A 32 team league.

[Seanconn*]

I think it's pretty clear Bettman does not want to take teams away from any American market if at all possible.


So why not look at expanding into better markets in the USA, and move the Coyotes to Winnipeg in the meantime. Then address the situation of Atlanta if it continues to get worse. either send it to Quebec, or another city capable of hosting an NHL team.


Personally I think Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Sacramento, Hartford, Milwaukee, Portland and Seattle all make better locations than Atlanta for a hockey team. and while Phoenix may have seemed to be a good market in the past, I think people are much more concerned about the real estate market and the situation with their homes, before worrying about saving the Coyotes. Otherwise, Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the US, with a significant community of retired Canadians who probably go to some games... and it may work again in the future, just not right now in 2011.

Adding to more teams to new markets in the USA, would balance out the disparity between the Eastern and West right now... sending Detroit, and either Nashville or Columbus to the Eastern Conference.

let alone cut down on travel time for teams in the West, while only adding a little bit to teams in the East, who already have it good in that respect.

The expansion in the 1990's sort of worked, so I don't see how adding 2 more teams to the league right now would make the league fall apart and become a bush league.

I think the NHL would become more popular if it moved to 2 new markets, and moved back to 2 old ones in Winnipeg and Quebec city.



what city in the USA do you guys think would be the best fit for an NHL team, that doesn't currently have one?

Click to read more...

 

[The Nuge]

I know I'll get flamed for this, but I'd love to see 2 teams added somewhere out west and move the wings to the east because players always complain about it. Maybe Seattle and another LA area team?

 

[WpgChris]

Talent is already stretched pretty thin. Also, there's too many teams at the moment (maybe 1/4 of the league) that are in at least somewhat financial difficulties.

No way is a 32 team league gonna happen anytime soon. Maybe in 10 years, at best.

 

[MAROONSRoad]

In the next few years I think we are more likely to see contraction of the league, although that can be avoided by moving a number of franchises to Canada (or a few select US cities), which is likely a more acceptable solution to the BOGs.

GHOST

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

Mod: deleted.

There's no pro-American agenda here.

 

[wjhl2009fan]

I know I'll get flamed for this, but I'd love to see 2 teams added somewhere out west and move the wings to the east because players always complain about it. Maybe Seattle and another LA area team?

There is no way la could support another team there having enough trouble with 2 teams.

 

[King Woodballs]

in the words of my three year old son
no thanks

30 teams is too many
let alone adding more

 

[KevFist]

Oh boy.....This thread's going to be interesting.....

Care to explain exactly HOW Austin, San Antonio, Sacramento, Portland and Seattle are all better hockey markets than Atlanta.....

Can you ALSO explain why teams need to be moved, but the league is also healthy enough for expansion into two new non-Canadian cities?

 

[JuniorNelson]

There is little doubt that some franchises are in trouble. If one were to skate it would affect the value of the others. Bettman, with the owner's support, is preventing this. Until such time as there is a shift in this policy, it makes sense to discuss expansion. Why? If the NHL were to expand into Canada it would be adding two positive revenue streams to the re-energizing of thier core market. Quebec would pour billions into a Montreal/Quebec City rivalry. Similarly, Hamilton/GTA and the Leafs would spark up the marketplace. Even Winnipeg could generate some income. These monies can be put to use propping up failed franchises in poor markets until such time as it makes sense to move them or whatever.

Critical to this is the addition of a balanced travel schedule, which this league has never attempted.

Edit: Forgot to say Kansas City and Las Vegas deserve discussion.

 

[Kebekoi]

32 teams would be the best for divisional purposes and maybe a all ET Eastern Conf.

The NHL and the NHLPA would be for it, but the NHL will wait for the situations in PHX, FLA, ATL, NYI to be fixed before.

Maybe 2015?

 

[wjhl2009fan]

32 teams would be the best for divisional purposes and maybe a all ET Eastern Conf.

The NHL and the NHLPA would be for it, but the NHL will wait for the situations in PHX, FLA, ATL, NYI to be fixed before.

Maybe 2015?

No there is no way it will happen in 2015 maybe 10-15 years from now if all teams are solid and its far more then 4 teams.

 

[leoleo3535]

Sacramento and San Jose are 90 miles apart......

There are TOO many teams now....contraction is needed not expansion.

 

[Fidel Astro]

Yeah, if anything, the league needs to get rid of a few teams for a while until it can get its **** together.

 

[Fugu]

I guess I don't see how the league justifies giving up on a very large US market just to go to smaller, and even more untested, US markets.

The league really needs Atlanta to succeed. I'd say they should pull out all stops and make sure they find a formula that can work there. That said, I think the NHL is too big already, so to parrot that 3-yr old above, "No thanks to expansion."

 

[CBJ goalie]

I'm a fan of expansion to 32 teams - would help balance out the east vs. west.

Also, I feel there is enough talent to support a couple more teams - look at the quality of talent squeezed out every year, or players going to Europe.

The only thing is deciding if to expand the amount of teams getting into the playoffs - I'd say to bump it to 20, but not sure how to bracket it equally......

 

[DopeyFish]

Too many teams, too few good plyers, even less playoff spots

 

[eSabre]

I'd like to see the league even expand to 36 teams in the future. It's obvious the NHL is a niche sport, and it'll always be bigger in league markets than elsewhere. If it wants to increase visibility, that'd be the way to do it. The talent pool continues to grow and as the US expansion markets produce players, like they're beginning to, they won't have any problem finding talent. The diluted talent argument is weak, IMO. Players are better than ever and there's tons of players in Europe who don't come over because they aren't guaranteed roster spots. Nothing is going to grow the game better than getting people to love it. You gotta bring it to them to do that.

 

[Hamilton Tigers]

The diluted talent argument is weak, IMO. Players are better than ever and there's tons of players in Europe who don't come over because they aren't guaranteed roster spots.

Agreed.

To increase the quality of the game, the schedule should be reduced so the players don't burn out.

 

[KevFist]

Nothing is going to grow the game better than getting people to love it. You gotta bring it to them to do that.

This.

I've never taken someone to an NHL game and not taken them back to a second game. Seeing it on TV is one thing, but being there in person is another. If the game is to grow, it has to be taken to new places. I've always felt one reason there's such an elitist attitude amongst some NHL fans is because from 1917 to 1967, this was a league that consisted of just 6 teams... It's a league steeped in tradition, so change can be a bit difficult to grasp.

 

[CommunistDayKare]

I'm actually quite amazed that Kansas City hasn't been mentioned more in the discussion when it comes to relocating teams. They are a pretty passionate sports town and already have an NHL caliber arena that's barely used.

 

[leoleo3535]

I'm actually quite amazed that Kansas City hasn't been mentioned more in the discussion when it comes to relocating teams. They are a pretty passionate sports town and already have an NHL caliber arena that's barely used.

Are they passionate hockey fans?

 

[Fugu]

This.

I've never taken someone to an NHL game and not taken them back to a second game. Seeing it on TV is one thing, but being there in person is another. If the game is to grow, it has to be taken to new places. I've always felt one reason there's such an elitist attitude amongst some NHL fans is because from 1917 to 1967, this was a league that consisted of just 6 teams... It's a league steeped in tradition, so change can be a bit difficult to grasp.

Would this really apply? Today's "older" hockey fans are few in number, especially on message boards. I know of a token few who can actually recall the 6 team league, and most of them were very young children at the time. The "majority" of today's fans probably don't recall much of the 70's or 80's. Their hockey heroes hail from the 90's or later.

I'm actually quite amazed that Kansas City hasn't been mentioned more in the discussion when it comes to relocating teams. They are a pretty passionate sports town and already have an NHL caliber arena that's barely used.

That location needs an owner willing to cough of the $170-200m to acquire a team.

 

[Killion]

in the words of my three year old son
no thanks

Out of the mouths of Babes & Children..... Couldnt agree more with him.

.....really needs Atlanta to succeed....should pull out all stops....NHL is too big already....

Ditto on this perspective & point of view. Several teams should be moved & a few contracted altogether, the NHL consolidating & strengthening its positions throughout North America. Atlanta is absolutely vital to a healthy & prosperous leaner/meaner league. By all means consider expansion 5-8yrs hence for 2020, but for now, Id be reshuffling the deck & pulling out the scalpels.

 

[Dado]

Expansion would be awesome. There aren't yet enough marginal teams-in-trouble - we should add more!

 

[Killion]

Expansion would be awesome. There aren't yet enough marginal teams-in-trouble - we should add more!

Ya, dontcha love it?. Seems David Stern & Gary Bettmans plans are coming together like a dream. Lets further expand the NHL right on out to the fringes of relevancy with a product thats just about on par with the Corvair, the Pinto, the Lada, Pontiac Sunfire, Hyundai Stellar, Audi Fox.....