The Next NHL Expansion...

[Henry]

Looks like the NHL is about to expand again, so it will be a 32-team league, like the NFL, according to the link below:

http://nypost.com/2014/12/14/current-nhl-teams-need-to-prep-for-expansion-cap-woes/

Where should the NHL expand, if and when it does? I say Seattle and Quebec.

[TEG24601]

Seattle is a must, we are begging for a 4th team.


I've heard suggestions for Portland, Halifax, Quebec, or Hamilton.

[on_wisconsin]

Milwaukee!!!!!

(Seriously, it will most likely be Vegas and Quebec/  Seattle/ Toronto II/ etc...)

[1995hoo]

If they do expand, it'd be nice to even up the conferences, presumably as a 16/16 setup with four eight-team divisions.

Seattle and Quebec seem like the two most-discussed if Seattle builds a new arena (Quebec is already doing so). Las Vegas has been getting a fair amount of mention lately as well. I think Hamilton seems less likely than a second Toronto team simply because Hamilton would be seen as having more of an impact on the Buffalo Sabres, who draw a fair number of people from Southern Ontario because it's easier and cheaper to get Sabres tickets than it is to get Maple Leafs tickets.

[on_wisconsin]

Seattle and Quebec seem like the two most-discussed if Seattle builds a new arena (Quebec is already doing so). Las Vegas has been getting a fair amount of mention lately as well.

Las Vegas is also building an NHL friendly arena as we speak too.

http://www.arenalasvegas.com/home.aspx

[texaskdog]

I don't see Las Vegas being such a great option with so many warm weather teams failing.  I'd love to have one in Austin and we have a lot of transplants here but we might max out at the AAA level.

[1995hoo]

I think the biggest issue with Las Vegas is that, while there are no other teams to compete against locally (unless you count UNLV basketball), there's a lot of other stuff in town capturing the tourist dollars. How many tourists who head there to gamble are going to want to take time out to go to a game, unless the NHL thinks fans of teams in other cities will try to schedule trips to Vegas to coincide with their home teams' visits? That's also a problem for weeknight games since so many visitors come on weekends. Are there enough local residents to form enough of a fanbase to justify a team there? As the Florida Panthers illustrate, trying to rely on the visiting fans for attendance isn't a great strategy.

[texaskdog]

I think the biggest issue with Las Vegas is that, while there are no other teams to compete against locally (unless you count UNLV basketball), there's a lot of other stuff in town capturing the tourist dollars. How many tourists who head there to gamble are going to want to take time out to go to a game, unless the NHL thinks fans of teams in other cities will try to schedule trips to Vegas to coincide with their home teams' visits? That's also a problem for weeknight games since so many visitors come on weekends. Are there enough local residents to form enough of a fanbase to justify a team there? As the Florida Panthers illustrate, trying to rely on the visiting fans for attendance isn't a great strategy.

I'd think they'd try to get some of these warm weather teams that don't draw to move (Florida, Carolina, etc) and then get a few more Canadian teams in.

[Stephane Dumas]

I heard some others rumors then the Florida Panthers is in dire financial trouble then the owners could sell the team to move it elsewhere.

[formulanone]

As the Florida Panthers illustrate, trying to rely on the visiting fans for attendance isn't a great strategy.

Attendance was quite good until the team wasn't making the playoffs. (2001 or so?) They had the advantage of being a great team right from the get-go, with pretty good support for about 8 years.

But fickle South Florida fans stopped coming, since it wasn't the newest thing anymore; in a place with fair-weather fans (and a truly fair weather locale with lots to do), they've struggled. Only the Dolphins are held with a sense of historical regard; they've been a rather average team, but they typically fill 2/3 of the stadium.

[1995hoo]

I think the biggest issue with Las Vegas is that, while there are no other teams to compete against locally (unless you count UNLV basketball), there's a lot of other stuff in town capturing the tourist dollars. How many tourists who head there to gamble are going to want to take time out to go to a game, unless the NHL thinks fans of teams in other cities will try to schedule trips to Vegas to coincide with their home teams' visits? That's also a problem for weeknight games since so many visitors come on weekends. Are there enough local residents to form enough of a fanbase to justify a team there? As the Florida Panthers illustrate, trying to rely on the visiting fans for attendance isn't a great strategy.

I'd think they'd try to get some of these warm weather teams that don't draw to move (Florida, Carolina, etc) and then get a few more Canadian teams in.

As we saw with the Coyotes, the league will do whatever they can to prevent teams from moving, especially where the team plays in a publicly-financed arena (the Hurricanes are one such). Obviously there are very sound reasons for that: If you get the public to build you a new arena and then you move the team, why would any public entity agree to build an arena for any other team?

As the Florida Panthers illustrate, trying to rely on the visiting fans for attendance isn't a great strategy.

Attendance was quite good until the team wasn't making the playoffs. (2001 or so?) They had the advantage of being a great team right from the get-go, with pretty good support for about 8 years.

But fickle South Florida fans stopped coming, since it wasn't the newest thing anymore; in a place with fair-weather fans (and a truly fair weather locale with lots to do), they've struggled. Only the Dolphins are held with a sense of historical regard; they've been a rather average team, but they typically fill 2/3 of the stadium.

Yeah, I remember their run to the Stanley Cup Finals.

My brother-in-law lives reasonably close to their current arena (he lives off Pines Boulevard near its western end) but has only ever been to one game. Took his son. I'm sure the arena's location doesn't necessarily help weeknight attendance when you factor in the Miami area's traffic.

[ET21]

Seattle is a must, we are begging for a 4th team.


I've heard suggestions for Portland, Halifax, Quebec, or Hamilton.

Vancouver will be noting a Seattle NHL team, could see a good rivalry start there.

[spooky]

Hartford. Bring back the Whale!!!

[Pete from Boston]

Hartford. Bring back the Whale!!!

Aaaaaandd... "Brass Bonanza" settles in my head, where it will stay for the foreseeable future.

[1995hoo]

Hartford. Bring back the Whale!!!

Aaaaaandd... "Brass Bonanza" settles in my head, where it will stay for the foreseeable future.

http://youtu.be/TJtiepwpKFw

[Alps]

Looks like the NHL is about to expand again

"I read a blog and construed it as fact"