A decade ago, with the loonie tanking and the NHL expanding to non-traditional hockey markets, Canadian fans fretted about the possible extinction of all the country’s NHL franchises, save for the Toronto Maple Leafs.A joint Globe and Mail/TSN project studied four Canadian markets with the goal of determining which would be most realistic for an NHL franchise
The Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques had already moved to become the Phoenix Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche, respectively, when American George Gillett Jr. was introduced as the Montreal Canadiens’ new owner in January of 2001. He felt compelled to ease the tension by saying: “These are the Montreal Canadiens, not the Oklahoma City Canadiens.”
Fast-forward nine years. Today, fans are talking about the possibility of a seventh franchise in Canada to go with the thriving six, whether by expansion or relocation. The assumption – it’s not if, but when.
“Hockey [in Canada] is at its mecca now,” says Professor Norm O’Reilly, an expert in sponsorship and franchise business models at the University of Ottawa. “The Canadian economy is probably at its best position versus the U.S. than it’s been in a long time. So right now is a great time.”
A joint Globe and Mail/TSN project studied four Canadian markets – Winnipeg, Hamilton, Quebec City and the Greater Toronto Area – with the goal of determining which would be most realistic for an NHL franchise.
Each market will be reported separately in the next four installments of a six-part series, both with a story in The Globe and a segment on TSN’s SportsCentre.
Read whole story here.
David Naylor
From Monday's Globe and Mail
Published on Monday, Jul. 05, 2010 9:29AM EDT
Last updated on Monday, Jul. 05, 2010 9:50AM EDT
the winnipeg sandbox
