The NHL BOG (They're the organ grinder; Betmann is merely their monkey) does not want to add Canadian franchises. This is especially true for existing Canadian franchises, because they carve up regional pay-TV rights for Canada amongst themselves (I'm not talking about the CBC OTA broadcasts). A Winnipeg team means that Calgary and Edmonton and Toronto lose regional pay-TV rights in Eastern Saskatchewan, all of Manitoba, and probably northwestern Ontario. A Quebec City team means that Montreal loses pay-TV rights in parts of Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
While the NHL might not
WANT Winnipeg and Quebec, they want contraction even less. If there aren't enough American owners+arenas to move failing teams to, the NHL will, as a last resort, move teams to WInnipeg and QC. I still believe that they would sooner contract than put a team in Hamilton. Here is my list of NHL preferences (IMHO), from most to least desirable...
- Keep American franchises in America, and add even more
- Move failing US franchises to other US cities
- Move a couple of failing US franchises to Winnipeg and Quebec
- Contract failing franchises
- Put a franchise in Hamilton