Aeros may be gone after 19 years (Houston, Center: 2013, rent, home)

[milrtime83]

Originally Posted by Dopo

The Toyota Center is too big and everything else is too small = Smells fishy to me

The Merrell Center in Katy or the Berry Center in Cypress would fit the 6-8000 capacity that is common for AHL Arena's. They've both had indoor football so hockey should be possible. There may be other reasons they aren't viable though (not selling alcohol would be one example).

[Cassino]

The real question is does the NHL want another Sunbelt team? I don't know enough of the inside baseball to say for sure but the impression I get is no.

I'd personally be disappointed to see the Aeros replaced with a new, much more expensive NHL team. I'm still skpetical as to the draw that an NHL team would get here. But nobody from the leagues has called me for an opinion so there it is.

[Schumacher713]

Originally Posted by milrtime83

The Merrell Center in Katy or the Berry Center in Cypress would fit the 6-8000 capacity that is common for AHL Arena's. They've both had indoor football so hockey should be possible. There may be other reasons they aren't viable though (not selling alcohol would be one example).

Those are not central locations. They would have the be supported by the suburbs there. Those are also owned by school districts. They do not have support to create ice. It is not cheap to put in a system to handle that. You would have to tear up the foundation. They are just not suitable locations.

[Schumacher713]

Originally Posted by Cassino

The real question is does the NHL want another Sunbelt team? I don't know enough of the inside baseball to say for sure but the impression I get is no.

I'd personally be disappointed to see the Aeros replaced with a new, much more expensive NHL team. I'm still skpetical as to the draw that an NHL team would get here. But nobody from the leagues has called me for an opinion so there it is.

The NHL will not have an expansion. It is just moving a team. This is the 4th largest city in the country that will soon be the 3rd. A good amount of people are not from Houston. I think there would be easily as much support as there is for the Rockets. I would probably split season tickets with a friend.

[Cassino]

Originally Posted by Schumacher713

The NHL will not have an expansion. It is just moving a team.

I understand. My point was does the NHL want a team in a new Sunbelt location? Especially with Quebec making moves on the Coyotes. The other thing I wonder about is despite the size of the city and amount of transplants, will there be enough of a market for a team? I see both sides of that argument so I really don't know.

[marcopolo2000]

surprised they lasted this long. I won't lose any sleep over this.

[HtownLove]

I like my Stros, My Rockets, , my Dynamos, Love my Texans. Even my Coogs.

Aeros???? Heck bring back the Comets instead.
4 titles in their 1st 4 years??? You kidding me?

[LostInHouston]

Originally Posted by Cassino

I'd personally be disappointed to see the Aeros replaced with a new, much more expensive NHL team.

The positive would be the impact on the youth hockey scene... see Dallas as an example. AHL team does not have the grassroots impact that an NHL team does.

[mikeyyc]

Originally Posted by Cassino

I understand. My point was does the NHL want a team in a new Sunbelt location? Especially with Quebec making moves on the Coyotes. The other thing I wonder about is despite the size of the city and amount of transplants, will there be enough of a market for a team? I see both sides of that argument so I really don't know.

The NHL wants a good market. Don't think for a second that they wouldn't be tripping over themselves to get into the 4th largest metro, and one of the top 10 tv markets. Phoenix won't go to to Quebec City, or anywhere else in Canada when the League will easily milk $300+ million in expansion fees for any Canadian club.

PHX will go to Seattle, KC, Houston, or some other US city for the cost of the franchise. Houston Mercury...hmmm...

[bloodwings19]

Aeros could play in Reliant Arena (not the Texans field), but since the team is not currently owned by locals, no tears for me. The teams that we can get would be Columbus Blue Jackets, or Phoenix Coyotes. NHL paid $60 million to Atlanta to get out of their lease, so I can see NHL paying money to relocate to an area with corporate support. I think Seattle will get first before we get ours because Vancouver Canucks needs a closer rivalry, in addition to the teams in Canada. Dallas will be our rivals which would make sense for us getting a team. I don't know if Leslie is committed now since he may have to overspend on his Rockets.