Preseason is over.  Time to get to the real season and do it in style like only Jagr can.

 

they would have ended up in the central division as well wouldn't they?

There has always been that thought of whether Saskatchewan could support an NHL franchise.  Im sure the fans there would be interested but do they have the corporate support as owners as well as sponsors.  And isnt SK shared among the Alberta teams and Jets for broadcast territory?  They'd have to be willing to go along with it too.

Saskatoon is a great city and it would be cool to see.  But as long as Quebec doesnt have a team, Sk is a non-starter.

 

11 hours ago, Floyd said:

Mosaic game should be St Louis Blues Against the Jets...  anyone else remember the Saskatoon Blues...?  St Louis just about lost its team to Canada back in the day...

May not have got the Blues but they got a damn nice arena out of the gamble.

1 hour ago, iHeart said:

they would have ended up in the central division as well wouldn't they?

Smythe Division.

1 hour ago, The Unknown Poster said:

There has always been that thought of whether Saskatchewan could support an NHL franchise.  Im sure the fans there would be interested but do they have the corporate support as owners as well as sponsors.  And isnt SK shared among the Alberta teams and Jets for broadcast territory?  They'd have to be willing to go along with it too.

Saskatoon is a great city and it would be cool to see.  But as long as Quebec doesnt have a team, Sk is a non-starter.

Well EDM, CAL & WPG all sell out so im not sure if they can say we're drawing fan support from them.

They'd probably do better supporting a CFL team then TO

 

Quebec City I feel for.  No city "deserves" the NHL, because that's a silly idea to begin with, but their fans deserve a big league team no question.  They check off Bettman's 3 keys registered trademark; arena, fans, ownership.  Unfortunately for them, Winnipeg got a team first.   What's going to change in the not-so-distant future to change their outlook?  Beats me.  And before people say the Coyotes..... if Bettman wanted to move that franchise north it would have been done already.   To me, the Coyotes move to downtown Scottsdale or Houston, or live in purgatory in Glendale. 

 

16 minutes ago, Jimmy Pop said:

Quebec City I feel for.  No city "deserves" the NHL, because that's a silly idea to begin with, but their fans deserve a big league team no question.  They check off Bettman's 3 keys registered trademark; arena, fans, ownership.  Unfortunately for them, Winnipeg got a team first.   What's going to change in the not-so-distant future to change their outlook?  Beats me.  And before people say the Coyotes..... if Bettman wanted to move that franchise north it would have been done already.   To me, the Coyotes move to downtown Scottsdale or Houston, or live in purgatory in Glendale. 

 

You forgot one: money. The ownership group can't afford expansion, which leaves them waiting for a team to relocate. It's no different than what TNSE did: built the arena and be patient.

As for Mosaic 2.0 hosting an outdoor NHL game, the only way I see that working is if it's highly incentivized for whatever team decides to give up a home game.

2 hours ago, iHeart said:

Saskatoon with an NHL team isn't that place smaller than Winnipeg?

The NHL actually paid a lot of money to keep hockey out of Saskatchewan...  they've been shafting Canada for a long time

3 minutes ago, Floyd said:

The NHL actually paid a lot of money to keep hockey out of Saskatchewan...  they've been shafting Canada for a long time

What money did the league pay to do that? IIRC, then NHL President John Ziegler said the BoG voted and the league took control of the St. Louis Blues franchise from Ralston Purina Co. in the hopes of finding an owner who wouldn't just relocate the franchise. Back then as it is now, relocating a franchise is a last resort once all other avenues have been exhausted.

And FWIW, had Saskatoon been awarded a relocation team, it wouldn't have survived the 90s and would've suffered the same fate as the Nordiques and the Jets 1.0 did. And it would be one more round in the "NHL hates Canada" barrel.

1 hour ago, blue_gold_84 said:

What money did the league pay to do that? IIRC, then NHL President John Ziegler said the BoG voted and the league took control of the St. Louis Blues franchise from Ralston Purina Co. in the hopes of finding an owner who wouldn't just relocate the franchise. Back then as it is now, relocating a franchise is a last resort once all other avenues have been exhausted.

And FWIW, had Saskatoon been awarded a relocation team, it wouldn't have survived the 90s and would've suffered the same fate as the Nordiques and the Jets 1.0 did. And it would be one more round in the "NHL hates Canada" barrel.

It wouldn't survive now, never mind the 90's. The idea that anyone is keeping the NHL out of Saskatchewan is laughable.

well they can't ignore Canada if the Jets or the Leafs win the cup this year (no I'm not saying QC will get a team if either of us wins)

2 hours ago, JCon said:

It wouldn't survive now, never mind the 90's. The idea that anyone is keeping the NHL out of Saskatchewan is laughable.

I believe that was one of the league's concerns back then: viability long-term in Saskatoon. That was why the BoG back then voted 15-3 in favour of not relocating the Blues.

I can't say I've ever understood the notion of some anti-Canada agenda by the NHL.

https://www.stlouisgametime.com/2009/4/5/823172/the-saskatoon-blues-the-story

There was a massive lawsuit that the NHL settles out of court plus they gave a better deal to the new Blues owner - so yes they paid to keep NHL out of Canada 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/former-rocket-richard-winner-jonathan-cheechoo-retires-hockey/

 6 years in SJ and finished off his career in the NHL the next year in OTT. Some stars burn out quickly. Led league in goals(56) in 05/06.

 

They’re pretty good 

 

34 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

They’re pretty good 

 

**** i hate the Preds......

Oddly, the wins record for one season is 43. 

84/85 Jets 1.0.    

14/15 Jets 2.0.  

06/07 Thrashers. 

All 43 wins. 

20 minutes ago, bb1 said:

**** i hate the Preds......

In for a Gillooly.

Not much love for the Jets.  We finished top 3 in Best Ice and 5th in Best Fans.  Interesting, by these results, Crosby is exceptionally respected by the players.

 

4 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Interesting, by these results, Crosby is exceptionally respected by the players.

Is that surprising?  He's been the best player in the league for over a decade now.

3 minutes ago, Atomic said:

Is that surprising?  He's been the best player in the league for over a decade now.

Not surprising.  But he takes a lot of flak from *some* fans...the poll shows how little they know.

13 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

They’re pretty good 

 

someone smash a guitar on my head already.... 

14 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

They’re pretty good 

 

Too bad it will all be for not.

More quality stats on the Finnisher.