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

[Garbs]

1. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2. Seattle, Washington
3. Portland, Oregon

Houston will get a team before any of those cities, however.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

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.

<Insert Jagr joke here>

 

[Jaded-Fan]

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

Makes sense to me and gives them a huge leg up on the others. In fact I could see a couple of teams added within five years, to the howls of many here. The NHL with its Salary Cap is really taking off and could one again be the up and coming sport . . . remember when it was considered the next thing in the 80's, not the NBA, and articles were in places like Sports Illustrated to the effect? I do not think that the NHL is going to see teams move and in fact will expand once the 'new' NHL takes hold enough to feel safe to do so. KC and Houston are my picks for new teams.

 

[In The Flesh]

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.

That will never happen, they already had chances and it didn't work. Quebec had a talented team, but the franchise is doing 10 times as better in Colorado.

 

[blamebettman*]

Nashville is a disaster, they slash ticket prices and still can't sell out playoff games. now you want a team in east bumble***** Kansas City? why? just because they have an arena? who cares, they have no demand for hockey in that area!

the nhl needs contraction more than anything else

The missouri/Kansas area is just too small and remote, and whatever hockey fans that exist there are Blues fans...and they don't have a large fan base either, just barely enough to survive.

Houston is a terrible sports town by the way, they lost a football franchise and the astros used to have 20000 empty seats for playoff game (that's why enron field was built to such a small capacity)

 

[In The Flesh]

1. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2. Seattle, Washington
3. Portland, Oregon

Houston will get a team before any of those cities, however.

There aren't enough fans in Milwaukee for hockey, you'd think so, but there aren't its all about the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin, I used to live in Milwaukee as to how I know.

 

[dabid]

Hamilton

(NOTE: I know it says American City but I felt like I should make a lame joke)

 

[OG6ix]

There aren't enough fans in Milwaukee for hockey, you'd think so, but there aren't its all about the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin, I used to live in Milwaukee as to how I know.

Did you attend this years Frozen Four?

 

[OG6ix]

Nashville is a disaster, they slash ticket prices and still can't sell out playoff games. now you want a team in east bumble***** Kansas City? why? just because they have an arena? who cares, they have no demand for hockey in that area!

the nhl needs contraction more than anything else

The missouri/Kansas area is just too small and remote, and whatever hockey fans that exist there are Blues fans...and they don't have a large fan base either, just barely enough to survive.

Houston is a terrible sports town by the way, they lost a football franchise and the astros used to have 20000 empty seats for playoff game (that's why enron field was built to such a small capacity)

Where should they go? Back to hartford where sometimes only 11,000 people showed up? Or back to winnipeg where when the team was losing couldn't attract flies, yet once the team was about to move they all woke up? How about Quebec city where this new arena will magically come out of the sky and the quebec politicians who didn't help the team out the first time will come out of the woodwork to accomodate them? Who are going to own these teams? You planning on buying a team? The Habs aren't even owned by a local.

 

[Wisent]

Anchorage.

 

[Spydey629]

As long as the Pens stay in Pittsburgh, I don't care where a couple franchises get located.

If I had a vote...

1- Houston
2- Portland / Seattle
3- Kansas City
4- Oklahoma City
5- Vegas

Oklahoma City might just be the best bet... While it's not the #4 TV Market like Houston, it is a sort of half-way point betwen KC and Houston, and could fill a couple of holes - to be the 'natural rival' of both Dallas AND St. Louis - filling in all the talk of what KC or Houston would do.

And besides... look what OKC did for the Hornets this past season. Could hockey sell just as well being the only team in town? It was in the last round for an expansion franchise.

 

[hockydude5000]

Inc. Canadian Cities; long term expansion plan:

1st expansion 2013:
Hartford
Kansas City
Winnipeg
Houston

2nd expansion 2022:
Portland
Quebec City

3rd Expansion 2030:
Oklahoma City
Salt Lake City
Baltimore
Milwaukee/Hamilton/Las Vegas (one of the three)

I bet you, when the NHL is healthy again, this will happen.

 

[tinyzombies]

Seattle has to top the list with all the money in that town and the large hockey fanbase and proximity to the Canuck border.

 

[NucksOnly]

They better not expand in the near future, but if they were the most likely place would be Seattle, Portland, and Hartford. As for Canadian Cities such as Winnipeg and Quebec City which I think should be priority over any american city IMO.

 

[Whalerfan11]

The NHL is Hartford would REALLY help get ESPN to embrace the sport again. Have some producers and on-air talent get to some games and they will start to take notice of the sport. There is nothing like live NHL hockey and having that close to ESPN would be very good for TV coverage.

 

[Spydey629]

The NHL is Hartford would REALLY help get ESPN to embrace the sport again. Have some producers and on-air talent get to some games and they will start to take notice of the sport. There is nothing like live NHL hockey and having that close to ESPN would be very good for TV coverage.

Have to disagree. What worked for Chris Berman will more than likely not help Stuart Scott and John Anderson.

 

[Realm]

Hopefully none!

 

[Whawks33]

Seattle has to top the list with all the money in that town and the large hockey fanbase and proximity to the Canuck border.

They have a lousy arena as has been mentioned, and as far as drawing, the Thunderbirds (WHL) barely drew 3000 per game in the playoffs series against their top division rival Portland. They drew 3074 for game seven in the series and easily 200+ of those in attendence wre Winter Hawks fans. I don't see Seattle as having a "large hockey fan base".

 

[dafoomie]

Winnipeg
Quebec City
Hartford

We know how well they drew in the past when they had teams. There are teams that do worse in the NHL today. Tap the existing fanbases. This would be completely contingent on new arenas, which would have kept the teams there in the first place. Winnipeg has a new building now, but it would need some upgrading for the NHL.

Don't dismiss Hartford so easily, the Patriots almost moved there.

 

[GWhale*]

Winnipeg and Quebec first, then Hartford.

Portland/Seattle = basketball cities

Kansas City = football/baseball/anything but hockey city

After Hartford, in terms of the USA, maybe a second Michigan team, an improvement for Chicago , I'd love to see a team in North Dakota but it's a little too small a market. Hamilton should have a team as well, maybe a second Toronto.

Some people say there are too many teams now, but maybe the NHL should then create a second division ala European soccer.

 

[btn]

Before any other city gets one, Toronto has to get two.

There is plenty of room, and Leaf hatred , in Toronto for another franchise.

If NYC can have 3, and LA can have 2, surely Toronto can have two. I could care less what the Leafs ownership says, if Canada wants another franchise(and they do) it has to be in Toronto.

 

[Hasbro]

I don't know that Salt Lake would have enough population to support a team. There's about 2 million people in the Wassach Valley, but outside of that almost nothing. They'd be fighting Colorado for the Rocky mountain region, which might be enough for the Avs to try and steer a team away from that market.

I'd say Portland is the obvious choice.

I'm a big supporter of Oklahoma City. Decent sized population, lot's of oil money, some extra population in outlying areas, done a great job with the Hornets and dedicated to minor league hockey.

 

[hockydude5000]

I don't know that Salt Lake would have enough population to support a team. There's about 2 million people in the Wassach Valley, but outside of that almost nothing. They'd be fighting Colorado for the Rocky mountain region, which might be enough for the Avs to try and steer a team away from that market.

But it matches the profile of a future NHL small market team: cold climate, already with a major-league size arena, good sized population in the immediate area. Thing is, hockey is a very regional sport, for example, Denver people will root for the Avs, but Salt Lake fans won't care until the team comes. However, if that doesn't work, there is three other cities to choose from: Hamilton, Milwaukee, and Las Vegas. Although I am not convinced that hockey would do well in Vegas, the hot climate might make hockey a hot attraction to get away from the heat.

 

[Hasbro]

But it matches the profile of a future NHL small market team: cold climate, already with a major-league size arena, good sized population in the immediate area.

You are assuming alot there. The most recent model for new NHL cities matches Houston and KC

Thing is, hockey is a very regional sport, for example, Denver people will root for the Avs, but Salt Lake fans won't care until the team comes.

I thing the Avs would hamstring Salt Lake getting a team to protect whatever money they are getting from the area, much like the Canucks would do to Seattle.

 

[KaptainKourage*]

Anchorage.

That would be sexy. But they should start with an AHL franchise first... anyone know what is the ancorage population ?