Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
So, does that mean that a millionaire taking on the project of a French KHL team is the one thing missing for expansion there?
Millionaire and an arena. They are by far the two biggest issues. Getting the blessing from the country's hockey federation is of minor importance in comparison to these two things.
The only suitable arena for hockey is AccorHotels Arena, which is one of the busiest venues in Paris if not all of France. The venue is perfect for hockey, with both capacity and design, but it hosts nearly every major event in Paris. It's a similar situation the KHL faced with the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London, a situation that caused hockey to be a nonstarter. The released schedule doesn't go very far, but the first non-occupied Saturday or Friday slot is in November and after that is the New Year. Other venues being built for the Paris Olympics would not be a fit for hockey since they are all outdoor except for one massive covered dome.
And then getting an owner is event tougher since it's now known to everyone that KHL teams do not make money, or in the case of SKA there is income but it comes from government-owned corporations. This will be made even tougher since France has some of the highest tax rates in Europe. PSG had to wait decades for a sugar daddy to sponsor the one of the most popular teams in the most popular sport in the country, and when he did come, he came from Arabia. And that was for football. Hockey is not even in the top 10 for most popular sports. It falls far behind football, handball, rugby, cycling, and even skiing. Getting an owner to take on this project is extremely unlikely given all of these circumstances.