Howard Bladwin the CEO of the Connecticut Whale has just proposed a plan to renovate the XL Center in down town Hartford. The plan asks for 105 million dollars of public money to renovate the arena and add a mall next to it. If Hartford moves forward with this plan their goal is to bring the NHL back and add the city to the long list of place that would love to land the Islanders. In my mind and heart I believe the Islanders would move to Brooklyn before relocating to a new market like Hartford, Quebec, Seattle, Kansas City, or any other city interested in the team. Plus it would be hard for a team in Connecticut to develop a fan base, since a large portion of the states hockey fans are loyal to either the Bruins or Rangers. In addition, a Hartford organization would have to pay a territorial fee to both the Rangers and Bruins and pay to get TV rights in both market. Hopefully, one day the Whaler fans get there team back, but I don't think they will land the Islanders, because of Brooklyn and the hurdles the market faces .
Additional Reading:
http://eye-on-hockey.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/27694626/33343940
Im going to play devil's advocate here. What should Hartford do with Rangers AHL team called Connecticut Whale? Is Rangers willing to give up that arena so that its heated rival, NY Islanders, can have it and become Hartford Whalers? Would NY Rangers take its AHL team and move it to Brooklyn (just sayin) when they know Barclays Center will become MAIN RIVAL to MSG due to Knicks-Nets? What about Bridgeport Sound Tigers that play in Bridgeport, CT?
ReplyDeleteI think Islanders should go to Brooklyn because it will create borough wars while Isles' AHL team Bridgeport and Rangers' AHL team Hartford, can have its own in state rivals.
And why would Isles go there when they have chance to go to BRAND NEW STATE OF THE ART ARENA with unlimited mass transportation.
I think Isles will go to Brooklyn.
Roy