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Jazz owner expresses desire for NHL to initiate expansion to bring team to Utah


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https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/jazz-owner-expresses-desire-for-nhl-to-initiate-expansion-to-bring-team-to-utah/

 

Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) has requested that the NHL initiate an expansion process with the ultimate purpose of bringing an NHL franchise to Utah.

 

SEG is the parent company of the Utah Jazz, Delta Center, Real Salt Lake (MLS), the Utah Royals (NWSL), and several other Utah-based sports and entertainment ventures.

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48 minutes ago, Jim McMahon said:

Lol, I love how the NHL releases this information the day the SA case gets exposed. 

I am sure we'll get more fun news on the 5th before/after the police hold their press conference about it. Gotta bury the negativity.

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13 minutes ago, JeremyCuddles said:

I am sure we'll get more fun news on the 5th before/after the police hold their press conference about it. Gotta bury the negativity.

Quick!  Throw an additional $1M to the upper cap limit for next year! 

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21 minutes ago, JeremyCuddles said:

I am sure we'll get more fun news on the 5th before/after the police hold their press conference about it. Gotta bury the negativity.

 

7 minutes ago, HKSR said:

Quick!  Throw an additional $1M to the upper cap limit for next year! 

 

While they're at it, they should retroactively award the 2011 Stanley Cup to the Canucks.  That'll take the cameras and microphones off the scandal in a hurry!

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I wonder if Smith ever looked into how going public with a campaign to land an NHL team worked out for Jim Balsillie.  Look at how under the radar Winnipeg was when they landed the Thrashers.  The NHL likes these things to be quiet.

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4 minutes ago, Goalie29 said:

I wonder if Smith ever looked into how going public with a campaign to land an NHL team worked out for Jim Balsillie.  Look at how under the radar Winnipeg was when they landed the Thrashers.  The NHL likes these things to be quiet.

 

Difference was: Balsillie was trying to move a team out of a (at the time) top-10 American TV market into the hinterlands of wild Canada, against the wishes of the dominant market team in the area (the laughs).  Utah (Salt Lake City) is top-30, so Smith's still got a pretty good chance of getting what he wants.

 

As for the Thrashers, they were going down anyways so the league jumped at the first reasonable offer thrown their way.  Winnipeg did well there.

Edited by 6of1_halfdozenofother
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40 minutes ago, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

Difference was: Balsillie was trying to move a team out of a (at the time) top-10 American TV market into the hinterlands of wild Canada, against the wishes of the dominant market team in the area (the laughs).  Utah (Salt Lake City) is top-30, so Smith's still got a pretty good chance of getting what he wants.

 

As for the Thrashers, they were going down anyways so the league jumped at the first reasonable offer thrown their way.  Winnipeg did well there.

 

I agree on all points, however the NHL does seem to prefer to take care of business behind closed doors.

 

On a related note, Donnie & Dhali mentioned this morning, that Friedman speculated this play is potentially a pitch for Arizona in the event they can't settle their arena issues.  Basically signalling that they want to be first in line.  I don't know how much truth is in that, but it doesn't sound unreasonable.

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1 minute ago, Goalie29 said:

 

I agree on all points, however the NHL does seem to prefer to take care of business behind closed doors.

 

On a related note, Donnie & Dhali mentioned this morning, that Friedman speculated this play is potentially a pitch for Arizona in the event they can't settle their arena issues.  Basically signalling that they want to be first in line.  I don't know how much truth is in that, but it doesn't sound unreasonable.

 

Plus moving the franchise north (as I mentioned in my post above) makes the most sense - and keeps the alignment of west vs. east intact.

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Just now, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

Plus moving the franchise north (as I mentioned in my post above) makes the most sense - and keeps the alignment of west vs. east intact.

 

It totally does.  That's one reason I could never see them moving to Quebec City.

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Just now, Caboose said:

If you're a prospective owner, and see the instant success that Vegas and Seattle have had, why would you want to spend nearly a billion dollars on a garbage team like Arizona when you could push for a new expansion?

 

Maybe you get a discount for damaged goods?  Like a car that was in a hail storm?

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I mean, if the NHL allowed it, let them buy the Coyotes and move them to SLC. Two birds with one stone. 

I can't for the life of me understand or support expansion when there is a team that has been a financial black hole and a complete failure throughout the entirety of their now very long existence. There are other teams in this league that today still rely heavily on revenue sharing. Fix those things, then expansion is an option. 

Utah would be a great market for the NHL. I guess they could return to Arizona at a later point through expansion. 

Edit: This is a lot of wishful thinking from my side. If you've ever checked the financial history of the yotes.. it's absolutely and utterly insane. 

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8 minutes ago, Caboose said:

If you're a prospective owner, and see the instant success that Vegas and Seattle have had, why would you want to spend nearly a billion dollars on a garbage team like Arizona when you could push for a new expansion?

 

People said the same for when the owner of Sunrise Records started buying out HMV franchises.  He's since taken distressed businesses and converted them into successful operations.  I hear he's now expanding the brand overseas.

 

6 minutes ago, Goalie29 said:

 

Maybe you get a discount for damaged goods?  Like a car that was in a hail storm?

 

^ this.

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14 minutes ago, Caboose said:

If you're a prospective owner, and see the instant success that Vegas and Seattle have had, why would you want to spend nearly a billion dollars on a garbage team like Arizona when you could push for a new expansion?

 

They'd be buying it for cents on the dollar if you consider the finances of the yotes. I should go do something else because I'll just end up writing an essay on what a complete failure of a business it is and how insane it is that the NHL keeps going all in on a massive loser that they will continue to lose on and have to rely on it being propped up by other franchises or the NHL taking over ownership AGAIN. 

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1 minute ago, RawkDrummer said:

We don't need more teams... 

If anything Arizona should move.

 

We'll get them though, probably 2-4 over the next 10-15 years, if it takes that long

 

Lot of money in expansion 

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