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Path: utzoo!watmath!absary
From: absary@watmath.UUCP (Al Sary)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: national question (Some NHL history)
Message-ID: <161@watmath.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 19-Nov-85 12:18:05 EST
Article-I.D.: watmath.161
Posted: Tue Nov 19 12:18:05 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 20-Nov-85 00:46:58 EST
References: <474@bdmrrr.UUCP> <1732@dciem.UUCP>
Reply-To: absary@watmath.UUCP (Al Sary)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 29
Summary: 

In article <1732@dciem.UUCP> jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson) writes:
> ...
>Because of the Nordiques' success though, I think Hamilton has a chance of
>landing a team.  I'm certain they could support one, especially if they get an
>established team that's better than the Leafs.
>

Especially new that really nice arena they have; I really doubt they'll be able
to land a team though.  Maybe if one of the weaker American teams threatens to
fold unless they can move somewhere else.  (Come to think of it, there seems to
be a rule in the NHL that a team can't fold, or something like that).

There seems to be a lot of conservative people governing the NHL who really
oppose any change.  I really don't see any expension teams in the near future.
There is also a lot of bureaucracy in pro sports nowdays; just look at the CFL -
they have trouble changing from 16 to 18 games a year, because the players
oppose the move; or baseball - the umpires threatened to strike (or something
like that) if the playoff series was changed from best of 5 to best of 7 (I know
these are not quite hockey topics).

One more problem with Hamilton is I wonder if there is anybody willing to put
up the kind money a team would require.  And I am not talking about the first
few years when they may have all season tickets sold (?), but later in case the
team isn't performing as well, like the Leafs now.  A lot of hockey fans don't
pay hundreds of dollars to see a strugling hockey team (especially when they can
go see the Leafs).

(Harold Ballard would oppose a team in Hamilton I am sure).