Winnipeg contacts Lemieux about a possible Pens transfer?

[Yashamaga]

Just reported on Sportsnet East Officials in Winnipeg have contacted Mario Lemieux & asked that if finacial/new arena,ect,ect. could not be resolved within the near future,that the city of Winnipeg would be interested in acquiring the struggling franchise to play in a new arena that is currently under construction, Pittsburgh officials have refused to comment!
Could be just a rumour but interesting just the same.

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I found this on a Hockey messageboard

Cheeba :naughty:

[YOUR Hero]

Sweet.

[samichna]

That would be awesome, but they'd probably still suck :(

[da_king]

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i don't see the league approving a move to winnipeg but it'd be cool if it happened. so they're building a new arena in winnipeg?

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[Yashamaga]

Yeah, it's supposed to be finished in mid november this year. 15,015 seats.

The pens won't need that many though :D

[da_king]

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is that enough seats to support an nhl franchise, seems like most new buildings are close to 20,000 these days.

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[Heyman]

Just reported on Sportsnet East Officials in Winnipeg have contacted Mario Lemieux & asked that if finacial/new arena,ect,ect. could not be resolved within the near future,that the city of Winnipeg would be interested in acquiring the struggling franchise to play in a new arena that is currently under construction, Pittsburgh officials have refused to comment!
Could be just a rumour but interesting just the same.

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I found this on a Hockey messageboard

Cheeba :naughty:

That would rule. I'd cry out of joy if Winnipeg got an NHL franchise again.

[Yashamaga]

It's still the pens though

[YOUR Hero]

Then they could win the Avco cup!

[The Icon of Elisim]

Pretty sweet.

I doubt that this arena would be good enough to support a franchise unless the NHL got a cap or something.

Still the place is gonna be pretty nice. Especially with Fleury, Ovechkin and Crosby

[Yashamaga]

I guarantee you they will not have all 3 of them.

MAYBE (but doubtful) Fleury and Ovechkin but definetely not Crosby. Mario had to take a cut in pay just to get Fleury himself inked.

[MoRcHeEbA]

they're not coming, we tried to get them last year, the arena is gonna look awesome though...

[MoRcHeEbA]

also, I believe that we have a contract with the AHL for another 4 years with the moose for the new arena that they can't balk or something... Also we don't want a shitty team :mad:

[MoRcHeEbA]

Could Penguins fly?

Councillor woos team to flee Pitt for 'Peg

By ROSS ROMANIUK, CITY HALL REPORTER




The city's deputy mayor has asked superstar player and Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux to consider moving his team to Manitoba. In a letter to Lemieux, Coun. Dan Vandal points out that the NHL is facing "difficult decisions" with an imminent labour shutdown, and says Winnipeg is poised to welcome the last-place club if it can't make things work in Pennsylvania.

The league is expected to suffer a long shutdown due to a strike or lockout when the players' contract expires next September, as teams facing spiralling multi-million-dollar salaries deal with flagging attendance.

"If and when a whole bunch of different things happen" to bring in team revenue sharing or a salary cap, Vandal says, Winnipeg would be able to again ice a big-league franchise.

NOT OFFICIAL

"We have to be cognizant of the changing issues in the NHL, and position ourselves to capitalize on those changes," Vandal told The Sun in explaining his inquiry to Lemieux, which is dated Dec. 9. "The quality of the fan here is second-to-none -- so consider us."

Vandal's letter, which is not an official city inquiry, has received no response from Lemieux or the Penguins. A Penguins spokesman did not return calls for comment yesterday.

The deputy mayor's move comes on the heels of widespread media speculation -- including respected NHL commentator John Davidson -- that the two-time Stanley Cup-winning club should consider moving to Winnipeg, which lost the Jets to Phoenix in 1996.

The NHL's expected labour dispute is anticipated to be long and ugly, with many predicting its financial structure will see a major shakeup. The league's players' association has offered team owners a 5% pay cut, which was refused. Owners are seeking a per-team salary cap of $31-million US, which the players have balked at.

Former Jets ownership partner Randy Moffat says Winnipeg would be able to support an NHL franchise only if the league's financial structure changes "considerably," and he's not holding his breath.

"I personally doubt it, but who knows?" Moffat said. "It would all have to come out of the players' hides -- and I don't think they're about to accept that."

Vandal admitted much must happen to make Winnipeg a possible NHL centre.

IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT

He also pointed out that True North investors would have to work with him to put a team into the new $133-million MTS Centre. Mark Chipman, president of the AHL's Manitoba Moose, said too many uncertainties make it impossible to predict the city's prospects at landing another big-league team.

But he's not ruling out working with Vandal to make it happen.

"We got into this business as a consequence of our trying to keep an NHL team here," Chipman said. "If there were a point in time where the economics of the NHL work for Winnipeg, of course we'd be supportive of it.

Frank Brown, the NHL's vice-president of media relations, didn't want to speculate on Winnipeg's major-league hockey hopes.

"We have no current plans for expansion, we have no current plans for relocation," Brown said.

"And one of the stated objectives of the collective bargaining agreement is to keep all 30 of our clubs exactly where they are."

[MoRcHeEbA]

as for the attendence da king, we average more then something like 10 different NHL teams with our farm team, not that, that matters cause you can get tickets to the moose for like 7 bucks or something.

[Yashamaga]

Yeah, AHL kicks ass.

I can get 5 dollar tickets and have perfect seats. :cool:

[YOUR Hero]

With a cap and possible revenue sharing. Luxury boxes, City lotteries, etc a franchise would be viable in Winnipeg. Lots has to happen for it to come true, but it would be awesome.

There's also Bobby Hull's attempt to get another league up to rival the NHL.. That too is a long shot, but if there's a lock out and things go "right" for him, you just never know.

[MoRcHeEbA]

yeah he wants to bring back the WHA I doubt that's ever gonna go unless they have a lock out next year.

[Yashamaga]

I think a lockout is pretty likely at this point.

and if there is, it is just terrible news for the NHL. players whose contracts are up will probably join other leagues like the WHA and maybe won't come back.

I know that Forsberg might go back to Sweeden to play for his father's team even if there IS an NHL season.

Alot of big names could be lost :-/

[MoRcHeEbA]

lost of players will go to europe, half the canucks well, nausland,bertuzzi,sedins',jovokov,king have all said they'll go play for some team in sweden

[MoRcHeEbA]

I guarantee you they will not have all 3 of them.

MAYBE (but doubtful) Fleury and Ovechkin but definetely not Crosby. Mario had to take a cut in pay just to get Fleury himself inked.


Mario didn't take a pay cut, he didn't accept more money cause he wassn't gonna be able to play much.

[MoRcHeEbA]

the Winnipeg Penguins :cool:

[Arashi Kage]

I don't know... I've been a life long Pittsburgh Penguins fan, but I feel strongly that Canada needs another franchise, and if this was the only way to get one, and if it would benefit the Penguins Franchise, so be it.

Think of it this way, around the time Lemieux was drafted, the Pens were prepared to move to Hamilton, but Lemieux sparked mass interest in the team and saved it. This isn't the first time the Pens have been on the verge of relocation.

[Yashamaga]

no he's taken many pay cuts, AND not accepted the bonuses.

and the red wings will be fuc</>ked. Half of their roster is older than scot already.

[MoRcHeEbA]

as much as I would like to see it happen, the only thing that we can basically offer right now is a new arena... Winnipeg isn't a place for money and whatnot. A team wouldn't survive here unless they did alot of things to the league.

[MoRcHeEbA]

also Phoenix will have to stop dressing in white when they make the playoffs :mad: The White House was a Winnipeg thing :mad:

[MoRcHeEbA]

here's some pics of what the new arena is gonna look like... it's about half done right now, they just don't have the outside up. The rest is basically done. well basic structure anyway.

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/exterior1.jpg

Signature entrance to grand lobby and main concourse - Portage and Donald


http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/exterior2.jpg

Looking east toward MTS Centre - Portage and Hargrave

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/exterior3.jpg

Portage Avenue facade

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/exterior4.jpg

The proposed Power House development - Hargrave and Graham

[MoRcHeEbA]

the inside

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/concourse1.jpg

The grand lobby entrance at Portage and Donald

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/concourse2.jpg

A view of the main concourse along Donald street

[MoRcHeEbA]

the rink

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/seatingbowl1.jpg

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/seatingbowl2.jpg

[MoRcHeEbA]

private suites
http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/privatesuites1.jpg

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/privatesuites2.jpg

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/privatesuites3.jpg

[MoRcHeEbA]

http://205.200.6.78/view/indexFrame.shtml

thats what it looks like right now, it's kinda dark right now though.

[The Icon of Elisim]

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/seatingbowl2.jpg

Check out the attendance, thats pretty good for the Pens :naughty:

(Check me out, I beat Yash to the obvious joke)

[MoRcHeEbA]

LOL

[YOUR Hero]

dammit I was about to post that joke. :rant:

Ok here's the second one; There aren't enough Natives walking around outside.

[MoRcHeEbA]

there's a few guys that aren't wearing cowboy boots walking down portage though. :naughty:

[MoRcHeEbA]

if anyone had the arguement of we had a team and then left I guess I could give you the reasoning that we couldn't keep the team anymore...

[YOUR Hero]

That's a shit arguememnt anyways Cheebs, look at Minnesota.

[Gertner]

lol maybe a NHL team out of winnipeg will make it past the second round this time!!!







I think not.

[MoRcHeEbA]

WE TOOK PRIDE IN LOSING IN THE FIRST ROUND

[MoRcHeEbA]

:(

[Yashamaga]

http://www.truenorthproject.mb.ca/concepts/seatingbowl2.jpg

Look

not even all the players bothered to show up