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The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:07 am
by WEFFPIM
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Islanders agreed to play a preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings next September in Kansas City, raising questions about their future on Long Island.
While scheduling exhibition games in other cities is not uncommon, Islanders owner Charles Wang has been unhappy that the team has not been able to get approval for a new arena for several years, and there has been talk he might sell or move the team.
Kansas City recently built an NHL-ready arena and has been trying to lure a team. Officials made an offer to the Penguins in 2007 before the club received funding for a new rink in Pittsburgh.
Islanders general manager Garth Snow told local media Thursday that he was not concerned with the reaction to the choice of locale for the game. The decision was hockey based.
"We always played preseason games in different markets," he said. "This is just another opportunity for us to bring this organization and our team to a different market."
The Islanders, last in the NHL with 28 points this season, have been playing in the Nassau Coliseum -- with modest renovations -- since the franchise joined the league in 1972. Wang has been trying to gain approval from the Town of Hempstead for a huge real estate development called the "Lighthouse Project," which includes the arena.
No NHL club has relocated since the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996.
Seems rather transparent to me. Pretty obvious that if a team relocates it will be to Kansas City, as they've been dying for a team for a few years now. I would certainly hope a name change comes with the move
Re: The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:01 am
by Celtics_Champs
Ew. Kansas City?
Hartford, or Winnipeg, or bust.
And if you are going to move the NEW YORK Islanders, I think Connecticut would be a good place to do so.
Re: The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:25 pm
by timd1218
NHL = fail if they even think about doing this.
Yes, the Islanders management sucks big time right now but they have too much of a storied history to move.
Move a team like Phoenix, Atlanta, Florida or Tampa Bay before you move the Islanders.
And do not move them to Kansas City. Winnipeg and Hartford deserve a team first.
Re: The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:06 am
by WEFFPIM
Kansas City has an arena ready and is absolutely begging for a team. Unjust or not, Hartford and Winnipeg have had teams already.
Tampa isn't leaving for awhile, nor do I think Florida is. Phoenix is the only team that is bleeding money. But for a hockey market and a storied team, the Islanders have maybe been the most disappointing franchise since the lockout outside of St. Louis.
Re: The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:19 am
by Jakespeare
Yea Phoenix was dying for a team and look at their current state of affairs (on-ice matters aside)
Re: The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:30 am
by Celtics_Champs
I heard a rumor of Phoenix going down, and a dispersal draft might happen. I don't know how legit that is.
Re: The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:25 am
by WEFFPIM
Mr. Wonderful wrote:Yea Phoenix was dying for a team and look at their current state of affairs (on-ice matters aside)
It's completely different markets
Re: The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:47 pm
by Jakespeare
How so? Sure KC had the Scouts way back, but overall it's not a hockey market. Neither place is. The NHL has over-expanded and now it's biting them in the arse.
Re: The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:06 pm
by timd1218
WEFFPIM wrote:Kansas City has an arena ready and is absolutely begging for a team. Unjust or not, Hartford and Winnipeg have had teams already.
Tampa isn't leaving for awhile, nor do I think Florida is. Phoenix is the only team that is bleeding money. But for a hockey market and a storied team, the Islanders have maybe been the most disappointing franchise since the lockout outside of St. Louis.
Like others have said, KC has already had a team and they failed. The NHL needs to stop going to markets that don't work. KC isn't going to work.
Go to a safe bet like Winnipeg or Hartford.
Tampa Bay will probably be next. The owners can't even pay the salaries. They are in trouble.
Re: The Kansas City Islanders?
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:43 pm
by HDMAVS760CA
timd1218 wrote:WEFFPIM wrote:Kansas City has an arena ready and is absolutely begging for a team. Unjust or not, Hartford and Winnipeg have had teams already.
Tampa isn't leaving for awhile, nor do I think Florida is. Phoenix is the only team that is bleeding money. But for a hockey market and a storied team, the Islanders have maybe been the most disappointing franchise since the lockout outside of St. Louis.
Like others have said, KC has already had a team and they failed. The NHL needs to stop going to markets that don't work. KC isn't going to work.
Go to a safe bet like Winnipeg or Hartford.
Tampa Bay will probably be next. The owners can't even pay the salaries. They are in trouble.
Yep, same thing with Atlanta. And T.Bay was the only southern team that was constantly selling out their games.