Them's the rumours and they are being disseminated widely and it may happen but if it does I will tell you this.
The team will not thrive.
Unless the owners Green Bay the franchise.
It comes down to location, location, location.
Would you want to live in Winnipeg?
Didn't think so.
Why would you think NHL players would?
Sure, they will be able to get the guys that are thankful for having a job to live there but they will run into the same difficulty that Quebec City did in the NHL, 'member the 'diques? and Vancouver ran into in the NBA with the Grizz. Total shelf players, players with an option will avoid the town like Eric Lindros avoided Quebec and Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury avoided Van.
The Packers of Green Bay are the only team that I can think of in a crap town to hold players and that is coz they cater to their core employees.
If Winnipeg's management has the foresight to kiss the star's asses then they will succeed; the fan base is there for sure. If they don't, I give it fifteen years, max.
WFDS
Vancouver is an NHL city. Winnipeg is too - but they can't compete with the salaries offered down South. Still, there are lots of Prairie boys who would prefer to play close to home... (just like Calgary and Edmonton - which imo don't offer anything more than Winnipeg - if anything, Winnipeg is a friendlier city).
ReplyDeleteIf Edmonton and Calgary can support a franchise, then Winnipeg - with its legion of fans (I see jersies here in downtown Vancouver) - should be able to.