Ottawa-Florida to play in Halifax

The Sens and Panthers will play a pre-season game in Halifax, NS:
http://senators.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=422864

Bass Destruction is located there, anyone else? Come to think of it, could we get a widget to locate members by location?

Prags, thanks for this.

One wonders if the NHL will ever consider a franchise in the Maritimes.

Seems to truly be the 'un-served' market a certain hockey-mad Canadian billionaire claims to want to serve...

Not too many Fortune 500 company HQs down in the maritimes. Suits buy the suites, and that's where the teams make a lot of their money. Plus, could you imagine a 5:30 PM puck-drop times?

Nice, that should mark J-Bo's first game against his former club, if Christmas comes on July 1.

davetherave wrote:Prags, thanks for this.

One wonders if the NHL will ever consider a franchise in the Maritimes.

Seems to truly be the 'un-served' market a certain hockey-mad Canadian billionaire claims to want to serve...

they have been unable to get anything goign in NL lost both the baby leafs and a QMJHL team too expensive for us to keep it going here

Halifax is only 3 hours away... Maybe ill give it a go!

wprager wrote:Not too many Fortune 500 company HQs down in the maritimes. Suits buy the suites, and that's where the teams make a lot of their money. Plus, could you imagine a 5:30 PM puck-drop times?

yup, 530 puck drop times are awesome. I get home from work, eat dinner and watch sens hockey...then still have an evening to do things.

Phoenix30 wrote:

wprager wrote:Not too many Fortune 500 company HQs down in the maritimes. Suits buy the suites, and that's where the teams make a lot of their money. Plus, could you imagine a 5:30 PM puck-drop times?

yup, 530 puck drop times are awesome. I get home from work, eat dinner and watch sens hockey...then still have an evening to do things.

Definitely a benefit to being out west. Although it seems like I am in transit for a portion of those games. Thank god for XM Radio!

Hockeyhero22000 wrote:

davetherave wrote:Prags, thanks for this.

One wonders if the NHL will ever consider a franchise in the Maritimes.

Seems to truly be the 'un-served' market a certain hockey-mad Canadian billionaire claims to want to serve...

they have been unable to get anything goign in NL lost both the baby leafs and a QMJHL team too expensive for us to keep it going here

If the Irvings and Balsillie got together they could make it happen.

Southern Ontario already has two teams. Why make the rich, richer?

Let's give the fine hockey fans in the Maritimes their due...and their NHL franchise.

With all the rumblings around some of the other teams on shaky financial footing, the Irvings may not have to get involved with Balsillie. They could just wait for the next team to be put up for sale, then do things the "proper" way.

I'm not convinced that any city in the Maritimes has the population density to support the NHL, though - if you are trying to convince people to drive in from 150km away for each of 41 games, you had better be a damn good salesman.

Acrobat wrote:With all the rumblings around some of the other teams on shaky financial footing, the Irvings may not have to get involved with Balsillie. They could just wait for the next team to be put up for sale, then do things the "proper" way.

I'm not convinced that any city in the Maritimes has the population density to support the NHL, though - if you are trying to convince people to drive in from 150km away for each of 41 games, you had better be a damn good salesman.

You don't think people in the Maritimes will drive or take a bus two hours to see an NHL hockey game?

Have you checked out how many fans come down from Montreal to see the Habs play the Sens?

Heck, do you know how many fans travel far and wide to see their teams?

davetherave wrote:

Acrobat wrote:With all the rumblings around some of the other teams on shaky financial footing, the Irvings may not have to get involved with Balsillie. They could just wait for the next team to be put up for sale, then do things the "proper" way.

I'm not convinced that any city in the Maritimes has the population density to support the NHL, though - if you are trying to convince people to drive in from 150km away for each of 41 games, you had better be a damn good salesman.

You don't think people in the Maritimes will drive or take a bus two hours to see an NHL hockey game?

Have you checked out how many fans come down from Montreal to see the Habs play the Sens?

Heck, do you know how many fans travel far and wide to see their teams?

A few times a year, sure. 41 times a season? Less convinced.

asq2 wrote:

davetherave wrote:

Acrobat wrote:With all the rumblings around some of the other teams on shaky financial footing, the Irvings may not have to get involved with Balsillie. They could just wait for the next team to be put up for sale, then do things the "proper" way.

I'm not convinced that any city in the Maritimes has the population density to support the NHL, though - if you are trying to convince people to drive in from 150km away for each of 41 games, you had better be a damn good salesman.

You don't think people in the Maritimes will drive or take a bus two hours to see an NHL hockey game?

Have you checked out how many fans come down from Montreal to see the Habs play the Sens?

Heck, do you know how many fans travel far and wide to see their teams?

A few times a year, sure. 41 times a season? Less convinced.

Whenever you are looking to evaluate the viability of a business that depends on factors like population density, income, and willingness to spend on a particular product or service, you undertake a thorough study of that market.

Furthermore, in the case of what is called "market expansion initiatives", one undertakes an ancillary study to determine what strategic and tactical moves need to be made in order to achieve critical mass and profitability.

Your opinion, my opinion and anyone else's opinion, in that respect, is irrelevant.

Is there a viable market for an NHL team in Halifax? I've yet to see the facts presented either way.

davetherave wrote:

Acrobat wrote:With all the rumblings around some of the other teams on shaky financial footing, the Irvings may not have to get involved with Balsillie. They could just wait for the next team to be put up for sale, then do things the "proper" way.

I'm not convinced that any city in the Maritimes has the population density to support the NHL, though - if you are trying to convince people to drive in from 150km away for each of 41 games, you had better be a damn good salesman.

You don't think people in the Maritimes will drive or take a bus two hours to see an NHL hockey game?

Have you checked out how many fans come down from Montreal to see the Habs play the Sens?

Heck, do you know how many fans travel far and wide to see their teams?

Not 41 times in a season (plus pre-season, plus playoffs). You need 12K in season tickets or equivalents (combos of half/quarter seasons packs) and a very strong walk-up base. It's not like football where the home games are once every two weeks (on average). The only way you get those kinds of numbers from walk-ups (drive ups ) is if you have a base of 1-2M within a half-hour drive, and 3-5M within a 2 hour drive.

wprager wrote:

davetherave wrote:

Acrobat wrote:With all the rumblings around some of the other teams on shaky financial footing, the Irvings may not have to get involved with Balsillie. They could just wait for the next team to be put up for sale, then do things the "proper" way.

I'm not convinced that any city in the Maritimes has the population density to support the NHL, though - if you are trying to convince people to drive in from 150km away for each of 41 games, you had better be a damn good salesman.

You don't think people in the Maritimes will drive or take a bus two hours to see an NHL hockey game?

Have you checked out how many fans come down from Montreal to see the Habs play the Sens?

Heck, do you know how many fans travel far and wide to see their teams?

Not 41 times in a season (plus pre-season, plus playoffs). You need 12K in season tickets or equivalents (combos of half/quarter seasons packs) and a very strong walk-up base. It's not like football where the home games are once every two weeks (on average). The only way you get those kinds of numbers from walk-ups (drive ups ) is if you have a base of 1-2M within a half-hour drive, and 3-5M within a 2 hour drive.

See above...

...and now for something (not so) completely different....