Ice Edge to announce ECHL plans

advocate says:

This can be great news, IF the following happens:

- The city does not rush an arena decision just to get this team
- That the Thunderwolves and this team can co-exist, at least for the first few years until this team can prove if it is sustainable or not

My biggest concern is we build the arena, put this team in it, lose the Thunderwolves, and then the team moves in two years.

Hopefully we are not myopic enough to just jump at this blindly. Listening to Commisso and from the information I have heard, the City won't be. But let's just hope this is true.

8/30/2010 1:58:43 PM

Rick says:

This group will have a good reason to laugh, if the taxpayers and city leaders build their requested facilities.

8/30/2010 2:05:20 PM

charlieindian says:

Are these people stupid....the team will not last ...tickets will be $20 or more to sit at the gardens....SUPPORT LAKEHEAD THUNDERWOLVES HOCKEY over this garbage...

8/30/2010 2:12:50 PM

drdolittle says:

Wow. I wonder who came up with this fantastic idea. I see it now....

1. Proposal gets made hinging on new arena.
2. Council approves construction of new arena, contrary to the objections of the city residents.
3. Lowest bid gets contract to build new arena, possibly a local company but who knows....
4. After multiple cost overruns and delays arena is built and team finally comes to town.
5. A few years later after they've taken the crowds from the LU team, team ownership decides that it's no longer economically feasible to keep the organization in Thunder Bay.
6. Thunder Bay taxpayers left holding the bill.
7. Select few local individuals and their hangers-on walk away with more $$ in the bank.

How about put this to a referendum? See if the people of Thunder Bay really want a new arena? Where are the people who are going to attend these games? This is a bunch of BS from a couple businessmen who see an opportunity to make some more $$ by taking advantage of Thunder Bay's love of the game of hockey. Support your local university team! We need real jobs and real industry in this community, not white elphants to line the pockets of a select few.

8/30/2010 2:31:09 PM

lonewolf9 says:

Have these guys looked at a map? The closet team is more than 800 miles away! This league here makes absolutely no sense. This team will have to average 5,000 fans a game to be viable. It will never happen in this city.

8/30/2010 4:02:00 PM

Igor says:

if they have so much money, why don't they just build their own arena (with local labour) then sell it back to the city for $1 when they leave or the city can just foreclose on it for unpaid taxes in about 3 years - why do we have to pay for other people's dreams

8/30/2010 4:14:15 PM

spooner19 says:

The Fort William Gardens should have been torn down twenty years ago instead of wasting money to keep repairing that peice of garbage. A city the size of Thunder Bay should have a actaull real arena that will atract other events other than just hockey. Sounds like a lot of whining on here all the time no matter what the topic is. The Thunderwolves are Canadian University hockey look at the other cities they get a handfull of fans. They played at the P.A. arena for probably close to 40 years nobody worried then about there survival,why now? Who really cares.

8/31/2010 2:43:33 PM

bob campbell says:

These guys are no more than used car salesmen.
Thunder Bay is tired of their shinanigans.
Their money will never be where their mouths are.Get a grip gentlemen! Nothing lasts for long in good 'ole T Bay.
Trying to get a team in Thunder Bay? You must have too much dough!

9/2/2010 1:14:39 AM

yqtyqt says:

I think that the picture below says it all. I can see the two TBay entrepreneurs laughing about City council and our elected officials. As a matter of fact, you can just about see the words "no worries, TBay has lots of money to waste on a new arena. They'll go further into to debt for just about anything to buy some more votes. But hurry, elections are just around the corner. We'll use Commisso as our point man".

We're a pile of suckers if we think any of their money will actually go into this white elephant. They don't have the ca$$$h for an NHL team or an AHL team. Even Bettman is on to this by now. ECHL is a third level semi pro league. CIAU is a much better bet for the money. Truly local investors who are committed to TBay with their own money. NO taxpayer handouts required.

9/2/2010 10:15:45 AM