If you were an NHL player, who'd be on your 10 team NTC?

[#freejame]

13 minutes ago, dudacek said:

He knows exactly what he wrote

@#freejame gets it

[GASabresIUFAN]

24 minutes ago, dudacek said:

1 New York Rangers

2 Toronto Maple Leafs

3 New York Islanders

4 New Jersey Devils

5 Dallas Stars

6 Florida Panthers

7 Philadelphia Flyers

8 Washington Capitals

 

Fed largely by your media, I have a bias against large American cities I haven’t been to, particularly in the east, especially Toronto.

Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Detroit, Columbus would be in the running for my last two spots. The Bruins and their fans make them likely, but my perception of the city doesn’t repel me as much as other big ones.

I went to the Bruins Sabres game in Boston when the Sabres wiped the floor with Boston 6-1 in the playoffs.  Except for one idiot, the Boston fans were great.  My wife and I were there for 4 days and it is a remarkably walkable city with great restaurants, shopping and many other fun things to do.  Honestly I expected to dislike the city and the Bruins fans and it turned out quite the opposite.  

That experience in Boston is why the Boston wasn't on my list.  If I had a 12 team list LA and Toronto would be added.

[darksabre]

1. Winnipeg
2. Dallas
3. Florida
4. Las Vegas
5. Nashville
6. New Jersey
7. New York Islanders
8. Utah
9. St. Louis
10. Columbus

I honestly tried to put Buffalo on this list, but there were too many other teams/cities I would want to play in less. 

[Weave]

Edm

Cal

Win

Tor

Fla

TB

LA

Dal

SJ

Ana

If I could add more I’d add:

NYR

NYI

NJ

Phi

Car

UT

[JoeSchmoe]

23 minutes ago, #freejame said:

Boston is a phenomenal city. I haven’t met too many people who haven’t loved it there. Toronto is fine, but it’s just Canadian NYC to me. 

I feel like Toronto loses on all counts.

If you want a house with a yard, you're looking at an 1+hr commute into the downtown.

If you're young and want nightlife, the city isn't what it used to be. The cool neighborhoods I remember from the 90s are shadows of their former selves. Rents are too high, so all the cool bars and restaurants can't make it work. Cornerstone businesses are selling out to build condos. Couple that with Canada's massive wave of immigration largely centered around the GTA where the incoming people are less likely to take part in nightlife. That said, there are still tons of bars and restaurants, but it wouldn't have the same appeal as the top US cities.

[Nacho Libre]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

Everyone with WPG is upsetting @Nacho Libre

[Nacho Libre]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Nah.  He wouldn't want to play for them either.  😉 

f*ck no.

but it’s a nice city. Better summers and fall than buffalo. Better nightlife, more stuff to do. They also film a ton of movies here if you are into that kind of thing. The downtown often doubles for chicago. Recently, the Odenkirk film Nobody was shot here. Buffalo does have better winters. But so much of the bite of winnipeg winters has been reduced to a bark over time by climate change, so the coldness is in fact now vastly overrated. The lakes and cabins close by…James Patrick had a cabin at my Lake. So did Paul Maurice. Those who know, know. Buffalo is great too I’ve heard 

I shake my head when winnipeg is listed above Edmonton as less desirable. Can only be an unfamiliarity with Canada. Edmonton is the same weather and literally in the middle of butt-f*ck nowhere. Literally.

i can wake up in the morning and drive to a late afternoon Vikings game 

Winnipeg / Edmonton no competition. Couldn’t pay me. Nevermind the politics 

Edited July 16 by Nacho Libre

[mjd1001]

18 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I went to the Bruins Sabres game in Boston when the Sabres wiped the floor with Boston 6-1 in the playoffs.  Except for one idiot, the Boston fans were great.  My wife and I were there for 4 days and it is a remarkably walkable city with great restaurants, shopping and many other fun things to do.  Honestly I expected to dislike the city and the Bruins fans and it turned out quite the opposite.  

That experience in Boston is why the Boston wasn't on my list.  If I had a 12 team list LA and Toronto would be added.

Boston has always been a major city, but the place has gotten so much better in just the last decade.  Assembly row is a nice place to stay. Lots to see and do downtown.  The Seaport is amazing, they basically built a brand new, ultra modern city where some old warehouses and factories used to be and did it in just over a decade.  And if you love American history, its the best place to visit by far (apologies to Philly, actually its Boston #1, Philly a very close #2, and then everyone else a mile back)

Edited July 16 by mjd1001

[JoeSchmoe]

12 minutes ago, Nacho Libre said:

f*ck no.

but it’s a nice city. Better summers and fall than buffalo. Better nightlife, more stuff to do. Buffalo does have better winters. But so much of the bite of winnipeg winters has been reduced to a bark over time by climate change, so the coldness is in fact now vastly overrated. The lakes and cabins close by…James Patrick had a cabin at my Lake. So did Paul Maurice. Those who know, know. Buffalo is great too I’ve heard 

I shake my head when winnipeg is listed above Edmonton as less desirable. Can only be an unfamiliarity with Canada. Edmonton is the same weather and literally in the middle of butt-f*ck nowhere. Literally.

i can wake up in the morning and drive to a late afternoon Vikings game 

Winnipeg / Edmonton no competition. Couldn’t pay me. Nevermind the politics 

I bolded the wrong stuff and italiced the good stuff.

The lakes near Winnipeg are definitely underrated, but you've vastly underrated the Buffalo/Niagara/Finger Lakes area. 

Taking a 7+ hour drive to anywhere isn't a flex. Winnipeg is IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. No NHL player is even remotely considering that. Given the choice I'd rather go from Edmonton to Jasper in about half the time.

Edited July 16 by JoeSchmoe

[Nacho Libre]

Just now, JoeSchmoe said:

Hi bolded the wrong stuff and italiced the good stuff.

The lakes near Winnipeg are definitely underrated, but you've vastly underrated the Buffalo/Niagara/Finger Lakes area. 

Taking a 7+ hour drive to anywhere isn't a flex. No NHL player is even remotely considering that. Given the choice I'd rather go from Edmonton to Jasper in about half the time.

The drive was compared to deadmonton. The bolded is accurate, it doesn’t matter what your opinion is lol. You get buffalo is way smaller right 

Winnipeg’s summers and fall are *elite*. Just doesn’t get talked about because of the winter meme 

[JoeSchmoe]

Just now, Nacho Libre said:

The drive was compared to deadmonton. The bolded is accurate, it doesn’t matter what your opinion is lol. You get buffalo is way smaller right 

Winnipeg’s summers and fall are *elite*. Just doesn’t get talked about because of the winter meme 

Winnipeg Metro is under 900k with nothing around it. Buffalo Metro is over 1.1M with Rochester's 1M+ and Southern Ontario's 10M+ right beside it.

[Nacho Libre]

Buffalo has good weather in summer and fall too though, they aren’t dissimilar overall. That’s why the contrast is so strikingly hilarious and so damn American. “Buffalo good winnipeg bad” lol ya man 

14 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Winnipeg Metro is under 900k with nothing around it. Buffalo Metro is over 1.1M with Rochester's 1M+ and Southern Ontario's 10M+ right beside it.

Right because when you want to go drinking you leave the city 

Expensive cab lol 

- - - 

Comparing nightlife in Winnipeg and Buffalo shows that both cities offer vibrant options, with Winnipeg standing out for its historic Exchange District pubs and live music venues, and Buffalo shining with its classic Allentown taverns, rooftop bars, and historic music halls.

Both seem nice 

Edited July 16 by Nacho Libre

[JoeSchmoe]

1 minute ago, Nacho Libre said:

Buffalo has good weather in summer and fall too though, they aren’t dissimilar overall. That’s why the contrast is so strikingly hilarious and so damn American. “Buffalo good winnipeg bad” lol ya man 

Right because when you want to go drinking you leave the city 

Expensive cab lol 

Still Buffalo's bigger. People from Amherst, Orchard Park, Hamburg, etc are going to downtown Buffalo... 1.1M worth. It's basically all the same city. And we have plenty of people here (myself included) that will go from Southern Ontario or Rochester for a night on the town in Buffalo. 

[#freejame]

I’d rather be a retired person in Winnipeg than a hockey player in Winnipeg. I have nothing against the city, I think there’s just better spots to be a professional athlete. I wouldn’t want to come to Buffalo if I had no attachment here either. 

[Nacho Libre]

Also, my personal fav data point:

https://www.timescolonist.com/archive/winnipeg-is-canadas-sexiest-city-says-dating-service-4591116

funnily enough, not even a joke. We top these types of lists all the time. Yes I know it’s a stereotype that Canadians are hotter in general but re winnipeg, it’s definitely famously a calling card.

Edited July 16 by Nacho Libre
This is, in fact, a joke. (But not really)

[Nacho Libre]

3 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Still Buffalo's bigger. People from Amherst, Orchard Park, Hamburg, etc are going to downtown Buffalo... 1.1M worth. It's basically all the same city. And we have plenty of people here (myself included) that will go from Southern Ontario or Rochester for a night on the town in Buffalo. 

Winnipeg and Buffalo aren’t dissimilar cities. That’s my point. They both get unfair rap. Our weather is just as good. Our metro areas are nearly the same. Your winters are a tad warmer and we have free healthcare and hotter women. It evens out, the two far ahead of many citites commonly ranked ahead

And especially Edmonton 

[Eleven]

28 minutes ago, Nacho Libre said:

Also, my personal fav data point:

https://www.timescolonist.com/archive/winnipeg-is-canadas-sexiest-city-says-dating-service-4591116

funnily enough, not even a joke. We top these types of lists all the time. Yes I know it’s a stereotype that Canadians are hotter in general but re winnipeg, it’s definitely famously a calling card.

Hey, if Michael Scott can score there...

[oddoublee]

2 hours ago, oddoublee said:

Great exercise and harder than I thought. I can't imagine how tough this is for actual players.

Playing in Canada doesn't intrigue me - however, I hear Vancouver is awesome. Outside of that, I picked cities I've been to and know I wouldn't want to live.

Winnipeg

Ottawa

Calgary

Islanders

Rangers

New Jersey

Detroit

Toronto

Utah

Seattle

 

You didn't like my list @Nacho Libre ????

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Buffalo could win a cup and we'd still be on half the lists. Small city, high taxes, bad weather.

I strenuously disagree. What has put us on many players’ “no trade” lists has more to do with being considered to be a dysfunctional and losing organization than anything to do with the weather and taxes. It appears that this ugly perception is less so now because the team has shown that it can win and be a serious team.

[msw2112]

9 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I strenuously disagree. What has put us on many players’ “no trade” lists has more to do with being considered to be a dysfunctional and losing organization than anything to do with the weather and taxes. It appears that this ugly perception is less so now because the team has shown that it can win and be a serious team.

I agree in part....I was born and raised in Buffalo and love the place.  If it made logistical and financial sense, I'd move my family back there today (unfortunately, it doesn't).  Most people I know that are not from the area and visit it are very impressed and people who are transferred there for business, or come there for school, fall in love with it and stay.  It's also close to Southern Ontario and not that far from Quebec, where a lot of hockey players come from.

I agree that the PRIMARY reason Buffalo is on no-trade lists is that the team has been dysfunctional and bad.  I would also say that many NHL players who end up in Buffalo (draftees, free agent signees who got more $ or ice time in Buffalo, players traded to the Sabres that couldn't or didn't block the trade) will love it and want to stay.  All this said, Buffalo in and of itself is not a destination for young millionaire athletes.  If a player doesn't have a connection to WNY (or maybe Southern Ontario), it's not a place that players are lining up to be.

Now that the team is better and has a bright path for the foreseeable future, I suspect that players are WILLING to come to Buffalo and some might want to come because they think they can win a Stanley Cup (such as Helly), but it's still not a destination city.  I'm a huge fan of Buffalo and promote it and support it as much as anyone, but I'm also a realist.  To know Buffalo is to love it, but if you don't know it, there's nothing about it that would jump out as a place to be.  (It's quite possible that the same could be said about Winnipeg, but I don't know it, so I can't comment too much about it.)

[PromoTheRobot]

24 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I strenuously disagree. What has put us on many players’ “no trade” lists has more to do with being considered to be a dysfunctional and losing organization than anything to do with the weather and taxes. It appears that this ugly perception is less so now because the team has shown that it can win and be a serious team.

Let's hope we keep winning so we can test your theory. 

[Scottysabres]

2 hours ago, #freejame said:

Boston is a phenomenal city. I haven’t met too many people who haven’t loved it there. Toronto is fine, but it’s just Canadian NYC to me. 

Boston is an awesome city….but…..

The Bruins and Patriots play there….

So F uck Boston!!!

[RPop]

10 include: Minny St Louis Detroit Philly Seattle 

Islanders Rangers NJ

Winnipeg Calgary 

San Jose has great fans and burbs

Anaheim is a great place to live 

Ottawa Montreal and Vancouver 👍

 

 

[Second Line Center]

1. Columbus 

2. Boston

3. New Jersey 

4. Ottawa 

5. Toronto 

6. St. Louis

7. Carolina 

8. San Jose 

9. Anaheim 

10. Los Angeles 

[JohnC]

15 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

I agree in part....I was born and raised in Buffalo and love the place.  If it made logistical and financial sense, I'd move my family back there today (unfortunately, it doesn't).  Most people I know that are not from the area and visit it are very impressed and people who are transferred there for business, or come there for school, fall in love with it and stay.  It's also close to Southern Ontario and not that far from Quebec, where a lot of hockey players come from.

I agree that the PRIMARY reason Buffalo is on no-trade lists is that the team has been dysfunctional and bad.  I would also say that many NHL players who end up in Buffalo (draftees, free agent signees who got more $ or ice time in Buffalo, players traded to the Sabres that couldn't or didn't block the trade) will love it and want to stay.  All this said, Buffalo in and of itself is not a destination for young millionaire athletes.  If a player doesn't have a connection to WNY (or maybe Southern Ontario), it's not a place that players are lining up to be.

Now that the team is better and has a bright path for the foreseeable future, I suspect that players are WILLING to come to Buffalo and some might want to come because they think they can win a Stanley Cup (such as Helly), but it's still not a destination city.  I'm a huge fan of Buffalo and promote it and support it as much as anyone, but I'm also a realist.  To know Buffalo is to love it, but if you don't know it, there's nothing about it that would jump out as a place to be.  (It's quite possible that the same could be said about Winnipeg, but I don't know it, so I can't comment too much about it.)

I agree that Buffalo 🦬 isn’t a destination city and franchise. But the same label can be applied to the majority of the cities/franchises in the league.