The Walrus Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 looks like it is going to happen.... http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/i...;section=sports Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sioux-Hockey-Fan Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 looks like it is going to happen.... http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/i...;section=sports Good Luck to Deano! I'll look forward to seeing him behind the bench of anyone that isn't playing the sioux! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Can you say Fighting Sioux Hockey Farm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fighting Sioux Fan Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 That's much better then Blais possibly coaching Mankato. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Curious Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 I had really wanted a USHL team in Fargo the years I went to school there. Now though I am concerned about the survival of both the FM Jets and the USHL team. Are there plans to get rid of the Jets? Good to see Fargo get a decent arena for junior hockey and see Blais back in the region though, I hope it all works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray77 Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 I had really wanted a USHL team in Fargo the years I went to school there. Now though I am concerned about the survival of both the FM Jets and the USHL team. Are there plans to get rid of the Jets? Good to see Fargo get a decent arena for junior hockey and see Blais back in the region though, I hope it all works out. The Jets will not stay here once the USHL team arrives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejm Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 The Jets will not stay here once the USHL team arrives. Or will the Jets move from the NAHL to the USHL? I agree, there's no way for both to coexist in Fargo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray77 Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Or will the Jets move from the NAHL to the USHL? I agree, there's no way for both to coexist in Fargo. No, I don't believe the Jets will move to the USHL, I believe it will be an entirely new organization that moves in with new ownership, etc. I can't say that with 100% certainty...only 99%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewey Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Personally, I see Blais in Mankato. At least, I'd sure like to see him there. Is the NAHL better or worse or the same as the USHL? It seems as if a lot of players come from both leagues. Is there a consensus as to which is better? Do players start in the NAHL and then trade up to the USHL? It's too bad that the Ice Sharks did not make it in Fargo. I thought that they went to Sioux Falls but I could be mistaken. Aren't they the Sioux Falls Stampede now? Fargo never really has been a hockey town. It will be interesting to see how the new team does there. I mean, my God, a metro area of 160,000 and the nicest place it has for hockey is that old bomb next to Fargo North? The fact that it has taken this long for Fargo to even consider a new arean does not bode well for hockey, in my opinion. Fargo's always been a basketball/football town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejm Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 The NAHL and USHL are just two different animals. The USHL has younger players, and sends quite more to Division I hockey programs than does the NAHL. The USHL has become a very expensive league; franchises once sold for $100,000; the price for an expansion club today is $750,000. (See USAToday article on the league Youngsters hoping to realize hockey dreams) If there is a USHL team coming to Fargo, the owners had better have deep, deep pockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray77 Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Personally, I see Blais in Mankato. At least, I'd sure like to see him there. Is the NAHL better or worse or the same as the USHL? It seems as if a lot of players come from both leagues. Is there a consensus as to which is better? Do players start in the NAHL and then trade up to the USHL? It's too bad that the Ice Sharks did not make it in Fargo. I thought that they went to Sioux Falls but I could be mistaken. Aren't they the Sioux Falls Stampede now? Fargo never really has been a hockey town. It will be interesting to see how the new team does there. I mean, my God, a metro area of 160,000 and the nicest place it has for hockey is that old bomb next to Fargo North? The fact that it has taken this long for Fargo to even consider a new arean does not bode well for hockey, in my opinion. Fargo's always been a basketball/football town. The USHL is a "Tier 1" junior hockey league, while the NAHL is a "Tier 2" junior hockey league. Many more players from the USHL will go on to play for Division 1 college hockey teams and possibly to the NHL than will from the NAHL. When the Ice Sharks left Fargo, they moved to Chicago (Bensonville, Illinois) and are the Chicago Steel. Fargo can certainly be a hockey town. With this new arena and a USHL team playing in it, I think many who have the old "Fargo is not a hockey town" opinion will be surprised at how well hockey does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewey Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 The USHL is a "Tier 1" junior hockey league, while the NAHL is a "Tier 2" junior hockey league. Many more players from the USHL will go on to play for Division 1 college hockey teams and possibly to the NHL than will from the NAHL. When the Ice Sharks left Fargo, they moved to Chicago (Bensonville, Illinois) and are the Chicago Steel. Fargo can certainly be a hockey town. With this new arena and a USHL team playing in it, I think many who have the old "Fargo is not a hockey town" opinion will be surprised at how well hockey does. I sure hope you both are right. Thanks for the clarification. I'd love to see hockey grow in Fargo and in NOrth Dakota. The big question is: How does the west catch up to the east or even come close to the east? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fetch Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 I'll go to a few games Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fighting Sioux Fan Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 I think having Blais as the head coach of a Fargo USHL team might be what it takes to make this team get a loyal fan base. He will draw in a good number of Sioux fans to the games to check things out. If this team is successful soon, it will get even more fans... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MavsFan Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 I prefer to believe that he's coming to Mankato. The absolute silence on campus regarding any contract renewal for Jutting is telling, in my opinion. I don't think Jutting will be back behind the bench, and the Blais to Mankato rumor makes sense given that he has a house south of the Twin Cities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGreyAnt41 Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Fargo can certainly be a hockey town. With this new arena and a USHL team playing in it, I think many who have the old "Fargo is not a hockey town" opinion will be surprised at how well hockey does. It can be if they market it. There are no sports marketed in the Fargo-Moorhead area at all. At least the time I lived there (for 12 years beginning in 1990) there was nothing, barely anything for NDSU, either. This spanned the time of the FM Ice Sharks and the FM Fever basketball team. So....if they put together a good marketing campaign and actually advertise the team, then it'll go really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fetch Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 They have all those yard signs on gameday - Saying Rob me please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Folks, will a 4000 seat hockey arena with 40 suites in Fargo cause problems for REA and the marketing of its product (Sioux hockey) and suites? Will that arena and its suites cause problems for NDSU BB when they go head-to-head on Friday or Saturday nights. Fargo may not be a hockey town, but it's a "status" town and a suite in a new arena looks better than the BSA for a night out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Folks, will a 4000 seat hockey arena with 40 suites in Fargo cause problems for REA and the marketing of its product (Sioux hockey) and suites? Will that arena and its suites cause problems for NDSU BB when they go head-to-head on Friday or Saturday nights. Fargo may not be a hockey town, but it's a "status" town and a suite in a new arena looks better than the BSA for a night out. "But ... but ... we're Division 1!" -The Stream Yellow Singers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I think people are looking to far into this Fargo isn't going Division one in hockey. I doubt the arena will cut into UND fighting Sioux hockey either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeauxSioux Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Folks, will a 4000 seat hockey arena with 40 suites in Fargo cause problems for REA and the marketing of its product (Sioux hockey) and suites? Will that arena and its suites cause problems for NDSU BB when they go head-to-head on Friday or Saturday nights. Fargo may not be a hockey town, but it's a "status" town and a suite in a new arena looks better than the BSA for a night out. Would this new privately owned facility compete with the Fargodome and proposed new arena addition for events (revenue) when it is not being used for hockey? From the City of Fargo view of the expansion, they are hoping to capture more of the small events that are not going to the Fargodome. If there is another player in town for those events, their cut of the pie may get smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray77 Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Would this new privately owned facility compete with the Fargodome and proposed new arena addition for events (revenue) when it is not being used for hockey? From the City of Fargo view of the expansion, they are hoping to capture more of the small events that are not going to the Fargodome. If there is another player in town for those events, their cut of the pie may get smaller. I think if Blais does actually come here and get the program up and running, it would take some away from UND hockey. The reason I say that is look at the number of people that drive from Fargo to the games at the Ralph (I think someone in another thread before has said the percentage of season tix that are from Fargo). Kids that play in the USHL go on to play Division 1 hockey (UND, UofMinn, Wisconsin, CC, Denver, etc.). If that kind of talent is playing in Fargo, and they would then have that nice facility, and you can follow them through their college careers (and beyond), why would you not want to watch them? It certainly doesn't mean that you can't also be a Sioux fan at the same time! UND plays about 20 home games per year. USHL teams get about 30 home games per year. I'm not sure what season tickets for the Sioux cost, however season ticket to the Omaha Lancers, for example, is $330 rinkside reserved, and $270 for reserved seating. I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing the Sioux season tix are quite a bit more expensive than that - and for 10 less games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siouxman Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I've seen USHL hockey, and I have a tough time believing that real Sioux fans would forego their UND hockey tickets if Fargo got a USHL team. There is a very definite difference in the quality of hockey. Even if the USHL had better quality hockey, I personally would not give up my Sioux tickets and I don't think many others would either. For the few lukewarm Sioux fans that would leave, there are others on the waiting list for Sioux hockey that will step in. It is repulsive for me to even consider a Sioux fan buying USHL season tickets rather than Sioux season tickets because they are cheaper and you get more home games. If a pseudo-Sioux fan did that, it would be a good thing for both sides as they would save money and we would get a more caring fan in the seat in The Ralph. The bigger concern (to some) would be the suites in a new facility, which could take away from the Fargodome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skateshattrick Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I've seen USHL hockey, and I have a tough time believing that real Sioux fans would forego their UND hockey tickets if Fargo got a USHL team. There is a very definite difference in the quality of hockey. Even if the USHL had better quality hockey, I personally would not give up my Sioux tickets and I don't think many others would either. For the few lukewarm Sioux fans that would leave, there are others on the waiting list for Sioux hockey that will step in. It is repulsive for me to even consider a Sioux fan buying USHL season tickets rather than Sioux season tickets because they are cheaper and you get more home games. If a pseudo-Sioux fan did that, it would be a good thing for both sides as they would save money and we would get a more caring fan in the seat in The Ralph. The bigger concern (to some) would be the suites in a new facility, which could take away from the Fargodome. I agree with this, with a couple of caveats. First, if there are local players on the USHL roster, that may have an effect on some people. Otherwise, the quality of the product and the entertainment value is not close. Recall that Fargo-Moorhead at one time had a USHL team coached by Scott Sandelin (the FM Bears) that failed, and later became the FM Ice Sharks that also failed. You can make a case that facilities had some effect on the failure, particularly the Ice Sharks who played in the Coliseum. However, most true Sioux fans prefer the D1 College game, particularly played at the level that it is played by the Sioux. Second, if the Sioux were to struggle, some may decide not to continue to make the trip from Fargo and decide to go to USHL games or high school games instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray77 Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I agree with this, with a couple of caveats. First, if there are local players on the USHL roster, that may have an effect on some people. Otherwise, the quality of the product and the entertainment value is not close. Recall that Fargo-Moorhead at one time had a USHL team coached by Scott Sandelin (the FM Bears) that failed, and later became the FM Ice Sharks that also failed. You can make a case that facilities had some effect on the failure, particularly the Ice Sharks who played in the Coliseum. However, most true Sioux fans prefer the D1 College game, particularly played at the level that it is played by the Sioux. Second, if the Sioux were to struggle, some may decide not to continue to make the trip from Fargo and decide to go to USHL games or high school games instead. Not that it matters, but they were actually coached by Steve Johnson, who now coaches the Lincoln Stars, not by Scott Sandelin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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