From: spiegel@sgi417.msd.lmsc.lockheed.com (Mark Spiegel)
Subject: Re: The Anaheim Mice and the Miami vICE may be in!
Organization: Personal Opinions Inc
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 92 21:25:43 GMT

In article <92346.27106.J056600@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM> J056600@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM writes:
>In <1992Dec11.014248.2116@dragon.acadiau.ca>, Donald Smith writes:
>
>>golchowy@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Gerald Olchowy) writes:
>
>>>Rumours are flying in Toronto that the Disney Anaheim franchise and
>>>the Blockbuster Video Miami franchise may be in the NHL as early
>>>as next year, and if arrangements cannot be managed for next year
>>>the year after that...
>
>
>>  What a BLOW to hockey.  If I were from Hamilton, right now I'd be
>>rioting in the streets...
>
>>  Why give Miami a franchise, when we don't even know how Tampa is going
>>to do as a business!!  Why put a Third team in the California Area, when
>>the L.A. Arena is constantly half full. (Mind you the tickets are being
>>sold, it's just no one is attending...)
>
>>  Could it be that the NHL is simply waiting for the inevitable doom of
>>Hartford before awarding Hamilton a franchise? (ie, simply move Hartford
>>to Hamilton)...
>
>>  Is the league hoping for a "big" Tampa-Miami rivaly?  A big San Jose
>>Anahime rivaly??  Give me a Break....

	McNall expects a big Kings-Anaheim rivalry
>
>How does McNall feel about this?  The Forum isn't even selling out all its
>games.  Putting one team in Florida and one team in the Bay Area was under-
>standable, since there are lots of retired and transplanted easterners and
>Candians in those areas.  But another team in the La La Land?  If they really
>wanted another California team, why not San Diego?

	I don't think U can count on retired people on fixed incomes to 
	provide a lot of your hockey attendees.  Plus the fact that they're
	older and aren't as likely to make the effort of going to games
	regularly. Transplants is another thing.  :)

	McNall is happily depositing his $25M in the bank.  (or will soon)
	San Diego??  LA area has 10M+ people plus nobody from SD was willing
	to pony up $50M
>
>Let's see...the Senators have won 3 games.  The Sharks have won 5.  It's ob-
>vious that talent isn't trickling down to the expansion franchises as it is.
>Heck, are we going back to 1967-68 when half of the league was expansion
>franchises?  M-I-C........K-E-Y......
>
	The Senators and Sharks wins are due more to their strategies for
	building their teams than anything else.  The Sharks could have
	kept Mullen, Presley, McGill, Fenton ,etc, etc and be winning
	more games than last year.  (ok not a lot more but definitely
	more ) But then the younger guys, who will be the future,
	wouldn't get the experience they need to build
	a future winning franchise.  You have to build through
	the Entry Draft (mainly), and that takes time.  Falloon
	Whitney and Ozolinsh from the 1991 draft are now playing.
	We won't start getting any of our 1992 draftees until next
	year at the earliest.  Just no way to win many games now and
	also build for the future.

	Don't see how you could compare now (tons of European players 
	playing and/or available, lot more hockey being played in US and
	therefore more available talent ) to 1967-68 (mostly Canadian
	players, very very few Euro players and far less hockey being
	played in US at high school, college etc levels) :)

	Mark

 just say

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______________________________________________________________________________
Mark Spiegel  	spiegel@lmsc.lockheed.com       108/K/8
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey