NHL Rejects Union Proposal

[Red Baron 0]

Actually it wasn't Bettman's fault with the North Stars moving.

 

It was the owners fault in not caring about the team that lead them to move. One went to Dallas and the other went to San Jose, and started up the Sharks.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I know, the North Stars were just before Bettman came in. But still, the league had an obligation to step in and say "no," and they didn't. Bettman takes all responsibility for fucking over Quebec City, Winnipeg, and Hartford, however. The only team that was worth it was the Avalanche, and the COMSAT people who first purchased the Nordiques were in line to get an expansion team very soon, anyway, so the Nords and Avs could have co-existed.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

 

I disagree, Czech.

 

Red Baron is a rabid hockey fan, and is fully cognisant of the North Stars of 67-93.

I do know more than he does, but that's irrelevant.

 

The Stars only left because of the childish squabbling between then owners George and Geoff Gund, who got in a fight and split the team up, as I understand.

 

Bettman does deserve at least a little credit for, in all his expansion fuck-ups, giving teams to Minneapolis and Columbus.

 

I hate to say it, but a team starting up in Canada in the late 90's wouldn't have worked. The dollar was to low at the time. I remember Hamilton trying to get a team in the early 90's, which would have worked. The dollar was nearly even at the time, and if the owners hadn't snapped like a composite stick in the first lockout, Quebec, Winnipeg, Regina and Halifax could all have teams right now.

 

After the first lockout, despite not much being solved and both sides just desperate, expansion was a good idea. Things were marketed well, hockey was in theory, a well run operation, picking up steam with fans, and as such, a good investment. With the seven digit fee required in expansion, Bettman kind of sold out, but it's his job to make the league money. He just gave them to silly cities.

 

[Red Baron 0]

A Hamilton team would have spelled the doom for Buffalo, and most likely Buffalo wouldn't have a team right now.

 

The only team marketable out east is Halifax, and you can put a team in Quebec City. While a team in Sask. would be nice, it wouldn't be the best out there. People in Regina and Saskatoon love their WHL teams, and would be harder for them to accept a NHL team.

 

Besides Ty Conklin would say Saskatchewan is too cold, considering the kid is from Alaska.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

 

There's a reaon I traded his ass in the Journey League, you know.

 

[Red Baron 0]

Off topic:

 

Cause you thought Turek was better?

 

...and he is, by our record...asshole.

 

On topic:

 

reading the last few columns by Bob McKenzie made me think he has no idea what he is talking about, and only dishing out columns so people know what he is doing.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Could ya knock of all the smilies.

 

First of all. The Wild play in St.Paul, not Minneapolis. Mpls sucks, St.Paul does not. Second, adding a team to Minnesota was not a bad decision. The Team sells out every game, and is among the most popular in terms of merchandise sales.

[Red Baron 0]

It was getting annoying, yes.

 

did it really matter where the Wild play Vern?

[Vern Gagne 0]

Here it does. St.Paul's never had a pro team play in it's city limits.

[Red Baron 0]

your right, because the twins and vikings play in Minniapolis.

[Vigo 0]

The Wild need to change their name to the North Stars and go back to those sweet looking green jerseys they had. I'm sure there won't be any confusion with the Stars, I mean if the CFL can have two teams called the Roughriders why can't we have the Stars and the North Stars?

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

 

One smiley it is, I'll have to alternate.

 

The second Roughrider team was from Ottawa, they folded and came back as the Renegades.

 

Also, one was actually the Roughriders, the Saskatchewan was the Rough Riders. This made it remarkably easy to welsh on bets. The only saving grace was that the media would refer to the Roughriders as the Riders, and the Rough Riders as the Roughies. Confused yet?

[treble 0]

Saskatchewan has the one-word Roughriders. It was 2 words in Ottawa before they folded.

 

And they still refer to Saskatchewan as the Green Riders, though I don't remember anyone calling Ottawa (or Saskatchewan) the Roughies, but I guess it's possible.

[CanadianChris 0]

 

One smiley it is, I'll have to alternate.

 

The second Roughrider team was from Ottawa, they folded and came back as the Renegades.

 

Also, one was actually the Roughriders, the Saskatchewan was the Rough Riders. This made it remarkably easy to welsh on bets. The only saving grace was that the media would refer to the Roughriders as the Riders, and the Rough Riders as the Roughies. Confused yet?

You have it backwards. Ottawa was the original Rough Riders, Saskatchewan came along later and called their team the Roughriders.

[Vigo 0]

How did something like that happen where two teams had almost identical names? How does something like that happen in a league where there are only like eight teams?

[CanadianChris 0]

How did something like that happen where two teams had almost identical names? How does something like that happen in a league where there are only like eight teams?

The teams were created 60-80 years before there even was a CFL. When the league was formed, the names were kept as they were.

 

Ottawa's Rough Riders were named for the loggers who worked on the Ottawa River, and Saskatchewan's were named for (I believe) the unit that Teddy Roosevelt led in the Spanish-American War, as there were some Canadians in the regiment.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Bettman does deserve at least a little credit for, in all his expansion fuck-ups, giving teams to Minneapolis and Columbus.

No more than the NFL should for the Dallas Cowboys.

 

As I understand with the Stars, the Gund brothers, who owned the Golden Seals that became the Barons that merged with the Stars, wanted to move the team back to the Bay Area, but the league (gasp!) overrode this. Eventually they gave in and granted an expansion franchise to the Gunds, who got to take their half of the North Stars to create the San Jose Sharks. Then Norman Green came in and bought the team and everything looked to be good, with the North Stars making it to the finals in '91, but the Met Center was getting too old and they couldn't replace it, so they moved to Dallas.

 

What I never got was, why not the Target Center? I really wish the North Stars and Golden Gophers could have shared a rink. That would've been ideal, one huge Minnesota Hockey Center.

[treble 0]

How did something like that happen where two teams had almost identical names? How does something like that happen in a league where there are only like eight teams?

The teams were created 60-80 years before there even was a CFL. When the league was formed, the names were kept as they were.

 

Ottawa's Rough Riders were named for the loggers who worked on the Ottawa River, and Saskatchewan's were named for (I believe) the unit that Teddy Roosevelt led in the Spanish-American War, as there were some Canadians in the regiment.

I think I read somewhere that Ottawa changed it's name (I think it might have even been to the Senators), during which time Saskatchewan's team was created.