Cratter Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Tipster Reports: Winnipeg to get NHL Team 1. The Chipman Group (who own the Manitoba Moose) along with the Thomson Group (co-owner of the MTS Centre) and a 3rd silent partner have purchased the Atlanta Thrashers 2. The press conference is March 4th (the day after the NHL trade deadline) 3. The Manitoba Moose will be heading to Saskatoon Source also reports Manitoba Moose have also closed 3 accounts in Winnipeg in the past 7 days, one which includes their clothing supplier. But then again its rumors: Winnipeg NHL Team spec update: True North officials, parent company of Manitoba Moose, say rumours "patently false". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 That would be awesome............... Thrashers new Jets? Group wants to move Atlanta NHL team here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMeister Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The owner of the Manitoba Moose and the Chipman group is Mark Chipman. Chip got a B.A. and J.D. at UND and was a backup WR for UND in the early 80's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MplsBison Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Just curious, would there be a new arena in 'Peg? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMeister Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Just curious, would there be a new arena in 'Peg? I think they already blew up the old Winnipeg Arena. New one is MTS Centre, right downtown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I think they already blew up the old Winnipeg Arena. New one is MTS Centre, right downtown. http://www.mtscentre.ca/arena/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MplsBison Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 15k seems a touch light for an NHL arena? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jloos Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 15k seems a touch light for an NHL arena? It is - currently the MTS Centre can only seat about 13,500 for hockey. I imagine they could reconfigure things to add a few thousand seats for relatively nominal cost. I was in Winnipeg when they were building it and it was touted as a facility that could house an NHL team when/if the NHL returned to Winnipeg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn-O Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 15k seems a touch light for an NHL arena? Anything beats 200 people in the lower bowl, which they are drawing in Atlanta today. I might be exaggerating a bit, but you get my drift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxbow6 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Anything beats 200 people in the lower bowl, which they are drawing in Atlanta today. I might be exaggerating a bit, but you get my drift. Been to few Thrasher's games over the years. They are drawing less and less every year we go. Last time we went we got club seats for 33% of face right off the street. The NHL needs to consider getting out of some of these non-hockey cities. Atlanta paper last week was 2/3 SEC related sports with the Hawks and Falcons getting the other 1/3. You can't tell me Winnepeg isn't a better market for hockey than Atlanta, now facility wise...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cratter Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 Currently the MTS Centre can only seat about 13,500 for hockey. I am not sure where you got your number but I believe its wrong: Many people in the sold out crowd of 15,015 at the MTS Centre were decked out in Jets memorabilia Former Jets return to Winnipeg The MTS Centre website also mentions 15,000 for hockey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jloos Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I am not sure where you got your number but I believe its wrong: Former Jets return to Winnipeg The MTS Centre website also mentions 15,000 for hockey. From the MTS Centre - the current configuration for hockey is 13,769, however this does not look like it includes the suites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MplsBison Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Wikipedia says 15003 for hockey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cratter Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 Apparently they aren't even sure. Guess we solved the mystery in the suite seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darell1976 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I miss the Winnipeg Jets, i still wear my Jets jersey. I hope they get a team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82SiouxGuy Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 From the MTS Centre - the current configuration for hockey is 13,769, however this does not look like it includes the suites. I think that there are several buildings that don't count suite tickets in official capacities. It is probably because a) the suites are often sold a package deal that includes tickets to all events and b) the suites often have a variable capacity, you have a basic capacity but can get additional seats in the suite. It's easier to just list seats available as a capacity and then they can say they are over capacity even if they don't sell all of the available seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soohockey15 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 The NHL needs to consider getting out of some of these non-hockey cities. Atlanta paper last week was 2/3 SEC related sports with the Hawks and Falcons getting the other 1/3. You can't tell me Winnepeg isn't a better market for hockey than Atlanta, now facility wise...? You forget the fact that their commissioner is Gary Bettman, who is maybe, juuuust maybe, the worst commissioner in the history of sports. Trying to sell hockey in cities like Atlanta, Phoenix, and Miami was cute for a while but overall is just a horrible idea. What a joke he's turned the league into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 The NHL needs to consider getting out of some of these non-hockey cities. Atlanta paper last week was 2/3 SEC related sports with the Hawks and Falcons getting the other 1/3. You can't tell me Winnepeg isn't a better market for hockey than Atlanta, now facility wise...? That was one of the issues during the strike and there was talk of contraction. Too bad Bettman's such an idiot he treats the game like it's bouncyball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightingsioux4life Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 You forget the fact that their commissioner is Gary Bettman, who is maybe, juuuust maybe, the worst commissioner in the history of sports. Trying to sell hockey in cities like Atlanta, Phoenix, and Miami was cute for a while but overall is just a horrible idea. What a joke he's turned the league into. You are right, some southern markets have not worked out. But some places (Carolina, Dallas, Tampa) have worked out all right. Each of those places have won a Stanley Cup. And Nashville has built a solid, consistent team. I do think Hamilton (Ont.), Winnipeg and Quebec City should get a chance at the NHL. The fan interest and support would make up for the lack of population base. What's the point of having a large metro area if 95% of them don't care about hockey and won't give it a chance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82SiouxGuy Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 It's easy to forget why they moved several teams out of Canada in the first place. The economy in Canada during the 1990s made it almost impossible for the smaller markets to survive. They were paying salaries in US dollars and selling tickets for Canadian dollars at a time when the Canadian dollar was worth much less than the US dollar. I don't remember exact exchange rates, but I seem to remember times when the Canadian dollar was worth less than 2/3 of a US dollar. The smaller markets couldn't sell enough tickets to have a competitive payroll. Several teams were going broke. The choices were to move the teams to large markets that were not occupied in the US, usually places in the South, or to cut the number of teams. They tried to salvage the teams rather than cut them. Now the economy is much better in Canada than it was and the exchange rate is much closer to the US dollar. Moving a couple of teams back across the border is probably a good idea. Winnipeg is a good place to start. They were a borderline choice to move originally because they had a loyal following. The city just wasn't quite large enough to support the team at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cratter Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 And adding to that the new NHL CBA and the Salary Cap which was not in place back in the Jets era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cratter Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 There has also been speculation that if its not the Thrashers it might be the Phoenix Coyotes, which the NHL currently owns due to them filing bankruptcy May of last year (2009). Here is an internal memo the commissioner of the NHL wrote stating they might have to look at the "moving option" and how if moved "should first be offered to Winnipeg." Going with the theme in the memo "this could depend on how much Glendale will contribute" in helping find a buyer. A proposed tax district around the arena failed: On Thursday, Rep. Jerry Weiers said a solution was needed to keep the Phoenix Coyotes from going to Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cratter Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 The wheels are starting to turn, but will they fall off? Its a good day when The Hockey News is talking about it. The Ice Edge bid to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes is essentially dead and unless there is someone willing to step forward to buy the Coyotes from the NHL and keep them in Phoenix, there is an agreement in principle in place to sell the team to Canadian billionaire David Thomson, who will move the team to Winnipeg before next season. Thomson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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