The "Offside Blog"

"The consolation prize for those groups losing out on purchasing the Habs are the fixer-uppers that could be relocated to Winnipeg, Hamilton and Quebec City."

Uh, really? Where's Quebec's and Hamilton's modern, NHL-ready arenas?

D'oh!

That's right!

Of those 3 cities listed only Winnipeg has one.

I'm tired of seeing Quebec City and Hamilton brought up in NHL expansion/relcation talks. They DON'T HAVE THE PROPER VENUES NOR ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT BUILDING ONE.

Thanks for letting me vent! :^)

Quebec City should be talked about as a possible future NHL expansion/relocation city... but only when a new, modern, NHL-calibre arena is a DONE DEAL.

Until then, it's complete waste of time to bring up Quebec City in any NHL discussions.

We have to support the Vancouver (Manitoba) Moose to "prove" we deserve an NHL team? Sorry, I call "b.s." on that one.

Mr. Burke has obviously forgotten that Winnipeg and the Vancouver Canucks used to have a rivalry- and no one in Winnipeg should care about their draft picks and prospects.

Also, I would be delighted to hear Mr. Burke's theory on what the last 10 cities to be granted NHL franchises did to "prove" they deserve one. I'm guessing he would be completely silent if asked that question- as most others are.

The main reason MLB talked about contraction is that there really weren't any cities in North American with MLB-ready ballparks. The only reason they went to Washington is because they had one (albeit sub-par by todays standards), and promised to build a new one (which opened a few years ago).

With the NHL, there are several modern NHL-calibre arenas in the U.S. (and 1 in Canada- Winnipeg) with no NHL tenant. Relocation will be much easier for the NHL than it was for MLB.

I firmly believe the NHL won't deal with Jim Balsillie again.

Look, in Hamilton, there's 2 other NHL teams within a 1 hour drive. And where's their modern, NHL-calibre arena? Oh yeah, they don't have one. But in their defense, they certainly did... back in 1985.

Anyways, back to the point of the rant. With Balsillie out of the picture, how many other people or groups are out there who want to spend $100+ million to own a "pro ice hockey" team- and have it in a city with a modern, NHL-ready arena?

Kansas City? Heh. They just want an NHL team so their arena has a tenant. You think that impresses the NHL?

Vegas? Few (if any) hockey fans. No modern arena. No hope. Can you imagine the backlash the NHL would receive for a boneheaded move like that?

I think that now, more than ever, Winnipeg is alone at the top.

Keep it up, Chris! :)

Looking forward to your next blog.

Not only do I completely agree with everything that you say here, but I want to simply thank you for the work that you've put into this website. It is time that people stopped just saying "it's never going to happen" and realise that jetsowner.com and this site have REAL arguements, facts and figures that show overwhelmingly that the industry and the situatation have changed and that there is EVERY reason to believe that Winnipeg can support a team!

Mark Chipman has gone on record in the Free Press saying that he believes Winnipeg could support an NHL team and bring in revenues that would cover all expenses. Why would the man who owns one of the most profitable AHL teams say this? Doesn't he have the most to lose if he is wrong?!

Thank you to Darren Ford and Chris and all of the people of this site and everyone else who has not only kept the dream alive, but really kickstarted this city down the road that leads to our cherished team's return!!

Jonathon Trenchard

Hey Gretzky, only 7,305 to see your "great" Coyotes tonight...that's a shame!

Great blog, Chris! Apparently, Gary Doer (Manitoba Premier) as well as Mark Chipman (Manitoba Moose/True North) also disagree with Mr. Gretzky...