FanNation - The Republic of Sport

It's total BS all around. Bettman is killing the league and the sooner his **** is ousted the better the league will be.

The Toronto thing is BS as well. They would make money whether there was one team or two more teams. Their season ticket waiting list is decades old and most people will never get to purchase season tickets.

The NHL would be much better off with another team north of the border. The team moving would have sellouts night after night and have rabid fan support. Nashville was one of Bettman's poster franchises and their owner part of the Executive Committee when Bettman shut down the league for a season. He looks like the **** he is if they team would have to move north because Nashville was one of his babies. Yet again, another one of Bettman's franchise experiments gone wrong.

Bettman and the league had no problem with the Colorado franchise moving to New Jersey despite there being two teams in NY and one south in Philly.

He is a total joke and needs to get fired, go missing or something.

I don't think this is so far-fetched. That's why I thought Balsilie would move to Kitchener-Waterloo because it's outside of the Toronto territory. But Balsilie has already tipped his hand, so the Leafs will block any sale to him. Don't forget, a move to Hamilton, Ontario would also affect the Buffalo Sabres, and they are a couple of years removed from financial disaster, and another team so close would draw people away from Buffalo. Remember, it's beginning to be a huge hassle to cross the border, and it's only going to get worse, so why would Canadians bother if they could see a game in Hamilton. Keep dreaming Hamilton!

"The Toronto owners are guaranteed enormous profits no matter how their team performs on the ice."

Which is why I'm not a Leafs fan. Wake up, suckers! MLSE doesn't care about fans or winningl; only profits, like those underpants gnomes on South Part a few years ago.

I can't believe that this has to be discussed and that anyone - especially Bettman, can convince anyone that a team in SW Ontario is a bad idea...

Ballsille should put the team in Waterloo - which is outside of the Toronto and Buffalo protected area....build an amazing arena, and watch this team explode...

I don't think people outside of Toronto have a clue how difficult and/or expensive it is to get a ticket to the Leafs... it is near impossible unless your company has tickets..

The NJ move happened well before Bettman was around, but I agree with everything else said by all 3 previous posts

I am a Leaf fan, die-hard. However, I agree with this one. The Leafs have enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the most hockey-starved area in the world. What other team in the NHL has millions of people, hockey as the unquestioned #1 passion, and companies lining half the arena with corporate boxes and suites? The Leafs do not welcome any competition, because even though Hamilton would pale in fan base initially, it would ultimately cost the Leafs tens of millions in ticket sales and influence young kids growing up in southern Ontario who have always been Leaf fans.It also would put massive pressure on the Leafs to do one thing they have never had to: WIN. What would happen if the Leafs Cup-less drought ran to say, 50 years, which is likely, and Hamilton improves through the draft and contends, much like Ottawa? The Leaf management would look even worse than they currently do, which is awful. Winning influences young kids, who are future merchandise buyers. How many school-aged kids would be walking around in Hamilton jerseys? How many corporations would ultimately decide to do business with Hamilton if it was a markedly better deal or becomes a more fashionable ticket? The Leafs are definitley behind the blocking of Balsillie's group. The Sabres do not have enough clout to block this sale. The problem begins and ends in T.O.

Well, in case y'all didn't know it,Toronto IS the center of the universe! And they'll be damned if they'd let some upstart team steal their spotlight and give fans a choice! Competition is good. It would force the Leafs to get better and to spend some of the wads of cash they're hording. It'd nice but, Toronto doesn't like sharing!

A team in Hamilton would be like a wood tick in their collective arses, especially if they start beating the Leafs on a regular basis (which isn???t difficult for anybody to do these days)! Can't have that! And can???t have their media talk about anybody else either! Big, mighty TO won't let you!

Would it be good for hockey and the fans to have another team nearby? Absolutely! Think what a Maple Leafs - Hamilton rivalry would be like for the fans. They would go bananas! It would be great! Something like the Battle of Alberta, only bigger! But like I said, TORONTEGO won't let it happen!

Bettman is an idiot and is killing the sport and the NHL... he should have been gone a long time ago! What's wrong with the owners?

http://www.FireBettman.com

Hahahahah. . . . . . Bettman is petty much a heel when it comes to . . . . .just about everyhting. . . . .like Damm!! Waterloo Preds. . .?. . sounds good. . .

The owners like Bettman because he broke the players union and brought in a salary cap. Most of these teams are treated like businesses, and are run by groups of investors (ex. the Toronto Maple Leafs), so as long as the owners are making money, Bettman will stick around.

bostongm: Canada can't support 2-3 more teams (maybe 1 in Quebec City and possibly 1 in Hamilton, and even Hamilton is iffy because Hamilton can't support any pro team. But I digress.). The best thing, though, would be contraction: I say contract 6 teams.

The only reason the shrew is still the Commish is the owners are making $$.Bang on there bostongm,except Wayne instead of #4.