New NLL team

[bobtrack]

Hey just wanted to let you guys know that Edmonton is getting a NLL team next year. What do you guys think of having two NLL teams in one province.

[Krazy Kanadian]

Personally, I think its great. There is already a historic rivalry in hockey between the Alberta teams (Flames and Oilers). Hopefully the same can be said for the Lacrosse teams!!

[judge death]

I think its great and sad at the same time. Great that Edmonton is getting a team finally after so many false starts and rumors. Sad because Alberta is now going to have 2 teams and BC wont even have 1.

[Hooligan]

Edmonton will support the team. At this point, thats all that really matters.

[Hackstall]

They are also holding a contest looking for team name, logo and mascot. I plan on dreaming something up to enter just for kicks. www.edmontonprolacrosse.com

[laxgirl45]

It's so exciting!!! lol probably mostly because I live in Edmonton...but yeah, I always wondered if one day Edmonton would get a team.......

[regulate34]

dude that would rock
i think we should get the ravens back

[JustLaxn20]

I think it is great that the nll is expanding as it is good to see lacrosse anywhere grow...we need to keep up the support in order to get lacrosse number 1 where it should be

[RockStar]

Glad Edmonton's getting a team, concerned that expansion is happening too fast.

There are barely enough top-tier players (and not enough top-tier goalies) for the teams that already exist.

Concerned that the NLL will start looking like Senior B lacrosse if they don't slow down the expansion.

[KoachKream]

the nll owners are voting for a team in portland,oregon on monday, league just keeps growing, when will the mll learn?

[RockStar]

the nll owners are voting for a team in portland,oregon on monday, league just keeps growing, when will the mll learn?

MLL's different. In the NLL, it's individual ownership - investors in the expansion cities bring a business plan and apply for a franchise. The MLL teams are all owned by the entity that owns the league.

I've heard rumours of Portland, NYC, and Hartford.

Hartford has to fall off the table...small, minor league city without a decent facility. It will fail for the same reasons that every similar city (except Rochester) failed.

NYC with a good owner would be great, either on the Island, or at MSG. I don't know if they can make this work for this year, but they have to reserve the next expansion franchise for NYC....a stable franchise here is instant credibility for the league.

Leaves Portland, which is actually a major league city in at least one sport. Don't know anything about NLL-suitable arenas, or interest in lacrosse there. Do know that if Edmonton and NYC enter the league as expansion teams, that I don't want to see an expansion team in Portland. Hoping Portland is a re-locate of one of the struggling Cali teams - San Jose or Anaheim.

As for historic interest in lacrosse - it doesn't matter. NLL teams have failed in Maryland, Syracuse, etc. The markets where it's doing best have limited or no history with field laX. It can be made to work anywhere if the marketing is done well.

[Hooligan]

Portland isn't a new team, its Anaheim moving north.

The other new teams this year are New York and Connecticut (Hartford). There should be one more this year. Right now, the league would have 13 teams. 13 is a scheduling nightmare. The NLL either needs to eliminate a team, or add one more. Look for this change to happen soon.

[KoachKream]

The team would play at the rose garden home of the blazers. there is alot of intrest, i know alot of people that went to the seattle mll game. and i believe it will be the storm that is moving

[banditsfan85]

there storm will not leave california, portland will get an expansion team.

[Chamoo]

The Storm are leaving California, because they are going to Portland. Whoever said the NLL owners are voting on an expansion team in Portland, who do you get your info from?

Next season, this is what is happening.

Anahiem moves to Portland.
Edmonton awarded an expansion team.
Either New York or New England will have an expansion franchise in the east.

I can promise you the first two transactions are going to happen, thought I cannot guarentee the last one. Players on the Storm (atleast some of them), have been made aware the team plans on moving to Portland and that they should prepare to play in Portland next year. Edmonton being awarded expansion has already been made official. The NLL however is still looking to bring in another team in the east. The main two options they are looking at is New York and New England. A city that has an outside chance of getting the expansion franchise is Atlanta as the league wants to move south.

[swordsman]

I hope its NY but if its Con. I'll travel to a game or two.
Rockstar how solid is this????

[RockStar]

I hope its NY but if its Con. I'll travel to a game or two.
Rockstar how solid is this????

I don't have insider info at all.

I'm just hoping that if there's one more expansion team it's NYC....mostly for the roadtrip!

[KnightsLAXDad]

I don't have insider info at all.

I'm just hoping that if there's one more expansion team it's NYC....mostly for the roadtrip!


More fuel to the rumor, I had heard earlier the now fact Edmonton,
Hartford, NYC, and Montreal.

KLD

[DaveatNLLLax]

Orginally posted by Knights
More fuel to the rumor, I had heard earlier the now fact Edmonton,
Hartford, NYC, and Montreal.


Funny how you bring Montreal up. Talked with a friend, who's part of a major group of people, who has more than an expressed interest in firing Montreal back up, and there's some major bucks backing it. Whether it happens this year or not remains to be seen. For fact, knowing that was two franchises' rights up for grabs, and Ottawa heading west, that 1/2 hour I spent on the phone proves this might just happen, and if it does, the coaching staff that has already been formulated for it, is going to be good, and the management team will surprise you.

Portland is a reality, add NY and Hartford, spice it up with Edmonton, and throw a better managed Montreal?

Oh my!

Dave

[KoachKream]

Im suprised that they choose portland, not that im complaining ill be in line for season tickets, not seattle, with the mll already having tried and gotten pretty good success

[K_Lax]

I also know someone on the committee that is heading the decision on the Montreal franchise. It looks very likely, about 80-90% that this franchise will be back in the league for the upcoming season. Just wanted to say one thing, the management was not the old team's problem. Terry Sanderson has taken the rock to a first place finish, and he was 1 or 2 games shy of taking the Express to the playoffs in their first year. The problem was ownership. The old owners had no commitment

[RockStar]

....Terry Sanderson has taken the rock to a first place finish, and he was 1 or 2 games shy of taking the Express to the playoffs in their first year. The problem was ownership. The old owners had no commitment

One more win and MTL was in instead of PHILLY.

No committment in the ownership, AND no competence in the front office is what I heard.

[KoachKream]

how long until we know about the team in portland?

[oslax19]

there was an arcticle in the Oregonian, saying that the NLL board was voting today as to whether we would be awarded a team. so hopefully soon

[ORBulldogLAX]

KXL 750 am in Portland announced at 3pm a Mens Professional Lacrosse Francaise in for Portland starting 2006.

Just thought that everybody would like to know that.

[oslax19]

yes...man im gonna be driving up to portland every weekend next year. so whats the news..does anyone know if its an expansion team we're getting or is a team being moved?

[titans 43]

how do you think the teams will be choosen for the exspansions, will it be mostly local players(besides the exspansion draft) or what?

[KoachKream]

the storm is moving here

[KoachKream]

i was listening to Jim Romes talk show and every 20 and 40 of the hour 1080 the fan, my local sports station, at 10:20 said portland has the nll team

[adam]

It'll be official tomorrow (you heard it here first):

http://insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?pagerid=2&news=fdetail&storyid=91935

[Hooligan]

Not to be picky, but you heard it here (in the NLL forum) first.

Yet another reason to continue watching the best forum, in TLF!!

[Rids]

Just to mention something - Montreal's franchise has been sold and moved to Minnesota so for Montreal to return to the NLL it would be something completely new. Which would be great to go back without Watters in charge to paper the rink.

To form the new teams; they will have a 10 round expansion draft (existing teams will lose 4 players each), there should be a free agent period leading up to the draft (at least there was when Calgary was added) and then open market afterwards. Finally the entry draft to fill out the rosters. This year is rumoured to be fairly deep so the new teams can expect to have a few rookies step into their lineups.

[Hooligan]

Check again on that figure Rids. From what I have here, the Minnesota team was actually another Watters failure, the Ottawa Rebel. As far as my records show, the Express franchise is still housed in Montreal.

[banditsfan85]

told you portland would be an expansion team and not anaheim moving

[judge death]

The Montreal Express are now the Minnisota Swarm
The Ottawa Rebel are now the Edmonton ?

[Reblax44]

I do beleive that Montreal is Minnesotta if you look at the history. I know I am new to the forums and am probably going to take a licking for this but how come with the addition of Portland and Edmonton that puts 6 teams on the west coast 2 in middle N America and 4 teams on the East coast. Yep I am an East coaster in New England and miss the Blazers but I also miss the Saints I read somewhere they were going to move the Saints from Nassau County Collusium to Madison Square Garden. As for a NE team DCU or the "new" Boston Garden would be nice, nothing against Hartford but if they plant the Saints in MSG that would wipe out Hartford. Also if you look at the NLL players survey the top 2 spots to expand is NY and Boston.

[Hooligan]

Boston is the NLL's version of Van Halen's relationship with David Lee Roth. They tease about planting a new team in New England, only to put it somewhere else other than Boston, to spite the city and the former owners of the Blazers, who still hold a grudge against the present leadership in the NLL.

Is there an open slot in CBS's daytime schedule for another soap opera? "As the Box Turns"???

[swordsman]

Boston is the NLL's version of Van Halen's relationship with David Lee Roth. They tease about planting a new team in New England, only to put it somewhere else other than Boston, to spite the city and the former owners of the Blazers, who still hold a grudge against the present leadership in the NLL.

Is there an open slot in CBS's daytime schedule for another soap opera? "As the Box Turns"???Yea, but waht about the whole NY/Hartford theory that's still plausible, right???

[Mavido]

Ok guy's i just talked to the commish of the NLL, apparently we're getting a team in Winston-salem North carolina! YESS!

[Hooligan]

Notice that the owner of the NY and Hartford teams is the same person. What is hoped happens, is that the team revenue from the Hartford team will cover the spread of losses the NY team will lose on being housed in the very expensive Madison Square Garden stadium. Of course, the money raised in profit (if any) from the Hartford squad will not cover the losses entirely on its own, so there is already a plan in house for the NLL to help cover the rest of the missing dollars, by virtue of the impending TV deal from NBC, who has been very animate about having a team in NY at the MSG site.

If that makes any sense to you, then you understand what I've been hearing from the sources I've been talking to.

[Rids]

Hooligan> Bruce Urban bought the Ottawa franchise for 1.9 Million because the expansion price tag was at 3 million. Watters (the killer of pro sports) sold the Montreal franchise to the Minnesota Wild to become the Swarm.

Now what I don't know is what the new Portland franchise was purchased for. Some reports have it at 1.5 million and others say 3.0 million.

If the new expansion team was only worth 1.5 then Bruce got robbed buying a team for 400,000 more and not getting anything for it. No players, no staff, just a pre-made logo/name (that they won't use) and financial records.

[Deutschlaxer]

Hooligan> Bruce Urban bought the Ottawa franchise for 1.9 Million because the expansion price tag was at 3 million. Watters (the killer of pro sports) sold the Montreal franchise to the Minnesota Wild to become the Swarm.

Now what I don't know is what the new Portland franchise was purchased for. Some reports have it at 1.5 million and others say 3.0 million.

If the new expansion team was only worth 1.5 then Bruce got robbed buying a team for 400,000 more and not getting anything for it. No players, no staff, just a pre-made logo/name (that they won't use) and financial records.

But a much cheaper deal then then the 3 million price tag set by the NLL. Remember 1.1 Million is a boatload of money and can go a long way in securing other things needed by the organization before they even step on the floor.

And the Portland franchise WAS purchased for 3 million. No more, no less, but was split by 2 groups.

[ahslax18]

They need to put teams back in Boston and NY


The problem with Boston was that the players wanted more money and the owners refused to give it to them, so they shut the team down.

[Reblax44]

Hooligan, the problem with Boston is Jacobs owns the "new Boston Garden" and gave the ownership of the Blazers fits when they played there. Kind of like he does to the Celtics( in fact the Celts have talked about building their own place on many occasions) He kind of has to deal with them seeing as they are more successful than his own Bruins. Also what is the matter with Worcester instead? Worcester (The Patriots play in Foxboro which is 20 miles south of Boston)was a great site in the begining and always drew well. The problem is finding a owner (Who does own the rights to the New England franchise???). As for the New York Saints they should be resurected and play in Madison Square Garden period!!!!

[Reblax44]

Hooligan is the Hartford team going to be Hartford or NE?? Won't New York at MSG kind of wipe out Hartford's fan base? Thats what happened to the Whalers they had to move because of the Bruins and Rangers. I can tell you as a Bostonian no one will go to Hartford from this area.

[Hooligan]

Team will be in Hartford, Connecticut. Not saying you're wrong in what you're saying here. Both I and the NLL know that a team would be MUCH more successful in Boston, or for that matter anywhere in the immediate vicinity of Boston. In fact, a team would be more successful in New Hampshire. But...the team is goin in Hartford.

We'll just have to see what happens.

[Lacrosseology-1994]

Yessssssireeee....... as soon as Edmonton hits the NLL lacrosse map then a brand new Alberta rivalry is gonna start! :) It'll be just like the NHL's Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames rivalry and it'll heat up real quick before long!! So folks, start getting used to seeing the Rush and Roughneck rivalry get going. The NLL's first real rivalry is going to start and it will be very interesting to see how dicey things get when they play each other.

[mcdonoghLAX02]

i think baltimore should get their team back or D.C.

[Hooligan]

i think baltimore should get their team back or D.C.
Never again. The NLL will not do it. Two strikes means the entire DC/Balt area is out.

Wait for another pro box league to form.

[Laxin2266]

yea I just talked 2 a guy whos boss now owns the saints..... they are in the process of selling the franchise and nexy year there will be a NYC team called the new york EMPIRES

[Laxin2266]

THAT IS TOTALLY FACTUAL /\

[Hooligan]

This is the 5th time I've heard about the Saints comin back. Where in the past I would be looking into this for confirmation, now I'm in a mode where I'd rather in a mood where I'm just going to see what happens.

[Laxin2266]

this guy (one of my sisters ffriends parents) told me that his boss (saints owner) is selling the team to the owner of shamrock lacrosse and he will move the team to MSG and they will be the NY Empires

[LAX_07BOXWORLDS]

I don't know much about new American NLL team possibilties but I don't think you will see much interest in Montreal. There is little organized junior or below lacrosse in all the province of Quebec, I spend a week in Montreal last summer on my way to field camp in Syracuse and couldn't find a lacrosse store in a city of 3 million people. Had 3 people checking the yellow pages and the internet and the two we found two sport shops that had left over gear from when the NLL Montreal Express played. Growth I believe wil be in the US where field is exploding and fans love the action of box once they see it after being introduced through the field game.

[Hooligan]

I have heard a rumor confirming yours, LAX_07BOXWORLDS. We could see a team back in Montreal, before we see another NY team.

[RockStar]

Boxworlds:

NLL success doesn't necessarily depend whether there's organized lacrosse or not.

Look at:

Colorado - no real lacrosse history at all
Philadelphia - no organized box lacrosse
Rochester - no organized box lacrosse
Buffalo - organized box lacrosse is across the river in Canada.

Now look at some of the dead or transplanted NLL teams in cities with a rich history of lacrosse:

Baltimore/Washington,
Syracuse,
Long Island,
VANCOUVER!!!

Montreal could fly. They were drawing something near 10,000 for every home game. I know a lot of that was due to papering the stands with freebies, but hey, at least the interest was obviously there.
Other cities that were big on paper tickets were lucky to actually have 1,200 people walk through the gates! Marketing could have filled the Bell Centre with paying Express fans.


The problems were many, but could be overcome. The team was started by fools and was not given a fair chance. The right ownership group could certainly make the NLL work in Montreal.

[LAX_07BOXWORLDS]

Good point about not having grass roots lacrosse in a city to make it work.Lacrosse is a great sport to play or watch and once people get the bug they usually are infected for life. I love Montreal but don't understand why great sports franchise don't work...other than the Montreal Canadians. It comes down to management and good marketing I guess.

[regulate34]

yea lacrosse in bc was huge well is huge but still small compaired to soccer and baceball
but hell for suck a history of lacrose in bc it imbarasing to loose them because no one goet to their game i went to 5-6 every season
i go to a cupple of lions games and i have never been to a canucks game