PSE has been "Dissolved"

[PromoTheRobot]

3 hours ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

for such a fast exciting game and such a long season and post season they fail to get the viewers they should. 
 

baffling, maybe not for a robot 

 

It's simple. Much of the country doesn't grow up with hockey. It's an expensive sport to play as a youth and you have to find arenas to play in.

45 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

Atlanta has lost two NHL teams. I think the league would be stupid to allow another franchise for that city. They apparently don't support hockey in that town.

 

 

[EasternOHBillsFan]

4 hours ago, buffblue said:

This is 100 percent correct.

 

Buffalo is one of the best hockey markets in the country and always #1 in the ratings. The team is becoming good again. If Pegula does sell it would be to a local interest.

 

The idea of the Sabres leaving Buffalo is way more of a nothingburger than the Bills prior to the stadium agreement. And a Bills relocation was always highly unlikely itself. 

 

What good is being the best hockey market in the country if you never win anything??? They can't even make the playoffs in the NHL, and that in itself is embarrassing. This team hasn't been the same since they drove off Patty LaFontaine and it drives me nuts.

[boyst]

30 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

I have zero inside information, but I doubt that Pegula is selling the Sabres.  There are many reasons, many of which have been stated above in this thread:

• he loves hockey and the team
• after several years of failure, the team has turned the corner and is poised for a nice long run of success
  • which will be fun and enjoyable for him as the owner
  • which will likely be highly profitable for him as the owner
• he has several children who can take over the family business when he gets too old (it looks like Kim's health may already have her out of the mix, sadly)
• he currently has good management in place on the sports side, both with the Bills and Sabres, so he can focus more on the business side
• he has others in place to help with the day to day work on the business side, so some of his "President" title may simply be as a figurehead; he can be as heavily or little involved as he wants to be
• he doesn't need the money, so he's not in a position where he'd be forced to sell

The only reply I have is I had heard it from a source we would all trust and some know. 

[PromoTheRobot]

20 minutes ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

What good is being the best hockey market in the country if you never win anything??? They can't even make the playoffs in the NHL, and that in itself is embarrassing. This team hasn't been the same since they drove off Patty LaFontaine and it drives me nuts.

 

I can tell you haven't paid attention to the Sabres the last two years.

[Utah John]

PSE got to be a very big and complex organization, and with Kim not there to bulldog things, I think it's just too big for Terry to handle alone.  The parts of PSE other than the Bills and Sabres will just have to find new homes.

[buffblue]

43 minutes ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

What good is being the best hockey market in the country if you never win anything??? They can't even make the playoffs in the NHL, and that in itself is embarrassing. This team hasn't been the same since they drove off Patty LaFontaine and it drives me nuts.

Huh? 

[Mr. WEO]

10 hours ago, Doc said:

I could see him doing that in the past, but the team is on the cusp of the playoffs this year.

 

Edit: Why the laughing emoji, Dillenger4?  Do I smell a wager?

 

lol after 12 years of ownership..."on the cusp"

 

 

anyway..so what does that have to do with anything as far as he is concerned?  It's at max value then.  He should sell it to someone who could put together a consistent winner, not someone who would take 12 years to get to 2 games over .500.

[Mr. WEO]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

It's simple. Much of the country doesn't grow up with hockey. It's an expensive sport to play as a youth and you have to find arenas to play in.

 

 

yet....look a the Stanley cup Finals the past dozen years--littered with teams from Florida, also Dallas  as well as LA and freaking Las Vegas.  What ice have those fans ever seen except floating at the top of their Big Gulps?  

 

winning creates fans, not experience playing or even understanding hockey.

[Nelius]

4 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I can tell you haven't paid attention to the Sabres the last two years.

 

Maybe like 22 years at least, there was a lot to unpack in that comment

[Buffalo Super Fan]

10 hours ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Key Bank lease expires in 2025.  Pegula has time to get things together plus I bet the county would add years if needed.

 

I guess a question to ask is, is Key Bank viable to staying open without the Sabres and possibly without the Bandits?

First yes Key Bank Center is viable staying open without the Buffalo Sabres. The Buffalo Bandits wouldn’t be moved because they aren’t as viable in a Houston and Atlanta already has a NLL team. If hypothetically dooms day the Buffalo Sabres moved which I don’t think is happening but hypothetically if they left. Buffalo would retain the Buffalo Bandits and a new Buffalo AHL team most like the Toronto Maple Leafs farm team Toronto Marlies AHL team potentially renamed would be moved to Buffalo. Since Buffalo was downgraded hockey wise Buffalo NBA G League could potentially also place a franchise here potentially the Toronto Raptors G League franchise because they would make potentially more money in Buffalo like the Buffalo Bisons/Toronto Blue Jays set up. So basically I believe Toronto teams would be interested as Buffalo as a farm team. Why? Because in the case of the NBA G League most of the players are American one and two Buffalo housing is cheaper than Ontario housing. The chances for the Toronto teams to expand there base would make Buffalo viable. Is it perfect no but it is viable. Then you can fill out Key Bank Center with concerts, shows and possibly arena/indoor football etc. So yes Key Bank Center is viable. BSF what proof? The Buffalo Braves NBA as a guide when they moved out of Buffalo in 1978 we got two teams in 1979 the Buffalo Bisons EL double a baseball and Buffalo Stallions MISL indoor soccer. One major league franchise is good for two minor league ones it seems. Someone’s trash is another person’s treasure but Buffalo is very viable as a minor league sports market and I believe Toronto would pounce on that. Who ever ran the First Niagara Center would make the necessary renovations for the minor league sports teams coming. So basically you have the Buffalo Swords AHL close enough since you can’t use the Buffalo Sabres or Buffalo Stampede potential names and Buffalo Braves NBA G League as the tenants replacing the Buffalo Sabres potentially. Would Buffalo fans be angry and stay away? Yes but overtime people want to have a good time for the evening and will go to the Buffalo minor league games. Some Buffalo Sabres fans will never go and say it’s a disgrace whatever. I think hockey wise this sucks I get it but basketball wise not bad to see the Buffalo Braves as a NBA G League team they could potentially use the name Buffalo Wings. 
 

With all that said I don’t think the Buffalo Sabres are moving but I think they are being sold the time line so far is playing out. I doubt investors are buying a piece they want the whole Buffalo Sabres team without the meddling Terry Pegula anymore involved. Also if this happens the new owners of the Buffalo Sabres may not retain the present general manager Kevyn Adams or head coach Don Granato when they have full control of the Buffalo Sabres. Also those upgrades are minor like in the Buffalo News Sunday like scoreboard and roof. The Buffalo News article said that more are going to be needed. The entire seating bowl needs to be replaced that is $500 million dollars range stuff we are talking about in today’s dollars. It will get done but with new Buffalo Sabres owners. Optics of new Buffalo Sabres owners will be easier for New York State to help without the same owners benefitting. I think Terry Pegula is going to do the right thing and sell the Buffalo Sabres to a group of local and outside Buffalo business leaders that will be able to navigate New York State for money for Key Bank Center renovations. The only negative with all this is for the Rochester fans. I don’t see the Buffalo Sabres/Buffalo Bandits new owners wanting the Rochester Americans nor the Rochester Knighthawks so they are in limbo potentially? Maybe Terry Pegula keeps the two Rochester teams to run which is possible. Because the Buffalo Sabres ownership isn’t going to want another lacrosse team nor a Rochester Americans team with another arena to run that is also outdated. I think Terry Pegula gets his hockey fan fix with the Rochester Americans/Rochester Knighthawks ownership? Poor Rochester beggars can’t be choosy in my opinion. Go Bills! Go Sabres! Go Bandits! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[ColoradoBills]

4 hours ago, I am leaving for good said:

First yes Key Bank Center is viable staying open without the Buffalo Sabres. The Buffalo Bandits wouldn’t be moved because they aren’t as viable in a Houston and Atlanta already has a NLL team. If hypothetically dooms day the Buffalo Sabres moved which I don’t think is happening but hypothetically if they left. Buffalo would retain the Buffalo Bandits and a new Buffalo AHL team most like the Toronto Maple Leafs farm team Toronto Marlies AHL team potentially renamed would be moved to Buffalo. Since Buffalo was downgraded hockey wise Buffalo NBA G League could potentially also place a franchise here potentially the Toronto Raptors G League franchise because they would make potentially more money in Buffalo like the Buffalo Bisons/Toronto Blue Jays set up. So basically I believe Toronto teams would be interested as Buffalo as a farm team. Why? Because in the case of the NBA G League most of the players are American one and two Buffalo housing is cheaper than Ontario housing. The chances for the Toronto teams to expand there base would make Buffalo viable. Is it perfect no but it is viable. Then you can fill out Key Bank Center with concerts, shows and possibly arena/indoor football etc. So yes Key Bank Center is viable. BSF what proof? The Buffalo Braves NBA as a guide when they moved out of Buffalo in 1978 we got two teams in 1979 the Buffalo Bisons EL double a baseball and Buffalo Stallions MISL indoor soccer. One major league franchise is good for two minor league ones it seems. Someone’s trash is another person’s treasure but Buffalo is very viable as a minor league sports market and I believe Toronto would pounce on that. Who ever ran the First Niagara Center would make the necessary renovations for the minor league sports teams coming. So basically you have the Buffalo Swords AHL close enough since you can’t use the Buffalo Sabres or Buffalo Stampede potential names and Buffalo Braves NBA G League as the tenants replacing the Buffalo Sabres potentially. Would Buffalo fans be angry and stay away? Yes but overtime people want to have a good time for the evening and will go to the Buffalo minor league games. Some Buffalo Sabres fans will never go and say it’s a disgrace whatever. I think hockey wise this sucks I get it but basketball wise not bad to see the Buffalo Braves as a NBA G League team they could potentially use the name Buffalo Wings. 
 

With all that said I don’t think the Buffalo Sabres are moving but I think they are being sold the time line so far is playing out. I doubt investors are buying a piece they want the whole Buffalo Sabres team without the meddling Terry Pegula anymore involved. Also if this happens the new owners of the Buffalo Sabres may not retain the present general manager Kevyn Adams or head coach Don Granato when they have full control of the Buffalo Sabres. Also those upgrades are minor like in the Buffalo News Sunday like scoreboard and roof. The Buffalo News article said that more are going to be needed. The entire seating bowl needs to be replaced that is $500 million dollars range stuff we are talking about in today’s dollars. It will get done but with new Buffalo Sabres owners. Optics of new Buffalo Sabres owners will be easier for New York State to help without the same owners benefitting. I think Terry Pegula is going to do the right thing and sell the Buffalo Sabres to a group of local and outside Buffalo business leaders that will be able to navigate New York State for money for Key Bank Center renovations. The only negative with all this is for the Rochester fans. I don’t see the Buffalo Sabres/Buffalo Bandits new owners wanting the Rochester Americans nor the Rochester Knighthawks so they are in limbo potentially? Maybe Terry Pegula keeps the two Rochester teams to run which is possible. Because the Buffalo Sabres ownership isn’t going to want another lacrosse team nor a Rochester Americans team with another arena to run that is also outdated. I think Terry Pegula gets his hockey fan fix with the Rochester Americans/Rochester Knighthawks ownership? Poor Rochester beggars can’t be choosy in my opinion. Go Bills! Go Sabres! Go Bandits! Let’s Go Buffalo 

 

I don't think Terry Pegula is giving up control of the Sabres and this whole PSE thing is going to amount to nothing.  IMO.

 

I will say your thought about the Buffalo AHL team being attached to the Toronto Maple Leafs made me shudder.   LOL.

[May Day 10]

10 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

It's simple. Much of the country doesn't grow up with hockey. It's an expensive sport to play as a youth and you have to find arenas to play in.

 

 

I lived in Connecticut for a few years and nobody liked or cared about hockey.  I would ask people about it and this was the basic recurring reason.  They never grew up watching or playing the sport and just couldn't get into it as an adult.  

 

This was about 10 years post whalers.  Most people had fond memories going to some games with their families and such, but not really into it.  More like anyone in buffalo would reminisce about going to bisons games.  Hartford was never good, so I'm sure that is a factor

[CountDorkula]

11 hours ago, chongli said:

 

Atlanta has lost two NHL teams. I think the league would be stupid to allow another franchise for that city. They apparently don't support hockey in that town.

TBF to Atlanta. They put the arena in an awful spot with an ownership group who wanted nothing to do with the team. They had to buy the Thrashers to get the Hawks. The owners then sued each other and it was a mess. 
 

hockey is very big in North Atlanta, Marietta, Alpharetta etc. 

 

 

You put a team there instead of lower inner city and it thrives. IMO. 

[maddenboy]

17 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

 

Its 27 years old now.  There has never been any significant renovation, which technically makes it about the oldest arena in the league.  It is ugly/worn on the inside, the seats are decrepit and disgusting.   It was also built much cheaper than arenas around the same timeframe, and the cheapness shines through over time.

 

Most/all of its contemporaries 90s arenas have had major renovations in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

 

The seating bowl is a terrible design for site lines, the concourses (especially in the 300 level) are horrible, the bubble roof sucks the life out of the place, and the outside of it looks terrible (and worn/faded).  

 

It is going to need a decent sum of money, and the public ask will be coming.

 

 

feels like you just described the Aud

[EasternOHBillsFan]

10 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I can tell you haven't paid attention to the Sabres the last two years.

 

Did they make the playoffs in the last two years? 

 

The Buffalo Sabres last made the playoffs in 2011!!!!!! In 2014 after Tim Murray came in and began wrecking the franchise,  LaFontaine left the Sabres. How is that so difficult to understand????

 

https://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/stunner-pat-lafontaine-resigns-from-sabres/

 

I can tell you didn't fully read my post.

10 hours ago, buffblue said:

Huh? 

 

The Buffalo Sabres last made the playoffs in 2011!!!!!! In 2014 after Tim Murray came in and began wrecking the franchise,  LaFontaine left the Sabres. How is that so difficult to understand????

 

https://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/stunner-pat-lafontaine-resigns-from-sabres/

Edited August 29, 2023 by EasternOHBillsFan

[Doc]

8 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

lol after 12 years of ownership..."on the cusp"

 

 

anyway..so what does that have to do with anything as far as he is concerned?  It's at max value then.  He should sell it to someone who could put together a consistent winner, not someone who would take 12 years to get to 2 games over .500.

 

The point was that after 12 years of missing the playoffs, they'll finally make it so him completely selling the team doesn't make sense.  But selling partial ownership does.

[Mr. WEO]

17 hours ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Key Bank lease expires in 2025.  Pegula has time to get things together plus I bet the county would add years if needed.

 

I guess a question to ask is, is Key Bank viable to staying open without the Sabres and possibly without the Bandits?

 

17 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Hard to say. There's still concerts and stuff. But the building gets used at least 100 dates a year now.

 

There's no chance KeyBank is viable without the Sabres.  Check their bookings--it it absolutely dominated by them.  

 

For the next nearly 8 months, there are 9 total concerts/shows booked.

 

https://www.keybankcenter.com/events/calendar

[Mr. WEO]

3 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

The point was that after 12 years of missing the playoffs, they'll finally make it so him completely selling the team doesn't make sense.  But selling partial ownership does.

 

By finally possibly reaching league relevancy, their value is maximized--that's why it would be a smart business move to sell.   He can negotiate a Pegula Family suite in perpetuity to keep the (former) PSE goal of maintaining lifestyle alive.  The fans would get the possibility of a better management scenario than a husband and wife with tons of cash.

[Doc]

2 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

By finally possibly reaching league relevancy, their value is maximized--that's why it would be a smart business move to sell.   He can negotiate a Pegula Family suite in perpetuity to keep the (former) PSE goal of maintaining lifestyle alive.  The fans would get the possibility of a better management scenario than a husband and wife with tons of cash.

 

Hockey is Terry's first love.  Why would he sell now that the team is setup for long-term success?  It doesn't make any sense.

[Mango]

12 hours ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

What good is being the best hockey market in the country if you never win anything??? They can't even make the playoffs in the NHL, and that in itself is embarrassing. This team hasn't been the same since they drove off Patty LaFontaine and it drives me nuts.

 

Pegula bought the team in February of 2011. Their last playoff appearance was April of 2011. 

Pat Lafontaine was hired November 13, 2013. He quite March 1, 2014. He worked for the Sabres for something like 75 days. 

I want Pegula to keep the team. I want the team to stay. But he has been a really bad owner. Maybe the worst owner the NHL has ever seen. The Sabres current drought is nearly 2x the next longest.  Super nice guy, but the Sabres org has been notoriously toxic/dysfunctional since the day he came in. This in no way, shape, or form has anything to do with the date or the hiring/resignation of Lafontaine. It started before that, and it continues after it. Terry has always been really bad at this. 

 

I am hoping that without Kim as the buffer as President Terry can stay the hell away from what they are building. I am a fan of the current hockey staff and roster.