8 Teams Who’re Causing The Lockout

Great interview with Dan Boyle done by Kevin Kurtz over at CSN Bay Area here.  Maybe the most alarming thing here is that Dan Boyle is convinced that there are 8 teams out there who are causing all the trouble.  Some have speculated that it’s the 8 most powerful…but what if it were the 8 most unsatisfied with the current deal?  Who are the 8?  Off the top of my head the 8 that I came up with were Nashville, Florida, New Jersey, Tampa, Phoenix, Carolina, Anaheim and Columbus.  I just made that list up and afterwards started searching through contraction rumors, pictures of empty arenas, etc., and sure enough those are the 8 most mentioned (along with Dallas).

Nov. 3, 2011; Glendale, AZ, USA; Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Derek Morris (53) reacts after Nashville Predators right wing Patric Hornqvist (27) scored an empty net goal in the third period at Jobing.com Arena. The Predators beat the Coyotes 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

All are having trouble filling their barns with fans, and some of these barns still have that “new arena smell” wafting through their halls (NJD).  These are some sweet places that I’ve seen games in, the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville is an awesome venue if you’re looking to go to a game.  Problem is that while it’s 6th in music concert attendance nationwide (17th in the world), the Predators ranked 20th in the NHL in terms of attendance.  The detractors will all be quick to point out that all but New Jersey are non-traditional hockey markets, but being a fan in San Jose I know how you can make that non-traditional hockey vibe work.  Oh, and if you think the fans in Jersey can fill their stadium because of their winning tradition or whatever, check out this TERRIBLE scene from a playoff game.