Which American city is a natural for an new NHL franchise?

[Tyrolean]

I always wonder why Seattle which is close to Canada and has a hockey history is not in the NHL. Which other cities do you think is a natural for the NHL? I can think of Portland Oregon as well.

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[puckhead103*]

they can put a team in new orleans.....let the habs relocate to new orleans...since the town has a french flavor...

let the oilers move to oklahoma....the flames to san diego....let the sens relocated to cleveland, ohio

move the canucks to portland......

with this...the NHL will get a lucrative TV contract with the quickness...

 

[#66]

Vegas has a booming population and no teams in the major sports (I don't think at least, I don't really follow the other sports). Thats seems like a sure fire win in my book.

 

[Transported Upstater]

I always wonder why Seattle which is close to Canada and has a hockey history is not in the NHL. Which other cities do you think is a natural for the NHL? I can think of Portland Oregon as well.

Seattle, as far as I know, has arena problems.

Portland, yes, but there are also obstacles to having a team in Portland.




There are certainly problems with every remaining American city when it comes to an NHL team.

 

[jamiebez]

Chicago

 

[Transported Upstater]

Chicago

ZING!

 

[HFNHL Commish]

Seattle, as far as I know, has arena problems.

Portland, yes, but there are also obstacles to having a team in Portland.




There are certainly problems with every remaining American city when it comes to an NHL team.

Seattle, as I understand it, was one of the cities being considered for an expansion team in the early 90s. When the city was told it wasn't getting a team, a lot of animosity ensued, and the city refurbished the Key Arena without the NHL in mind. While the WHL's Thunderbirds draw okay, I've gathered that there's very little popular or political support for building the new arena that would be necessary to house an NHL team in Seattle.

Of course, that could all change if hockey is factored into a new facility for the NBA's Supersonics...

 

[Alpine]

Ville de Québec they got over 15,000 for a Q GAME......
OOPS I forgot you said American and putting a team in a city that actually knows and loves hockey wouldn' help the NHL get it's US broadcast deal or grow the game where little have intersest in the game.......sorry

 

[Transported Upstater]

Ville de Québec they got over 15,000 for a Q GAME......
OOPS I forgot you said American and putting a team in a city that actually knows and loves hockey wouldn' help the NHL get it's US broadcast deal or grow the game where little have intersest in the game.......sorry

Our money just burns your ***, doesn't it?

 

[Alpine]

Our money just burns your ***, doesn't it?

Yes, Yes it does.
But I can't help myself I keep reading Yanks *****ing about hockey coverage. When, what 80% of pro teams minor and NHL are in the States. USHL and NCAA are expanding. CHL will be 60 teams and CJAHL is over 140 teams.
Actually I'd hate to lose Québec as a CHL city
But yet it's constant wah, wah, hockey needs to do more to get media attention in the US.
The game is growing just fine.
Could be worse try being a soccer fan in Canada.

 

[Transported Upstater]

Yes, Yes it does.
But I can't help myself I keep reading Yanks *****ing about hockey coverage. When, what 80% of pro teams minor and NHL are in the States. USHL and NCAA are expanding.
But yet it's constant wah, wah, hockey needs to do more to get media attention.
The game is growing just fine.
Could be worse try being a pro soccer team in Canada.

Hey, dude, a lame post deserved a lame response.

 

[NJDevs430]

they can put a team in new orleans.....let the habs relocate to new orleans...since the town has a french flavor...
let the oilers move to oklahoma....the flames to san diego....let the sens relocated to cleveland, ohio
move the canucks to portland......
with this...the NHL will get a lucrative TV contract with the quickness...

What? You're not gonna move the Leafs?
<(-:{

 

[OG6ix]

Portland...

There are not any more obstacles, if the NHL wanted to expand or relocate here they could do it. Between oregon and washington state there is roughly 8 million people. Now I do not know how many people are in Raleigh and there are significantly less people in Nashville, and maybe the NHL is thinking in the future if these cities grow like they're expected things will work out best for them, but right now there is no presence of the NHL in this area (canucks do not really count) so to probably 95% of the population doesn't care about the NHL. The NBA is in all of the big markets (Houston, portland, seattle, cleveland) and most importantly they have strong ownership and good teams in places like LA and Chicago. While the NHL teams in these two places have struggled.

From a ratings perspective, I believe that the NHL has not caught any breaks lately and they didn't expand into bigger markets more perceptible to the media. If you are going to leave the North west and houston out of it, well, there is a pretty significant population loss. Yet, you have 4 teams in NJ/NY state, two teams in florida etc. It isn't spread out as well as the NBA has.

 

[Kardi]

What? You're not gonna move the Leafs?
<(-:{

if you move the leafs that would be the end of hockey
the league will fold before the leafs get moved

 

[Timl2009]

if you move the leafs that would be the end of hockey
the league will fold before the leafs get moved

Almost the same thing could have been said about the Cleveland Browns..until 1995. But I can't see Toronto-or Montreal ever being moved.

 

[Pantokrator]

I think the NHL, if it were to expand which I hope not, should go to a city where there is no other professional sports franchise, like Oklahoma City. However, I really think expansion should go to Quebec or Winnipeg before any city in the US. They actually appreciate hockey in those places.

 

[OG6ix]

I think the NHL, if it were to expand which I hope not, should go to a city where there is no other professional sports franchise, like Oklahoma City. However, I really think expansion should go to Quebec or Winnipeg before any city in the US. They actually appreciate hockey in those places.

People do not show up if the teams suck. Look at this old video about edmonton's possible move to Minnesota a few years ago.

link

 

[TehDoak]

Vegas Baby!!

Why not? Besides the obvious sports betting undertones, you could get a beautiful, privatley funded arena and a big spending owner, and scads of exposure to the NHL with comped tickets for tourists, etc. Besides, it'd be one more reason to move to vegas.

 

[Tyrolean]

Ville de Québec they got over 15,000 for a Q GAME......
OOPS I forgot you said American and putting a team in a city that actually knows and loves hockey wouldn' help the NHL get it's US broadcast deal or grow the game where little have intersest in the game.......sorry

I want Quebec and Winnipeg back in the NHL. Hopefully it will happen one day as their fans are passionate as any Canadian about the game.

 

[OG6ix]

I want Quebec and Winnipeg back in the NHL. Hopefully it will happen one day as their fans are passionate as any Canadian about the game.

This is false, Quebec's fans were filling up the seats, but winnipeg arena was empty on many nights.

 

[GKJ]

Kansas City because they're going to have an arena built

 

[On Axis]

How about Madison? The Kohl arena should be suitable (I'm not sure if College Rink Regulations are the same as the NHL's), and they could maybe build a new arena and move in after it's built. Madison doesn't have many major sport franchises, and it's a pretty big hockey town.

 

[BChockeyfan]

Seattle and/or Portland would be good choices, and natural rivalries for Van. and the California teams.

I think Milwaukee would be great, except the Blackhawks owner would never vote for a team so near Chicago.

Another that comes to mind would be Salt Lake City, whats the population, and is there any interest there after the recent Olympics?

 

[Tyrolean]

Seattle and/or Portland would be good choices, and natural rivalries for Van. and the California teams.

I think Milwaukee would be great, except the Blackhawks owner would never vote for a team so near Chicago.

Another that comes to mind would be Salt Lake City, whats the population, and is there any interest there after the recent Olympics?

SLC would be a great place for hockey for sure!

 

[jamiebez]

This is false, Quebec's fans were filling up the seats, but winnipeg arena was empty on many nights.

No, that is false.

Aside from the lame duck 1995/96 season (where the team was sold to new owners and ready to be moved before the season even started), attendance was around 13,000-13,500 in a 15,500 seat building most years. That's around 85% capacity. Not great, but far from empty.