stlien wrote:
Does a hockey complex in the city not make sense? Since there's more money in the county, the facility should be there as opposed to the city? Can't those kids commute to the city?
I don't think a hockey complex in the city makes much sense, at least on the scale being discussed. Hockey is still very much growing in the United States, particularly in markets outside of its traditional strongholds (New England and Minnesota, for the most part). St. Louis is an emerging hockey market and it is being fueled by the growth of the sport among youth. A hockey complex in the city may be more convenient for those in the Metro East, particularly towns with stronger hockey traditions (though "tradition" still seems like too strong a word for a sport that still doesn't have varsity status) like Edwardsville, Columbia, and to a lesser extent Collinsville, but the overwhelming heart of the market is in the county.
The city provides some wonderful opportunities for the Blues, and the NHL, to invest to grow the game. Let's be blunt, hockey is a sport that is mostly played by wealthy white people. I think inner-cities are markets for hockey that are just waiting for exposure to the game. There's an issue with making it cost-effective, as hockey requires more equipment than most sports to play (and if we're talking real hockey as opposed to street hockey, then it also requires ice - obviously - which is an issue).
However, my neighborhood is an example of how interest in the game can grow despite access to glitzy facilities. Yes, I grew up in a suburban, white neighborhood. But it was a working class neighborhood where no one could afford to play competitively, but we would play backyard hockey all night long. I still can't skate, but I'm a die hard hockey fan and my brother (who also still can't skate) is a season tickets holder. I think a template that the NHL can use is the MLB's "Just Play" (I think it's called that anyways) initiative which encourages kids to play the game in any form (wiffle ball, stickball, etc.), and not just organized leagues, in order to grow interest in the game.
Point being, should the Blues invest in the city? Absolutely, it's a great chance to grow the game. Should that be their primary investment in the scale discussed? No, I don't think so. Their biggest (and still growing) market is in the county.
