With expansion over, what cities are the faves to get a relocated team?

[Pinkfloyd]

If a 3rd team comes to Ontario, Kitchener/Waterloo makes the most sense if they'd be able to get an arena for it. Decent population in the tri-city area. London, Guelph, Hamilton, Niagara all close by.

I'll believe that when I see it. I just can't see the Leafs not winning that political battle within the league to allow that to happen. Yeah the league is going to sound tough for their own sake but they're not going to pick a fight with the Leafs over putting another team there when they have other options.

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

The fans aren't the issue. Montreal has a monopoly and would fight against any team in Quebec. The Canadiens represent "French" Canada, and its very lucrative. They don't want competition.

Same with the leafs in Toronto. The greater Toronto area could have 3 teams, but MLSE/Rogers would do everything they could to stop it.

I understand not wanting market competition. But I also think teams benefit from local rivals.

 

[AvsFan29]

I understand not wanting market competition. But I also think teams benefit from local rivals.

They benefit more from having no competition

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

They benefit more from having no competition

It just seems boring.

I’m from NYC. I’m an isles, yankee, and jets fan. Others are rangers, mets, and giants fans. Or any combination. We’re always arguing about the teams. What happens in markets with one team? Everyone likes the Canadiens. So who do they argue with? Bruins fans, hundreds of miles away. It’s nice to have local adversaries.

 

[AvsFan29]

It just seems boring.

I’m from NYC. I’m an isles, yankee, and jets fan. Others are rangers, mets, and giants fans. Or any combination. We’re always arguing about the teams. What happens in markets with one team? Everyone likes the Canadiens. So who do they argue with? Bruins fans, hundreds of miles away. It’s nice to have local adversaries.

Yah I'd prefer more competition, but unfortunately the league allows monopolies like Toronto and Montreal to do whatever they want. Also their owners run monopolies in their business aswell. Rogers media and Molson Coors routinely buy out competition.

 

[aemoreira1981]

With Les Alexander out of the picture in Houston, I will also say Houston and the team would likely be named the Aeros. The question becomes: from what conference? If the East and the Atlantic [MOD], that could force the Lightning into the Metro with someone having to head east into the Atlantic, since that team would be in the Central.

 

[Ptgeandmain]

If you put another team in Atlanta then within a decade it will spawn another Canadian team.

I.e Atlanta 1.0 = Calgary Flames
Atlanta 2.0 = Winnipeg Jets
Atlanta 3.0 = Quebec?

 

[Rcknrollkillnmachine]

For curiousity sake how are the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and Indiana for viable markets.

Could Massachusetts support a second team?

 

[Nordiques1979]

Portland Hipsters are too busy scripting Facebook posts on why gentrification is terrible for society on their Macbooks while they sit in an independently owned coffee shop to attend hockey games.

Portland hipsters got money, that's all that matters.

 

[Nordiques1979]

For curiousity sake how are the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and Indiana for viable markets.

Could Massachusetts support a second team?

Massachusetts obviously are crazy hockey fans, but I don't know if it could work, two teams in NCAA are huge, a lot of minor hockey team, does Worcester still in AHL or something?

I think they are starving in hockey honestly. And I don't see any city in MA who could support a NHL team.

 

[nucksflailtogether]

My heart votes Portland or QC, my mind votes Houston or KC.

 

[BruinsFan37]

List begins and ends with Houston.

 

[ScottyK]

Quebec for the east, Houston for the west.

 

[Oddbob]

The second time around was on Atlanta Spirit Group. The fan support was there.

If fan support was there, they would still have a team! Having a group of passionate fans does not mean you have fan support good enough to support an NHL team. Arizona and really Florida are two great examples of this.

 

[Asheville]

If fan support was there, they would still have a team! Having a group of passionate fans does not mean you have fan support good enough to support an NHL team. Arizona and really Florida are two great examples of this.

Awwww, how sad. Chiming in and not understanding Atlanta Spirit Group's role in the matter; perhaps not knowing who they are at all.

 

[tucker3434]

This is part of the problem. Its better (from a league standpoint) to have the only team in town in a smaller city than one of what would then be 5 major sport teams in a bigger city.

Regardless, QC and Atlanta have both failed twice, so it would have to be some pretty convincing sales pitch to get a 3rd shot.

The west simply has much better options for relocation.

You could’ve made the same argument when we got an MLS team two years ago, but the Atlanta United now hold all the major attendance records. Plus, having 4 others generally means we the number of TV’s to make it worth while for that next contract.

With Seattle getting a team and Houston as the next obvious landing ground, Atlanta will be the only metro area wihin the top 20 in US and Canada to not have a hockey team (depending on how that Houston team comes to be). We’re top 10 and growing at a rate faster than everyone else in it except for Houston or Dallas. Atlanta will be a natural target in the next ~20 years.

The only thing missing in Atlanta is an Arthur Blank of hockey. The team can’t be run by some corporate venture that needs to explain every penny spent to a board and shareholders. It needs to have a billionaire that’s passionate about it and knows it’s going to cost some money to make it work.

 

[Viqsi]

For curiousity sake how are the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and Indiana for viable markets.

Could Massachusetts support a second team?

Dakotas/Wyoming/Montana don't have any markets big enough to rival Saskatoon, let alone big enough to host an NHL team. Nebraska only has the Omaha area, and it's still relatively tiny (sub-1m metro).

Indiana, on the other hand? Indianapolis is a former WHA city (as anyone who's a big fan of Gretzky and Messier would know), and it's growing fast - #34 metro area in the US by population, just slightly behind Columbus (which is #32). Could make for a very nice location.

* * *​

If fan support was there, they would still have a team! Having a group of passionate fans does not mean you have fan support good enough to support an NHL team. Arizona and really Florida are two great examples of this.

Get a clue. That team was deliberately sabotaged.

 

[bert]

Way too small of a market. Just like QC. Small potatoes compared to Houston.

Atleast people actually like play hockey in those markets. Portland, QC, Saskatchewan even another team in the south west Ontario are better options. Enough hockey in the south where no one cares.

 

[Svechhammer]

None, relocation isn't on the table.

For all the whining about Bettman, its not going to change when he's no longer in control. The owners hire him, he represents the ownership group as a whole, and he acts on their behalf. His desire to not have any team move, and to dedicate resources to keeping the Coyotes in Arizona, and not allowing the sale of the Hurricanes to include movement clauses shows the stance the league has as a whole. They're more worried about building upon what they already have than anything else. Tickets purchased per game is small potatoes to the big picture income paths their ventures are exploring. They have more money to lose by leaving these places than money to gain by getting in somewhere like QC, Hamilton, or Toronto. Houston is a small possibility, but it doesn't really increase the footprint with Dallas already there, and same with KC and St Louis.

 

[Foppberg]

Houston.

Maybe Quebec one day if our dollar takes off and a team is in an Atlanta type situation.

[MOD]

 

[libertarian]

This is not a thread to discuss the specific teams that are likely to move.

Let's discuss the cities most likely to receive a relocated team IF such an upheaval took place, regardless of the franchises.

My guess would be Houston. Too big of a market. I'd like to see a team in Atlanta again.

Atlanta has had two chances and both failed. They will not get another chance. If a team relocated I think it will be Quebec City that gets it. Like the Jets the NHL will not want to go there but they will if they have to. My guess is that Quebec will be just as successful financially as the Jets have been.

 

[Asheville]

Atlanta has had two chances and both failed. They will not get another chance. If a team relocated I think it will be Quebec City that gets it. Like the Jets the NHL will not want to go there but they will if they have to. My guess is that Quebec will be just as successful financially as the Jets have been.

9th biggest market in US. NHL will return, just a matter of when.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Atlanta has had two chances and both failed. They will not get another chance. If a team relocated I think it will be Quebec City that gets it. Like the Jets the NHL will not want to go there but they will if they have to. My guess is that Quebec will be just as successful financially as the Jets have been.

Quebec City has had two chances and both failed as well.

 

[libertarian]

9th biggest market in US. NHL will return, just a matter of when.

Disagree, the fact that Atlanta is the 9th biggest market in the US has not help them keep a NHL team. Both attempts in Atlanta have ended with a move to very successful smaller cities in Canada.

 

[Bonzo111]

9th biggest market in US. NHL will return, just a matter of when.

no it won't