Proposal: Expansion to 36 Teams

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Do fans actually care about that though? This is hockey, not basketball. I don’t decide which games to go to based on individual players on the other team.

Think about the amount of Bruins fans in attendance when we play a West or Central team. Ticket prices for McDavid/Toronto are the highest a team like Winnipeg or Nashville see all year. It’s good for the league - both short term financially and long term growing the game wise - to have each team play at least once in each arena every year.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I am opposed to expansion and would actually advocate contraction (which will never happen).

What I find interesting is that, when I first began watching sports, it was at the very end of the 21 team league era where 16 out of 21 clubs made the playoffs.

The Bruins set their record streak of consecutive seasons qualifying when all they had to do was be better than Hartford or Quebec.

Fast forward to today where half the teams make it and half don’t. The NBA has watered it down with its play in tournament for the 9 and 10 seeds in each conference.

Feels like just a matter of time before the NHL follows suit.

Anyway, it all comes down to the almighty buck. As I said in the other thread, I’m sure all the owners care is that the expansion checks clear. In terms of quality of product? They know the lunatic fringe (us) will continue to buy tickets and shirts.

Though there was only one season (1984-85) that occurred. Still the Bruins were an 82-point team and would have made the playoffs in every other division also.

Hartford & Quebec each had come in first in that division during that time. And the Bruins led the division more than any other team (including Montreal).

 

[Ratty]

League should have learned its lesson from two failed attempts at an Atlanta franchise. Bulldog country, that's all.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Pretty bad for the league to have McDavid/Matthews/Makar/Bedard etc only come to your arena once every two years.

It isn't 1965 anymore, kids and fans can immediately go watch hours of their best plays any time they want. It's not like the only time you can see them is in person.

There's a lot more value in fostering and continuing rivalries through more matchups. Familiarity breeds hatred and games with more weight/emotion are bigger games.

 

[Troublesome 85]

Quebec is not coming back, ever. Hartford probably not either.

Psh Quebec Phantoms are my NHL 23 expansion team. We coming

 

[EverettMike]

They have one franchise that is currently playing in a tiny college arena. Florida still can't draw fans. Maybe the league should figure out if it can support the teams it has now before adding more?

 

[Therick67]

They have one franchise that is currently playing in a tiny college arena. Florida still can't draw fans. Maybe the league should figure out if it can support the teams it has now before adding more?

I think they should expand to 82 teams and everyone plays once. Think of all the Fanatics jersey sales?????

 

[rfournier103]

Who is O'Brien?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_O'Brien

 

[McGarnagle]

Houston yes, Atlanta yes (the Thrashers didn't fail in the market as much as their ownership group intentionally tanked them), Quebec yes, but Hartford is small potatoes and never getting another team. You'd probably see Milwaukee or Portland before them.

Even as is the league is pretty much at capacity.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Houston yes, Atlanta yes (the Thrashers didn't fail in the market as much as their ownership group intentionally tanked them), Quebec yes, but Hartford is small potatoes and never getting another team. You'd probably see Milwaukee or Portland before them.

Even as is the league is pretty much at capacity.

Kansas City would be second most desirable market after Houston. Not enough corporate money in Quebec

Also…biggest US Market without a single pro sports team? Richmond-Newport News-VA Beach.

 

[bbfan419]

Instead of expansion, they should be relocating teams, Arizona and Florida for example.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

the only question in regards to this:

what happens to professional hockey in Hartford, Springfield and Providence after what the AHL forced our region to lose Manchester/Portland/Worcester..... granted, Manchester hasn't yet recovered from the demise of the Monarchs pre-pandemic, and the "business end" it took Worcester and Portland a minimum of 2 + years to join the ECHL AND Worcester isn't going anywhere, nor how this impacts Providence's contract w/ DN, since they don't own the franchise there although it's pretty much run as if DN owns the franchise

 

[bme44]

Instead of expansion, they should be relocating teams, Arizona and Florida for example.

Agree

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

the only question in regards to this:

what happens to professional hockey in Hartford, Springfield and Providence after what the AHL forced our region to lose Manchester/Portland/Worcester..... granted, Manchester hasn't yet recovered from the demise of the Monarchs pre-pandemic, and the "business end" it took Worcester and Portland a minimum of 2 + years to join the ECHL AND Worcester isn't going anywhere, nor how this impacts Providence's contract w/ DN, since they don't own the franchise there although it's pretty much run as if DN owns the franchise

All of this is pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Almost completely irrelevant really.

 

[jgatie]

the only question in regards to this:

what happens to professional hockey in Hartford, Springfield and Providence after what the AHL forced our region to lose Manchester/Portland/Worcester..... granted, Manchester hasn't yet recovered from the demise of the Monarchs pre-pandemic, and the "business end" it took Worcester and Portland a minimum of 2 + years to join the ECHL AND Worcester isn't going anywhere, nor how this impacts Providence's contract w/ DN, since they don't own the franchise there although it's pretty much run as if DN owns the franchise

 

[Lobster57]

I'm very against the idea of expansion in general, and would prefer contraction down to 28 (i know it will NEVER happen)
The "O'Brien" division would draw about 10K a night, collectively.

 

[Morris Wanchuk]

I have given up arguing about this but the schedule now sucks. At least i dont have to pay $$$ anymore to see all the snooze fest western conference games.

 

[Morris Wanchuk]

Also, I dont see how the league is watered down. My take is mistakes make hockey interesting. Now the only goals are perfect snipes or deflections. Look at the glory days of the 1980s and you had players falling down turning backwards.

Part of the reason I watch more regular season college hockey. More mistakes is more fun and interesting. The NHL is perfect robots going through the over coached motions.

 

[LavioletteScores]

Considering there's already players in the league who clearly aren't NHL caliber I don't get what creating more bottom feeders is gonna do.

Just more competition for the #1 pick I guess.

Expansion also means more jobs for players coaches and other staff at an NHL level. Don't know what expanding to 36 teams means competition-wise, but I'm all for job creation, especially for staff who do a lot of work for probably not the salaries of players and coaches

 

[Lobster57]

8 divisions of 4 teams
4 divisions per conference

Play the other 3 teams in your division 8 times = 24 games
Play one of the other divisions in your conference 4 times =16 games
Play the other 2 divisions in your conference 3 times = 24
(rotate the inter-divisional match up every season)
Play the other conference once = 16 games
Season is 80 games.

top 2 teams in each division make the playoffs. Divisions that played each other 4 times meet in the second round.

 

[Shaun]

>5 years before seattle goes down the tubes. those people don’t care about sports

 

[Aeroforce]

Selfishly, I'd love a team here in Houston.

Realistically, I think there are already too many teams.

The game is different today. The players are very well paid, and many 'rivals' have the same agent. The Covid divisions were supposed to bring animosity back; but it didn't even come close.

All that being said, I'll be 55 next month. The Bruins' phenomenonal season aside, my interest in the NHL is waning, for various reasons. They seem hell-bent on capturing the younger demographic, and if having this many teams is what they want, they'll do it.

 

[ShiftyNifty16]

Can we contract back to 6 teams?

 

[CDN24]

8 divisions of 4 teams
4 divisions per conference

Play the other 3 teams in your division 8 times = 24 games
Play one of the other divisions in your conference 4 times =16 games
Play the other 2 divisions in your conference 3 times = 24
(rotate the inter-divisional match up every season)
Play the other conference once = 16 games
Season is 80 games.

top 2 teams in each division make the playoffs. Divisions that played each other 4 times meet in the second round.

I like 4 divisions but as a Habs fan we have to be in the same one as you

Play the other 3 teams in your division 6 times = 18 games
Play the other 3 divisions in your conference 4 times = 48
Play the other conference once = 16 games
Season is still 82 games

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I like 4 divisions but as a Habs fan we have to be in the same one as you

Play the other 3 teams in your division 6 times = 18 games
Play the other 3 divisions in your conference 4 times = 48
Play the other conference once = 16 games
Season is still 82 games

And Bedard goes to the Ducks and only plays in NY every other year? Boston? Toronto? Montreal?It’s not going to happen and it shouldn’t.