Euro league rivalling NHL?

[Quintin 16]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2007/12/15/...ey_euro_league/

[cxo 0]

Judging by those economics, anything they start isn't going to last very long anyhow. Good luck to them, they'll need it.

[nummer55 10]

They should just expand the NHL into Europe. London was nice, but why not have a Euro Division?

[SR27 0]

Euro-League? Haha...don´t be fooled here. It´s the usual half dozen russian oligarchs (spelling?) that toss their billions around for their hobbies + maybe a guy like Anschütz who already has what 5? 6? Teams throughout europe already. Maybe a guy like that Red-Bull owner has some interest, too as he has bought a hockey team and is known to be a sports nut. Other than that hmn...it´s not something they would do to earn money or lets say, they won´t care if they lose money.

[markov79 0]

They should just expand the NHL into Europe. London was nice, but why not have a Euro Division?

It would be too much travel for the nhl's busy scheduel, besides that, think about the difference in time zones...

[Patrick67 1]

You could have a Euro division in the NHL, just requires long road trips for the euro teams and equally long road trips for the North American teams.

So each north american team takes a 5-game stint in Europe, and vice-versa.

[Theo 1]

That would be nearly impossible to get done, too much $$. Let's keep it in NA

[Eastcoastpride 0]

Yeah keep the NHL in NA, it makes a great melting pot pulling players from all around the world who have developed their skills in different leagues and its fun to watch them come from Int. size ice and have to wheel and deal on a slighty smaller surface. If anything the NHL might considering what the NFL has done in europe having a season during their off season where curent players can go and stay sharp and the younger guys can continue to develop their skills..its done good things for football , I think Hockey is next

[mrusse01 0]

You could have a Euro division in the NHL, just requires long road trips for the euro teams and equally long road trips for the North American teams.

So each north american team takes a 5-game stint in Europe, and vice-versa.

Make it like the AL and the NL used to be, no interleague play.

Really what they need is less professional hockey teams, not more. Cut the NHL down to 22 teams, 11 in Canada, 11 in the USA.

[jay 1]

You could have a Euro division in the NHL, just requires long road trips for the euro teams and equally long road trips for the North American teams.

So each north american team takes a 5-game stint in Europe, and vice-versa.

Make it like the AL and the NL used to be, no interleague play.

Really what they need is less professional hockey teams, not more. Cut the NHL down to 22 teams, 11 in Canada, 11 in the USA.

So your saying there are 13 franchises in the US that don't deserve NHL hockey and 5 more in Canada that do? That's a hell of a stretch...

[cxo 0]

There aren't enough reliable markets in Canada to add one more team let alone five. Not that I wouldn't want teams in Canada, but I doubt that's going to happen.

I do agree that there are too many teams though, the talent pool IS heavily diluted like I keep reading about, and the last thing we need is more teams.

[mrusse01 0]

There aren't enough reliable markets in Canada to add one more team let alone five. Not that I wouldn't want teams in Canada, but I doubt that's going to happen.

The Greater Toronto Area could EASILY support at least one more franchise, and quite possibly two more, it is over a 5 million population market.

Toronto 1

Toronto 2

Montreal

Ottawa

Calgary

Vancouver

Edmonton

Winnipeg

Quebec City

Halifax

London

[Storm 0]

I don't think the NHL has anything to worry about and I wish it does happen but it ain't gonna be easy.

For the league to have enticement it would be nice to have teams representing major European cities. Not just eastern block cities.

It will not be simple to convince European teams that are part of an already established league to jump ship.

[Chadd 916]

There aren't enough reliable markets in Canada to add one more team let alone five. Not that I wouldn't want teams in Canada, but I doubt that's going to happen.

The Greater Toronto Area could EASILY support at least one more franchise, and quite possibly two more, it is over a 5 million population market.

Toronto 1

Toronto 2

Montreal

Ottawa

Calgary

Vancouver

Edmonton

Winnipeg

Quebec City

Halifax

London

While I agree with Toronto being able to support another team, I do doubt the ability of a city like Halifax or London with around 300k in population being able to support an NHL team. Edmonton and Calgary are among the smallest markets and they have over a million people. Even Winnipeg at 700k is considered too small by most people.

[Jason Harris 31]

I do agree that there are too many teams though, the talent pool IS heavily diluted like I keep reading about, and the last thing we need is more teams.

If the entire pool of youth hockey players worldwide is considered, I would imagine a smaller percentage of players are making it to the NHL than did 20 years ago. In other words, it's less diluted than it used to be.

Same as in the NBA and MLB.

[Patrick67 1]

Rubo: Unless your in Eastern-Europe your gonna be killed with taxes.

They have a scientist rule around here that allows foreigners to have a huge tax-break for 3-5years depending on which country, which is made to lure gifted people (incl sportsplayers) into the country.

If your a native that's been abroad for X number of years, you can apply for the same rule, if your in the "gifted" catagory.

I.E. everybody in westerneurope is gonna be slammed bigtime with taxes, thus making the amount of money to surpass the NA market insane.

A Euro Pro-league would have to be based in Russia, where you can actually earn more money than in the NHL, but too many western europeans prefer living in america to living in Russia (maybe execpt if it's in Moscow)

[jay 1]

Even with the NHL being run by a bunch of nimrod's and doofus's they have the one thing that will make any attempt at competing VERY difficult... the Stanley Cup.

[Chadd 916]

Even with the NHL being run by a bunch of nimrod's and doofus's they have the one thing that will make any attempt at competing VERY difficult... the Stanley Cup.

Every year you hear stories that while north americans grew up dreaming of the cup, euro players grew up dreaming of world championships and olympics. The cup may be everything to us, but that isn't the case for everyone.

[Super Star 0]

Even with the NHL being run by a bunch of nimrod's and doofus's they have the one thing that will make any attempt at competing VERY difficult... the Stanley Cup.

Every year you hear stories that while north americans grew up dreaming of the cup, euro players grew up dreaming of world championships and olympics. The cup may be everything to us, but that isn't the case for everyone.

If the league will be good skill wise, then I'm sure they will get a really nice looking and BIG gold cup that gets awarded in the end probably call it Abramovich cup or something and in a dozen years or so years this cup will have enough history to make Euro guys dream of winning it. + it will be gold not silver so its shinier. :P

[chk hrd 164]

hey let it happen, let the players decide wear they want to play, get a few more countries to do it and then have a world championship.

Then it would be a truly international game.

[Chadd 916]

I've said for years that a Euro "superleague" could/should happen and I thought the NHL should be involved. Without their involvement, it could steal a lot of talent away from the NHL. It could work as either an additional developmental league or as a third conference, though the intercontinental road trips would be next to impossible.

My preference would be a 10-12 team league with the winner playing the stanley cup champion for the world club championship.

[TheBert 0]

My preference would be a 10-12 team league with the winner playing the stanley cup champion for the world club championship.

Same. It would be closest to the original spirit of the Stanley Cup.

[Chadd 916]

1) No salary cap

5) Half of the teams must be moved back to Canada so at least 12 teams are present here where the sport is still number one attraction.

The fact that you included both of these in the same list shows how little you grasp the economics of the game and the realities of north america. And I can assure you that this (see next quote) is not going to happen in the US for several generations.

6) This is the most important factor, you need to find owners who keep the teams as a hobby not as a source for income, like that Balsily guy.

No legitimate businessman can accept having their team lose tens of millions per year. Most of them would rather put it into something that is going to return a bigger profit. Balsillie was planning on turning a profit with his purchase of Pittsburgh or Nashville, not keeping it as "a hobby". The more you post about this league the more it sounds like a way for Russian mobsters to launder money.

[Storm 0]

Hi Rubo,

I'm with you when it comes to Eastern European girls but creating a league and calling it a hobby...???

[sjsharks11 0]

They should just expand the NHL into Europe. London was nice, but why not have a Euro Division?

The NFL tried that and it didn't work at all, granted hockey is a lot more popular in Europe then football but there is no way Bettman would do that anytime soon.