There's enough talent to support a 40 team league but I think the number of viable markets isn't that high right now.
How many teams could the NHL theoretically support?
- Thread starter Siludin
- Start date
Or perhaps a more relevant question;
When do you have a League 1 and a League 2 with promotion/relegation?
If you open up to that; you can potentially have 40, maybe even 50 teams.
When do you have a League 1 and a League 2 with promotion/relegation?
If you open up to that; you can potentially have 40, maybe even 50 teams.
I am actually all for diluting the talent. My take is the more players we have all of a sudden 4th lines become 3rd lines and AHL callups become the 4th line while bottom pairing defense becomes 2nd pairing will lead for the top players to shine more.
On the negative side for some it probably would be the return of the enforcer
Georgetown Al
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At what point do you water down the on ice product since there are only so many decent hockey players on Earth...
Answer that and you'll have your answer...
Heck if I know what that is...
Cheers...
Answer that and you'll have your answer...
Heck if I know what that is...
Cheers...
Georgetown Al
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I think 32 is the best number to maintain a highly skilled competitive league. If you are asking what cities could support a team, that's a different question.......
Toronto #2 (markham)
Hamilton
Quebec City
Vancouver #2 (Surrey)
Halifax
Could all possibly support a team with a 15000-19000 seat arena. London Knights sell out a 9000 seat arena every night and could probably go as high as 15000 for the Knights (NHL prices would obviously be more cost prohibitive)
American cities that could probably do it.......
Seattle
Kansas City
Hartford
Houston
Off the wall locations and ideas.....
If we are going south, how about Mexico City? Seriously...the population is gigantic. It would be a fringe sport in the market....but even a fringe sport in a market like that might prosper.
What about expanding to a European Division?
Could you imagine if the KHL and other Elite leagues in Europe all amalgamated and were bought out by the NHL? Put teams in Europe in.....
London
Paris
Berlin
Munich
Stockholm
Helsinki
Moscow
St Petersbrug
Prague
Bratislava
Vienna
Geneva
With all the talent from the NHL, KHL and elite leagues spread out amongst 12-15 European teams and 30-34 North American teams, you could do 3 divisions. two in North America and 1 in Europe. All the remaining talent from Europe forms part of a European division 2 equal to the AHL.
Toronto #2 (markham)
Hamilton
Quebec City
Vancouver #2 (Surrey)
Halifax
Could all possibly support a team with a 15000-19000 seat arena. London Knights sell out a 9000 seat arena every night and could probably go as high as 15000 for the Knights (NHL prices would obviously be more cost prohibitive)
American cities that could probably do it.......
Seattle
Kansas City
Hartford
Houston
Off the wall locations and ideas.....
If we are going south, how about Mexico City? Seriously...the population is gigantic. It would be a fringe sport in the market....but even a fringe sport in a market like that might prosper.
What about expanding to a European Division?
Could you imagine if the KHL and other Elite leagues in Europe all amalgamated and were bought out by the NHL? Put teams in Europe in.....
London
Paris
Berlin
Munich
Stockholm
Helsinki
Moscow
St Petersbrug
Prague
Bratislava
Vienna
Geneva
With all the talent from the NHL, KHL and elite leagues spread out amongst 12-15 European teams and 30-34 North American teams, you could do 3 divisions. two in North America and 1 in Europe. All the remaining talent from Europe forms part of a European division 2 equal to the AHL.
They will move teams before they expand again, Arizona, Carolina and Florida should move before they expand.
DowntownBooster
Registered User
Some teams struggle with attendance as it is. Relegating them to a 2nd tier could spell their demise. As a relegated team's revenue would likely drop since they would no longer be at the top level, would player salaries drop in conjunction? What would the NHLPA think about that? Perhaps one league of 32 teams without promotion/relegation is the best option.
Just the flights over there. Each team from NA could do one European road trip per season and vice versa. Lets say to keep teams from being away from their own barn for too long, they do a 7 game road trip in 16 days. Two days of travel and then a game every other day.
Also, since we are living in future fantasy land here, I recently read an article about the development of the Concorde 2 which theortically could make flights from New York to London in an hour. Look up the old Concorde flight times. Supersonic jets will eventually make a comeback
Digital Kid
Registered User
Let me be a bit radical here and suggest that the NHL go to 36 teams (4 x 9 or 6 x 6) but with the following changes and thoughts:
- 4-on-4 becomes the new standard. It is more wide open and entertaining. OT would be 3-on-3.
- With 4-on-4 and each current team losing four forwards, and with the Cap the same, players can make more individually.
- The excess four forwards go to the four new teams, so talent is not watered down but spread out.
Digital Kid
Registered User
Rorschach
Who the f*** is Trevor Moore?
There are some other markets that could support a team but there are also cities that currently have a team and can't support it.
So add Seattle and say, Quebec, Kansas City and Houston.
Subtract Florida, Carolina, Arizona.
Still won't be more than 32 teams.
30 is probably perfect.
So add Seattle and say, Quebec, Kansas City and Houston.
Subtract Florida, Carolina, Arizona.
Still won't be more than 32 teams.
30 is probably perfect.
Maplebeasts
I See Demons!!!!!
AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
32 max. No sport should have more. Football Does it well keeping it interesting but because how physical it is it can only do 16 games so that is why it works with that many teams. Baseball is perfect. No more teams needed because talent is equally distributed over time. It's hard to spend more then 10-15 years at the bottom. Basketball and the NHL have the perfect amount of games for the style of game. But for either to expand past 32 you stretch talent really thin especially the NBA.
As for new teams any of the Canadian cities mentioned work for me except QC. They showed they can't handle a team round 1. They don't have the population other areas do.
Houston, Kansas city, Portland, Cleveland, and a few others could likely all thrive. Hell Cleveland is known for supporting losing teams. Indians simce 49, browns since 64, Cavs won 1 2 years back but that's their only one ever. If we can have 3 losers here and still sell seats adding a hockey team in this expansion system they could thrive.
As for new teams any of the Canadian cities mentioned work for me except QC. They showed they can't handle a team round 1. They don't have the population other areas do.
Houston, Kansas city, Portland, Cleveland, and a few others could likely all thrive. Hell Cleveland is known for supporting losing teams. Indians simce 49, browns since 64, Cavs won 1 2 years back but that's their only one ever. If we can have 3 losers here and still sell seats adding a hockey team in this expansion system they could thrive.
Georgetown Al
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If you count the outlying area just around Quebec City it equals to or may even surpass Winnipeg's population...
Winnipeg is my team and we lost them once...
Look where we are now...
You should really rethink Quebec...
Go Nordiques Go
Honestly I was against Winnipeg as well. I thought there were other just as deserving Canadian markets. But when a team has to lose a team like Atlanta had to I always feel if a team has to go I like to see a new market have a chance instead of rob one team to bring back a failed team. Unless the team was like moved pre 75 or something like really old because the market wasn't the same then.
Gunnersaurus Rex
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Two Tiers league's won't happen. No way an owner pays millions of money to buy a team that could drop out of the top league. Not in North America. Just not in the sports business DNA here.
NHL will stop at 32 teams for quite some time once Seattle is added. 4 divisions of 8. Everything nicely balanced. Not many other markets that are viable for a franchise.
I think the League wants Houston. How they get there is another question. Its hard to be a major American league without a team in two of the 10 biggest markets in the United States. Atlanta has failed too recently to go back, but Houston deserves another shot. This will be through relocation though and not expansion.
