names and companies in Saskatchewan are willing to throw big dollars behind an NHL team.

[Greco Roman]

Originally Posted by Calvin W

Wow you have very high expectations....
50 to 100 year...
Want to bet?

A lot sooner than most people outside of Saskatchewan realize. Some very big names and companies in Saskatchewan are willing to throw big dollars behind an NHL team.

Sorry, I don't mean that as a slam against Toontown. But with 1/3 of Winnipeg and Quebec City's populations, even at the rate of growth they are experiencing now, they won't be anywhere near the population size necessary for the NHL to consider them worthy. Perhaps 100 years is an exaggeration, but I really don't see them being considered for at least another 50 years, if ever. Honestly, knowing how the NHL really feels about small market Canadian teams, I really don't see them ever thinking about Saskatchewan at all.

[Rhino]

The AHL has stated that they will be expanding to the west of North America to make it more suitable for west coast team's to do call up's. Abbotsford got an AHL team, and they are doing quite well.

[Yellow Fever]

I'm sure sask would do well if awarded a NHL francise, it'd be the Green Bay Packers in hockey.