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Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watdcsu!haapanen
From: haapanen@watdcsu.UUCP (Tom Haapanen [DCS])
Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey
Subject: Hockey in Saskatoon
Message-ID: <1893@watdcsu.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 17-Nov-85 23:10:23 EST
Article-I.D.: watdcsu.1893
Posted: Sun Nov 17 23:10:23 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 18-Nov-85 07:43:12 EST
References: <474@bdmrrr.UUCP> <136@watmath.UUCP>
Reply-To: haapanen@watdcsu.UUCP (Tom Haapanen [DCS])
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 47
Summary: 

In article <136@watmath.UUCP> absary@watmath.UUCP (Al Sary) writes:
>In article <474@bdmrrr.UUCP> gates@bdmrrr.UUCP (Al Gates) writes:

>>If this truly is Canada's league, how come the Blues weren't allowed to
>>go to Saskatoon?  Is the U.S. running a Canadian league?  How did this
>>evolve?

>I think you have to go a bit further here than nationality.  The Blues weren't
>allowed to go to Saskatoon because Saskatoon couldn't support a hockey team,
>and there are enough troubled franchises in the NHL already; other teams and
>the NHL (and Edmonton) have to support (at least partly) teams that lose money.
>The problem with Canadian cities is that even though hockey is more
>popular here than in most US cities, they are a lot smaller than most US
>cities.

Yes, but:
	- Toronto is sold out every game
	- Montreal is almost sold out every game
	- Quebec is almost sold out every game
	- Edmonton is sold out every game
	- Calgary is old out every game
I don't know about Winnipeg or Vancouver, so I won't comment.
However, Quebec City has only a few hundred thousand people living
there, and yet they are drawing full crowds.  Pittsburgh has millions,
and the stadium is empty.  So are many other U.S. cities.

Hockey *is* the Canadian national sport, and has extremely strong
support here.  Believe me, people would drive from Regina and all the
countryside to see an NHL game in Saskatoon.  Saskatoon is perfectly
viable as a location, at least spectatorvise.  Hamilton, which is
about the same size, is looking for a team as well; they just
completed a new arena.  Hamilton is, though, in Southwestern Ontario
which is the most densely populated area in Canada.

What the NHL governors don't want to admit is that hockey just isn't
popular in the South.  Atlanta, Birmingham, St. Louis, Denver, Kansas
City (OK, that's actually West) all had teams.  Only St. Louis still does.
The governors should try and sell the game where people want to buy
it.  These means Canada and Northern U.S.


				   \tom haapanen
				   watmath!watdcsu!haapanen
I'm all lost in the Supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for that special offer
Guaranteed personality				 (c) The Clash, 1979