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Around The League - 2024-25 Regular Season

I think they have a legit claim for the most pathetic franchise in hockey history, maybe all professional sports.

27 seasons, 9 playoffs appearances, 2 playoff round win (the same year).

And the Jets before them had only won 2 playoff rounds as well. 44 seasons, 4 playoff round wins. Reaching the semi finals was the highest point of 44 seasons.

Their draft history is just as pathetic. Despite their pitiful record, they never drafted higher than 3rd overall, and never really drafted any genuine star. 2 of them 3 best draft picks had their main successes with another franchise (Briere and Wheeler). Wheeler never even signed a contract with the Coyotes.

The apathy in the region for the team has way more to do with the franchise itself than the fan base.
 
The second they leave Arizona, and that seems like a matter of weeks now, they're going to plan the same thing they're doing in Atlanta: A return with a proper arena, in a proper location, along with a stable ownership group.

I would personally give Houston & Kansas City a shot long before I would Atlanta/Phoenix, but...
 
Utah has a 4.85% flat tax on income and a young billionaire owner willing to spend, present GM & coach are competent, it’ll become another player desired market in short order - they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
 
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GGpX said:
The second they leave Arizona, and that seems like a matter of weeks now, they're going to plan the same thing they're doing in Atlanta: A return with a proper arena, in a proper location, along with a stable ownership group.

I would personally give Houston & Kansas City a shot long before I would Atlanta/Phoenix, but...
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As they should - simply don’t toss aside the earnings capability of 11th largest media market, strong corporate base, and top-10 disposable earnings population. NHL is first & foremost a business

If TBay, Fla, Canes can all be turned from left for dead franchises to contenders why can’t Phoenix? There are two non negotiables:

- Arena HAS to be located in downtown Phoenix
- Deep pocketed owner committed to spending on the team (players, hockey ops, fan experience)
 
Sal_Butera said:
Utah has a 4.85% flat tax on income and a young billionaire owner willing to spend, present GM & coach are competent, it’ll become another player desired market in short order - they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
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We'll see. I recall that you said here that the Islanders would become a preferred destination when they moved into the Barclay Center, Didn't quite work out that way.
 
GGpX said:
The second they leave Arizona, and that seems like a matter of weeks now, they're going to plan the same thing they're doing in Atlanta: A return with a proper arena, in a proper location, along with a stable ownership group.

I would personally give Houston & Kansas City a shot long before I would Atlanta/Phoenix, but...
Click to expand...
Atlanta got a new arena when the Thrashers came into existence but you can't make Georgians give a shit about any sport other than football. I remember seeing Braves playoff games that didn't sell out. Nobody cares.

The NHL needs to stop trying to pound square pegs into round holes. Stop putting franchises into markets where nobody gives a shit and return them to markets that do, like Quebec and Hartford. Maybe even Portland. Or Milwaukee. How about a second team in the GTA so hockey fans living there don't have to settle for the Leafs? Anywhere but NASCAR country or the sunbelt. I don't care that Atlanta is a big TV market. Nobody there gives a shit about hockey and hockey fans don't give a shit about Atlanta.

I will say though, that Houston could work. It's had hockey for decades, just not NHL hockey. But it's big enough and reasonably cosmopolitan enough to be a decent hockey market. It's less inbred than Dallas.
 
Krustchev said:
We'll see. I recall that you said here that the Islanders would become a preferred destination when they moved into the Barclay Center, Didn't quite work out that way.
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The Barclay Center was never well-suited for hockey and Brooklyn is not Manhattan but it is full of Rangers fans. Where the Isles are now, at Belmont Park, is much better and the Islanders have the same team colors as the Mets. They'll be fine and will have no trouble finding players to sign.
 
Sal_Butera said:
Utah has a 4.85% flat tax on income and a young billionaire owner willing to spend, present GM & coach are competent, it’ll become another player desired market in short order - they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
Click to expand...
3-5 tax friendly teams cant employ half the league trying to go there

Plus Florida and Tbay haven`t utilized their tax advantage very well
 
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