News Article: SI: Toronto among 3 other cities due for expansion teams in 2017

[The Legend]

Link to article here

My apologies if this has been posted somewhere else - four cities, including Quebec City, Las Vegas, Seattle and Toronto will bring in more than $1.4 billion in expansion fees. That's one way to quiet those poorer owners I guess.

Click to read more...

 

[Paradoc]

Was about to post this. Seems to be WAAAAY too many teams expanding. One or two more would be enough, IMO.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

How about we just add Quebec City and Seattle.

 

[Cor]

Wow, massive news.

Toronto + Quebec City into the Atlantic, Buffalo into the Metropolitan, Seattle into the Pacific, and Las Vegas into the Central is how I would work it

 

[Daisy Jane]

that is way too many. i honestly think this is playing with fire.

 

[Daisy Jane]

also - MLSE must be pissed off
2017 is supposed to be THEIR year and they're gonna have to share it with expansion teams & a new team in the city?

 

[Ace88*]

Four might cause an actual talent dilution

2 i think is the most that hockeys infrastructure can handle right now. Four might make it shaky in terms of stability within the parity structure the nhl's been building

 

[Stephen]

Kind of weird thinking about the city of Toronto actually getting an expansion team during the centennial of the Toronto Maple Leafs... It raises so many weird questions.

1) Is there a segment of the Torontonian population and Leaf fanbase who are diehard hockey fans who are going to be waiting to jump ship?

2) Would the expansion team play out of the ACC like a second class version of the Leafs?

3) Would one of Rogers or Bell be granted the expansion team, forcing one of them out of MLSE?

4) If so, do they hold a partial dispersal draft on the Toronto Maple Leafs like they did between the existing Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks?

 

[Swervin81]

Was about to post this. Seems to be WAAAAY many teams expanding. One or two more would be enough, IMO.

I think they'll start by having 2 teams expand (likely Vegas and Quebec, with one eastern team realigning to the western conference for even conferences AND division). Then it may have to be 4 at a timel one for each division.

 

[Swervin81]

Kind of weird thinking about the city of Toronto actually getting an expansion team during the centennial of the Toronto Maple Leafs... It raises so many weird questions.

1) Is there a segment of the Torontonian population and Leaf fanbase who are diehard hockey fans who are going to be waiting to jump ship?

2) Would the expansion team play out of the ACC like a second class version of the Leafs?

3) Would one of Rogers or Bell be granted the expansion team, forcing one of them out of MLSE?

4) If so, do they hold a partial dispersal draft on the Toronto Maple Leafs like they did between the existing Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks?

1. Probably. I know I would never, I'm a Leaf fan for life.

2. Probably. The LA Lakers and Clippers of the NBA both play at the Staples Center, so it's possible.

3. Hopefully. This unholy marriage needs to end ASAP.

4. Nah, just a multi-team expansion draft, I'd think.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

I'll believe it when I see it.

How about they build the arena in Scarborough

 

[HeroNtF]

Soooo... one of these teams will take clarkson ?

 

[gamer1035]

Hopefully Rogers and Bell split up with one of them claiming the new team. Then they will fight each other trying to put out the more competitive team (instead of just caring about profits)

 

[Stephen]

I really don't think a diehard hockey market of non Leaf and non affiliated fans exists in this town in great numbers.

And even as bad as the Leafs have been, is this really the time to turn your back on the Leafs and the cache of a Leafs-Habs rivalry and other long standing traditions just to cheer for a generic expansion team that will make the Senators look like a storied franchise?

I'd consider them a curiosity but if they suck, I think they're toast. Imagine being an unsuccessful expansion team like the Toronto Raptors, but in the NHL, during a possible Leafs upswing. If they're successful, I'll bet a lot of people in this town would wish it was the Leafs.

 

[BertCorbeau]

4 team expansion within 3 years? Jesus Bettman, you're insane

 

[firstemperor]

I really don't think a diehard hockey market of non Leaf and non affiliated fans exists in this town in great numbers.

I disagree, this city is a team starved for a winner. Many fans will support both teams. It won't be Cubs/White Sox, more like Lakers/Clippers except if the L.A market had more diehards.

I don't know what will happen if 2 Toronto teams existed in the league since I'm pretty sure MLSE still has territorial rights and can veto a move. But I will very likely support the 2nd Toronto team.

 

[Cor]

Just an FYI.

The Leafs centennial is in 2016-2017 season, while the new Toronto team would enter the 2017-2018 season.

We wouldn't be sharing it with the other team.

 

[Swervin81]

4 team expansion within 3 years? Jesus Bettman, you're insane

Guess you could say *sunglasses* Holy expansion Bettman.

 

[Stephen]

I disagree, this city is a team starved for a winner. Many fans will support both teams. It won't be Cubs/White Sox, more like Lakers/Clippers except if the L.A market had more diehards.

I don't know what will happen if 2 Toronto teams existed in the league since I'm pretty sure MLSE still has territorial rights and can veto a move. But I will very likely support the 2nd Toronto team.

I'm starved for a Toronto Maple Leafs winner but I'm not starved to see the Toronto Clippers championship.

Cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto II wouldn't make any sense.

 

[Cor]

Oh, and it would likely be Las Vegas + Quebec/Seattle in 2016-17, and Toronto + Quebec/Seattle in 2017-18

So not like, we would have 4 teams in 1 year... I think

 

[Swervin81]

Oh, and it would likely be Las Vegas + Quebec/Seattle in 2016-17, and Toronto + Quebec/Seattle in 2017-18

So not like, we would have 4 teams in 1 year... I think

Probably Vegas + Seattle in 2016 to even things out, 16 in each conference and 8 in each division (Seattle in the pacific, Vegas in the central). Then Toronto and Quebec will come in the year after and I could see Detroit and Columbus moving back west (both in the central, with Dallas and Minnesota moving to the pacific).

 

[Cor]

Probably Vegas + Seattle in 2016 to even things out, 16 in each conference and 8 in each division (Seattle in the pacific, Vegas in the central). Then Toronto and Quebec will come in the year after and I could see Detroit and Columbus moving back west (both in the central, with Dallas and Minnesota moving to the pacific).

Don't think they will send Columbus and Detroit back west. Would be worthless. You would then have 2 extra teams in the West anyway.

I assume they would just stick with the 2 extra in the East.

 

[Kurtz]

Hopefully Rogers and Bell split up with one of them claiming the new team. Then they will fight each other trying to put out the more competitive team (instead of just caring about profits)

That would be a dream scenario. We'd likely see lower ticket prices too.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Okay but here's the thing

we have the Raptors, Jays, Argos(who?) Rock (wha?) Marlies, TFC, and if someone in the Leafs head offices sneeze - it's talked about on every single radio station all day long. How on earth is Toronto Two supposed to compare with that? (I mean hell, 1/2 the complaint from Ottawa and Buffalo is that on Leafs homegames it's predominately Leafs) so you're going to have Toronto 2 come in and if they make them west (2 games) if they're eastern (5) and it's going to be another playground for Leafs Nation.

If they do well and Toronto sucks it's going it's going to be WHY CAN'T THE LEAFS BE LIKE TORONTO TWO (not so much Toronto two is doing well). If Toronto two sucks as well as the Leafs, then whose gonna care? Not Leafs fans.

i really have to wonder the wisdom (truly) of having another team here. I don't think it will be the same as having like Buffalo-NYR-NYI-NJD in the same general area

 

[ALEXJD93]

Almost a joke that Toronto doesn't have a second team if we are supposed to be considered one of the best hockey towns in the world. London has 6-7 premier league teams. I think they would have no issue selling tickets, just not at the price of the Leafs, which would be great to catch a game. Although, I'll remain a Leafs fan.