NHL Contingency Schedule moves Phoenix to Winnipeg, Jets join NW division

[Asher]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/coyotes/article/807810--nhl-contingency-schedule-has-jets-in-winnipeg?bn=1

NHL contingency schedule has Jets in Winnipeg

The NHL has a “contingency” schedule in place that would see the Winnipeg Jets play in the Northwest Division, a fall-back position should the league be forced to move the Coyotes out of Phoenix.

According to the CBC, the Colorado Avalanche would move to the Pacific Division.

“It’s only speculation so it would be too early to comment on that,” Jean Martineau, the vice-president of communications for the Colorado Avalanche, told thestar.com. regarding the possibility of switching divisions.

The league bought the Coyotes in bankruptcy court last fall for $140 million (all figures U.S.). The team has lost a further $20 million this season. The NHL is hoping the City of Glendale, which owns the Jobing.com Arena, and a group of hockey loving investors known as Ice Edge Holdings, can come to terms on a deal that could keep the team in Arizona.

Talks broke off Monday evening when the Glendale failed to offer Ice Edge exclusive negotiating rights. It may all be a ploy, but a city council meeting Tuesday night may represent the city’s last and best chance at finding a buyer.

Ice Edge investor Daryl Jones tweeted his followers on Tuesday, encouraging them to attend the meeting at Glendale city hall.

The league has a window that opens June 30 to move the team. It’s believed billionaire David Thomson would buy the team and put it in Winnipeg.

Could be cool?

[notyoueither]

Would be cool, assuming Thomson has a solid business plan and sees it through.

Very interesting situation.

[Asher]

Figures that once Phoenix gets good, they pack up and ship out to join the NW Division...

[Fake Boris]

The players must be thrilled.

[Guynemer]

Please, for all that is holy, let's end the desert experiment.

And then let's move the Thrashers, Lightning, and Panthers, too. Maybe even the Hurricanes, if we're feeling giddy.

[-Jrabbit]

Why is it that cities in Arizona and Florida have NHL francises (not to mention North Carolina and Tennessee!), but places like Seattle and Portland OR are seemingly not considered?

Nothing against this potential move -- just always thought the city choices for the big US expansion were pretty odd.

[notyoueither]

Please, for all that is holy, let's end the desert experiment.

And then let's move the Thrashers, Lightning, and Panthers, too. Maybe even the Hurricanes, if we're feeling giddy.

To where? Tuktoyaktuk?

Could probably move one team to Quebec City (assuming a rink gets subsidised by government; not a sure thing) and one into Southern Ontario.

Two into S. Ont. would be pushing it faster than is likely to happen easily. Anywhere close to Toronto or Buffalo comes with its own can of worms.

I'm positive the NHL really, really, really does not want to give up on Atlanta.

[notyoueither]

Why is it that cities in Arizona and Florida have NHL francises (not to mention North Carolina and Tennessee!), but places like Seattle and Portland OR are seemingly not considered?

Nothing against this potential move -- just always thought the city choices for the big US expansion were pretty odd.

Pheonix and Carolina were moves. They depend somewhat on building availability and very much on individual owner thoughts and plans.

Expansions need bidders. I don't recall Portland or Seattle ever having expansion bids, but if they did they would have to be better bids than the competition.

[Guynemer]

To where? Tuktoyaktuk?

In no particular order:

Quebec City
Hamilton/London/Toronto/Southern Ontario Pick 'Em
Portland
Seattle
Kansas City
Sacramento
Cleveland
Baltimore
Winnipeg (if they don't get the Coyotes back)

Obviously, some are more ideal than others, but all make much more geographic and climatological sense than the Deep South.

[Guynemer]

And "geographic sense" meaning that if we can get some teams moving from the Deep South to the West, it would end the rather goofy, unfortunate, and somewhat unfair quirks of having teams in the Eastern Time Zone (ie Detroit, Columbus) playing in the Western Conference.

[notyoueither]

I have to admit I am baffled by the intensity of feeling over where teams are located when picking one non-traditional market or another.

Time zones and the Red Wings is one understandable reason for a Wings fan. But, move 'em all?

I just don't get it.

[Ming]

Why is it that cities in Arizona and Florida have NHL francises (not to mention North Carolina and Tennessee!), but places like Seattle and Portland OR are seemingly not considered?

Nothing against this potential move -- just always thought the city choices for the big US expansion were pretty odd.

Odd... yeah, based on climate. But the whole idea was to create a truly "national" base for the NHL in the US for TV reasons. They didn't want the NHL to be considered a regional (cold weather) sport. Needless to say, it didn't work out the way they wanted... DOHH!

[Ben Kenobi]

Obviously, some are more ideal than others, but all make much more geographic and climatological sense than the Deep South.

Raleigh and Atlanta are 'deep south'?

I can see wanting to move Tampa and Florida though.

My suggestions:

1. San Antonio TX
2. Houston, TX
3. Kansas City
4. San Diego, CA
5. Seattle, WA
6. Hamilton
7. Baltimore
8. Cleveland

Gone:

Nashville (Cleveland), Atlanta (San Diego), Florida(Kansas City), Tampa Bay(Seattle), Phoenix (Hamilton), Carolina (Baltimore).

New teams:

San Antonio, Houston.

Your new divisions:

Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton
LA, Anaheim, San Jose, San Diego
Denver, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas
Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Kansas City

In the east:

Detroit, Columbus, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa
NYR, NJD, Philadelphia, NYI
Boston, Washington, Buffalo, Baltimore.

The problem isn't that Bettman expanded southerly, but he chose the wrong cities. Texas could support 3 hockey teams, and California could support another. Seattle and KC, are obvious choices for western expansion. In the east, Baltimore and Cleveland make sense, along with Hamilton. So you'd have 5 more 'cold weather' cities, and moving three of the southern teams to larger cities in the SW.

[-Jrabbit]

San Antonio is lovely, but it's not likely to be able to support two winter sports franchases, and the Spurs are well entrenched. Same for Cleveland (which is smaller than Columbus) and its NBA franchise.

And Baltimore, when there's already an NHL team in DC? That's barely a 2-team market in football and baseball. Disagree with that one as well.

But whatever, it's all speculation.

[mrboo123]

As a fan of the Jets as a kid (still wearing a hat I found few years back) I am hoping this actually will happen, but I'm not holding my breath that it will.