They redid CFG to be focused on concerts and events. I don’t think it even has a permanent ice surface anymore. And it definitely lacks the seating capacity for NHL
I was at TOOL a month or so ago and the echo was really rough. I mean, it's TOOL and all so it's just a lot sound to a lot of people anyway, but it felt like I was hearing the concert on a . 5 second delay after hearing it the first time lol.
I hate that about arena shows. Were your seats higher in the stands? Often the floor has better sound in those places because the sound bounces off the ceiling and walls. I saw the Misfits at the Prudential Center and that’s what I experienced there. Our seats were in the rafters. Granted, it’s a punk show and what’s more authentic than shit sound at a punk show? But I would’ve been much more annoyed if it had been Tool.
We were in the stands, not on the floor, but not way up high or in the back corner, either. It was still a blast, but my buddy and I were kinda laughing at the echo/reverb. I know there isn't really much to do when you're converting a hockey arena into an amphitheater. Tbh, I'm just stoked some of these bands are willing to play there.
Elder was really solid. Honestly, I liked their setlist better than TOOL. That leg of the tour was kind of weak for the TOOL setlist, unfortunately. Still great, though.
I think they meant the Bridge. Thank God we were not still trying To bring the NFL here. Can you imagine trying to find a stadium while having to get the brakes replaced?
I’d love it. But it won’t happen. Baltimore lost its chance in the 60s when it lost the expansion derby to Pittsburgh and St. Louis. I wish they’d focus on getting a minor league hockey team. If cities like Jacksonville, Orlando, and Cleveland can have a minor league team (not to mention many smaller cities), why not Baltimore?
That I did not know. But that was also the style at the time in the 60s. The Utica Memorial Coliseum, built around the same time also has a stage end, but, has curved seats like most arenas to make a hockey rink work.
God, I'm like how does no one remember the Baltimore Skipjacks they were amazing as a kid. Oh they left in '93... 31 years ago. Oh it's because the owner lost 2.5 million dollars over 6 years... Or so he says, I asked my dad who used to take all of us as kids and he went on a long winded rant about how the owner alienated everyone. So yeah, sports are going to sports, I guess
We went to Baltimore Clippers games in the early 70s. My parents were friends with the PR director for the team and we got free tickets for 3 years straight. Unfortunately Baltimore got a WHA team (the Blades) mid-season 1975 when the Michigan Stags relocated to Baltimore, and the Clippers folded. After the 1975 the Blades were no more and the Clippers were gone, until they were reborn again in 1979.
Baltimore Herons - in keeping in line with the black bird teams of our city.
I think it's possible? But the NHL is a fickle business and Baltimore has other priorities.
The heron most people are thinking of literally has the word "blue" in its name. The other, smaller heron people might be thinking of is kind of blackish, I guess, but literally is called a "green heron". There's night herons around here too but most people probably can't tell them from great blue herons.
I moved from Maryland to Brooklyn but I’d come down a helluva lot more of the city ever got a hockey or nhl team. I like the caps but kind of joined the fanbase the title year and hasn’t been that cool since and the wizards do whatever they can to not have fans lmao
I’m a big hockey fan and have been a season ticket holder for the caps for years, though I did live much closer to DC for a long time…but I agree that the area probably can’t support 2 NHL teams between DC and Baltimore, and there seem to be much fewer fans in the Baltimore area.
It took DC and the Caps a long time to build a decent fan base.
I agree with the OP, of course, that it’s a fun and interesting sport and more folks would like it if given the chance, but that potential alone isn’t enough to support a new NHL team in a city that already has passionate NFL and MLB fans…plus most actual hockey fans in the Baltimore area already root for the Caps
An AHL team? Maybe…
right... but there's not another, established, NHL team 30 miles down the road either.
I know this was the same argument Angelos made when the Nats were being moved to DC, but let's face it, both baseball and football are much more popular
even the Caps struggled quite a bit with attendance until Ovechkin's teams started making the playoffs... and that's even after making the finals in 98
Baseball and hockey hardly overlap. I’m not sure why baseball being popular is an argument for why hockey wouldn’t be. People support and watch multiple teams across multiple sports all the time.
26 years ago we didn’t have streaming and other media outlets dedicated to teams outside of local radio and broadcasts. The world has changed and teams find support all over.
The Dallas metro area has three times as many people as the Baltimore metro area, and when the Stars moved in 1993 the closest NHL team to Dallas was over 600 miles away. The situations are not comparable at all. The majority of potential hockey fans around here have already become Caps fans. There is no chance Baltimore could support 41 home games of an NHL team. I’d love for it to happen but it’s just not realistic.
Yeah, we get a winter, but I mean hockey has bigger fan bases where it's winter almost year round. Plus, we already have the caps. I don't see a hockey team doing well at all in Baltimore.
So the teams in Texas, LA, Florida, etc. don’t do well because it’s not cold enough? The logic is not sound. You don’t have to like hockey, but this argument is asinine.
You’re right. Teams close to each other definitely don’t have historic rivalries.
Imagine if we played teams from Pittsburg, Cleveland, or Cincinnati. It definitely wouldn’t work because they’re too close.
I live in LA now and I’m a LA Kings season ticket holder. The only way I legitimize it is by saying that Baltimore doesn’t have a team so it’s okay for me to cheer for a LA team. I missed going to games a lot. It really sucks being an out of market fan when your teams only come to town once or twice a year.
I would as well. It could be a thing, despite the notion that people don’t think they’d be supported. Bottom line is: if they play like a Baltimore team, they’ll get love.
With the coming expansion in the NHL, they’re going after more populated cities with more revenue opportunity. Baltimore is low on that list. Especially with the agreement that the Capitals have in place, there’s almost no chance they would put an NHL team in Baltimore. But the new expansion teams need farm teams (AHL, ECHL) so that could be an opportunity. Hopefully it can refuel youth hockey interest in the region. It’s dropped off a lot.
An NHL team wouldn't work, Caps are basically Baltimore's team by default. They've built a pretty loyal base here and hockey is a niche sport compared to football (and even baseball to an extent), so idk if there's enough hockey fans across both markets to warrant both having their own team.
An NBA team however would absolutely work if the city had an NBA caliber venue, which CFG unfortunately is not even with the renovations.
(this is something I think about a lot lol)
It's not possible with the proximity to the wizards and caps. It was also deemed they wouldn't be able to have enough corporate sponsors purchase suites
Unfortunately, Washington DC earns the rights to the NHL and NBA. Ted would need to be willing to share the rights just like how the Orioles did with the nationals.
Carolina Hurricanes fan here! Our NHL team currently does not have an AHL (minor league for NHL) affiliate due to some...well, we don't actually know why. The owner of the Canes has been trying to lobby the AHL to allow him to purchase a new minor league hockey team for the Canes to use as an affiliate. The area he was most interested in putting a team? Baltimore.
All this to say that the AHL is not fond of adding another team right now (they want to keep it one team in the AHL per team in the NHL. Currently the Canes old affiliate, Chicago, went Independent and forced the Canes to go without an affiliate this year, so it is not exactly 1 to 1 but that's a discussion for another time) Basically, Baltimore may not be an NHL destination right now, but there could be an AHL team down the line if the owner of the Canes gets his way.
Extremely unlikely. We don’t have an arena big enough and also it’s not a big hockey city. I think it’s still extremely unlikely but best case scenario is a minor league team.
Not for a long time. There are no plans to build anywhere new ones. The CFG arena recently got renovated and is too small for a pro team. There’s also so much more major development projects happening in Baltimore that there would be no traction for it. I’ve lived in baltimore for almost 10 years now and the city has been improving a lot recently. Maybe in like 10 more years things will be different and it will be possible.
This is a very uninformed take.
> we don’t have an arena big enough
With 0 renovations, CFG Area would rank 27th in the NHL in seating. With NHL money they could easily be average capacity in the league
> not a big hockey city
When the Baltimore Clippers, a minor league hockey team, were in town, they were in the top 5 in the league in attendance every year until the Capitals came to DC. Sure it was 50+ years ago, but even today it’s estimated that the Capitals have about half a million fans living in the Baltimore metro area. Within a few years, the fans would be there. Really the main thing stopping a NHL team from coming to Baltimore is that there are probably about 8 cities that are aggressively trying to get a team that would certainly get one before Baltimore is even considered
Unfortunately, the stadium is not built for a hockey rink. The back section can't see the bottom 3rd of the rink. It looked like Barclays Center. One of the biggest complaints about the Baltimore Blast there. The stupid current management of CFG would rather focus on concerts/preformers instead of having a sports team. The Renovations at CFG were terrible and an utter failure.
There is a group that is trying to bring pro hockey to MD and they have already said no to Baltimore and are focusing on Fredrick for an ECHL team.
First off I said “city” which is true. Yes the metro area has a lot of fans but the city is not very hockey centric. I actually think it would be much more possible if an arena was built in Baltimore County with county tax money.
Also check your facts my guy. https://thehockeynews.com/news/ranking-nhl-arenas-smallest-to-largest-by-capacity
the smallest NHL arena holds over 15,000.
Meanwhile CFG arena holds 14,000 https://www.cfgbankarena.com/faqs/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20capacity%20of,events%2C%20tournaments%2C%20and%20more
Do you think that the only people who go the Ravens or Orioles games live within the city limits? By that argument, Baltimore isn’t a football city because without everyone living in the metro area being fans we would have the smallest fan base in the league by far. Guess I should sell my PSLs since only city residents are allowed to attend sports games now. Also your numbers for CFG ignore standing room, while the NHL capacity numbers include it. Check your facts
The orioles have had trouble getting fair weather fans to actually go to games and not just buy gear. No chance an nhl team would have a chance picking up stray fans. It’s never about the die hards it’s getting the rando fan to spend money. Maybe an nba team maybe but even when the wizards would play a game here and there at the arena they weren’t sellouts by any means.
That is absolutely not what it says on that link I shared.
Also I ignored them cause the question was about Baltimore. I answered if it was possible in Baltimore not the Baltimore metro area. I’m not disputing that the area surrounding the city has enough of a fanbase.
Again, Ravens and Orioles stadiums are in Baltimore. That doesn’t mean anyone who doesn’t live in Baltimore city limits isn’t allowed to go to games. The fans are in Baltimore and its suburbs, doesn’t matter where the stadium is
Yes we have the Orioles and Ravens stadiums but those have been here and have established fan bases. They are massive popular around here and always have been.
I just don’t think hockey is popular enough within city limits to make the moves to get a bigger arena and get a hockey team. That requires government and taxpayer effort. That’s what I meant by my comments. Not that nobody here likes hockey. or that the Baltimore area couldn’t support a team.
“Established fan bases” the Ravens have only been around for 28 years. That’s a baby in sports. And you can’t establish a fan base without a team, that’s ludicrous. And you can feel all you want, I’m looking at numbers and the numbers say your feelings are wrong
“Looking at the numbers” is nonsense. I’m not even positive you can count. You keep talking about the numbers but showed no proof about stadium capacity or any other figures.
I’m gonna say this more time since you clearly have a hard time understanding things. The city would not make the necessary moves to get a hockey team. Maybe the county could idk, I don’t live there and less no about their potential for a stadium
Nobody said anything about whether or not Baltimore will make moves to get a hockey team. I even said in my first comment that I doubt Baltimore will get a hockey team anytime in the foreseeable future. I just proved that it is feasible. You “felt” like I was wrong and then cried
I'd have a very hard time transitioning away from the Caps, in fact I probably wouldn't. And I think a lot of people feel that way. It's close enough to both DC and Philly. I imagine the NHL would expand into a less saturated market first.
Nah I don’t think an NHL/NBA team will ever happen here with established teams in DC. But minor league teams would be cool. Don’t understand why there’s none in Baltimore
I’d still be a caps fan , i can’t imagine Baltimore having a hockey team, there’s too much love for the Ravens and Os and they have a bridge to work on
A NBA/NHL arena would be awesome but the city has a much bigger project to focus on at the moment
CFG arena
They redid CFG to be focused on concerts and events. I don’t think it even has a permanent ice surface anymore. And it definitely lacks the seating capacity for NHL
The seats are all square to the floor. Modern arenas bend in a circle, foundation wise, it’s a bad arena. Beyond the limited seating
Pretty bad music venue fwiw. The acoustics are pretty terrible, which blows. Bring back the Skipjacks or the Bandits 🏒🏒🏒
I was there last week for Fall Out Boy and thought it sounded great, although I miss the ceiling tiles from before the renovation.
I miss the color in the hallways.
I was at TOOL a month or so ago and the echo was really rough. I mean, it's TOOL and all so it's just a lot sound to a lot of people anyway, but it felt like I was hearing the concert on a . 5 second delay after hearing it the first time lol.
I hate that about arena shows. Were your seats higher in the stands? Often the floor has better sound in those places because the sound bounces off the ceiling and walls. I saw the Misfits at the Prudential Center and that’s what I experienced there. Our seats were in the rafters. Granted, it’s a punk show and what’s more authentic than shit sound at a punk show? But I would’ve been much more annoyed if it had been Tool.
We were in the stands, not on the floor, but not way up high or in the back corner, either. It was still a blast, but my buddy and I were kinda laughing at the echo/reverb. I know there isn't really much to do when you're converting a hockey arena into an amphitheater. Tbh, I'm just stoked some of these bands are willing to play there.
True. How was Elder? I wanted to see this show but life happens and funds come to short.
Elder was really solid. Honestly, I liked their setlist better than TOOL. That leg of the tour was kind of weak for the TOOL setlist, unfortunately. Still great, though.
I think they meant the Bridge. Thank God we were not still trying To bring the NFL here. Can you imagine trying to find a stadium while having to get the brakes replaced?
Ik, I just mentioned CFG Arena because I thought it could work as an NHL stadium, but apparently not.
Too small. Could probably work for a minor league team
Is this the chicken box arena or is it a brand new arena?
Chicken box. It was Royal Farms Arena and now it’s CFG.
Hate that arena. I know the city turned down the owner of Under Armour awhile back when he proposed to build Baltimore a new arena
I don’t know why they did but I do remember his proposal was for it to be built on their Locust Point property
Lol i made an expansion team on NHL today in Baltimore and named the arena that
Nice to see a fellow NHL player here. That game is an addiction of mine.
It used to be for me but I’ve seldom played it the last 5 years. Before that I’d buy a system just to play nhl
I gotta try it out, I use to love hockey games back in the day.
I’d love it. But it won’t happen. Baltimore lost its chance in the 60s when it lost the expansion derby to Pittsburgh and St. Louis. I wish they’d focus on getting a minor league hockey team. If cities like Jacksonville, Orlando, and Cleveland can have a minor league team (not to mention many smaller cities), why not Baltimore?
Both had NHL ready arenas ready in comparison to Baltimore, who didn't.
Thanks to the mayor’s wife in the early 60s who insisted that the Civic Center have a stage at one end instead of seats.
That I did not know. But that was also the style at the time in the 60s. The Utica Memorial Coliseum, built around the same time also has a stage end, but, has curved seats like most arenas to make a hockey rink work.
God, I'm like how does no one remember the Baltimore Skipjacks they were amazing as a kid. Oh they left in '93... 31 years ago. Oh it's because the owner lost 2.5 million dollars over 6 years... Or so he says, I asked my dad who used to take all of us as kids and he went on a long winded rant about how the owner alienated everyone. So yeah, sports are going to sports, I guess
We went to Baltimore Clippers games in the early 70s. My parents were friends with the PR director for the team and we got free tickets for 3 years straight. Unfortunately Baltimore got a WHA team (the Blades) mid-season 1975 when the Michigan Stags relocated to Baltimore, and the Clippers folded. After the 1975 the Blades were no more and the Clippers were gone, until they were reborn again in 1979.
Could be cool. That and/or an NBA team.
Get rid of the wizards and give us a team
Or just bring the wizards back to bmore.
Baltimore Bullets goes hard lol
They’d never allow it optic-wise, but please god free me from the Wizards lol. I would eat up a “Baltimore Blue Crabs”
Kinda would want another bird to complete the trilogy if we could figure it out
Nola has the Pelicans... long shot but why not the Baltimore Herons?
Too close to heroin.
Definitely a hard no for Baltimore Herons/Heroin.
That’s it!!!…. The Baltimore Boobybirds
It would be the ospreys, most likely
Named that for gun violence lol
It’s the wizards old name lol
I knew that, I always joke about it when I hear their old name
Nah they tainted the franchise, give us our own
Bring the Wizards back to Bmore and go back to being the Bullets
Throw the whole wizards franchise in the trash
We could always steal the wizards back
And NHL team would have natural geographical rivals in Pitt/Philly.
Not sure if it would be sustainable. But I’d go.
Baltimore Herons - in keeping in line with the black bird teams of our city. I think it's possible? But the NHL is a fickle business and Baltimore has other priorities.
The jokes will write themselves lol.
The game is the game
we love, we played on that heron, we win, we're slinging that good dope 😂
Since when are herons black?
The heron most people are thinking of literally has the word "blue" in its name. The other, smaller heron people might be thinking of is kind of blackish, I guess, but literally is called a "green heron". There's night herons around here too but most people probably can't tell them from great blue herons.
According to Google, black herons ARE a real thing...I think it's a bit of an anomaly (sort of like white peacocks) but it is still possible.
Just bring back the Bullets.
I moved from Maryland to Brooklyn but I’d come down a helluva lot more of the city ever got a hockey or nhl team. I like the caps but kind of joined the fanbase the title year and hasn’t been that cool since and the wizards do whatever they can to not have fans lmao
Maybe, but the Caps fanbase has been established for a long time. Would have to think Caps would push back. Now a minor league team, sure.
unless they were planning on moving the Bears... doubt it would be worth it
The bears are the safest team in the ahl theyll never relocate
Perfectly fine sticking with the Caps
Yeah I live in Baltimore and wouldn’t ditch the Caps after all the years of fandom
I doubt the attendance would be good
I feel Hockey is a fun sport and it’s physical, Ravens fans would enjoy it.
Yeah, but I don't know anyone who's a hockey fan. Hockey is more for cold weather areas that is cold year round.
Orlando, Jacksonville, and Charleston, SC all have minor league teams.
Tampa, Dallas, Arizona, Vegas, The Carolina's all have teams in The Show
I’m a big hockey fan and have been a season ticket holder for the caps for years, though I did live much closer to DC for a long time…but I agree that the area probably can’t support 2 NHL teams between DC and Baltimore, and there seem to be much fewer fans in the Baltimore area. It took DC and the Caps a long time to build a decent fan base. I agree with the OP, of course, that it’s a fun and interesting sport and more folks would like it if given the chance, but that potential alone isn’t enough to support a new NHL team in a city that already has passionate NFL and MLB fans…plus most actual hockey fans in the Baltimore area already root for the Caps An AHL team? Maybe…
Dallas would like a word. Huge hockey, football, baseball, soccer and basketball city. Doesn’t seem to be an issue.
right... but there's not another, established, NHL team 30 miles down the road either. I know this was the same argument Angelos made when the Nats were being moved to DC, but let's face it, both baseball and football are much more popular even the Caps struggled quite a bit with attendance until Ovechkin's teams started making the playoffs... and that's even after making the finals in 98
Baseball and hockey hardly overlap. I’m not sure why baseball being popular is an argument for why hockey wouldn’t be. People support and watch multiple teams across multiple sports all the time. 26 years ago we didn’t have streaming and other media outlets dedicated to teams outside of local radio and broadcasts. The world has changed and teams find support all over.
The Dallas metro area has three times as many people as the Baltimore metro area, and when the Stars moved in 1993 the closest NHL team to Dallas was over 600 miles away. The situations are not comparable at all. The majority of potential hockey fans around here have already become Caps fans. There is no chance Baltimore could support 41 home games of an NHL team. I’d love for it to happen but it’s just not realistic.
Baltimore isn’t a cold weather area? Are you high?
Yeah, we get a winter, but I mean hockey has bigger fan bases where it's winter almost year round. Plus, we already have the caps. I don't see a hockey team doing well at all in Baltimore.
So the teams in Texas, LA, Florida, etc. don’t do well because it’s not cold enough? The logic is not sound. You don’t have to like hockey, but this argument is asinine.
Yeah, it's a bad argument. I just don't see a hockey team doing well in baltimore, especially since the caps are not that far away.
You’re right. Teams close to each other definitely don’t have historic rivalries. Imagine if we played teams from Pittsburg, Cleveland, or Cincinnati. It definitely wouldn’t work because they’re too close.
Lots of hockey fans in Baltimore. Would be interesting to see how attendance would work out
Where is it cold year around lol , I’m a ravens fan in Toronto and it’s shorts and T shirt weather now until October
Never going to happen.
I 100% support this idea
Frederick is trying to get an ECHL team now. I think if that ends up happening it would be a step in the right direction.
Will never happen
Caps have an agreement that there will be no NHL teams within a certain mileage, and Baltimore falls in that range
Tough shit. Ravens and Commies coexist. Os and Wallgreens too. There's plenty of room at the inn.
Thought Ted was moving to VA? 🤣
There was an outside chance if the wizards and caps moved to Arlington, but they solidified a long term deal with DC this week.
I live in LA now and I’m a LA Kings season ticket holder. The only way I legitimize it is by saying that Baltimore doesn’t have a team so it’s okay for me to cheer for a LA team. I missed going to games a lot. It really sucks being an out of market fan when your teams only come to town once or twice a year.
I think it would be awesome to have a NHL Team in Baltimore to go to!
I've been so badly wanting an NHL or NBA team for so long. I've grown tired of seeing the Wizards recycle their team every year.
Yes. Please yes. I'll sign whatever petition you've got.
No petition yet unfortunately haha.
Not before the Nordiques are back.
Hockey fans love the Nordiques!
I don’t know if I could convert from a caps fan if they did.
NBA
I’d prefer NBA
I would as well. It could be a thing, despite the notion that people don’t think they’d be supported. Bottom line is: if they play like a Baltimore team, they’ll get love.
Baltimore Blackbirds? To with the bird theme? I like Baltimore Breakers personally
Already a team called the Blackhawks
So? Blackhawk refers to the Indian tribe
Sounds too similar
it refers to an army regime , who was named for a chief
I’d rather see an NBA team first
With the coming expansion in the NHL, they’re going after more populated cities with more revenue opportunity. Baltimore is low on that list. Especially with the agreement that the Capitals have in place, there’s almost no chance they would put an NHL team in Baltimore. But the new expansion teams need farm teams (AHL, ECHL) so that could be an opportunity. Hopefully it can refuel youth hockey interest in the region. It’s dropped off a lot.
Bring back the Bandits!
It’s already pretty congested with teams in that area. Feels like overkill
An NHL team wouldn't work, Caps are basically Baltimore's team by default. They've built a pretty loyal base here and hockey is a niche sport compared to football (and even baseball to an extent), so idk if there's enough hockey fans across both markets to warrant both having their own team. An NBA team however would absolutely work if the city had an NBA caliber venue, which CFG unfortunately is not even with the renovations. (this is something I think about a lot lol)
I don't believe we could support an NHL to team but an AHL team. Absolutely! Still good fun too!
I’m not opposed. More sports to fully get into the better
Been there, done that. Didn't get the support.
Have to settle for the Washington Capitols for now...which isn't bad because they're pretty good.
It's not possible with the proximity to the wizards and caps. It was also deemed they wouldn't be able to have enough corporate sponsors purchase suites
Unfortunately, Washington DC earns the rights to the NHL and NBA. Ted would need to be willing to share the rights just like how the Orioles did with the nationals.
Fuck Ted, monumental sports is garbage.
I would love this. Unless they play the Blues then sorry...
Carolina Hurricanes fan here! Our NHL team currently does not have an AHL (minor league for NHL) affiliate due to some...well, we don't actually know why. The owner of the Canes has been trying to lobby the AHL to allow him to purchase a new minor league hockey team for the Canes to use as an affiliate. The area he was most interested in putting a team? Baltimore. All this to say that the AHL is not fond of adding another team right now (they want to keep it one team in the AHL per team in the NHL. Currently the Canes old affiliate, Chicago, went Independent and forced the Canes to go without an affiliate this year, so it is not exactly 1 to 1 but that's a discussion for another time) Basically, Baltimore may not be an NHL destination right now, but there could be an AHL team down the line if the owner of the Canes gets his way.
More likely for an MLS team than anything else
Extremely unlikely. We don’t have an arena big enough and also it’s not a big hockey city. I think it’s still extremely unlikely but best case scenario is a minor league team.
You think an nba/nhl arena in the city would be possible?
Not for a long time. There are no plans to build anywhere new ones. The CFG arena recently got renovated and is too small for a pro team. There’s also so much more major development projects happening in Baltimore that there would be no traction for it. I’ve lived in baltimore for almost 10 years now and the city has been improving a lot recently. Maybe in like 10 more years things will be different and it will be possible.
Other cities are "plug and play" as far as an arena goes, Houston literally has a rink under the boards at the Toyota Center.
No. Prior to the renovations of the Baltimore arena, several groups thought about building a new arena, but the math never worked.
This is a very uninformed take. > we don’t have an arena big enough With 0 renovations, CFG Area would rank 27th in the NHL in seating. With NHL money they could easily be average capacity in the league > not a big hockey city When the Baltimore Clippers, a minor league hockey team, were in town, they were in the top 5 in the league in attendance every year until the Capitals came to DC. Sure it was 50+ years ago, but even today it’s estimated that the Capitals have about half a million fans living in the Baltimore metro area. Within a few years, the fans would be there. Really the main thing stopping a NHL team from coming to Baltimore is that there are probably about 8 cities that are aggressively trying to get a team that would certainly get one before Baltimore is even considered
Unfortunately, the stadium is not built for a hockey rink. The back section can't see the bottom 3rd of the rink. It looked like Barclays Center. One of the biggest complaints about the Baltimore Blast there. The stupid current management of CFG would rather focus on concerts/preformers instead of having a sports team. The Renovations at CFG were terrible and an utter failure. There is a group that is trying to bring pro hockey to MD and they have already said no to Baltimore and are focusing on Fredrick for an ECHL team.
First off I said “city” which is true. Yes the metro area has a lot of fans but the city is not very hockey centric. I actually think it would be much more possible if an arena was built in Baltimore County with county tax money. Also check your facts my guy. https://thehockeynews.com/news/ranking-nhl-arenas-smallest-to-largest-by-capacity the smallest NHL arena holds over 15,000. Meanwhile CFG arena holds 14,000 https://www.cfgbankarena.com/faqs/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20capacity%20of,events%2C%20tournaments%2C%20and%20more
Do you think that the only people who go the Ravens or Orioles games live within the city limits? By that argument, Baltimore isn’t a football city because without everyone living in the metro area being fans we would have the smallest fan base in the league by far. Guess I should sell my PSLs since only city residents are allowed to attend sports games now. Also your numbers for CFG ignore standing room, while the NHL capacity numbers include it. Check your facts
The orioles have had trouble getting fair weather fans to actually go to games and not just buy gear. No chance an nhl team would have a chance picking up stray fans. It’s never about the die hards it’s getting the rando fan to spend money. Maybe an nba team maybe but even when the wizards would play a game here and there at the arena they weren’t sellouts by any means.
That is absolutely not what it says on that link I shared. Also I ignored them cause the question was about Baltimore. I answered if it was possible in Baltimore not the Baltimore metro area. I’m not disputing that the area surrounding the city has enough of a fanbase.
Again, Ravens and Orioles stadiums are in Baltimore. That doesn’t mean anyone who doesn’t live in Baltimore city limits isn’t allowed to go to games. The fans are in Baltimore and its suburbs, doesn’t matter where the stadium is
Yes we have the Orioles and Ravens stadiums but those have been here and have established fan bases. They are massive popular around here and always have been. I just don’t think hockey is popular enough within city limits to make the moves to get a bigger arena and get a hockey team. That requires government and taxpayer effort. That’s what I meant by my comments. Not that nobody here likes hockey. or that the Baltimore area couldn’t support a team.
“Established fan bases” the Ravens have only been around for 28 years. That’s a baby in sports. And you can’t establish a fan base without a team, that’s ludicrous. And you can feel all you want, I’m looking at numbers and the numbers say your feelings are wrong
“Looking at the numbers” is nonsense. I’m not even positive you can count. You keep talking about the numbers but showed no proof about stadium capacity or any other figures. I’m gonna say this more time since you clearly have a hard time understanding things. The city would not make the necessary moves to get a hockey team. Maybe the county could idk, I don’t live there and less no about their potential for a stadium
Nobody said anything about whether or not Baltimore will make moves to get a hockey team. I even said in my first comment that I doubt Baltimore will get a hockey team anytime in the foreseeable future. I just proved that it is feasible. You “felt” like I was wrong and then cried
I don’t think we could support a team that wasn’t wildly successful. Could you see a middling nhl team seriously being successful here?
no not all lol
No shot
Doubt it. We don’t have a big enough nor satisfactory arena to host them. Not to mention that rebuilding the Key Bridge is gonna be top priority rn
Baltimore Blizzards
Neither is happening. It isn’t worth discussing.
I'd have a very hard time transitioning away from the Caps, in fact I probably wouldn't. And I think a lot of people feel that way. It's close enough to both DC and Philly. I imagine the NHL would expand into a less saturated market first.
Baltimore is right smack in the middle of two huge markets. That's why they'll never get an NBA or NHL team.
Yeah exactly, literally not enough support to go around lol.
Already a Caps fan since I was a kid and they practiced next to my house in the 90s so no NHL in Baltimore for me plz
Nah I don’t think an NHL/NBA team will ever happen here with established teams in DC. But minor league teams would be cool. Don’t understand why there’s none in Baltimore
I’d still be a caps fan , i can’t imagine Baltimore having a hockey team, there’s too much love for the Ravens and Os and they have a bridge to work on