- The Flames added defenseman Scott Hannan for 1 year, $1 million. Good addition for them, in my eyes, especially at that price. [Matchsticks and Gasoline]
- The Red Wings are holding a “HockeyFest” on September 11. There will be activities, player autograph signings, tours, and more at the Joe. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children. [Purchase at RedWings.NHL.com]
- According to ESPN, the Wings are in good shape future-wise. The Sharks and Canucks? Not so much. Then again, this is ESPN and their hockey coverage is lackluster to say the least. [PuckDaddy – ESPN requires an Insider subscription]
- Last week, I posted a link regarding the successor to the Joe. It was paid-subscriber only, so we had to go by the snippets that Malik was giving us. Well, Malik is back and with a much more in-depth analysis saying that building an arena in this economic climate will be much more difficult than anyone thinks (which is unfortunate because we all knew it would be difficult). Some interesting tidbits:
- The Wings are currently pumping about $2 million into the city of Detroit each year.
- The current agreement (there is no contractual lease at the moment) has the Wings paying $25,000 per month to use the arena, along with property taxes and 7-10% of ticket sales.
- In exchange, the city is providing adequate police force and sole maintenance on the exterior
- The city has had sole control over Cobo Arena since the old lease ended, which is making it much, much easier to renovate the Cobo complex in an effort to keep the North American Auto Show in Detroit
- A new arena would cost between $300 and $400 million
- While the Ilitch family could pay for it out-of-pocket, they would prefer to get financing from the city, Wayne County, the state of Michigan, and possibly surrounding counties.
- Previous reports have said the city would not try to renovate the Joe if the Wings leave, likely preferring to demolish the arena and use it as part of the Cobo Center or turn it into a park. (No source on this, I remember reading it in the Free Press last summer)
I highly suggest reading the full article. Malik provide excellent insight into the current arena situation. [The Malik Report]
- The Red Wings have released their Prospects Camp roster and schedule. The only notable exclusions seem to be Tomas Tatar and Thomas McCollum. All the likely faces such as Brendan Smith, Tomas Jurco, Gustav Nyquist, and Landon Ferraro will be in attendance. [The Production Line]
Discussion of the Day: what do you think the fate of the Joe should be when/if the Wings move out?
