Ticket Sales in Winnipeg Going Well

Yahoo reported this earlier.

"WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP)—The owners of Winnipeg’s new NHL team say they have sold more than 4,000 season tickets in just over a day.

"The as-yet unnamed team hopes to sell 13,000 season tickets before the meeting of the NHL’s board of governors on June 21, when the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers and the club’s relocation is expected to be approved.

"As of Thursday afternoon, 4,170 season tickets have been sold, according to the team’s website. Currently, only season ticket holders for the AHL Manitoba Moose have the opportunity to buy between four and eight seats. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday."

--Yahoo Sports

That's almost 1/3 of the arena already sold. That's incredible considering it was in one freaking day and not to the general public. ALl of those are from the Manitoba Moose. Speaking of which, I didn't realize this until I read it on the Moose website, but take a look at the following:

Posted on: Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
By Press Release, Moose

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … David Andrews, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Hockey League, released the following statement after today’s announcement by True North Sports & Entertainment in Winnipeg:

“The Manitoba Moose have been a flagship franchise for the AHL over the last decade, always near the top of the league in attendance, regularly going deep into the Calder Cup Playoffs, hosting the AHL All-Star Classic and developing countless National Hockey League players for the Vancouver Canucks, all while also maintaining a strong grass-roots presence in the Winnipeg community.

“While our league will not be the same without the Manitoba Moose, our loss will be the NHL’s gain. Mark Chipman has been an influential leader as an owner in the AHL, playing an important role in our expansion to absorb the former IHL and serving on the league’s executive committee for 10 years. He will be a terrific addition to the NHL Board of Governors.

“Manitoba deserves to have NHL hockey, and we have no doubt that the NHL will be successful in its return to Winnipeg. Our sincere thanks go to the Manitoba Moose fans who have supported the American Hockey League loyally and passionately for the past 10 years.

“The future of the Manitoba AHL franchise will be determined in the weeks ahead, and we look forward to Winnipeg’s NHL club developing its top prospects in the AHL.”

I had no idea the Moose would be leaving if the Thrashers came in. But, apparently, the Manitoba Moose are expected to re-locate should NHL approve the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers to True North Sports and Entertainment since TNSE plans to re-locate the Thrashers to Winnipeg. TNSE has negotiated a deal with former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams to move the team to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in the event of approval. Should the franchise re-locate to St. John's the team will affiliate with the new Winnipeg NHL team.

Interesting development I didn't know.

So, do the Thrashers become the Moose? Do the Moose retain their name when they go to St. John's? Are the Jets coming back? As I mentioned before, there will be no more Thrashers as the Atlanta Spirit Group retain the rights to the name. If I had my way, I would name the new NHL Winnipeg team something new, not the Moose or the Jets. The main reason is because it is a new team for Winnipeg. It's not the same old Jets the Canadians had. This preserves the memories of the old team while opening up a new door to this team.

Frankly, I like the idea of keeping the name during a move, but it's rare in hockey. The Jets became the Coyotes in Phoenix, the Whalers became the Hurricanes, the Rockies are now the Devils. Only the Flames retained the name when they left Atlanta for Calgary. In other sports, it's generally accepted to change the name, though it's not unprecidented to have it remain. The Braves were in Boston, then Milwaukee, now Atlanta. However, when the Expos left Montreal, they became the Nationals. Not the Senators, which was the previous MLB franchise in DC. Same thing with the NBA Sonics becoming the Thunder when they came to Oklahoma City, though the MLB Dodgers kept their name from Brooklyn, as did the NFL Los Angeles Rams. The Colts were in Baltimore before Indianapolis, then the Ravens came in to BLT. The Oilers left Texas for Tennessee, became the Titans, then got the name Texans upon return. Whatever happens with this name, there's a history behind it.

From a simple, "that-sounds-cool" standpoint, I would really like to see the NHL Moose, but it deminishes the legacy of the AHL team. Or, does it add to it? It's not the same team, but it is the same fans and passion. The Utah Grizzlies are two different franchises, one with a maroon color scheme, the other green. It makes it a little difficult to distinquish between the two, but they are totally seperate. One was in the American Hockey League until they left and became the Lake Erie Monsters. The other used a number of names during their history (including the Macon Whoopee) before moving to Salt Lake City, replacing the AHL Grizzlies with the ECHL Grizzlies for hockey. It gets very confusing, so I do not recommend the name Moose is used (though it would be cool) or the return of the old Jets nickname. The debate over the Thrashers name traveling though, is dead.

So, what should they become? I am going to avoid any names already taken by professional sports teams (at least those I know of). The easy names are ones that start with a W for Winnipeg or M for Manitoba. Take your pick. Just open up Websters and you can find a long list. But I have four other suggestions.

The Aviators. This would nod towards the original Jets and keep the spirit of flight alive that lives in the city.

The Forks. Yeah, I know. It sounds odd, but so does the Wild, Canadiens, Canucks, and Maple Leafs. It would pay tribute to the famous local area that attracts 4 million visitors a year. A major tourist spot. I mean, does Islanders or Red Wings really make more sense? Okay, maybe not this one. It may be too esoteric to work.

The Railers. Like Atlanta, Winnipeg's heritage is tied to the railroad. It was (and remains) a hub for rail travel and shipping in Canada.

The Grenadiers. An Army unit deployed during WWII. There is Valour Road in Winnipeg that pays tribute to fallen soilders, though not specifically this group.

For the record, I do not believe True North Sports will listen to me and the Winnipeg Jets name returns.

Go Forks, Go!

-TTFN-