There were hundreds. It was a sold-out arena. The fans were going crazy. Six years later, Sanderson had the same moving experience when the Whalers skipped town for North Carolina. Sports and business overlap.
Teams move for better financial deals.
That's why a hockey-crazed state like Minnesota was minus an NHL team until the Wild came calling this season. Minnesota has sold out all 25 games in the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. It's a fresh start with a new building and new city. The North Stars played in the Met Center in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington. It was a small building, probably 14 or 15,000,'' Blue Jackets president-general manager Doug MacLean said.