Posted by  Bolt Fan, S. Pasadena, FL on 01/01  at  09:48 PM

Karl,

If the owner had the attendance at Minneapolis, he wouldn’t have had any need to transfer the team to Dallas.  In that the fans failed to support the team sufficiently to keep them, that would be a failure.

I had forgotten about the ill fated Colorado failure.  Don Cherry was the coach of that fiasco.

At any rate, if three failures in the US can have second chances, why can’t Canadian cities be given the same chances?  It would seem that with Bettman, there is an anti-Canadian bias.  Don’t forget that there is a significant majority of players in the league that are from Canada.

Posted by  karl S, sunny Florida on 01/01  at  02:24 PM

The new CBA should help with cap issues, but what the NHL really needs is better revenue sharing like the NFL, in order to keep teams in smaller cities.

Posted by  Karl S, sunny Florida on 01/01  at  02:23 PM

Bolt fan -
Not sure how you could say that hockey “failed” in Minnesota.  The North Stars were a strong franchise with sold out attendance at the Target Center on a regular basis.  In reality, the owner of the Stars just wanted to move the team to Dallas and it broke the heart of millions of hockey fans.  With the return of hockey to Minnesota, I don’t think the new building has gone one night without being sold out.

Atlanta is of course another story. If i recall correctly, the Atlanta Flames were part of the WHA and part of the merger.  Colorado had a team as well.  It’s a shame when a professional franchise moves and I’m certainly against it in any sport, but some markets just can’t support teams.

Posted by  Bolt Fan, S. Pasadena, FL on 12/31  at  11:41 PM

Thunderstruck,

If you had been a hockey fan for more than a week and a half, you would know that hockey FAILED in Atlanta (now Calgary Flames) and Minneapolis (now Dallas Stars) as well.

It’s not just Quebec City and Winnipeg.  It is notable that both Failure Atlanta and Failure Minneapolis got teams again.  That would seem to biased against the Canadian cities.

Enjoy your newfound game, but learn a little about hockey, too.

By the way, I am a US citizen.

Posted by  Ken Knaebel, New Year's Eve on 12/31  at  03:35 PM

I would guess that the majority of people in Montreal jerseys were in fact from Quebec since most were speaking French, or at least bilingual. I don’t know too many locals that are fluent in French and go to Lightning games. Personally, I don’t care what an individual from Canada thinks in a blog. Unless they’ve actually visited Tampa and a Lightning game, their opinion isn’t worth the “paper” it’s printed on.

As for the game, the Lightning let up in the 2nd and 3rd and let the Habs get back in the game. If they could have sustained the tempo from the 1st period there was a chance for a regulation win. Alas, they lost in the NHL gimmick, again.

Happy New Year, EE and keep bloggin’.

Posted by  Bill, Tampa on 12/31  at  01:39 PM

So true Thunderstruck. I am amazed at how the Candian hockey fans can make these comments when their teams have been fleeing the “Mother Land of Hockey” for years now.

Posted by  Thunderstruck, Lakeland, FL on 12/31  at  11:11 AM

I don’t think ANYBODY from Canada should be talking about our team being moved when they’ve had franchises in their own backyard FAIL!  The ‘supposed’ motherland of hockey has failed the sport…that in one word…is:  SAD!

Where in the world is moosejaw anyhow?  Sounds like the remnants of a hunting trip to me…

Posted by  Karl S, sunny florida on 12/31  at  08:47 AM

Oh boy, here we go again with our neighbors to the north trying to tell us that we don’t understand “their” game.  Get over it already. The Lightning has more than 14000 season ticket holders and a capacity of 19000+ in the building. This is the first year in many that we’ve seen an influx of visiting team fans in the stands.  I would argue that we know far more about hockey in this market than they do in Moosejaw—when there is bad product on the ice, we have the good sense to spend some time outside, in the warm weather, doing something productive.  Of course, you don’t really have that option in Canada, do you.  We do, however, appreciate you spending your hard-earned snow shoveling dollars in our fair city!

Posted by  Bolt Fan, S. Pasadena, FL on 12/31  at  12:20 AM

Billy,

That’s kind of harsh, even if considerably true.  I understand that there was an article in the London, Ont. Free Press this week that was talking about the fate of both Phoenix and the Lightning and the possibility of them being moved to a Canadian location.  The only problem is that of the three cities mentioned - Quebec City, Winnipeg and Hamilton - two have had hockey fail there before and neither the Leafs nor the Sabres will ever give permission for Hamilton to have an NHL team.

I don’t think that Davidson wants the Bolts back when the $10 million comes due.  The terms of the loan will be reworked.

Posted by  Billy Charlebois, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on 12/30  at  11:58 PM

Dear Thunderstruck,

If it weren’t for people in visiting club jerseys, attendance in YOUR building would be about 12,000 per game.  Once the Dolts return to their winning ways, they will have been sold and relocated to Canada….where most people have forgotten more about hockey than you will ever know.

Posted by  Thunderstruck, Lakeland, FL on 12/30  at  11:44 PM

There is no way I can be convinced that the majority of those Habs jerseys were people FROM Montreal.  All I got to say is:  You fair weather Lightning fans have no place in OUR building.  You don’t belong at another Bolt’s game you bunch of traitor losers.

Once we do return to our winning ways, I trust we won’t see your ugly mugs in OUR building. 

Posted by  Bolt Fan, S. Pasadena, FL on 12/30  at  11:23 PM

I agree about the hard fought game.  I truly believe that if they keep this kind of intensity up in their play, good things will happen, and there is still enough season left to make the playoffs.

Posted by  Chris Fukuda, Alexandria, VA on 12/30  at  10:41 PM

I have no hard feeling about this loss. Just wish we didn’t go into a SO. Overall, we played a hard fought game, like the past 3 games. We deserved the 1 pt, Thanks to Smitty and R2KIN who continues to impress everyone!.

Now let’s go steal 2 pts from the division leading Caps, who just never say die.

Posted by  Bolt Fan, S. Pasadena, FL on 12/30  at  10:41 PM

I agree about shootouts.  They are Bettman’s brain child, and everyone knows that before he got this job he had no idea that hockey was actually played on ice.

Nice going Bettman. Go back to basketball and the thugs.

Posted by  natalie, Orlando on 12/30  at  10:38 PM

The shootout is purely a marketing tool that really takes away from the hard fought game and OT. Not a fan. On another note this team has definitely been so much more fun to watch. Arty is phenomenal and now just needs to finish on his chances. Happy New Year Erik and GO BOLTS!

Posted by  b, st.pete on 12/30  at  10:09 PM

shootouts are gay!