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Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:14 pm
by Screw_Michigan
Mgo asked a good question the other day. What do you think Gobbles?

I said it was because there simply wasn't the market for a NHL franchise.

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2015 12:56 pm
by Goober McTuber
Milwaukee is too cold for an NHL franchise. NHL prefers to place teams in Arizona, Florida, Carolina and California.

I'm not convinced Milwaukee could support an NHL franchise, and with the new Bucks ownership, it's that much more unlikely. The Bradley Center was built to host both basketball and hockey, it's coming replacement will likely not be suitable for hockey.

The Wirtz family will never allow another NHL team to be placed 90 miles away. Besides, if we want to watch top level hockey, we always have the Badgers.

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 2:25 pm
by MuchoBulls
Goober McTuber wrote:Milwaukee is too cold for an NHL franchise. NHL prefers to place teams in Arizona, Florida, Carolina and California.

I'm not convinced Milwaukee could support an NHL franchise, and with the new Bucks ownership, it's that much more unlikely. The Bradley Center was built to host both basketball and hockey, it's coming replacement will likely not be suitable for hockey.

The Wirtz family will never allow another NHL team to be placed 90 miles away. Besides, if we want to watch top level hockey, we always have the Badgers.
I can understand the Wirtz and the city of Milwaukee not supporting the team logic on this one. The Leafs blocked Hamilton from getting a franchise.

The "too cold" stance wouldn't be a reason at all, especially since they went back to Winnipeg.

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 2:43 pm
by Screw_Michigan
MuchoBulls wrote: The "too cold" stance wouldn't be a reason at all, especially since they went back to Winnipeg.
He's being sarcastic.

Also, remember MLSE has been blocking another team in Toronto for decades. We have two in Florida, but only one in Toronto, hockey capital of North America.

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 2:53 pm
by molly
The West expansion will be interesting as will be the inevitable relocation of the Coyotes to Seattle.

On a whole, how is Winnipeg doing? Supporting their team?

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 4:43 pm
by Left Seater
Goober McTuber wrote:The Bradley Center was built to host both basketball and hockey, it's coming replacement will likely not be suitable for hockey.

The Wirtz family will never allow another NHL team to be placed 90 miles away. Besides, if we want to watch top level hockey, we always have the Badgers.
If you mean that the Bradley Center has ice then yes it was built to host hockey. It doesn't meet NHL standards for an arena though so it is a no go for NHL hockey in its current form.

And while the Admirals aren't NHL they have been putting a good product on the ice for all the years I have been involved in the AHL and yet they are outdrawn by Austin and (previously) Houston. That said if an NHL team were there support would grow exponentially overnight.

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 4:54 pm
by Goober McTuber
Left Seater wrote:
Goober McTuber wrote:The Bradley Center was built to host both basketball and hockey, it's coming replacement will likely not be suitable for hockey.

The Wirtz family will never allow another NHL team to be placed 90 miles away. Besides, if we want to watch top level hockey, we always have the Badgers.
If you mean that the Bradley Center has ice then yes it was built to host hockey. It doesn't meet NHL standards for an arena though so it is a no go for NHL hockey in its current form.
I'm pretty sure that when it was built 27 years ago it met NHL standards. That is the reason the Pettits donated the money to build it.

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 5:49 pm
by Left Seater
Yeah could be. I just know that today it would need huge renovations and isn't close to ready.

Great AHL road trip location though. Made better by the fact that the Brewers ownership also owns the Admirals and when we are there they often give the hockey ops staff seats about two rows back on the third base side. Puts us right near the visitors dugout and on deck circle. We then heckle the call ups about their minor league cities.

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 6:48 pm
by Goober McTuber
Enjoy it while you can. The new Bucks arena is supposed to be completed by September 2017. At that point, the Bradley Center may get torn down and then the Admirals will be leaving town.

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 7:41 pm
by Left Seater
Goober McTuber wrote:Enjoy it while you can. The new Bucks arena is supposed to be completed by September 2017. At that point, the Bradley Center may get torn down and then the Admirals will be leaving town.
Unlikely they leave since the Brewers own them.

Re: Why has Milwaukee never had a NHL franchise?

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 8:11 pm
by Goober McTuber
Left Seater wrote:
Goober McTuber wrote:Enjoy it while you can. The new Bucks arena is supposed to be completed by September 2017. At that point, the Bradley Center may get torn down and then the Admirals will be leaving town.
Unlikely they leave since the Brewers own them.
Unlikely they stay with no place to play.