A Blaze of Glory: An Alternate History Timeline of the NHL
- Thread starter WaxingNostalgia
- Start date
Don't feel bad. I love doing this.
I just need to take a quick break to handle IRL business and then I'll be back on track.
Take your time. Still the more i think, both TNT and future Turnersport(maybe this would butterfly away TNT, and push more drama in TBS too) will benefit turner getting flames, that way he can rotated the Hawks and Flames in both TBS and TurnerSport and give exposure bothDon't feel bad. I love doing this.
I just need to take a quick break to handle IRL business and then I'll be back on track.
Chapter Seven - Part 2
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Chapter 7: Hit the Lights! Part 2 - Movers and Shakers (1980-81 NHL Trade Deadline)
_____________________________________________________
*intro CBC Hockey Night in Canada plays*
...
"Hello and welcome to this special NHL Trade Deadline edition of Hockey Night in Canada! I'm Dave Hodge and alongside me is Don Cherry and Don we have seen a bunch of moves leading up to today, as well as rumors that have been speculated about since January. Do you think we see some more blockbusters or will it be all quiet as we approach the deadline?" - Dave Hodge
"We sure have Dave and I don't see it slowing down. I mean we're cutting it close and Darryl Sittler still hasn't moved yet and you have to think that he is going to be traded. The Kings, Flyers, and Black Hawks have all been in on the centre and you have to think that the team who gives Ballard the most will get the top prize. So I imagine that deal gets done today." - Don Cherry
"Speaking of the Flyers, they are in a neck and neck race with the Atlanta Flames for second in the Patrick. We all know that the Islanders are most likely going to end up first, unless something unforeseen happens. If Philadelphia can't get Sittler, who are they still in play to get and could they be in competition with the Flames for players?" - Hodge
"Well the Flames better be in play for some of the players that Philly wants if they're to get a good position in the playoffs. Ever since starting the season off on that 20 game win streak in the first two months of the season, they have had some streaky moments over the season. The worst of it being in January. They have rebounded some going into February, but if this team wants to be in play for the cup they need to get some grit. Hey Teddy, not so easy to run a hockey team the way you micromanage the Braves is it there, bud?" - Cherry
...
"Who are the sellers at the deadline? There is a couple of teams that are already out of it in Toronto and Detroit, but there are some bubble teams out there. Winnipeg, Colorado, Hartford, Pittsburgh, and Washington. Who do you see becoming sellers at the deadline?" - Hodge
"Tough to say really, because if you're a coach of these teams you want to fight for your playoff lives and stay in it. But I see Colorado and Hartford being the most likely to pull back, with possibly Pittsburgh or Winnipeg too. But I don't see the Jets having much to offer since they are trying to rebuild and they want to keep those young pieces." - Cherry
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Clip from NHL Network Special "Hot Blooded: The Atlanta Flames Story"
"Rolling into deadline day, we knew we had to make a big move to give a shot in the arm and strengthen the team. We had a lot of wind taken out of our sails following the back to back losses to Los Angeles on the road and the absolute beating we took from Buffalo in primetime at home. I think that's a game Pat Riggin would like to forget for the rest of his life. *laughs*" - Cliff Fletcher
"It's not that we were bad, the team was competing in most of the games heading into the deadline. But it was clear that we were starting to spin the wheels a bit. You can only keep the momentum of the kind of win streak we were on for so long before you lose games. Unfortunately, we lost the consistency we had to start...So I remember in the days we were leading up to the trade deadline that Cliff was under a lot of pressure to get a deal done because Ted was not happy with the drop off. Truth was though that guys were playing hurt at the time so we were doing the best we could. I mean Jari Kurri can only do so much while getting bounced around out there and Nilsson needed someone to give him a kick in the ass and remind him hockey is a two way game...Willi Plett could have, and should have, been that guy but he took too many stupid penalties that season while Eric Vail was not gritty enough to play that role." - Al MacNeil
"We started calling around and seeing what was available. I remember talking with Detroit, but none of those guys they were offering were going to cut it and Ogrodnick was off the table. Winnipeg offered very few players to us that would make an immediate impact since all their young players were being protected. Pittsburgh intrigued us when they offered Peter Lee and Ross Lonsberry as options, but like Detroit they wanted a bit too much in return for those players. We got close with the Rockies and almost got Lanny McDonald, but the asking price their owner was asking for was way too high. Especially when you consider the amount of money the Rockies were losing at the time. Missing out on that trade stung, both in the moment and later down the line. That said, I don't think the return we got from Hartford was a bad consolation prize all things considered." - Cliff Fletcher
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Clip from Hockey Night in Canada
Hodge: Two big trades coming in at the final hour to finish the trade deadline and these are massive deals if I do say so myself. First coming out of Atlanta. The Flames just acquired Mark Howe and a 4th round pick from the Hartford Whalers in exchange for Don Lever and Bob MacMillan . The Flames get a quality player who was getting really discouraged despite putting up some decent numbers as Howe was ping ponging between playing on the wing and on defense.
Cherry: Yes but the price to get Howe was a little steep. Especially when this is a Flames team trying to make a charge for a higher playoff spot and need as many able bodies as they can on that team to make a good playoff run. How they can think bringing up some kid from the minors to fill a gap after losing the veteran experience of MacMillan is beyond me. But hey, I don't expect those silly Southerners to know much about hockey.
*Hodge gives a visible eye roll to Cherry's Comments*
Hodge: Be that as it may, one team that does seem to know a lot about hockey are the Los Angeles Kings as they just easily became a major powerhouse that can go toe to toe with the Canadiens.
Cherry: Oh absolutely. Having one dynamic player in Marcel Dionne is enough of a headache, but now adding Sittler to that mix? They present a real threat to the Canadiens now. And all they had to do was give Toronto the Detroit pick, a first round pick two years from now, Dan Bonnar, and cash considerations. I was worried that Imlach would have tried to peel away one of the guys from the Crown Line and not get the deal done, but that deal was almost painless for the Kings. Losing that pick was tough, but overall the Kings got a steal. Don't know if that is quite the case for the Leafs though.
Hodge: Many Leafs fans in the province of Ontario are wondering the same as the return for Darryl Sittler has many fans up in arms as their star talent was forced out by Harold Ballard and Punch Imlach. You have to hope that the assets they get in return could help them build a contender in the future, because the present is bleak for the Maple Leafs at this point.
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Sorry for the long awaited return guys. Been really busy as of late with IRL stuff. Promise to produce more stuff soon with this Alternate History timeline.
Next chapter is going to take a small pit stop before the playoffs as we see what is going on in Calgary and the ownership group up there. Weird rumblings are coming from up there that has the potential to shake a lot of things up.
Thank goodness it's not dead.
Discovered this a few days ago; really intrigued by the concept. Go Canucks! ...yeah, somehow I've got no confidence in any version of the Canucks.
Discovered this a few days ago; really intrigued by the concept. Go Canucks! ...yeah, somehow I've got no confidence in any version of the Canucks.
The Nucks won't be bad I don't think. Certainly not as bad as something I have planned up next.
I love this running gag so much and yeah waiting to see what calgary will get in Hockey now
It will be something. That's for sure.
Edit: also thanks. I figured I needed to represent the dislike for south based NHL teams somehow like it is IOTL because it would be unrealistic to think that wouldn't exist. Plus Cherry seemed like the best means to do so.
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I'm so glad to see this is one thing this year didn't kill off lol.
Now, as for a request: Would it be possible for us to get updates in regards to pre-deadline standings, all-stars etc. for every season going forward? As much as I love the current style, I feel it'd be of use for the readers to be able to see which teams are made in what position at the time a trade is made. The deadline is, was, and always will be determined by the standings, and it'd also help to shed light on how teams that go otherwise unmentioned in the course of the season being covered (Case in point, les Nordiques and the Black Hawks) are doing, as well as help set up the storylines that'd happen in the post-season (should you choose to include that beyond a bracket, the Flame's decade of flameouts and few words on the finals, that is, I completely understand should you deem that too much effort).
One of the best d-men ever to play the game being asked to play as a winger. Gotta love the Eighties.
Also, I can't help but notice that this trade being possible would seemingly butterfly away his impalement on a net, which is both a good thing, and leaves open an unfired Chekhov's Gun, presumably for some no-name goalie to suffer the brunt of instead. I hope for Lindbergh's sake this isn't the only calamity that gets written off through the course of the decade...
In short, after the first intermission, this game is looking as if it'd shape up as a classic...
Now, as for a request: Would it be possible for us to get updates in regards to pre-deadline standings, all-stars etc. for every season going forward? As much as I love the current style, I feel it'd be of use for the readers to be able to see which teams are made in what position at the time a trade is made. The deadline is, was, and always will be determined by the standings, and it'd also help to shed light on how teams that go otherwise unmentioned in the course of the season being covered (Case in point, les Nordiques and the Black Hawks) are doing, as well as help set up the storylines that'd happen in the post-season (should you choose to include that beyond a bracket, the Flame's decade of flameouts and few words on the finals, that is, I completely understand should you deem that too much effort).
One of the best d-men ever to play the game being asked to play as a winger. Gotta love the Eighties.
Also, I can't help but notice that this trade being possible would seemingly butterfly away his impalement on a net, which is both a good thing, and leaves open an unfired Chekhov's Gun, presumably for some no-name goalie to suffer the brunt of instead. I hope for Lindbergh's sake this isn't the only calamity that gets written off through the course of the decade...
In short, after the first intermission, this game is looking as if it'd shape up as a classic...
It's nice to see Rocky Saganiuk get a mention. A lot of hockey fans have a soft spot for him around here as he was the Pirates' player coach after his time in the NHL, (Also with Durham and Ayr too). Even laced them up and put on a master class with something like 10 points in 4 games.
One of my friends played for him at the Pirates and has nothing but good things to say about him.
One of my friends played for him at the Pirates and has nothing but good things to say about him.
Will the Sharks, Ducks, or other new expansion teams still be a thing? Love the timeline!
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Trade Deadline Standings and News From Around the World #2
PRE DEADLINE STANDINGS (Deadline is going to be March 10th) + ASSORTED NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD #2
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March 11th, 1981. In an Atlanta home, a Flames fan wakes up to get ready to start his late shift. Before he goes, he plays a pre recorded edition of SportsCenter
*tape goes into VCR and after a few minutes of fuzz, SportsCenter's music begins to play as it transitions to an image of Bob Ley talking about the NHL Trade Deadline*
Bob Ley: "...So with all those crazy moves at the deadline, let's add some context by showing the current standings in the NHL right now and how things may shake out coming up into the final stretch."
Author's note: Bold means a team is in the playoffs if the season stopped at that point.
Prince of Wales Conference
Adams Division
Norris Division
Clarence Campbell Conference
Patrick Division
Smythe Division
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Article from the Chicago Sun Times
Science Fiction: Hollywood and Television's New Frontier(?)
by Roger Ebert
While it has been a cornerstone as a genre in literature, Science Fiction has pretty much been met with apathy when it comes to television and the silver screen. While the genre has its fans, the mainstream acceptance among movie goers in recent history and those in Hollywood has not matched how big Sci-Fi has been in books, pulp magazines and comics. Many in show business, in fact, have looked down upon it following the wave of films made in the 50s as being nothing more than material to make low rent B movies for struggling actors or new talent looking for their big break. This sentiment is echoed by a decent number of critics, despite people such as myself being a lot more open to the genre and have seen the masterpieces produced by many brilliant filmmakers in the decade. The dislike of Sci Fi as a film and television genre began to go in the other direction following the success of Planet of the Apes and 2001: A Space Odyssey at the box office in 1968 and Star Trek's success in the ratings before being unceremoniously cancelled. The momentum for the genre continued to pick up steam with the success of films like Alien, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, as well as Star Wars and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
...
This success has not just been limited to the big budgets of the silver screen either. Star Trek got the unfair boot by CBS executives off of American television following a perceived ratings decline. While the franchise stood dormant and not given a second thought by the network until the successful release of the movie, CBS may act even more swiftly following the success of rival network ABC bringing back their Sci Fi television show Battlestar Galactica. Like Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica was cancelled by ABC despite its popularity. This led to a massive campaign by fans of the show to write the network and a call to bring back the show. After re-evaluating the initial reasons for the show's cancellation, ABC brought back the franchise and welcomed it back with a made for TV movie named Galactica: Origins. Initially thought to be a miniseries, ABC decided to make the project a TV movie that served as a prequel leading up to the events of the original pilot as a means to test wider interest in the franchise's return. Many of the original cast is featured in the movie and displayed special effects that could rival what is seen in theaters. The gamble paid off as the movie was the top rated program on television with ABC committing to bringing back the franchise as well as murmurs of a possible movie in the works through Paramount. CBS has responded in kind, as rumors have it that a return of Star Trek to network television could be in the cards, but nothing official yet.
...
If the return of Science Fiction had not been made loud and clear as a profitable genre for television and movies, the success of Battlestar Galatica's return to TV has cemented that the 80s is shaping up to be the decade where the genre of Issac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke could reign supreme in our conscience once again.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Article from the March 1981 edition The Hockey News
Moving and Shaking: What is the Future of the Colorado Rockies
By Bob McKenzie
Further expansion of the NHL seems a long way from happening as of right now, especially once Calgary gets added into the league. That said, the current cities and locations of all 21, soon to be 22, franchises of the NHL are not set in stone. The most glaring being the possible fate of the Colorado Rockies. While rumblings of the Blues being moved to Saskatoon has been swirling around for a while now, the franchise that is most in danger of being relocated points to the Rockies. Ever since leaving for the Rocky Mountain state in 1976, the team formerly known as the Kansas City Scouts have not seen the jump in popularity and profitability they were expecting. In fact, attendance at the McNichols Sports Arena has been just as abysmal as it was at Kemper Arena, making some in the organization questioning why they bothered leaving in the first place since nothing has changed for the better. The Rockies have been a priority of Commissioner Ziegler's to be made as a model franchise despite being anything but. Two ownership group changes in three years, low attendance numbers, and no improvements in the standings over the time the Rockies have been in Colorado has seen them become the target for many out of state ownership groups as a means to get into the NHL. And this is not the Rockies first attempt with this either. Former owner and New Jersey shipping magnate Arthur Imperatore planned to move mountains so that the Rockies would have a new home in his state of New Jersey and play in the now soon to be finished Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford. When the move was announced by Imperatore, many fans became enraged and started to boycott the team. This decision to move ended up getting shelved as the three teams in Tri State area (Rangers, Islanders, Flyers) blocked the move, with the most vocal of the three being the New York Rangers, on the grounds that the move would encroach upon their territorial rights, causing Imperatore to withdraw his decision to move and, under pressure from fans, sell the team to Buffalo businessman John Gilbert.
Despite Gilbert's best intentions to mend fences with people by keeping the team in Denver and improve popularity and attendance, the damage caused by Imperatore's attempt to move the Rockies to Jersey seems to be permanent. With a lack of a clear long term plan and poor play on the ice, many fans have started to give up their season tickets. This lack of confidence and continued loss of revenue has led to many potential ownership groups in both the US and Canada to fight over the struggling franchise and buy from Gilbert. While Gilbert has made it clear he has no intent to sell and wants to keep trying to grow the team, the recent sightings of the Buffalo based businessman and NHL Commissioner Ziegler at the All Star game in Los Angeles in February along with other NHL owners seems to signal that the writing could be on the wall for Denver. The question now becomes where will the Rockies call home next? Other than selling to another local owner group, the options in the United States are rather plenty. The success of the NHL's tv agreement with TBS and the Atlanta Flames this season has spurred on a wealth of ownership groups to join the picture from all across the US.
A possible move to New Jersey is still on the table, as local shipping magnate and Houston Astros' owner John McMullen has taken up the cause left by Arthur Imperatore in bringing another team to the Tri State that will play out of the Meadowlands. The stumbling block, though, is trying to negotiate with the Rangers and Islanders a price since the Rockies would still be infringing on their territorial rights. Another city that could fit with the team but would need to negotiate over territorial rights is Milwaukee. Despite Milwaukee being in a prime location for hockey both in terms of built in popularity and a ready to go arena, the North Stars and Black Hawks would have a bone to pick about losing a state both teams split in terms of fans. Continuing on, another prime location for the Rockies to land is in the Pacific Northwest with Seattle being rumored as the preferred choice over Portland. While Seattle already has teams in 3 of the 4 major American sports, the city of Seattle has a history of supporting hockey going back decades as well as being home to the 1917 Stanley Cup Champions in the Seattle Metropolitans. They also have shown to be capable of supporting a team as recently as the 70s with the Seattle Totems of the WHL drawing fairly good attendance. Seattle also has, unlike Portland, a slightly more modern arena with the Seattle Center. While needs for upgrading capacity down the line have been noted, there seems to be a commitment to improving infrastructure from the ownership group. It should be noted this is not the first time the Emerald City has tried to enter the NHL as they tried to join the league in 1975, but the negotiations between the league and Seattle billionaire Vince Abbey fell through. After that, we have a wild card that has come about relatively recently coming out of the Southern United States in the city of Charlotte. While the Carolinas seem like the furtherst place where the sport of hockey could succeed, the Queen City has a history of loving the Canadian national sport. The city was host to a minor league outfit known as the Charlotte Checkers, who regularly drew successful crowds from 1956 to 1977 when the team folded while hoisting two Southern league titles in the process. Additionally, the city gives the NHL a excellent opportunity of being the only team in a market starving for pro sports as well as stability for the lone southern team in the league. The recent movement to try and bring a hockey team to the city began following local businessman George Shinn joining alongside a grassroots movement in the city to bring pro sports, specifically basketball and/or hockey, to the city of Charlotte. Outside of that, recent speculation about cities such as San Francisco, Dallas, Houston and Oklahoma City seem to be non existent.
As for north of the border here in Canada, the main player is Ottawa. Ever since losing the famed Senators, the city has tried multiple times to bring a team to the city. The ownership group has been in conversations multiple times to buy the struggling Rockies and have consistently kept in touch with the league. While Calgary has leapfrogged Ottawa in the queue when they received an expansion team, now christened as the Calgary Mustangs, Commissioner Ziegler has noted that having a presence in the capital city of Canada is something the league would be beneficial.
________________________________________________________________________________
March 11th, 1981. In an Atlanta home, a Flames fan wakes up to get ready to start his late shift. Before he goes, he plays a pre recorded edition of SportsCenter
*tape goes into VCR and after a few minutes of fuzz, SportsCenter's music begins to play as it transitions to an image of Bob Ley talking about the NHL Trade Deadline*
Bob Ley: "...So with all those crazy moves at the deadline, let's add some context by showing the current standings in the NHL right now and how things may shake out coming up into the final stretch."
Author's note: Bold means a team is in the playoffs if the season stopped at that point.
Prince of Wales Conference
Adams Division
| GP | W | L | T | GR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 66 | 31 | 14 | 19 | 14 |
| Boston Bruins | 67 | 31 | 25 | 11 | 13 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 68 | 30 | 22 | 16 | 12 |
| Quebec Nordiques | 67 | 25 | 32 | 10 | 13 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 69 | 22 | 36 | 9 | 11 |
Norris Division
| GP | W | L | T | GR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 67 | 37 | 19 | 11 | 13 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 68 | 37 | 22 | 9 | 12 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 67 | 27 | 31 | 9 | 13 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 66 | 18 | 32 | 16 | 14 |
| Hartford Whalers | 68 | 18 | 33 | 17 | 12 |
Clarence Campbell Conference
Patrick Division
| GP | W | L | T | GR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Islanders | 67 | 39 | 17 | 11 | 13 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 68 | 38 | 20 | 10 | 12 |
| Atlanta Flames | 69 | 38 | 22 | 9 | 11 |
| New York Rangers | 69 | 27 | 30 | 12 | 11 |
| Washington Capitals | 67 | 21 | 30 | 16 | 13 |
Smythe Division
| GP | W | L | T | GR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Blues | 69 | 43 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 68 | 27 | 28 | 13 | 12 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 67 | 27 | 30 | 10 | 13 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 69 | 24 | 28 | 17 | 11 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 68 | 16 | 40 | 12 | 12 |
| Colorado Rockies | 67 | 10 | 47 | 10 | 13 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Article from the Chicago Sun Times
Science Fiction: Hollywood and Television's New Frontier(?)
by Roger Ebert
While it has been a cornerstone as a genre in literature, Science Fiction has pretty much been met with apathy when it comes to television and the silver screen. While the genre has its fans, the mainstream acceptance among movie goers in recent history and those in Hollywood has not matched how big Sci-Fi has been in books, pulp magazines and comics. Many in show business, in fact, have looked down upon it following the wave of films made in the 50s as being nothing more than material to make low rent B movies for struggling actors or new talent looking for their big break. This sentiment is echoed by a decent number of critics, despite people such as myself being a lot more open to the genre and have seen the masterpieces produced by many brilliant filmmakers in the decade. The dislike of Sci Fi as a film and television genre began to go in the other direction following the success of Planet of the Apes and 2001: A Space Odyssey at the box office in 1968 and Star Trek's success in the ratings before being unceremoniously cancelled. The momentum for the genre continued to pick up steam with the success of films like Alien, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, as well as Star Wars and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
...
This success has not just been limited to the big budgets of the silver screen either. Star Trek got the unfair boot by CBS executives off of American television following a perceived ratings decline. While the franchise stood dormant and not given a second thought by the network until the successful release of the movie, CBS may act even more swiftly following the success of rival network ABC bringing back their Sci Fi television show Battlestar Galactica. Like Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica was cancelled by ABC despite its popularity. This led to a massive campaign by fans of the show to write the network and a call to bring back the show. After re-evaluating the initial reasons for the show's cancellation, ABC brought back the franchise and welcomed it back with a made for TV movie named Galactica: Origins. Initially thought to be a miniseries, ABC decided to make the project a TV movie that served as a prequel leading up to the events of the original pilot as a means to test wider interest in the franchise's return. Many of the original cast is featured in the movie and displayed special effects that could rival what is seen in theaters. The gamble paid off as the movie was the top rated program on television with ABC committing to bringing back the franchise as well as murmurs of a possible movie in the works through Paramount. CBS has responded in kind, as rumors have it that a return of Star Trek to network television could be in the cards, but nothing official yet.
...
If the return of Science Fiction had not been made loud and clear as a profitable genre for television and movies, the success of Battlestar Galatica's return to TV has cemented that the 80s is shaping up to be the decade where the genre of Issac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke could reign supreme in our conscience once again.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Article from the March 1981 edition The Hockey News
Moving and Shaking: What is the Future of the Colorado Rockies
By Bob McKenzie
Further expansion of the NHL seems a long way from happening as of right now, especially once Calgary gets added into the league. That said, the current cities and locations of all 21, soon to be 22, franchises of the NHL are not set in stone. The most glaring being the possible fate of the Colorado Rockies. While rumblings of the Blues being moved to Saskatoon has been swirling around for a while now, the franchise that is most in danger of being relocated points to the Rockies. Ever since leaving for the Rocky Mountain state in 1976, the team formerly known as the Kansas City Scouts have not seen the jump in popularity and profitability they were expecting. In fact, attendance at the McNichols Sports Arena has been just as abysmal as it was at Kemper Arena, making some in the organization questioning why they bothered leaving in the first place since nothing has changed for the better. The Rockies have been a priority of Commissioner Ziegler's to be made as a model franchise despite being anything but. Two ownership group changes in three years, low attendance numbers, and no improvements in the standings over the time the Rockies have been in Colorado has seen them become the target for many out of state ownership groups as a means to get into the NHL. And this is not the Rockies first attempt with this either. Former owner and New Jersey shipping magnate Arthur Imperatore planned to move mountains so that the Rockies would have a new home in his state of New Jersey and play in the now soon to be finished Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford. When the move was announced by Imperatore, many fans became enraged and started to boycott the team. This decision to move ended up getting shelved as the three teams in Tri State area (Rangers, Islanders, Flyers) blocked the move, with the most vocal of the three being the New York Rangers, on the grounds that the move would encroach upon their territorial rights, causing Imperatore to withdraw his decision to move and, under pressure from fans, sell the team to Buffalo businessman John Gilbert.
Despite Gilbert's best intentions to mend fences with people by keeping the team in Denver and improve popularity and attendance, the damage caused by Imperatore's attempt to move the Rockies to Jersey seems to be permanent. With a lack of a clear long term plan and poor play on the ice, many fans have started to give up their season tickets. This lack of confidence and continued loss of revenue has led to many potential ownership groups in both the US and Canada to fight over the struggling franchise and buy from Gilbert. While Gilbert has made it clear he has no intent to sell and wants to keep trying to grow the team, the recent sightings of the Buffalo based businessman and NHL Commissioner Ziegler at the All Star game in Los Angeles in February along with other NHL owners seems to signal that the writing could be on the wall for Denver. The question now becomes where will the Rockies call home next? Other than selling to another local owner group, the options in the United States are rather plenty. The success of the NHL's tv agreement with TBS and the Atlanta Flames this season has spurred on a wealth of ownership groups to join the picture from all across the US.
A possible move to New Jersey is still on the table, as local shipping magnate and Houston Astros' owner John McMullen has taken up the cause left by Arthur Imperatore in bringing another team to the Tri State that will play out of the Meadowlands. The stumbling block, though, is trying to negotiate with the Rangers and Islanders a price since the Rockies would still be infringing on their territorial rights. Another city that could fit with the team but would need to negotiate over territorial rights is Milwaukee. Despite Milwaukee being in a prime location for hockey both in terms of built in popularity and a ready to go arena, the North Stars and Black Hawks would have a bone to pick about losing a state both teams split in terms of fans. Continuing on, another prime location for the Rockies to land is in the Pacific Northwest with Seattle being rumored as the preferred choice over Portland. While Seattle already has teams in 3 of the 4 major American sports, the city of Seattle has a history of supporting hockey going back decades as well as being home to the 1917 Stanley Cup Champions in the Seattle Metropolitans. They also have shown to be capable of supporting a team as recently as the 70s with the Seattle Totems of the WHL drawing fairly good attendance. Seattle also has, unlike Portland, a slightly more modern arena with the Seattle Center. While needs for upgrading capacity down the line have been noted, there seems to be a commitment to improving infrastructure from the ownership group. It should be noted this is not the first time the Emerald City has tried to enter the NHL as they tried to join the league in 1975, but the negotiations between the league and Seattle billionaire Vince Abbey fell through. After that, we have a wild card that has come about relatively recently coming out of the Southern United States in the city of Charlotte. While the Carolinas seem like the furtherst place where the sport of hockey could succeed, the Queen City has a history of loving the Canadian national sport. The city was host to a minor league outfit known as the Charlotte Checkers, who regularly drew successful crowds from 1956 to 1977 when the team folded while hoisting two Southern league titles in the process. Additionally, the city gives the NHL a excellent opportunity of being the only team in a market starving for pro sports as well as stability for the lone southern team in the league. The recent movement to try and bring a hockey team to the city began following local businessman George Shinn joining alongside a grassroots movement in the city to bring pro sports, specifically basketball and/or hockey, to the city of Charlotte. Outside of that, recent speculation about cities such as San Francisco, Dallas, Houston and Oklahoma City seem to be non existent.
As for north of the border here in Canada, the main player is Ottawa. Ever since losing the famed Senators, the city has tried multiple times to bring a team to the city. The ownership group has been in conversations multiple times to buy the struggling Rockies and have consistently kept in touch with the league. While Calgary has leapfrogged Ottawa in the queue when they received an expansion team, now christened as the Calgary Mustangs, Commissioner Ziegler has noted that having a presence in the capital city of Canada is something the league would be beneficial.
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