On Franchise Movement

I grew up in Hartford, Connecticut a devoted Whalers fan. My parents are big hockey fans and some of my earliest memories are of watching the Whale play (or attempt to play) at the Hartford Civic Center. Eventually due to Hartford being too small of a market the Whale left for greener pastures.

I was angry for a while after they left. I stopped following the NHL for a number of years before returning to the game I love and cheering for the Leafs that my goalie coach spent hours telling me about when I was younger. I read today that the owners of the Thrashers are in talks to sell the team to Winnipeg and since I write for a primarily Canadian audience I know what the reaction is likely to be.

If you’re from Winnipeg you have reason to be excited: you might have an NHL team again. You should also realize that the heartbreak you felt when the Jets flew south to Phoenix is something that will happen to Atlanta. Sure, the Thrashers don’t sell out or even really have particularly good attendance but that’s not really the point. 

There are thousands of people who care about hockey as much as any of us who are at work on a Monday hoping they won’t lose their NHL team. Let’s save the "no fans" jokes and sympathize with fellow hockey fans because who knows what happens if the Canadian dollar weakens in the years to come. Regardless of where fans are located and who they cheer for nobody deserves to be jerked around by the NHL.