Could Phoenix Coyotes make Tulsa their new home?

[Hoss]

Maybe Tulsa only has 3rd or 4th tier owners? 

Only thing is, I could see Bennett or McClendon only being interested in supporting the OKC market with an NHL team.  I get the point that they've got the consortium of money it would require and an existing interest in pro sports.  But I keep hearing in my head: "We've done so well with the NBA in OKC, we ought to bring an NHL franchise here."

In actuality I'd think with our size markets, it would be much smarter to have one pro franchise of different sports at opposite ends of the turnpike.  Less competition for $$ within the same city.

Especially when you consider that the NBA would fight the NHL teams for home dates.  Well, when they're not on a lockout that is.

[puckbag]

I'm no fan of NBA basketball and not a fan of OKC but I can't deny my envy for the city being able to successfully pull off a major league franchise.

It would surely be a better decision to place an NHL team in Tulsa to compliment the NBA in OKC instead of having two franchises compete for the same facility throughout the season. A scenario where the cities traded teams for a number of games would be positive also.

The 66ers are the development team for the Thunder. If the Barons were the development team for an NHL team in Tulsa you would have one very cooperative situation where everyone would benefit. Dream on...

[Conan71]

Dream on...

+1

[Hoss]

I'm no fan of NBA basketball and not a fan of OKC but I can't deny my envy for the city being able to successfully pull off a major league franchise.

It would surely be a better decision to place an NHL team in Tulsa to compliment the NBA in OKC instead of having two franchises compete for the same facility throughout the season. A scenario where the cities traded teams for a number of games would be positive also.

The 66ers are the development team for the Thunder. If the Barons were the development team for an NHL team in Tulsa you would have one very cooperative situation where everyone would benefit. Dream on...

While I'm absolutely no fan of OKC, can one say that without the temporary relocation of the Hornets that OKC would have even had a chance at having the NBA?  I'm not so sure.  OKC had the benefit of having a 'test run' without the downside of the risk involved.  OKC knew at some point they'd have to relinquish their rights to the Hornets.

[cannon_fodder]

OKC sports fans are just as fickle as Tulsa sports fans.  See, e.g., Oklahoma or Oklahoma State basketball programs right now.    When teams do well (or when the weather is good/stars align) people come out.  BUt hard core supporters we are not.

If/when OKC Thunder stumbles for a number of years in a row attendence will drop off quickly.  In Chicago there are enough people to doll out serious cash to support the Bulls year after year without really caring.  There are enough passionate Cheifs fans to suffer year after year.  The same has not been proven in any Oklahoma sport (even OU football fans start to jump wagon after a couple off years).

I would love the exposure and cred a professional team would bring to Tulsa, even if the NHL is most the minor of major league teams...   

[dbacks fan]

Here is an update as to what's happening with the Coyotes and the city of Glendale:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2012/02/02/20120202glendales-bond-refinancing-didnt-live-up-hopes.html

[Laramie]

OKC sports fans are just as fickle as Tulsa sports fans.  See, e.g., Oklahoma or Oklahoma State basketball programs right now.    When teams do well (or when the weather is good/stars align) people come out.  BUt hard core supporters we are not.

If/when OKC Thunder stumbles for a number of years in a row attendence will drop off quickly.  In Chicago there are enough people to doll out serious cash to support the Bulls year after year without really caring.  There are enough passionate Cheifs fans to suffer year after year.  The same has not been proven in any Oklahoma sport (even OU football fans start to jump wagon after a couple off years).

I would love the exposure and cred a professional team would bring to Tulsa, even if the NHL is most the minor of major league teams...  

Tulsa would definitely benefit from a major league franchise like the NHL.  You will see your community's support & benefits.  Tulsa would be a more viable market in the NHL than OKC is in the NBA.

Here are the attendance figures for  Hornets & Thunder seasons in OKC:

2005-06  New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets . . .  18,168  Didn't make playoffs
2006-07  New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets . . .  17,833  Didn't make playoffs
2007-08  No NBA team in OKC
2008-09  Oklahoma City Thunder . . . . . . . . . . . .   18,693  Didn't make playoffs
2009-10  Oklahoma City Thunder . . . . . . . . . . . .   18,003  Made playoffs--lost to Los Angeles Lakers in round one.
2010-11  Oklahoma City Thunder . . . . . . . . . . . .   18,148  Western Conference finals--lost of Dallas Mavericks
2011-12  Oklahoma City Thunder . . . . . . . . . . . .   18,203  (current)

ESPN NBA Attendance:  http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance

It will be interesting to see if the Thunder can maintain success as they make the playoffs or if they have an off year.  The first five years will often determine the success of a break-through (first major league franchise) city in major league sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL).

Go Thunder!  http://newsok.com/gallery/articleid/3648172/pictures/1636585

[Hoss]

I'm an avid viewer of the NHL Network (go figure...)

On Thursdays, their call-in show features the commissioner (Gary Bettman) for an hour.  There was some talk today about the city of Seattle and it's intentions to jump into the fray.

The problem right now is that there is no building in the area that would be suitable for either NHL hockey OR basketball (as they are talking more about getting basketball back than having hockey, but it is being talked about).  So if you take the average time it takes to build an arena, the soonest you could theorize Seattle could have an NHL team would be 2014-2015.

But Bettman was pretty adamant about no planned venue changes, even amongst the midst of the goings-on in Glendale.

That's always subject to change at any time though...currently St Louis is trying to work out some ownership issues of its own.

[Laramie]

Because of the sight lines and obstructions in KeyArena it would not be a viable option for a temporary home to an NHL franchise; nearby, Tacoma (Dome) would be a better option.

Seattle proposed arena:  http://www.king5.com/news/New-Seattle-arena-press-conference-set-for-Thursday-139407008.html

KeyArena:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KeyArena

KeyArena was built strictly for basketball and has seating for about 14,500-15,000 for hockey with some upper-deck seating view obstruction.
 
Seattle will get a new privately funded arena only if guarantees can be made with long-term tenants of both the NHL and NBA.  Seattle could not support all four major professional sports;  figures show that it would be an overextended sports market.

[dbacks fan]

Things are getting interesting in all of this.

http://www.nwcn.com/sports/Coyotes-may-no-longer-be-option-for-Seattle-NHL-team-139562608.html

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/2012/02/16/20120216phoenix-coyotes-ownership-third-party-bickley.html


I will have to find the article to cite my next comment, appearently Seatle still owes a chunk of change on the now gone Ling Dome, and a lot of people in the Seatle area are not wild about the possibility of the city or county building a new arena after the bad deal for Key Arena.

"We've been working on stadium funding issues for 15 years," said Chris Van Dyk.

Van Dyk and his Citizens for More Important Things successful backed I-91.

"With I-91 in place the city cannot make an investment in arena without generating a positive cash rate of return on the investment," said Van Dyk.

He now questions if the city and county's willingness to bond up to $200 million in debt creates too much public risk.

"This proposal may or may not comply with I-91.  We just want to make sure it does," he said.

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Concerns-raised-about-new-Seattle-arena-plan-139597503.html

[sgrizzle]

If Tulsa got the NHL team that Seattle wants, I'd be afraid that Seattle would formally charge Oklahoma with theft.

[Hoss]

If Tulsa got the NHL team that Seattle wants, I'd be afraid that Seattle would formally charge Oklahoma with theft.

While I"m pretty sure it won't happen (either, for that matter), that's some funny stuff right there, Scott.  Nicely done.

[Hoss]

Looks like it won't be Phoenix.  Good for them.  Hate to see any team relocate.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/report-phoenix-coyotes-sale-nearly-complete-greg-jamison-143756163.html

[Laramie]

Looks like it won't be Phoenix.  Good for them.  Hate to see any team relocate.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/report-phoenix-coyotes-sale-nearly-complete-greg-jamison-143756163.html

Would like to mention that several NHL teams are having problems right now and there are a number of cities where if the NHL were to relocate it would be the only major game in town.

Louisville and Tulsa are current markets with no major professional sports which could meet NHL-ready standards.  The only markets in the NHL with no major professional sports are  Raleigh and Columbus, OH.

Some NHL markets are just not viable markets anymore and the NHL may need to look at the NBA model of "break-through" cities (cities with only one major league franchise) like Portland, Orlando, San Antonio, Salt Lake City,  Sacramento, Memphis & Oklahoma City.

NHL teams with concerns besides Phoenix are the  Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islander.  http://spectorshockey.net/wordpress/2011/06/04/other-nhl-teams-potentially-in-trouble/

ESPN NHL attendance figures:  http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance

Oklahoma could support an NHL franchise in Tulsa and an NBA franchise in Oklahoma City.

Tulsa's biggest natural rivals in the NHL would probably be St. Louis, Dallas and Nashville.  Tulsa would draw fans from Oklahoma City, Wichita, Kansas City, Fort Smith and Little Rock.

[Laramie]

I'm no fan of NBA basketball and not a fan of OKC but I can't deny my envy for the city being able to successfully pull off a major league franchise.

It would surely be a better decision to place an NHL team in Tulsa to compliment the NBA in OKC instead of having two franchises compete for the same facility throughout the season. A scenario where the cities traded teams for a number of games would be positive also.

The 66ers are the development team for the Thunder. If the Barons were the development team for an NHL team in Tulsa you would have one very cooperative situation where everyone would benefit. Dream on...

Oklahoma City is not big enough to support both the NBA and the NHL; however, the NHL and NBA could co-exist in this state with teams on the opposite ends of the Turnpike.   The Thunder are currently getting a lot of fans from Wichita, Tulsa, Lawton, Enid and Fort Smith outside of OKC's metropolitan area.

If the NHL were in Tulsa, I do agree that an NHL development team in OKC like the Barons would complement the hockey base in Oklahoma.    Are there any rivalries between OKC in Tulsa in semi-professional sports anymore?  There are a lot of potential owners who might want to invest in an NHL team in Tulsa.  Bob Funk and some of the Thunder owners would be a good start.  This would be a situation in which both cities would benefit.

OKC is in the PCL in baseball and Tulsa is in the Texas League.  OKC and Tulsa once had a rivarly in the American Association and the Pacific Coast League.  Tulsa with the new ONEOK baseball could move back to AAA.

Tulsa in in the CHL in ice hockey and OKC is AHL.  Tulsa definitely has the facility to move up to AHL status.

High Schools sports are the only times OKC and Tulsa plays and it's usually nothing to get excited about since Tulsa dominates the high school football scene in most classes.