All Things Hockey:

[pacopete4]

USA is headed to sudden death OT in the World Junior Hockey Championship against Canada, the host team. Tied 4-4! Been a great game.

[pacopete4]

What a game. USA wins!

[paul253]

I was almost late for work because I didn't want to miss the shootout. Nothing better than Canada-USA hockey in my opinion.

[JackNicholson1974]

I have really fallen in love with hockey. I wish it were more popular in the US. My kids play, I had never even skated before that, but my now 10 year old really wanted to play a sport the summer he turned 4. I wanted to sign him up for tee ball but it was 5 year old minimum. The local rink started a learn to play hockey class that summer for 4 year olds, we started it ,we both loved it and now we are a hockey family. My 6 year old plays and my 3 year wishes he played. I even took it up and started playing in the old mans league.

 

We live in Oshkosh, a town of more than 60,000 with surrounding areas even more than that. We have something like 8-12 kids playing in the entire city per birth year. It is pathetic. And it has nothing to do with cost. My kids do all sorts of stuff (swim team, piano, theater...) and at the end of the year Hockey is one of the cheaper sports we do.

[pacopete4]

I live just outside of Iowa City, IA now but I grew up in Superior, WI where hockey is a priority. I love the sport and still play in an adult league as well. It is so strange living in Iowa where no one plays it but a lot of people love it. They have tons of USHL-junior league teams and they do well attendance wise. An example is Cedar Rapids which has over 250,000 people with its surrounding areas and they only have one high school hockey team. It's such a cultural game but I am so glad that I was raised with it.

[rwa12]

I went to the Winter Classic last weekend. I always said that if it was ever in STL, I would get tickets, regardless of cost. They were not cheap, but the experience was so worth it. A baseball stadium is a lousy place to watch a game, but the atmosphere was awesome. The alumni game was fun too, and I was able to watch Gretzky and Hull skate in person. Well worth price of admission.

[pacopete4]

I went to the Winter Classic last weekend. I always said that if it was ever in STL, I would get tickets, regardless of cost. They were not cheap, but the experience was so worth it. A baseball stadium is a lousy place to watch a game, but the atmosphere was awesome. The alumni game was fun too, and I was able to watch Gretzky and Hull skate in person. Well worth price of admission.

 

 

I'm very jealous. I wanted to go so bad to the alumni game. Gretzky and Hull are my two all time favorites. Throw in guys like McInnis and Pronger and boy oh boy, would it have been a good time. They only missed on the goalies Curtis Joseph/Grant Fuhr should've been in on the day.

[DHonks]

Growing up in the Milwaukee area, I knew nobody that played hockey. My high school did have a decent team, though. It's weird, here in Arizona I've known a lot of people that play hockey. My school has a club team as well. It's really been surprising how hockey is bigger in Scottsdale than in Milwaukee to many people.

[paul253]

It's always bothered me that Milwaukee didn't get an NHL team. They were close in the 90s but Petit pulled his offer. I heard it was because of the way the expansion draft was set up and they didn't think they'd be competitive. What a shame. There is this huge effort now to make the Bucks popular with this new arena coming......I just don't see it. People barely talk about the Bucks here. I think an NHL team would be much more successful. I realize it's never going to happen. Cities like Tampa, Miami, and Phoenix for some reason get teams yet Milwaukee can't. Oh well. The admirals are still a fun and relatively cheap alternative and I follow the Badgers as best as I can. I'm hoping when the new arena is finished they can get another Frozen Four here. Maybe even a Big Ten hockey tournament.

[pacopete4]

Madison could've been the Green Bay of the NHL. Should've built an arena on the east side of the city to make it easily accessible to Milwaukee flowing people.

[trwi7]

Come support this team.

 

http://i.imgur.com/xdFEAkS.jpg

[WV Brew]

It's always bothered me that Milwaukee didn't get an NHL team. They were close in the 90s but Petit pulled his offer. I heard it was because of the way the expansion draft was set up and they didn't think they'd be competitive. What a shame. There is this huge effort now to make the Bucks popular with this new arena coming......I just don't see it. People barely talk about the Bucks here. I think an NHL team would be much more successful. I realize it's never going to happen. Cities like Tampa, Miami, and Phoenix for some reason get teams yet Milwaukee can't. Oh well. The admirals are still a fun and relatively cheap alternative and I follow the Badgers as best as I can. I'm hoping when the new arena is finished they can get another Frozen Four here. Maybe even a Big Ten hockey tournament.

 

They should trade the Bucks for the Nashville Predators and the right for the Brewers to field a AAA team in Nashville. Predators are worth about $270 million, the average NBA team is around $500 million.

[nate82]

It's always bothered me that Milwaukee didn't get an NHL team. They were close in the 90s but Petit pulled his offer. I heard it was because of the way the expansion draft was set up and they didn't think they'd be competitive. What a shame. There is this huge effort now to make the Bucks popular with this new arena coming......I just don't see it. People barely talk about the Bucks here. I think an NHL team would be much more successful. I realize it's never going to happen. Cities like Tampa, Miami, and Phoenix for some reason get teams yet Milwaukee can't. Oh well. The admirals are still a fun and relatively cheap alternative and I follow the Badgers as best as I can. I'm hoping when the new arena is finished they can get another Frozen Four here. Maybe even a Big Ten hockey tournament.

 

It's simple really why Milwaukee won't ever have an NHL franchise. The Blackhawks are never going to give up the market area at least not without a rather high price tag. The NHL franchise price is already rather ridiculous and when you add in paying off Chicago there would be very little money left for the owner to invest in the team and for an arena.

 

Unless you see the city of Milwaukee paying 100% for the arena for an NHL team I don't see how a team will ever be in Milwaukee in the NHL.

[DHonks]

my understanding in the 90s was that it wasn't the Petits, but rather the NHL's over-expansion, ridiculous expansion fees, etc. Hard to blame a couple that spent so much to bring hockey to Milwaukee

[TheEndless7]

It's simple really why Milwaukee won't ever have an NHL franchise. The Blackhawks are never going to give up the market area at least not without a rather high price tag. The NHL franchise price is already rather ridiculous and when you add in paying off Chicago there would be very little money left for the owner to invest in the team and for an arena.

 

I dunno how true that is.

 

I don't disagree that Milwaukee, without someone with a whole lot of money just going 'hey I'm buying X land, building an arena, and buying a team on my dime' will ever have an NHL Team.

 

 

But I'm not sure how much Chicago cares about a 'Milwaukee Market' in terms of NHL. There are more Minnesota Wild games broadcast in Milwaukee on local TV than Chicago Blackhawk games. I'm sure this has something to do with the Fox Sports vs. Comcast Sports deal. But even the games that are on WGN in Chicago do not get broadcast on WGN in Milwaukee. Of course that might have to do with WGN Milwaukee vs WGN Chicago.

 

Still, the fact that the only time the Blackhawks are on TV in Milwaukee is when it's the NBC/NBCSN/NHLTV game as opposed to say, the Wild, who are on pretty much every time they play on FSWisconsin assuming the Bucks aren't playing at the same time. I don't know that you can realistically say the the Blackhawks have any control over 'Market area' in Milwaukee.

 

Of course we are talking about a franchise that didn't broadcast all their own home games until about a decade ago.

[paul253]

It's simple really why Milwaukee won't ever have an NHL franchise. The Blackhawks are never going to give up the market area at least not without a rather high price tag

 

Milwaukee will never get a team. I agree with that. And I've heard that argument made before, which to me is the most absurd argument that can be made. Since when is Milwaukee a "Chicago market"? The NBA has teams in both cities. MLB has teams in both cities (two in Chicago less). Hell even the American Hockey League has teams in both cities. Are the Blackhawks really that terrified about losing little ole Milwaukee? Not to mention I live in Milwaukee and from I've seen there is next to no interest in the Blackhawks. It's not like they are advertising here or playing exhibition games here or actively trying to recruit fans. Milwaukee could not care less about the Blackhawks.

 

Milwaukee just doesn't have anyone with enough interest and enough money to bring a team here. It doesn't have to be an expansion team. I've heard several teams are struggling in their current cities. But Milwaukee itself just doesn't have the people with the money. The Brewers owner came from LA (right?) The Bucks owners from NY. The guy who originally owned the Predators was from Racine I believe but he opted to go for a team in Nashville over Milwaukee. It's sad but I just don't see it ever happening. We're stuck with the Bucks.

[JackNicholson1974]

The Blackhawks have zero market in Wisconsin or Milwaukee. Any interest you may see is from them winning three cups in the pat 10 years. I watch tons of MN Wild Hockey on FSN. Its too bad about Milwaukee, pretty much everyone here is correct. Wisconsin will never get a team unless someone with a boatload of cash really wants a team in Milwaukee, and that just isnt a reality.

[nate82]

Milwaukee falls under the Blackhawks market according to the NHL. The Milwaukee market includes all of South eastern Wisconsin. The Ducks had to pay the Kings $25m when they became a franchise. I would expect at least $35-40m going to the Blackhawks in any deal that would bring an NHL franchise to Milwaukee if not more.

[trwi7]

Milwaukee does not fall in the Blackhawks market. Kenosha does, Racine might as well but that's about it.

[nate82]

Milwaukee does not fall in the Blackhawks market. Kenosha does, Racine might as well but that's about it.

 

Yep.you are right haven't looked at the market map in awhile and actually all of Wisconsin is considered part of the Minnesota Wilds market now.

[jli27]

I know a lot of lifelong Blackhawk fans in Milwaukee. Not sure where the statement that no one cares about the Blackhawks comes from. The media doesn't, no - but the media doesn't care about hockey in general. NHL fans in Milwaukee are generally either Blackhawks fans or Red Wings fans (for those who can't stomach rooting for a Chicago team). Any Wild fans I know here are originally from Minnesota. Very few people grew up North Star/Wild fans unless their parents were from Minnesota or something.

 

Simply put, there isn't enough hockey interest from the general public in Milwaukee to warrant an NHL team. The Admirals' great attendance in the early 90s (when the Pettits mulled getting a team) was not sustainable, and I don't think an NHL team's attendance would be, either. Extremely rich people who really like hockey and don't care if they make money, like the Pettits were, are very rare.

[paul253]

If the Bucks can make it in Milwaukee then most certainly an NHL team would. The Bucks have started this huge PR campaign here and even with that and a young up and coming team and a new arena coming they are still in the bottom 6 in league attendance. I think interest in the NHL would be much higher. The fact that the Admirals are still around is a testament to that. You also have Badger hockey which has always drawn well. I realize it's not Milwaukee but it shows the level of interest in hockey in this state. I think people in Wisconsin can relate to hockey players a lot easier than they can relate to basketball players.

[trwi7]

Come support this team.

 

http://i.imgur.com/xdFEAkS.jpg

 

Haven't won since I posted this.

[danzig6767]

If the Bucks can make it in Milwaukee then most certainly an NHL team would. The Bucks have started this huge PR campaign here and even with that and a young up and coming team and a new arena coming they are still in the bottom 6 in league attendance. I think interest in the NHL would be much higher. The fact that the Admirals are still around is a testament to that. You also have Badger hockey which has always drawn well. I realize it's not Milwaukee but it shows the level of interest in hockey in this state. I think people in Wisconsin can relate to hockey players a lot easier than they can relate to basketball players.

Because hockey players are white and most NBA players black?

 

I'm a somewhat big hockey fan. Have followed Badgers hockey strongly since i was a kid and BTW, glad to see things are turning around since Barry finally canned Eaves. Only casually follow the NHL until the playoffs where i watch a lot.

 

As for an NHL team being able to draw well in Milwaukee, i'm very skeptical. We have no hockey history here besides the Admirals and few attend those games. The hockey season takes place at the same time as the NBA, so both the Bucks and an NHL team would be fighting for the same limited entertainment dollars. That would hurt both teams.

 

NBA teams can survive easier with lackluster attendance simply because the TV revenues are ridiculous. Hockey teams need to draw and i think an NHL team in Milwaukee would only fill an arena if the team was really good.

[trwi7]